Why I really switched to vegetarian

[Lynn 007]

Recently I successfully completed a 30 day trial of being vegetarian and decided to continue with it.

Everyone has their own reason for following a certain diet but my reason might be a bit different. The real reason I switched can be summed up in one word - "MAGGOTS". The summer heat wave of 2011 was the summer I was introduced to them.

Twice while taking the garbage bag out of the bin; the inside of the bag was swarming with maggots. This was from the combination of meat that had been in the garbage for a few days (waiting for garbage day) and the hot and humid weather. The last two weeks of the heat wave we actually discarded any meat in a container and kept it in the fridge until garbgae day. I'm not sure if you have seen maggots but they're disgusting.

After the second time, I thought to myself; although it is very hot and humid outside; my internal body temperature is much warmer. Is it possible to have maggots inside my body when I eat meat? I realize my body has acids and enzymes to process food and it is highly unlikely but the image of looking inside that garbage bag and seeing them was enough for me to look at a meat free diet. I immediately started a 30 day trial.

My husband still enjoys meat as part of his meal but whenever I see meat sitting on his plate, I can only see those transclucent wormy things slithering around on left over meat and no desire to put it on my plate.

My family/friends ask why I switched and I tell them I wanted to try it out but here I am sharing the real reason with you.

I have really enjoyed the switch and find myself being more aware of what I eat. I love the increase in fruit/veggies and nuts in my diet.

I do not feel I have sacrified anything and do not have any issues with anyone who enjoys meat, but for me, my imagination is far to vivid so for now, it's pass the veggies.

[InterfaceLeader]

Maggots come from fly eggs, and flies lay their eggs on rotting organic matter. Unless you ate meat that had been sitting out where flies could get at it, there is no way you could have maggots in you. (well, you couldn't anyway, the human body is not a good environment for eggs/maggots!)

Flies lay their eggs on all food waste (and pet poo), not just meat. If you have a bin full of rotting vegetables and dairy, you will still get maggots in it.

The easiest way to prevent them is to double bag food waste before putting it in the bin, or to freeze the waste until garbage day.

EDIT: Not that I'm persuading you to change back! There are lots of good reasons to be a vegetarian And glad it gave you a push. Just wanted to help you prevent maggots in the future!

[FelineNostalgia]

Oh my god I was eating crackers with ham on them when I read this! Please tell me something horrible about chocolate! Congrats on your switch

[lifetimelearner]

Originally Posted by FelineNostalgia

Oh my god I was eating crackers with ham on them when I read this! Please tell me something horrible about chocolate! Congrats on your switch

LOL !
you won't hear me say anything bad about chocolate !

[Lynn 007]

Thanks - lol.
I could never say anything bad about chocolate - or wine for that matter. Two items you would never find in my garbage.

[SatvikBeri]

Something interesting to note:

-If this had caused you to adopt a behavior you consider bad, you could consider it a trauma
-If this causes you to adopt a behavior you consider good, you could consider it an epiphany
-You can consciously use this kind of technique (a strong mental image with a strong emotion) to elicit all sorts of behavior/habit change, with whatever you want

[Lynn 007]

If this causes you to adopt a behavior you consider good, you could consider it an epiphany

I agree, it was an epiphany for me - as a meat eater

Although the heatwave and maggots are long gone - they are as clear in my mind today as they were when we took the garbage bag out of the bin.

Just the thought of it; still gives me the creeps. I think I was in shock when I first seen them, I froze staring into the bag. I had no idea what they were.........and then they moved.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks with the cooler weather on the horizion. Normally I'd be thinking of making chicken and leek soup or a beef stew but that's not going to happen.

[ChrisGinsburg]

In other words, you switched to vegetarian over an irrational fear? I've had an outbreak of maggots myself too and I never made the connection that there's maggots inside me. Far be it for me to tell you to go back to eating meat but relegating your behavior based on irrational fears that surface isn't usually good for one's mental health in the long term. In the short term it may seem fantastic that you're able to be vegetarian more easily but it's a slippery slope of giving in to these kind of shadows of the mind.

