View Full Version : eating humanely
So I buy meat from a local farmer, therefore I know the animals are treated well. But then there's the whole slaughter part of it, not sure how that goes. I can't give up meat for my family, husband won't go for it. The dairy issue is another problem. I do buy this from the grocery store. I guess I'm trying to figure out what's right and wrong here. The other issue is I do this but I don't really advertise it so it's not really helping a whole lot of animals. I struggle with being judgemental and doing the right thing.
SteveinMN
12-22-12, 11:52am
margene, I don't think there's a "right" or "wrong" answer to this one.
As far as history records, humans have eaten meat. Our teeth and our digestive systems are designed for it. Meat is a concentrated source of necessary protein and fats. However, meat production these days is an energy-intensive affair: cows and pigs which are fed grain are not efficient in converting all of those calories into meat; the grain itself is grown using lots of fossil fuel (including its fertilizer). As a society, we tend to be wasteful in not using as much of the animal as possible for meat.
There also is the moral issue. Some may call it rationalization, but I do know there have been creditable studies that show that plants respond to specific stimuli and mistreatment just as animals (including humans) do. The difference, as I see it, is that plants do not resemble us humans as closely as cows and pigs do, and they don't make the same noises when they're in pain. Are we morally superior for choosing to eat living things that don't look like us or make noise as they are slaughtered? I don't believe anyone has a scientific answer for that.
But there is a middle ground here. Eating less meat or more different parts (at least honoring the death of the animal by not wasting so much of it). Eating more plant-based proteins. I've eaten foods like tempeh and okara and portobello mushrooms which, in the right place, are dead ringers for meat, and which even avid meat eaters could eat and not feel "deprived". Perhaps consider cutting back on meat but still eating organic/free-range eggs and dairy products, which at least are "renewable resources" in that the animal does not need to be slaughtered to produce them. That's the choice I pursue. We actually don't eat that much meat in this house; what we eat, we make count.
It doesn't have have to be either-or - just find the path you can live with and balance with the rest of your life . Even most meat eaters are selective in which ones they will/won't eat. And "less" is always a viable and effective option, although some don't think so. Even if you can't get to perfect, you can always try for better.
Margene: The slaughter part of it does not go well.
Factory farming of animals which began approximately 50+ years ago profoundly changed the quality of domesticated animals lives and not for the better. There is no way around it.
Saying that humans have always eaten meat is an argument based on tradition and not logical.
Eating one vegetarian meal a week helps animals.
There is a "right" and "wrong" answer here and the right answer is what you truly believe is ethical for you. As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing more important about how I live my life than understanding what my ethics are and educating myself about how I can live in accordance with them.
In my daily life I do not talk about my dietary choices. If people ask, I usually say "for ethical reasons" and drop it because, ultimately, I don't have an obligation to explain my ethical decisions to anyone. If they press and appear to be truly interested (rather than looking for an opportunity to dismiss me as a nut which is the case with most who inquire,) I will answer questions.
Just as it is not my responsibility to explain my ethical decisions to others, it's also not my responsibility to proselytize my ethical beliefs to others. I am not in the missionary responsibility camp regarding my ethics.
Your post sounds as if you have some kind of conflict going on. My suggestion is that you ask yourself deep, probing questions and do a lot of research and then try and figure out a way that you can live your life and be at peace with your decisions.
When I say do research, I mean read and think about what you've read. Don't make decisions based on what you've heard or based on what others tell you. Most of them have an agenda and part of that may be copping out or recruiting new people to the cause. Make your own decision on this.
vegsource.com (not affiliated with PETA)--filled with all kinds of great information. You might want to take a look.
Good luck with your struggle.
I think you have at least some of it by having meat from a local farmer. When I think about the humane aspects of meat eating I often think of how animals live in the wild. They often have predators chasing and killing them, difficulties finding food in certain seasons, and deal with harsh elements and environmental hazards Locally raised farm animals probably lead a pretty easy life compared to their wild relatives.
