(no subject)
I've been a vegetarian since I was thirteen years old. It started when I was in the eighth grade, inspecting chicken wings and sheep hearts in lab. I went to lunch shortly after, took a bite of a turkey sandwich, gagged, and realized I couldn't eat anymore. My mom wasn't thrilled (I was already underweight at the time), and continually challenged my logic--rightfully so, since I hadn't actually come up with a logical reason beyond "But animals are cuuuute!"
So I started compiling a list why I felt eating meat was wrong:
--I can subsist on a vegetarian diet, so why kill organisms that are so close to humans when it's not necessary?
--Factory farming is a truly cruel way of raising and slaughtering livestock
--Plants might feel pain in their own way, for all we know, but it's harder to be cruel to them before killing them.
So I gave up meat, fish, leather, wool and silk.
Fast forward ten years: I'm currently struggling with sleep apnea, depression and migraines. I have no energy and am tired all the time--which can easily be attributed to all three conditions. However, I've been wondering a lot lately how much of my struggle to maintain good health has been compromised by my diet. I mean, I eat a lot of vegetable protein and take B12 and iron supplements, but I'm not blind to the fact that I have no stamina or concentration. So for the past year, I've been debating on an off whether to go off the wagon. I'd conditioned myself to think that meat was gross, so it was hard to convince myself to enjoy it again.
But then yesterday, my roommate made bacon. Now, please understand that bacon is the one meat I could not stop craving, even though pigs are the cutest fucking thing ever. Long story short, I went to the store and bought myself some free-range, antibiotic-and-hormone-free bacon, cooked it, and ate it. OMGITWASSOGOOD.
Even after brushing my teeth and going to bed, I woke up still tasting bacon. I said to myself, Self, know what that is? That is the taste of shame. DELICIOUS, BACONY SHAME. And then I cooked and ate some more.
...Yeah, I know some of you must be freaking out now. Thoughts? Comments?
So I started compiling a list why I felt eating meat was wrong:
--I can subsist on a vegetarian diet, so why kill organisms that are so close to humans when it's not necessary?
--Factory farming is a truly cruel way of raising and slaughtering livestock
--Plants might feel pain in their own way, for all we know, but it's harder to be cruel to them before killing them.
So I gave up meat, fish, leather, wool and silk.
Fast forward ten years: I'm currently struggling with sleep apnea, depression and migraines. I have no energy and am tired all the time--which can easily be attributed to all three conditions. However, I've been wondering a lot lately how much of my struggle to maintain good health has been compromised by my diet. I mean, I eat a lot of vegetable protein and take B12 and iron supplements, but I'm not blind to the fact that I have no stamina or concentration. So for the past year, I've been debating on an off whether to go off the wagon. I'd conditioned myself to think that meat was gross, so it was hard to convince myself to enjoy it again.
But then yesterday, my roommate made bacon. Now, please understand that bacon is the one meat I could not stop craving, even though pigs are the cutest fucking thing ever. Long story short, I went to the store and bought myself some free-range, antibiotic-and-hormone-free bacon, cooked it, and ate it. OMGITWASSOGOOD.
Even after brushing my teeth and going to bed, I woke up still tasting bacon. I said to myself, Self, know what that is? That is the taste of shame. DELICIOUS, BACONY SHAME. And then I cooked and ate some more.
...Yeah, I know some of you must be freaking out now. Thoughts? Comments?