[MrMikhailovich]

Your made an enormous shift in what you're going to be putting into your body based on a small organism? There are various cultures which eat maggots, there's nothing physiologically wrong with a maggot to the degree of which it makes meat -bad-. They are there because they eat it for nutritional purposes. Like a human.

I would strongly, strongly, prompt that you really do an enormous amount of studying into the nutrition behind being a vegetarian and why you would choose to be one. Personally, I believe it's naturally much healthier to be an omnivore for a plethora of reasons. And if you are vegetarian that you work incredibly hard to meet the protein demands of your body as opposed to forcing your body to go through the complex biological processes to supplement your inefficiencies.

[Lynn 007]

Hello, thanks for your response.

In other words, you switched to vegetarian over an irrational fear?

No, I switched because I currently am unable to look at meat the same.

It crossed my mind for a second. If maggots grew from the meat in my garbage bin on a hot and humid day (say 90 degrees) what is going on inside my body if it's at an average temperature of 98 degrees? I realize our body are fully functionaly to process all types of food but it did go through my mind.

Your made an enormous shift in what you're going to be putting into your body based on a small organism? There are various cultures which eat maggots, there's nothing physiologically wrong with a maggot to the degree of which it makes meat -bad-.

My previous diet wasn't meat 7 days a week but at least 3 x per week.

Some people could eat S*)t pies covered with maggots and it could be a considered a delicasy, but it's not something I would eat nor have any interest in trying.

I believe people eat first with theirs eyes and I want something pleasing to my eyes on my plate before I put it in my mouth. Right now, meat isn't it.

At the end of the day, I will listen to my body and if I find any change in any area I will consult my doctor.

I think people should eat whatever works for them and their body. I do not have any issue with anyones food choices.

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by InterfaceLeader

Maggots come from fly eggs, and flies lay their eggs on rotting organic matter. Unless you ate meat that had been sitting out where flies could get at it, there is no way you could have maggots in you. (well, you couldn't anyway, the human body is not a good environment for eggs/maggots!)

Flies lay their eggs on all food waste (and pet poo), not just meat. If you have a bin full of rotting vegetables and dairy, you will still get maggots in it.

The easiest way to prevent them is to double bag food waste before putting it in the bin, or to freeze the waste until garbage day.

EDIT: Not that I'm persuading you to change back! There are lots of good reasons to be a vegetarian And glad it gave you a push. Just wanted to help you prevent maggots in the future!

I'm not sure why she hasn't responded to your post yet lol. as the poster above me said, this is an unhealthy way to make a change. Using an irrational fear. It's a good thing she didn't see maggots on meat AND veggies, or she wouldn't be eating anything at all anymore. Maggots can't survive inside your body, and would be metabolized just like any other food. They are indeed just like any other food. There are far worse things already inside are body. If anything you were eating had maggots in it, you'd know LONG before you ever SAW them. Irrational fear, is irrational.

[firenexx]

And if you are vegetarian that you work incredibly hard to meet the protein demands of your body as opposed to forcing your body to go through the complex biological processes to supplement your inefficiencies.

This is simply untrue. Vegetarians do not have to work incredibly hard to meet the protein demands of their bodies. This is what is known as a "popular myth." I.e. you tell your uncle Bob you're a vegetarian, he chuckles and he says "Well where do you get your protein?". Bob has a severe misunderstanding of protein, oh and vegans statistically get 2-5 times their RDA of protein, which is harmful. If there is any problem, it is that vegetarians are working TOO hard to "replace" the protein they "lose".

As for the rest of the thread, I do think it's interesting that OP became vegetarian because of maggots, but no harm was done - as long as OP makes sure not to make too many other drastic life-changing decisions because of insect infestations (as Ginsberg put it - "shadows of the mind.") You're only a couple steps away from the tin-foil hat, buddy.