I have gone through periods of being a vegetarian, for me it is easier to include small amounts of meat into my diet. Like, say, a little ham in bean soup or occasional beef in pasta sauce. I pay a premium for the meat that I buy in hopes that it is raised in some humanitarian fashion. It makes meals easier to fix and a little more appealing. I guess there are the environmental issues, but at an average of less than a pound or half a pound of meat a week, it's probably not too big an impact. Or at least I hope.
I have been a big fan of Mike Pollan. In terms of making a statement in ones diet, the biggest issue to me is avoiding highly processed foods and as much as possible have food from a local source. And mostly plants.
Margene, if you are worried about the slaughter, you'll just need to ask around at different farms how the animals are raised and what the slaughter method is. Farmers who raise grass finished beef tend to use pretty humane methods. I am lucky to live in an area where it is easy to find grass finished beef raised locally. My CSA farm is biodynamic. They raise cattle, and use cow manure instead of petrochemicals as fertilizer, and when they have an excess of steers, the steers are butchered while they are grazing in a pasture separate from the rest of the herd, so they are not stressed when it happens.
For dairy products, you'll have to search around as well to find a farm with a humane operation. I have found a dairy in my state that doesn't wean calves from their mothers until they are 5 to 6 months old, so we share the milk with the calves. Males are raised to be breeding bulls and are not sent to slaughter. Milk is expensive, at $10 per gallon, but it's worth it to me to pay that price knowing that the animals are well cared for. I started with this link http://www.realmilk.com/where03.html I was looking for a raw milk producer, and the dairy, Pure Eire, sells both raw and pasteurised.
Males are raised to be breeding bulls and are not sent to slaughter.
Anne: Have you ever thought about what happens to the male calves who are not needed for breeding purposes? One bull can breed with many, many cows over many years of his breeding lifetime. Keeping that bull for no purpose but breeding would be pretty expensive with no way to recoup the cost of feed, care and veterinary. Fifty percent of all calves born are male. What do you think happens to the vast majority of them?
Rogar: Cattle in the wild would be limited to living in very small areas of the planet where there wouldn't be a lot of predators because, let's be honest, cattle are pretty much defenseless sitting ducks. Some farms are more humane in the way they raise their cattle for consumption. But the words "local" and "small" are in no way indicators that what's going on at a particular farm is humane. Way over generalization. I think to say that farmed animals being raised for slaughter are having a happier life than those out in the world is kind of naive and pretty paternalistic and definitely presumptuous. After all, none of us has actually asked the animal and if any of us is concerned about ethics here, we certainly do care about the impact on the animal, right?
I think that if someone is going to consume meat and dairy and poultry products and they are concerned about ethics they should be fully aware of what's going on and not kid themselves that it's a happy, carefree life unless they have evidence to support that claim.
Personally, I've looked for evidence for a long time and in many places and never found what I felt was an acceptable level of humaneness to make it worthwhile for me to still consume these products.
From Margene's post, I get the idea that this has been bothering her and she wants a long-term solution that she can live with. If Margene decides to continue to consume animal products and she doesn't really scrutinize her source, the ethical issue will continue to eat at her because she can't really be sure.
That said, what all the posters have contributed to this thread I think goes well beyond what the average person does and thinks about when consuming animal products and I think that anyone who does ANYTHING is ultimately doing good.
But when it comes to this particular issue I feel that if someone is struggling with what to do, they should look at the industry--especially the part of the industry they think they may participate in--under the cold, harsh light of day and ask really challenging questions and follow-ups so they can make an informed decision.
For me personally, it just can't work. But I do feel that of all the processes associated with consuming animal products, hunting is by far the most humane.
We eat local as much as possible, which makes a big difference IMO.
We are part of a cow share for dairy -- so we get raw yogurt and cream (to make butter -- we water plants with buttermilk and they like it). We buy pasture raised/finished meats and eggs, most of which are small-scale slaughtered (small family-owned slaughter houses) before coming to market.
