Plant Powered

So pretty recently I switched my diet, as of now I eat a mostly vegan diet. A few things before I continue; One I’m not a preachy vegan, you know what I mean if not, just wait. Two I say mostly Vegan because I still eat Honey, and that is one of those weird grey areas, typically when referring to my diet I just say plant based usually. Three I was not raised vegan/vegetarian, and I never planned on or expected to change my lifestyle, but I don’t regret it.

 Now, lets count backwards from three, with that last point like I said, I was raised eating meat. Unlike some other folks though I was still raised healthy, I didn’t come from a steak and potatoes family, when mom or whoever cooked a meat dish there were almost always veggies to go with it. We usually had fruits and veggies to snack on too, as well as junk food, so thinking about it now it was much easier for me to transition to a plant based diet. So how did this happen? Partially because I’m lazy! My wife went vegetarian first, so naturally we started buying less meat. Then I cut out red meat, and around that time she went vegan, and I clearly remember saying I’ll still cook dinner for us, but I don’t plan on changing how I eat. It turned out I was actually pretty lazy so when I cooked at home it was mostly vegan, I wasn’t going to start making two separate meals, that was too much work. When we went out I would still get chicken and fish, but I absentmindedly cut out pork. Then one day we were walking downtown and checking all the Christmas shit out and we passed some activist and I saw what happens to male baby chicks in these factories. From then on I gave up eggs and milk. I still would have snacks with gelatin, eggs, or milk, but I wasn’t eating meat anymore, and decided to give up fish as well. Today I, like I said earlier don’t purposely eat animal products or food with dairy and what not. Some people have a hard time understanding that, but that’s okay, I didn’t do it for them I did it for me and because I love animals. I always said I loved animals, but still ate meat, then at the same time would speak negatively about people that ate foods that I considered pets. In reality all animals and plants have life and a lifeforce, but how some folks treat animals is just cruel and I couldn’t support that anymore.

Two. What do I eat now? I basically eat the same way, but have replaced the meats with meat substitutes in some dishes. I can still have a greasy ass burger, or loaded fries, I’ve  always enjoyed salads and fruits so that worked out, as well as soups and simple dishes. I still get my protein, whole grains, all that stuff, it’s just when it comes to my meals, no animals are harmed in the making of my breakfast/lunch/dinner/dessert. It’s weird though, my wife and I took a non vegan co-worker/friend out one day and one of my favorite spots and he said he had never had vegan food before, and me being me turned to him and said, “You ever eat an apple?” Being Vegan was harder way back when, but people did it, today it’s super easy. Quick lazy meal: Can of Corn & a can of black beans (you can add canned tomatoes too, and chopped onions, and various peppers if you want to get all fancy) toss it all in a well oiled pan & season to taste. Done. You can eat that in a bowl, on a tortilla, with chips, however. Being vegan/vegetarian isn’t a privileged diet. Growing up there were times we didn’t have tons of food, but we had that tuff in the pantry and my mom taught me how to be resourceful and how to spread a meal.

Now I don’t like to call myself a vegan because I like honey and there are some nitpicky ass vegans that gripe about that, and say use agave or whatever else. No, I don’t want to, I gave up eating meat, drinking dairy, and have become a more mindful eater over all, my little bit of honey now and then is fine. And that brings me to my last point/ first point of not being a “preachy vegan” or an elitist vegan. Here’s my stance on things, The government subsidizes the meat/farming industry, this includes the unhealthy factory farming places. Those places are bad for the workers that have to prepare the bodies, as well as for the animals that are locked away ultimately until they die. We lock people away for committing crimes, we don’t usually lock people away for being born and I feel like animals should be allowed a fighting chance. If you want to eat meat fine, but people should be responsible for getting their own shit, you want a chicken, you catch it and prep it. I feel like more people wouldn’t eat meat if they had to kill, skin, and clean the animals, some still would, but not all, then you run into hunting a species into extinction. The meat industry is a no win situation for the animals and that sucks.

I know some people have dietary restrictions so they can’t eat foods with gluten or high oxalate foods, but even cutting some meat out of your diet I think would benefit the planet and the pocket book. Meat can be expensive, even low quality meat costs more than canned/frozen fruits and veggies, but somehow people think eating a plant based diet is more expensive. Think of all the diseases that cause meat recalls and what not, and weigh the outcomes of which is pricier. Foot and mouth disease had a big resurgence through livestock some years back, so how does the various companies combat that? Pumping antibiotics in addition to other hormones into your meat, which you then ingest and that affects your body, sometimes negatively. I feel like things can be done in moderation, but most people don’t think that way which is unfortunate sometimes. 

One thing I can’t quite understand is how someone can say how much they love animals and turn around and eat it. I love my pets, if you have pets you love your pets, but some people have pet cows, chickens, goats, etc. and they love their pets too, but others see them as people being friends with their food essentially. I even have friends that say how much they love fish as pets because they are so pretty and whatever and then turn around and have catfish for dinner, and you can substitute fish with birds, dogs, guinea pigs, ducks whatever the idea doesn’t make sense to me.

But shout out to people that do cut back, it’s not easy and society doesn’t make it easy. I started my dietary change with baby steps, I make mistakes sometimes if I don’t read or if I don’t know what other products are derived from animals, I am nowhere near perfect, but no one is. If you are going  to eat meat, do the research at least and see where it comes from, at the very least support organic or small business shops, not the Tyson, Purdue, Jennie-o, etc. You owe it to yourself to know what you are putting into your body, and of course your body, your choice.

I choose to not eat animal products because I don’t support that factory farming shit, it’s inhumane to the workers and the animals. If you are familiar with the Wu-Tang Clan (which you should be as they are nuttin to fuck with) The RZA went vegetarian in the 80s/90s and then vegan, the GZA went vegetarian in 1989 and they were like me former meat eaters that converted. In an interview with Joe Rogan, they asked RZA why he went vegan, and his response, though simple is very profound to me, he said, “no animal needs to die, for me to live.”

I know some of this may come off as preachy, but I’m not here to preach pros and cons of any eating style. If you can’t/won’t give up meat, that’s your choice but at least look into buying from local butcher shops vs. big corporations than don’t care about the conditions of their factories of death or their workers safety. If you want to go vegetarian or vegan do it, if you need support there are people out there wanting to help and educate you, just watch out for the elitists that don’t believe in baby steps, or that don’t acknowledge omnivores that cut back on their meat intake. There are various ways to try and make a difference for things that are important to you, me choosing to not eat animals, and to do this blog is my way of trying to help the world. As I have said in previous blogs, if my words can help, heal, or bring some clarity in someone’s life, then I’m doing good work.

Take care of yourself, be mindful of what you consume, and always choose knowledge over ignorance. Knowledge helps us grow and understand the world we live in and those we share it with. 

Be well. Peace.

-Owl