[Lynn 007]

Let me chime in here.

Although, I get the feeling most responses are under the impression I only ate meat and have only ever existed on a meat diet and this event was so traumatizing it changed my life.

The reality is; I followed a vegetarian diet for about 4 years and eventually incorporated meat back into my diet. Why? because I wanted too. For the past few months I had been thinking of returning to vegetarian diet and this event was the catalyst to change my mind in a hurry.

[nzmegs]

hypnotists use this method to elicit change in their subjects. For example you can imagine a peice of chocolate cake covered in maggots and then think about having to eat it. if you do this regularly enough you will be put off chocolate cake for life. it is a great way to avoid eating the things which we would rather not.

But there is a dark side to this as well. I have heard of people who have eating disorders using the same method to avoid all food. it can be very powerful - but i doubt it is powerful enough to override your physical need to eat something.

For example I really hate fish - always have. But if I was stuck on a desert island with a fishing rod and no other source of food i woudl eat those fish, no problems. I imagine that if the OP had no other source of food than meat she would still eat it.

I bet there are other underlying reasons why the change to vegetarian happened. and as she said this is simply the thing which gave her the push.

[firenexx]

So it appears that the maggots were merely a clever device that helped her to make a decision that she was already considering making. They could even be considered a synchronicity.

[Clint Cora]

Originally Posted by russianrocket

I'm not sure why she hasn't responded to your post yet lol. as the poster above me said, this is an unhealthy way to make a change. Using an irrational fear. It's a good thing she didn't see maggots on meat AND veggies, or she wouldn't be eating anything at all anymore.

I was actually going to ask -- what will she do if she ever finds a dead bug in her lettuce? I've seen this at the grocers.

[Lynn 007]

Originally Posted by firenexx

So it appears that the maggots were merely a clever device that helped her to make a decision that she was already considering making. They could even be considered a synchronicity.

Yes, that is exactly how I am looking at it. My mind was open and ready for a change and this event pushed me to make a decision I had already been considering.

Since it was a very hot and humid summer most of the meat I consumed over the summer seemed to be cooked on a bbq which is not my fav method but it beats turning on an oven during a heatwave. I was growing tired of meat by the end of summer and was thinking it's time for a change. Then this happend.

I've found bugs in lettuce and worms in fruit; which I simply picked off. I've had more "mystery meat" & noddles which I'm pretty sure was either cat/dog or rats covered in sauce from street vendors in third world countries. This hasn't impacted me to change because I wasn't ready for change. I will still travel and eat what the locals do; and pick off whatever isn't appealing to me.

[InterfaceLeader]

Originally Posted by russianrocket

Maggots can't survive inside your body, and would be metabolized just like any other food. They are indeed just like any other food. There are far worse things already inside are body. If anything you were eating had maggots in it, you'd know LONG before you ever SAW them. Irrational fear, is irrational.

If I had eaten meat (or anything) with maggots in, I'd honestly be more worried about the bacteria that was thriving right alongside them... I do think we have a natural avoidance of maggots, for that reason. They often indicate food that's gone bad. So there is some rationality behind the fear.

[raykilleen]

Originally Posted by Lynn 007

After the second time, I thought to myself; although it is very hot and humid outside; my internal body temperature is much warmer. Is it possible to have maggots inside my body when I eat meat? I realize my body has acids and enzymes to process food and it is highly unlikely but the image of looking inside that garbage bag and seeing them was enough for me to look at a meat free diet. I immediately started a 30 day trial.

LOL, well that’s certainly different from the usual reason I’m accustomed to hearing, those whom become vegetarian because it nourishes their ego somehow, feeling they’re doing something special, martyrs or do-gooders, not because they’ve awoken to true compassion (doing whatever’s necessary to help alleviate suffering) whereas Adolf Hitler (vegetarian) was one of the most violent people who walked the earth, wonder what his reason was?