We also buy our veg/produce as close to where we live as possible -- with people who are using organic methods but cannot afford to go through the organic certification process (considering the time/money for it, I wouldn't be bothered either).
We feel that this is the most humane that balances out our lifestyle (ie, we don't hunt/grow which would be the 'most' ethical) with our values and our nutritional needs.
Anne: Have you ever thought about what happens to the male calves who are not needed for breeding purposes? One bull can breed with many, many cows over many years of his breeding lifetime. Keeping that bull for no purpose but breeding would be pretty expensive with no way to recoup the cost of feed, care and veterinary. Fifty percent of all calves born are male. What do you think happens to the vast majority of them?
Rogar: Cattle in the wild would be limited to living in very small areas of the planet where there wouldn't be a lot of predators because, let's be honest, cattle are pretty much defenseless sitting ducks. Some farms are more humane in the way they raise their cattle for consumption. But the words "local" and "small" are in no way indicators that what's going on at a particular farm is humane. Way over generalization. I think to say that farmed animals being raised for slaughter are having a happier life than those out in the world is kind of naive and pretty paternalistic and definitely presumptuous. After all, none of us has actually asked the animal and if any of us is concerned about ethics here, we certainly do care about the impact on the animal, right?
I think that if someone is going to consume meat and dairy and poultry products and they are concerned about ethics they should be fully aware of what's going on and not kid themselves that it's a happy, carefree life unless they have evidence to support that claim.
Personally, I've looked for evidence for a long time and in many places and never found what I felt was an acceptable level of humaneness to make it worthwhile for me to still consume these products.
From Margene's post, I get the idea that this has been bothering her and she wants a long-term solution that she can live with. If Margene decides to continue to consume animal products and she doesn't really scrutinize her source, the ethical issue will continue to eat at her because she can't really be sure.
That said, what all the posters have contributed to this thread I think goes well beyond what the average person does and thinks about when consuming animal products and I think that anyone who does ANYTHING is ultimately doing good.
But when it comes to this particular issue I feel that if someone is struggling with what to do, they should look at the industry--especially the part of the industry they think they may participate in--under the cold, harsh light of day and ask really challenging questions and follow-ups so they can make an informed decision.
For me personally, it just can't work. But I do feel that of all the processes associated with consuming animal products, hunting is by far the most humane.
bunnys, they don't keep all the breeding bulls. They are registered Jerseys and some are sold to other registered Jersey breeders. I can't tell you that they all live long lives and die from natural causes at the end, but what Pure Eire dairy is attempting to do is a far lot better than any other dairy I have researched.
SteveinMN
12-22-12, 5:46pm
Saying that humans have always eaten meat is an argument based on tradition and not logical.
Cite?
I'm often in a similar quandary. I'm vegetarian yet my husband is not. He is an ironman-length triathlete so he has some unique nutritional needs that cannot be ignored such as a slightly higher need for iron. When we first met he was a solid meat & potatoes man and it has only been through slowly introducing other good options over the years (13!)that he is at the point where he is now good with the mostly vegetarian diet.
I'm sure you've already worked on making meals with smaller portions of meat with lots of good side options...substituting beef with chicken or fish. I made spaghetti with the fake ground beef for 6 months before my husband noticed I was eating the same 'meat' spaghetti as him. It was only then I told him it wasn't really meat :P
For milk I use Almond Milk, having grown up near dairy farms I am a total milk snob and have been happy with the switch. My husband has been also which surprised me. He loves the Vanilla flavored in his coffee and it makes our Sunday morning buckwheat blueberry pancakes even yummier. The Original/plain flavored we use for over cereal when we don't want yogurt, we drink it straight, or mix it with his protein drinks. Read the label and you'll see how much calcium, etc is in it: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/278488/2
I've noticed that replacing meat options with vegetarian options that contain similar nutritional values has reduced my husband's cravings and interest in wanting beef. Pancakes with buckwheat flour & wheat germ contain more iron. Banana bread made with half of the white flour replaced with quinoa flour & wheat germ and an extra egg are little ways to get the meat nutritional values and reducing the 'need' for meat. Using quinoa instead of rice in many dishes, too.
