Anyone who visits my facebook page will notice I post a lot about vegetarianism, the quality of our food and animal abuse. I have always been aware of the cost of my choices, but I've also been guilty of "forgetting" what I know when knowing it was inconvenient. The more awake I become, the more I am becoming unable to separate myself from my fellow beings. I feel instinctively that what I do to others I also do to myself.
It's sometimes hard to make changes in things like what I put in my mouth. For me, and I think for most of us, food is intricately tied to emotions, memories and comfort. We think more about how food makes us feel than were it comes from. We've also become accustomed to having food fast. When we do make a trip to the grocery store, we see lots of perfect looking food and are bombarded by pictures of happy animals on idyllic farms. The food industry has made it easy, and has wanted us, to fool ourselves. They have even managed to have laws enacted to keep the truth from us and to punish people who try to educate us to what our diets are doing to food industry workers, animals, the earth and our health. Our cheap food is extracting a very heavy price on our humanity.
I know not everyone will feel the need to adopt a vegan lifestyle. I'm not asking anyone to do what they don't feel impassioned to do. What I would like is for us all to make sure our nourishment actually nourishes us; not only physically, but spiritually. Know what you are putting in your body. Make conscious choices. Support local, organic food producers. If you are an animal lover, make sure you aren't unknowingly contributing to their pain and suffering. If you haven't seen it, watch 'Food, Inc.' and let your wallet speak your conscious. And don't forget to give thanks.
(I'd like to add that my stance was softened a bit by spending a little time Thursday night with someone who grew up on a small farm and gave me a bit of perspective on the difference between that reality and factory farming. It's amazing how a chance encounter can help you keep perspective. A week ago I would have left no room for meat eating at all.)
Hi Joan, you have some pretty strong feelings about a very important topic. Vegetarianism is something i've contemplated and struggled with myself. I think there's a place in this world for more of a balance with our food supply. I do think some animals are here as a service to provide food for mankind. I feel this on a spiritual level not an egotistical level. I don't think we are doing a very good job raising the animals. The inhumane treatment has to stop. They all deserve a great life and to be treated with respect. There are some really great movies available that talk in depth about our food supply. (Food, Inc., The Future Of Food, The Beautiful Truth and more)I really suggest them to anyone wanting to make changes that will help bring more of a balance back to our connection to Mother Earth and our food supply.
ReplyDelete~ Carol
I am very supportive of farmers who are creating foods, even animal foods, with kindness and consciousness. The farmer interveiwed in 'Food, Inc.' is a wonderful example of someone who understands the importance of respect and reverence for the animals he raises. Awareness is key, regardless of the diet you adopt. Thank you Carol for your always honest and thoughtful responses.
ReplyDelete"Approaching anything with consciousness seems to be a colossal struggle for mankind these days. Especially those things that have been deeply engrained in our cultures, traditions and daily lives for centuries. On top of that, as you touched on, we have industry, corporate America and the government shoving it down our throats. Food is especially hard because we have to have it and people tend to have a lot of comfort built up around food as they know it. Our lifestyles are such that it is very difficult to change how we do food. It's all about convenience. Jo you know I have been on a quest for years to figure out what the truth is around food. What do we really need? Are we supposed to eat meat? Are we not? I agree with Carol in that balance is what one should seek. I agree with you full heartedly that the meat industry is despicable and needs to be totally revamped or stopped. You know I have been on a tangent about the other aspect of the food industry in which they process food to the point of making it nutritionally devoid. They add crap to make us crave more, they literally put poison in our food to make it look more appealing, be sweeter, and last longer. Our bodies have to deal with pesticides, artificial fertilizers and genetically altered vegetation. Because of monoculture our food is devoid of phytonutrients and other essential minerals and vitamins. Is it really a mystery why we are so sick as a species? Diseases, syndromes, and disorders such as Autism, ADD, fiber myalgia, breast cancer, chronic fatigue, thyroid disease etc.. have become epidemic. A recent study revealed that the children of today will be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This will be directly due to what they eat and obesity. I could go on and on about all the aspects of what is going on in the food industry. There are a lot of scary statistics out there. And don't even get me started on drugs and dug companies! Aside from all of that what amazes me the most is how people just accept it. They either realize it and choose to wear blinders or they are not capable of seeing the big picture. People today are like zombies with their eyes sewn shut. I can't tell you how many glazed looks I get get when I try to tell or educate people. My daughters call me "the pink packet nazi"!! Even they don't want to hear it. People don't want to know, they just want to eat their nitrate laced salami (which is scientifically proven to cause cancer) in peace. Ignorance is bliss I suppose. I get real angry about it and wish there was something I could do to fight against having my food, among other things, controlled and dictated by corporations and government. I feel powerless. I have settled on being the change I want to see for now. Seeking balance in my own reality is my goal. I can't change any of this or other peoples perspectives but I can change how I do things. I continue to seek, learn and work on changing my habits in hopes that it will not only impact my well being but those around me as well. Good topic Jo, nicely done...."
ReplyDeleteWell said and wise, as always Lou. Thanks.
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