As strange as it may sound, I have been thinking and reading and researching about the food choices, and I must accept, that we humans are omnivores. The whole sanctity of life business is full of contradictions and conflicts. I have been a vegetarian for a long time and a vegan for few months, it feels great, I feel as if I am detoxing, but by the end of the day, I feel as if I am going against nature. My intestines, teeth, nature, as a human is designed for a balanced meat and vegetable diet. However, in no way at all would I support the industrial meat market and non-organic meat.
I urge to to watch this eye-opener film "Earthlings". It's gruesome, excruciating and not be be seen alone. Find a friend to hold hands with and then turn it on... It opened my eyes towards the heinous insensitivities we put animals through... But that alone should not guide our morals. I am trying to appreciate the farmer who kills few of their sheep, cows and other animals few times a year to keep the herd strong and young. Also, the hunters and reindeer herders are facing Swedish govt. set boundaries of how many reindeer there can be. It is then necessary for them to hunt and keep the pack young and healthy. These animals have lived a full life, and their death is making them food... Just like my death will make me food to countless bacteria, worms, etc, to plants and so forth. The whole circle of life pops in front of me.
I have killed many worms, rodents, and not-so-cute animals that died in the agriculture, organic or not. Sure, pesticide are deadly, and I buy all my food local and organic (no bananas in winter, etc). Besides environment, their is a charm to wait for vegetable and fruit seasons, and savor when the time arrives. Their is a beauty in that I cherish. I don't need to eat mangoes all the time, no matter how delicious, in Sweden. Or the pepper and tomatoes coming from Holland and Spain as a result f massive monocultures. That too are a crime on animals, as thousands of them are displaced and killed due to large scale farming.
We are too many, but the populous parts of the world know sustainable food. They fish, hunt, grow and manage their limited means. However, the richer and more economically privileged few have a choice to either follow a lifestyle to for cost, or health, or environment. Yes, I feel great when I don't horde meat, but my reference frames are skewed. I am measuring my experience with mass produced deaths of animals and that affect on my morals and body. We humans are much more intuitively sensitive than we think. If you feel you want to truly enjoy your body and savor the food that universe has presented to you, I say eat everything, but organic. Life may be sacred, and but all life needs food to sustain. It's not fun to be food, but ultimately, we all are. The difference lies in how we managed to get that food.
I am still a vegetarian, (not a vegan anymore) but I am just waiting for an opportunity to kill an animal myself, feel the love, grace and empathy but not but completely swept by it and later let the butchery experts do that for me. In the meantime, I eat all those vegetables knowing they too resulted in a lot of killing.
All of this is only my point of view, and if you want to make your own decision, please look into Howard Lyman, a fourth generation cattle farmer who turned vegan for health reasons and later for the concern for ever spreading mad cow disease. Also, look into Daniel Vitalis (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfAO7XBnZY) http://www.danielvitalis.com/), who was a raw food vegan for many many years but is now promoting the idea of eating meat and being more part of the environment. To me, their point of views are not very contradictory. They both speak to me about the hazard of industrial meat market and the importance of wholesome food. There is a great book in the market called "The Vegetarian Myth". Give it a shot. I am finding it a very balanced and non judgmental.
Hope you find more peace with your food and body.