Each step taken to reduce your animal product consumption is a step in the right direction. Think of how much consumption your family would have if you were ALL still meat eaters? I don't know what your home situation is but if your home was vegetarian but if he still wants meat that he could order meat for lunch, even just a meat Subway option, while he is away at work? Respecting his food choices could go a long way with him accepting your food choices? If this is a newer choice for you maybe it will just take more time for him to adjust to the new foods. It has been a 10+ year process with my husband. He now happily makes better food choices on his own and doesn't make them to please me.
As for the family issue, my 80-year-old Quaker vegetarian friend who cooks for herself, husband, daughter, and two grandsons, when asked said she doesn't eat meat but she does prepare it for others.
As for how an animal is treated after being raised for and put to death, I believe it would make no difference to me how I were treated after death.
As for plants feeling pain but not expressing it in ways we can recognize or identify with, I've heard that too but don't know a solution except to assume they have as much right to live as I do. How to act on that?
As for plants feeling pain but not expressing it in ways we can recognize or identify with, I've heard that too but don't know a solution except to assume they have as much right to live as I do. How to act on that?
Exactly. It would be difficult (though maybe not impossible) to eat in a nutritionally-sound manner choosing only foods which caused no harm to animals or plants. I suppose one could eat milk and cheese (if one's vegetarianism permitted it), fallen fruits (i.e., no cutting fruit off the trees/bushes), plants which have died (though not because of disease), nuts and seeds, etc. I suppose if the prime directive were not causing harm (and not a philosophical objection to eating meat), one could eat animals which had died naturally. But that's one reason why I don't feel badly about eating meat. To my thinking, none of the choices are great.
I am happy to let others make their own choices but when they want to dictate what my choices will be, I draw the line. We choose to not eat animals with four legs and I do not eat farmed fish. I prefer the taste of pastured poultry and am lucky that we can get it here but I am not going to require others to pay the exteme premium for this product. I do not believe in "organic" since I have 60 years of eating regular food under my belt. But whatever others want to buy, not my problem.
As for worrying about plants and feelings, well whatever you want to believe. But I will continue to eat my fruits and veggies.
The other issue is I do this but I don't really advertise it so it's not really helping a whole lot of animals. I struggle with being judgemental and doing the right thing.
As for not advertising your behavior, you actually are. Every time you make a purchase, you are making a strong statement. How you spend your money is a powerful message. I personally don't think that talking about your decisions to advertise them will influence others (unless they ASK for your opinion). People take their food very personally, so telling people they are "wrong" will not help the cause. Your actions do speak more loudly than you are giving them credit for.
As for being judgmental of others, I strongly suggest giving that up. Instead, try to be gracious in accepting whatever they offer you (when dining at someone's house or when listening to their opinion). You don't have to agree with others, but that is different than judging them. I'd forget about what other people are doing and concentrate on your own actions. You will feel much less conflicted when you let the judgement go.
I used to be a strict organic vegetarian, but have loosened my standards for various reasons, one of which is that I was focusing so much on the "right" food, I was almost treating food as an idol and as a source to judge others. I realized I had to put food back into it's place. I'm still concerned about humane treatment of animals and about the health of our food sources, but I shed the smugness.
You sound like a very thoughtful person, btw.
I don't think I am being judgmental. I feel like if I talk about what I do I'm going to come across as judgmental. But if I do talk about it then more people will realize what's going on. So I'm thinking I shouldn't worry about how I come across.
Margene: The slaughter part of it does not go well.
Saying that humans have always eaten meat is an argument based on tradition and not logical.
