Gustatoria

My meatless stint lasted about two years.

I was talking to a friend about the situation; my decision and the reasons behind it. The talk clarified some things for me. Again, meat was still very much favored by my palette, so I hadn’t stopped eating it because I’d stopped liking it. Secondly, I really didn’t have any deep moral problems with eating meat itself. I still loved animals, and my pets especially, but could never bring myself to say eating meat is “wrong”. Whenever I’d get asked why I’d made the switch to vegetarianism, I’d give a vague “political reasons” as my answer. But I’d never really taken the time to think about it further. I just knew that I saw some gruesome pics of de-beaked chickens and then decided I shouldn’t eat meat anymore. So I hadn’t really stopped eating meat for moral reasons.

When asked how I’d been feeling physically since I became a vegetarian, I really wanted to say I felt better but that wouldn’t have been the truth. The truth was I starting to feel tired all the time and got weird headaches and dizzy spells. So I hadn’t stopped eating meat for health reasons.

So really why in the hell did I stop eating meat?

And further more, why was I just now asking myself this question after two years?

I thought back to the de-beaked chicken and I said to my friend, “Well it’s not the meat per se, I just don’t want to et something that was tortured it’s whole life.”

“Oh well that’s easy,” she said. “Just eat organic.” (Mind you, this is years and years ago before organic became the buzzword it is today).

Hmmm.

So I read up on organic farming and humanely raised meat (there’s actually a new rating system for meats in Whole Foods Market, you can read about it here). After satisfying myself that I wouldn’t be haunted by the ghosts of de-beakd chickens I went (happily I might add) back to eating meat.

I immediately felt a difference in my body and didn’t realize how much I’d missed it. I was glad that I could still be somewhat concious about the food I consumed while not having to give up a part of myself.

Wherever Mr. Goat was, likely in animal heaven, I was sure he understood and approved.

click here to read Part 1

click here to read Part 2

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