What is it with people’s reaction to my vegetarianism? I live in Santa Cruz, California, probably the most liberal place I’ve ever lived. There are entire restaurants and grocery stores devoted to vegetarianism and natural eating. However, when my eating habits come up, I’m quite often met with shock and awe. And lots of blurted reactions like these:
“Oh my god, what about your protein? You can’t get all your protein just through vegetables.”
“I love the taste of meat. I could never live without a cheeseburger.”
“Vegetarianism is so unhealthy, and I never feel full just eating salads.”
That last one always cracks me up. Who says vegetarianism is limited to just salads? And as for the protein issue, I think that just stems from plain old “lack of information.” Animal protein is important because it offers complete protein, a source containing all the amino acids our body needs. However, you can easily make up for that by combining complimentary proteins (nuts, grains, legumes). Also, soy has the nutritional value of animal protein, along with complex carbohydrates, Omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals such as calcium, folate and iron. Soy is often referred to as a “super food,” unless you’re my husband and you’re allergic to it.
Most new or would-be vegetarians spend a lot of time convinced they couldn’t live without a good old fashioned cheeseburger or hot dog. Who could blame them? Almost everyone can think back on fond, meaty childhood memories. For me, it was Dodger Dogs and my Dad’s BBQ. Fortunately for these folks, there are companies like Morning Star whom make faux meat, made mostly of soy, that taste incredibly life-like. “I actually have to check and make sure there’s no chicken in my chicken nuggets,” a friend once said.
However, vegetarians should be aware that just because soy product shaped like a hot dog doesn’t have meat, that doesn’t necessarily make it much healthier than a hot dog. Soy products are often heavily processed and pumped with various not-so-happy additives. A lot of terrible illnesses such as heart disease and cancer are being directly related to the chemicals we pump into our food. I once heard a doctor rant on the radio, “We brush our teeth with chemicals, we wash our hair with chemicals, we eat food injected with chemicals- and we’re wondering why we’re getting sick?”
I believe that, whether you’re a meat-eater or not, the most important food choice you can make is organic. As for why I personally chose a vegetarian path? That goes back to my teens, and has changed dramatically over the years. For me, at this point in my life, I choose to eat proudly vegetarian because I have a reverence for life; all life, not just human life. I do not believe that humans are a superior species simply because we’re humans. Look what we’ve done to our planet. Look what we’ve done to ourselves. Humans are blessed with intelligence and ability, but depending on how you look at it, we’ve also been cursed with it. We have so much power and potential, and so much of it has gone to personal gain and greed. So much so, that its become ingrained within us, embedded in our culture and psyche and considered quite normal.
I once worked in a group home for kids and teens. There was a boy there, quiet and shy, with an enormous capacity for love. So I was shocked one day when I heard him speak about how he used to beat his dog when he was angry with it.
“Why would you do that?” I asked.
“What?” He shrugged innocently, “She doesn’t feel it.”
Where did he learn that animals actually don't feel pain? Have our human egos become so inflated that we do not recognize when we inflict pain on another creature, simply because it does not say ‘ouch’? Other beings feel pain. Real pain. And when we knowingly inflict it upon them, that energy comes right back to us. A rule I like to live by is found in the Wiccan Rede, “An it harm none, do what ye will.” In other words, live your life and live it well, but be mindful of how your actions affect everyone and everything around you. No matter how small.