When I say do research, I mean read and think about what you've read. Don't make decisions based on what you've heard or based on what others tell you. Most of them have an agenda and part of that may be copping out or recruiting new people to the cause. Make your own decision on this.
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There is excellent, hard evidence in the bones and teeth of fossil hominins that humans evolved eating meat and fat, and that this dietary switch is very likely the agent that bulked up our brain and shrank our gut; species of hominins with a vegetarian diet went extinct. The anatomy and digestive capacities of anatomically modern humans shows specializations in gut and enzyme production linked to meat and fat consumption, while the shrinkage of our face and tooth size, thinning of our tooth enamel, and enormous reduction in jaw muscling are allied to a softer diet, lower in acids and grit, requiring less grinding power.
This doesn't mean that people who don't want to eat meat have to eat meat! Those who choose to eat vegetarian or vegan diets have every right to do so.
I used to raise sheep commercially, and my ex-partner & I did our own butchering, except for hogs & calves, as they are big, so a friend & the local butcher did them for us. Our sheep were pasture raised, very well treated, and we butchered all our lambs, chickens, and assorted other fowl -- turkeys & a goose -- kosher style. Our hogs & calves were not butchered kosher, but it was very fast. (Let me know if you want the details.) Slaughter can go well in my opinion; it can be quick & clean.
We also butchered out wild game, mostly venison, that others shot. We did this as a trade, since we had the tools & skills. (I once butchered out & ate a wild rabbit I hit while driving. Seeing where he had been hit & the consequent good bleed-out meant that the meat would be useable. Well, it was tough! Nothing many hours of simmering with tomato sauce couldn't remedy...)
I am consequently pretty picky about the meat I purchase. My DH & I get meat at our local food coop, which buys only pasture raised, local meats, both organic & non-organic. We mostly buy organic, so our meat consumption has dropped a lot, as organic is pricey. We use meat as a treat a few times a week, and mostly as a side, not the main part of the meal. Though some days, I get a hearty beef or pork roast & it is the main dish! Then we use it for many meals.
Hey Redfox, me too! I raised sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, pigs, and kept a couple of dairy cows. All of my livestock ranged on rotated grazing land supplemented with fodder not directly drawn from the human food chain. We slaughtered on farm, except for the rabbits, which went to a rabbitoir, and for the beef animals, the crossbred progeny of my non-pedigree dairy cows. The beef animals were shot on the farm by our local butcher, who then took away the carcass and brought back packages of blast-frozen meat. Slaughter was extremely quick, and the animals never had a moment's fear or pain. I am also picky about my meat, so I pay more and eat less, and I'm picky about my plant foods. When I'm eating at somebody else's house, I do not inquire into the source of the food, and I always thank and praise the cook for the meal! When people eat at my house and praise the food, I make a lowkey pitch for organic, sustainable, and humane, and have had some very interesting conversations in this way.
readaholic713
1-13-13, 4:49pm
I'm one of those people who went back and forth on this issue. I love animals deeply and think kindness to all living things is a touchstone of a civilized society, but I do eat animals. After a lot of reading and thinking, I realized that I'm a human being, an animal, and while I do have the cognitive ability to choose not to eat animals, I cannot remove myself from the food chain.
If I were to choose to go vegan and grow my own food organically, I would still have to keep other animals from eating it. Deer, woodchucks, squirrels, and other animals would all want a piece of the action. You'd be surprised at how many animals are killed every year from agriculture. Small rodents get swept up in the harvesting machines or are killed to keep their populations down. I think you get what I mean.
So I vowed to myself to eat mindfully, whether I'm eating venison, fish, or a tomato. I want to know where my food comes from and ideally, I'd like to kill it myself. I know that's not for everyone, but it's the best way I can think of to remain close to my food and realize that everything comes at a price - and that's ok. Best of luck on your path.
