Vegetarianism

There are a lot of good things to be said about being vegetarian. It helps the planet, is not as polluting as cattle farming, doesn’t suck up as much resources as meat production, cooked meat is mostly carcinogenic and loaded with pesticides, hormones and antibiotics anyway etc. The problem is that its easier to theorize about it than to actually do it.

This month I made a goal of being a vegetarian for one month. I lasted exactly 19 days. Oddly enough, for 18 of those days I didn’t crave or want meat at all. I didn’t feel hungry and I didn’t feel deprived at all. My downfall came when I got home from a rubbish day at work without having planned any kind of meal preparation to find an offer of a delicious looking vegetarian rice dish with some salmon on the side. Salmon is my favourite fish. Come to think of it, its probably the only fish I recognize, both taste and appearance-wise. If it hadn’t been salmon I probably would have passed it up. But it was so yummy.

I’ve decided to ignore my familys comments and not to beat myself up anymore about eating, since I regard most of my eating as experiments in what helps my body function or not function. Burger King usually puts me to sleep within half an hour of eating. I used to think that was due to the protein in it, but I’ve since theorized that it’s the carbs –bread and fries that actually do the most damage. When I think about it, bread and potatoes have no taste except what you add to them, and they’re completely lacking in nutrients and have hardly any fibre. I still don’t know why they’re so addictive. Especially roasted potatoes and curly fries.

Anyway, I think that if I didn’t love meat so much I would happily become a vegetarian. As it is, I’m thinking about giving up all but my favourite meats. Salmon, corned beef, bacon and roast lamb at Christmas time. I don’t like chicken and mince that much, I hardly ever have steak and most fish is processed until it no longer resembles anything that came out of the sea.