When I was a little girl I was acutely aware that killing animals and eating them was "mean". I use mean instead of cruel because my younger self did not understand how factory farming worked. I remember watching Babe and thinking most if not all farms were similar to that. The reality is just the opposite because hundreds of thousands of animals are treated with unbelievable amounts of cruelty so that people can eat them. No living being deserves what is happening everyday to the cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. But that mind frame came later for me after i became aware.
I tried unsuccessfully throughout my childhood to become a vegetarian. I still more often than not was the typical American meat and potatoes consumer; although I also ate what I thought was a lot of vegetables at the time. My longest stint as a vegetarian was while I was taking Anatomy and Physiology in college. Dissecting my cat (the cat I had selected had been run over so I would not feel guilty for having a euthanized cat) I became overwhelmed with the realization that the muscles of the cat looked eerily like chicken muscle. I stopped eating most animal products except for eggs which I thought I truly needed to eat for the vitamin B12. When I got back home for breaks, especially the holiday ones I reverted back to my typical meat eater diet. I was introduced to tofu at the time and I enjoyed eating only marinated firm tofu.
Fast forward three years to me becoming a brand new mom. This is when my desire for eating a vegetarian diet and than a vegan diet became backed up with knowledge and conviction. After watching movies like Food Inc.; Food Matters; Fat, Sick,and Nearly Dead; and later Fork Over Knives, and reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman's books Eat to Live/Eat for Health and Dr. Neal Bernard's Breaking the Food Seduction I realized that if I wanted my actions to be in-align with my thoughts on how animals should not be slaughtered (no matter how humane). On January 2, 2012 I sighed up for The 21-Day Vegan Kickstart which is sponsored by The Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine. Dr. Neal Bernard is a part of this organization. Since then I have been eating a animal and cruelty free diet. I am happy that I have made this decision for myself.
On April 2, 2012, PCRM is starting another 21 day vegan Kickstart cycle, if you are interested please take a look at their website. Http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart
I think its awesome you contemplated and attempted a vegetarian diet while you were young.. many young ppl never think along those lines EVER... Youve inspired me to do a similar post (in the future), tho I dont know how many ppl I know will take it.. Im usually taunted by them and I never respond bc the ignorance is annoying. Its always interesting to read how ppl come to make better food choices. Whether thats going veg or not. Its a big act, keep it up!! Also... just to throw it out there.. I think in the future you should do a post on how being vegan affects your family dynamics?? (incorporating how you its affordable etc).. Anyway, Good read!! :)
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