Hey Redfox, me too! I raised sheep, goats, rabbits, chickens, pigs, and kept a couple of dairy cows. All of my livestock ranged on rotated grazing land supplemented with fodder not directly drawn from the human food chain. We slaughtered on farm, except for the rabbits, which went to a rabbitoir, and for the beef animals, the crossbred progeny of my non-pedigree dairy cows. The beef animals were shot on the farm by our local butcher, who then took away the carcass and brought back packages of blast-frozen meat. Slaughter was extremely quick, and the animals never had a moment's fear or pain. I am also picky about my meat, so I pay more and eat less, and I'm picky about my plant foods. When I'm eating at somebody else's house, I do not inquire into the source of the food, and I always thank and praise the cook for the meal! When people eat at my house and praise the food, I make a lowkey pitch for organic, sustainable, and humane, and have had some very interesting conversations in this way.
Cool, Suzanne! Where did you farm? I love your approach to eating the food prepared byothers as a gift of love, and of your own offerings. I hold the same practices & philosophy. Thanks for your elegant words.
Hi Redfox, this was in South Africa. I had 21 hectares, northeast of Pretoria, 14km from a wide place in the road called Hammanskraal. This was thornveld country, and my smallholding had been both severely overgrazed and even ploughed and planted by some foolish person who ignored the warning signs of ironstone, claypan, and high capping factor to attempt to grow maize. Over time, and with lots of hard work, I was able to get it covered with grass again, and to improve the grazing through contouring and swaling to hold rainfall, brush packing over bare patches, and overseeding by hand with the better endemic grasses. I started with one dairy cow and a batch of dayold chicks, and built up as the grazing improved, adding my cow's heifer calf, then six sheep ewes and a ram, then two pregnant Boergoats, three pigs, and finally the rabbits.
Hi Redfox, this was in South Africa. I had 21 hectares, northeast of Pretoria, 14km from a wide place in the road called Hammanskraal. This was thornveld country, and my smallholding had been both severely overgrazed and even ploughed and planted by some foolish person who ignored the warning signs of ironstone, claypan, and high capping factor to attempt to grow maize. Over time, and with lots of hard work, I was able to get it covered with grass again, and to improve the grazing through contouring and swaling to hold rainfall, brush packing over bare patches, and overseeding by hand with the better endemic grasses. I started with one dairy cow and a batch of dayold chicks, and built up as the grazing improved, adding my cow's heifer calf, then six sheep ewes and a ram, then two pregnant Boergoats, three pigs, and finally the rabbits.
Wow! How amazing. Do you have any photos? I am consulting with the organizers of a small pemaculture project that has been started in SA, 3 hours south of Pretoria, in a village named Memel. Thus far, they don't have an animals, but I hope to influence that! Would love to hear more about your smallhold.
Wow! How amazing. Do you have any photos? I am consulting with the organizers of a small pemaculture project that has been started in SA, 3 hours south of Pretoria, in a village named Memel. Thus far, they don't have an animals, but I hope to influence that! Would love to hear more about your smallhold.
Hi Redfox, sorry, almost no photos, and those that exist are with my adult children in South Africa. I was very bad at photodocumenting, much to my regret now. I'd enjoy talking about my minifarming days!
I think it's ok to NOT advertise.
I was vegan for about 5/6 years (before it caused health problems and *yes*, i was doing it "right" -- whole foods not junk food, etc). I didn't advertise it. I just went about my business. People already know -- they might not know the extent -- and they don't want to, so your talking about it is only going to cause friction for you and frustration for them.
During that time (and this whole time), my husband was omnivorous. At that time, he was following the Weston A Price Foundation information. I was, too, in terms of what I ate as a vegan (ie, soy free, how to treat grains/beans, etc). It is possible for one party to be vegan and the rest of the family to not be vegan.
The process is simple:
1. make your vegan menu/meal plan for the week. Make sure that your dinners are satisfying in and of themselves for you.
2. add a meat/dairy component dish to that equation. Put it on a separate serving plate.