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by InterfaceLeader

If I had eaten meat (or anything) with maggots in, I'd honestly be more worried about the bacteria that was thriving right alongside them... I do think we have a natural avoidance of maggots, for that reason. They often indicate food that's gone bad. So there is some rationality behind the fear.

She didn't eat anything with maggots in it. She just saw them in the garbage, probably days after she tossed them out and had them sitting out in the heat. And now she doesn't wanna eat meat period, because she saw maggots in meat. That's irrational as it gets.

As far as natural avoidance. It's not natural avoidance. It's something we've grown up with, period. I've seen restaurants that serve cheese with maggots in it. People all over the world eat it. I've posted links to people who eat rotten meat. Myself and a few posters on this board eat raw meat, yet no one else would dare to do it, because they have an irrational fear of it. It's our irrational fear that keeps us from doing it, not something that is a part of us that came about naturally from birth. Swiss cheese it produced because of the farts of bacteria, yet people all over the world love it. So many foods have weird origins behind them. Fear of them is irrational, because people make up the reasons behind their fears, and usually pick and choose which reasons justify how much fear and which ones don't.

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by FelineNostalgia

Oh my god I was eating crackers with ham on them when I read this! Please tell me something horrible about chocolate! Congrats on your switch

The FDA allows 10% bugs and other foreign matter ( hair, rat feces, even rat tails) in chocolate ( and many other foods). This is due to big open vats of melted chocolate left out in the open in the factory. How's that?

Are there roaches in your coffee and chocolate? Bug Girl’s Blog

[Clint Cora]

Originally Posted by russianrocket

Myself and a few posters on this board eat raw meat, yet no one else would dare to do it, because they have an irrational fear of it.

Our Canadian Inuit population up in the Arctic eat raw meat all the time - and hardly any vegetables since you can't grow them in the Arctic tundra and it is grossly expensive to ship vegetables up north. Being a vegan would be VERY hard if living up north!

[InterfaceLeader]

Originally Posted by russianrocket

As far as natural avoidance. It's not natural avoidance. It's something we've grown up with, period. I've seen restaurants that serve cheese with maggots in it. People all over the world eat it. I've posted links to people who eat rotten meat. Myself and a few posters on this board eat raw meat, yet no one else would dare to do it, because they have an irrational fear of it. It's our irrational fear that keeps us from doing it, not something that is a part of us that came about naturally from birth. Swiss cheese it produced because of the farts of bacteria, yet people all over the world love it. So many foods have weird origins behind them. Fear of them is irrational, because people make up the reasons behind their fears, and usually pick and choose which reasons justify how much fear and which ones don't.

I'm not arguing that we don't eat maggots, or any other kind of bug. I've eaten mouldy cheese, snails, raw meat, etc etc. But, in general, people will avoid or find ways of neutralising spoiled food (not meat, food). Whether that means covering the taste of bad meat up with incredibly hot spices and seasonings, or marinading beef in huge vats of salt, or hanging dead meat so that the blood runs out which means it can be aged (until it goes green!) but doesn't favour bad bacteria.

If I just leave meat out until it gets maggoty, and then I eat it, it will in all likeliness make me sick. Trust me, I've had food poisoning twice I can mitigate that, by using some of the incredibly creative and tasty ways our ancestors used, but I can't just go digging through trash for food.

And I agree, maggots have nothing to do with meat per se. I just think they have a squick factor, because of their association with rotten, spoiled food.

[infinitytruth]

Originally Posted by Lynn 007

Is it possible to have maggots inside my body when I eat meat?

I swear to god I pissed out a fly once, and now that you mention it, maybe that's what happened. Everybody laughs in disbelief, but I'm as serious as a heart attack.

[MrMikhailovich]

Oh my, the silliness.

[randelljim]

Good for you! I have been a vegetarian for seven years, I started because of moral reasons, i don't believe we need to kill animals to survive, i don't feel the need to eat meat, i have a nutritional diet, i live with my fiance who is an absolute meat lover and that's fine,i hate it when people try to push it on to others, but im doing what i think is right for me.