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Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle  Just my two cents on this issue. I am really trying very hard to transition to vegetarianism, but I have some internal problems with doing that. I will eventually, but for now I feel like eating meat is part of my life. I do hate the cruelty on factory farms and animal suffering and I've almost completely given up dairy products, although it is a constant struggle for me. If I ever go out and eat with my family, everyone else orders meat and I don't want to be viewed as the one who always orders a salad or a vegetable wrap. I know that's a stupid reason, but I have made significant health improvements and I eat meat as little as possible, but sometimes I can't find a better alternative. But I'm revamping the whole diet and I've been eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, not to mention a variety of nuts. Walnuts are my favorite. So it's not like I'm eating meat constantly, and every time I do, I acknowledge the life of the animal this meal took and I honor it by enjoying it that much more. I guess you could say it's conscious animal consumption. |
That's a very interesting topic - one that should probably be discussed in a thread of its own. From my own experience of recently switching away from meat and junkfood (and previous failed attempts) I'd say it boils down to the following factors:
Physical: your body craves some of the ingrdients from the meat/junkfood.
Emotional conditioning: we have a lot of associations to certain dishes, smells etc. Not to mention what to eat at christmas, thanksgiving etc.
Social: The peer preasure of being different. Its a lot easier to eat what's being served to you than the effort of explaining why you're eating in a different way.
Convinience: We have many years of experience cooking great meat dishes, knowing where our favorite food places are etc. Switching to a completely different diet takes a lot of effort.
Rasmus