Wednesday, August 13, 2014 Being Vegetarian.. And the dreaded question

I've been a vegetarian for almost three years now, and I don't ever see myself eating meat again. I originally became vegetarian for ethical reasons, I did a bit of reading on factory farming and the power of the meat industry and I just found it shocking and, to put it bluntly, disgusting. As time has gone on, I've also become more convinced of the health benefits of being vegetarian (or vegan, even more so, but that's another story) and so now I'm really enjoying the vegetarian lifestyle. However! I'm sure many vegetarians out there will empathise with this... being vegetarian comes with a lot of "explaining". If there is one question I'm asked most regularly after "How are you?", it is "Why did you decide to become a vegetarian?". I can see why people are interested, and it's fair enough that they are... I guess I was interested in reasons as to why vegetarian people were vegetarians until I became one myself and realised that, just like me, there are probably a whole range of reasons.

So I'm going to be completely honest here, and forgive me if this sounds rude, but it's a question that I find quite... annoying. And I feel guilty for finding it annoying, because I know that whoever is asking is not intending to be annoying, and also perhaps I should be jumping at the chance to raise awareness over the things I have learnt and to spread the word on the health risks of eating commercially produced meat and the unethical behaviours of our big industries. But, realistically, I just can't do that for everyone who asks. I would sound like a broken record. 

And it's not just the repetition that gets to me, it's the kind of "defensive" conversations that can sometimes follow. I have strong beliefs in the benefits of being a vegetarian, for myself and the planet, but that isn't to say I would ever pressure anyone else into becoming vegetarian. That's just not in my nature. I'm not a preacher. It's for this reason that I get confused when people try to convince me that eating meat is OK - whether it's a health argument, or an ethical argument, whatever it might be. I've heard it all. "But surely if the animal is killed painlessly then it's OK to eat it, right? It led a good life" or "What about when you're pregnant? Won't your baby be malnourished?" or "What do you reckon our cavemen ancestors ate if they didn't eat meat?.. Tofu?". I don't know whether they feel that they are benefiting me or themselves from this type of conversation - perhaps they are thinking that I am judging them, or sitting on my high-horse, and so instinctively become defensive. I'm not sure. But it's the type of conversation that I try to avoid.

It's for this reason that these days, when someone asks why I'm a vegetarian, I simply reply "Meat just grosses me out". It's an effective statement because:

1) it's true

2) it's something that cannot be argued against

3) it incorporates ALL the reasons as to why I stopped eating meat - I find both the industry and the act of eating animals quite gross (no offence to meat eaters, really, it's a personal thing)

4) it makes the reason about ME and me alone, not about placing judgments on anybody else

5) it's short and sharp and means we can move the conversation onto something else.

So there it is, just a few random thoughts on vegetarianism. I think I just needed to vent :P 

Hope you're having a lovely day xx

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 Going Green(ish)

I don't really know what has caused the change, but within the past year I've become a lot more conscious about what is going into my body, my overall health, as well as (now to get really green here) the health of the planet. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and it's just a maturity thing, maybe it's just an interest/passion that is developing like any other hobby, maybe it was moving out of home and having to buy all my groceries and cleaning products for myself for the first time, maybe it's George's influence, maybe it's the blogging world influence, maybe it's my limited budget influence.. maybe it's a combination of all those things! Most likely. But living simply and healthily is something that is growing in importance for me, and I'm actually really enjoying the process of learning new things and trialing new methods and discovering new foods and products and why they're beneficial to us and our environment. I'm still a long way away from being the healthiest person out there - I enjoy chocolate way too much, and sitting on my ass watching movies way too much, and cheese... oh, blessed are the cheese makers.. but I've really come a long way in the past year and I think slow change is the most effective change anyway.. right?.. right.

I thought I would share a few sources of inspiration that have really helped me in learning more about this "lifestyle", if you could call it that. If you're interested in learning a bit more about healthier ways of living, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out the following:

Oh Dear Drea (Blog)

I think this woman is amazing. Her cooking, her creativity, her humility, her work ethic. I cannot recommend her enough.

Annie Jaffrey (Blog/YouTube)

Annie has also undergone a massive change in lifestyle over the past year. She has recently adopted a raw vegan lifestyle and although I'm not ready to undergo a change like that, she has a lot to offer and she is really passionate about what she does. I've learnt a lot from her. She is also super sweet.

Ecoholic Beauty (Blog/YouTube)

I've only discovered Jessica recently but, oh my lordy, she is fab. I've already learnt SO much from her, plus she is so entertaining and hilarious. Her blog and her channel are still relatively "small", big but small, much bigger than mine! But I can see great things in the future for this woman. Check her out.

Anna Krien. Us and Them: On the Importance of Animals. (Book)

I love Anna's style of writing, for one. She is informative and engaging, while not being preachy. She gives the information, and leaves us to make the decision. I also recommend that you read anything else she has published, ever.

Jonathan Safran Foer. Eating Animals. (Book)

This book is quite well known, and I know it has had a big impact on a lot of people. This was what actually first made me choose to become vegetarian. George also read the book, and although he is not a vegetarian, he has really cut down on meat a lot. This Johnny Saf dude is persuasive!

I think that will do for now. If you check any of these guys out, I really hope you enjoy them or, even better, learn a little from them :)