Damn You Melissa!

One of my very good friends recently decided that she was going to become a vegetarian after reading Skinny Bitch and watching Food Inc.. She had some sort of epiphany and decided that she needed to change the food she eats in an effort to change her life. For her, its about morals and achieving optimal health for herself and her family. She is slowly but surely on her way to leading a vegetarian lifestyle, and dragging me along for the ride.

I am 100% for of the ethical treatment of animals, and I admire her for taking a stand. That being said, I'm not sure I am brave enough to become a vegetarian. I don't eat meat very often, red meat in particular, but I don't think I could say farewell indefinitely. I practically live on grilled chicken salads, and I would miss my biannual steak burrito from the best Mexican restaurant in New York City.

After thinking about it, I decided to watch Food Inc. for myself, hoping it would not impact my life too drastically (read: hoping it would not scare me away from chicken or beef). I braced myself for what was coming, and I got what I expected plus a whole lot more. Not only is there the issue of how the animals are slaughtered, but how they are raised was a horrifying revelation.

Chickens are injected with antibiotics and growth hormones, making them so disproportionately heavy that in some cases they cannot lift themselves up to take a few steps; their only option is to simply lay down and die. Cows are kept without room to roam free, and stand a foot or so deep in their own manure. Finally, there is the corn conspiracy. Almost everything we eat comes from or has some indirect connection to corn, which I've just learned is a very bad thing.

So here I am with this information. Do I ignore it and continue to consume chicken that has been injected with hormones and antibiotics? Beef (that has been injected with similar hormones and antibiotics) that may or may not contain fecal matter? Am I to take part in the absolutely unconscionable actions of these multimillion dollar corporations that only care about the almighty dollar and not the lives of these animals or the men, women and children that consume them? The answer is simple. No way.

I quickly thought about what exactly I would change about my diet, and came up with the following. I would eat and drink only organic red meat, chicken and dairy. No exceptions. Additionally, I would make an effort to eliminate preservatives, additives and any unnecessary ingredients from my diet. This means no processed foods (bye bye Lean Cuisine) or anything that contains high fructose corn syrup.

I went to Trader Joe's and came home with organic chicken breast, whole grain bread, whole wheat pizza dough (ick), goat cheese (double ick), organic peanut butter, organic skim milk, a few other things plus a ton of Lara bars, which are quite possibly the world's perfect snack. They each have less than four or five ingredients, and they are quite yummy.



To be clear, this is not a declaration of vegetarianism by any means. This is my effort to be more cognizant about what I eat, and not just because of how many calories it may contain. I am allowed organic meats and dairy, whole grain pasta, grains, veggies, fruits, and foods with only a few quality ingredients. Here's to good health.

My head hurts already. Withdrawal is a real thing people.