3. eat dinner as a family with everyone's needs satisfied.
In our household, I would often make soups for dinner. I loved soup with different salads. I had different flavor profiles per day: persian, moroccan, french, jamaican, indian, italian, asian/chinese, thai, mexican. I then had different soup and salad recipes (about 3-4 per flavor profile). I started with canned stock and beans, but later was making and pre-prepping my own.
I would then roast a chicken, or make a meatloaf or a steak or bake fish for DH. He would add this to the meal that we ate together. I would make it in the same flavor profile -- so he would have fish tacos with his mexican bean-soup. I would serve it with an avocado salad or some such. I would often have some kind of simple bread for myself (cornbread, naan, tortillas -- or buy pre-made).
I was always happy/satisfied with these meals, and so was DH. we didn't have children at the time.
Currently, we are paleo/primal and running an intermittent fasting protocol. DH and I eat two meals a day, on average. My day looks like this:
Breakfast (11 am ish) -- juiced green veggies (dark greens and herbs plus lemon, ginger, and 1/2 green apple OR manuka honey). 3 eggs either hard boiled or fried in butter.
Snack -- tbsp coconut oil, water
Dinner (finish by 7 pm) -- big salad with diverse seasonal veg (warm salads in winter, cold salads in summer, mix salads in spring/fall -- also includes seeds and sometimes nuts) and then meat (chicken (1x week), fish (3x wk), venison (1x wk), beef (2x wk)). We mostly use spice rubs or simple sauces since DH is the current home-cook and he needs it simple. might dessert with frozen berries and coconut cream or a couple of oranges. If i have the apple in the green drink, I tend not to fruit in the evening. If i do honey in the green drink, then i'll fruit after dinner if I'm still hungry.
I eat far fewer calories per day now than I did as a vegan. The reason is that veg/grain/beans are low nutrient-dense foods, so you need more to get your nutrient needs, so people tend to eat more calories. This means, too, that you need to do a bit more movement to balance weight. I ate an average of 2200 calories/day as a vegan. I was also doing triathlon training and yoga, so I was definitely active and basically the same size that I am now. I was running hypothyroidal, but I had fixed a pituitary tumor problem (i think it was the whole foods), and then ultimately ran into hypocholesterolemia which is why I went back to eggs/dairy.
The dairy didn't do well for me (discovered this as a vegan -- butter is "so-so" so long as I don't have too much and it needs to be raw, then gently clarified). We went paleo when my husband's naturopath took him off grains for some health issues, and i noticed that my gas/indigestion disappeared basically over night. And, DH is far less anxious and I don't emotionally eat anymore. It has definitely improved our mental health.
Today, I eat about 1500-1700 calories per day (depends upon where I am in my cycle). I just started the oil-snack protocol, which supposedly lowers your set-point for your weight, suppresses the appetite a bit, and provides additional nutrients. I am wondering if it will take me down to about 1300-1400 calories (or just above metabolic rate) because of the nutrient density. But, it might just stay where I am. I don't know.
I weigh 128 right now, and I think that a loss of 4-10 lbs would be nice. But, it's not necessary.
I'm not vegetarian or vegan (yet), but want to start where I am in eating more responsibly. I did some research and found the Certified Humane program:
http://www.certifiedhumane.org/
There's a lot on the web site to explore, but I was impressed by the veterinarians and animal scientists (including Temple Grandin) who sit on the board of directors, and the thumbs up from organizations like the various Humane Societies, Consumers Union, Good Housekeeping, and others who've reviewed the organization.
I learned that my local Harris Teeter carries the Smart Chicken brand (humanely raised, humanely slaughtered). It's more expensive than conventionally raised chicken but if I eat poultry I'd rather that it be done as ethically as possible. Now on to look for humanely raised eggs and milk in my area.
ToomuchStuff
1-17-13, 7:58pm
I keep seeing this in the current threads, and every time my brain goes to Soylent green, "Your eating people".:laff:
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