food rules: animals RULE!

On January 1, 2009 I decided to be a vegetarian. There were several occasions where I broke down & ate meat: times people made me dinner or times when I had a craving & went to the local butcher. Since moving to France, I've had the chance to eat more meat. The packaging is required to tell me where it came from and, in some cases, how it was raised–in a cage or in open air.

Before I begin this post, it's important that we establish something. While I love animals & can't stand to see them in pain, I did not become a vegetarian because I wanted to save some chickens. I didn't stop eating meat so that I could be friends with cows. Stop thinking that right now. I stopped eating meat because industrialized farming stopped providing me with healthy options. Just because it's white meat or lean meat or not fried meat does not mean it's healthy. To begin making this point, let me ask you a question...

If you spend a few days eating a bunch of processed sugars–bread, pasta, cake, cookies, candy bars, soda–what happens to your body? Do you feel more energetic or less? Do you feel lighter or heavier?

If this diet becomes your lifestyle, do you become more athletic or less? Could you more easily run a marathon or even bicycle to work instead of drive? Could you play basketball with your kids more easily? Could you lose weight & have lean muscles?

Then it is illogical that we take animals from their natural diet (grass) to a diet that a diet far higher in sugary starches–a diet that is almost only corn. The argument is that corn "beefs" up animals faster. They get market-size in around six weeks, which is convenient; after six weeks the diet will start to deteriorate their digestive system*. So while we're searching for the leanest, most skinless meat, the industry is producing heavier, fatter animals that rely on antibiotics to support the changes in their body. Here are two quick facts from two quality articles:

Switching a cow from grass to grain is so disturbing to the animal’s digestive system that it can kill the animal if not done gradually and if the animal is not continually fed antibiotics.*

Corn has been criticized as being unsustainable based on the unusual amount of fertilizer, water and machinery required to bring it to harvest...*

So let's summarize: While America tries to break itself from an epidemic of obesity, our farmers are forced (based on subsidies & increased demand) to rely on unsustainable practices. They're forced to sell us lower quality meat–meat that has less meat per pound & more corn/soy than ever before.* We're feeding animals corn, a crop that has become dependent on a constant supply of chemicals (WOW–is that a post for another day!). Conclusion: Bad news bears...

This sort of farming produces 16.6 billion tons of excrement a year*, making it the leading the leading cause of air AND runoff pollution. (Read: The excrement is tainting water supplies & increasing E. coli outbreaks in food.)

I haven't even touched on the industrial processing yet... And I'm not going to in this post. I want to leave this on a positive note: There is a butcher in your town. A real one. I know it. No one is asking you to be fully vegetarian (though in some countries its rather easy, & you can find pieces of those diets everywhere). "Well what can I do to fight 16.6 billion tons of excrement?" you're asking yourself.

Go to the butcher. Ask him where the meat comes from. Ask him what sort of farms they are. Avoid CAFO meat. Yes, it's a bit more expensive. Grass-fed is even more expensive. Bison is a bitchy meat. Free-range eggs feel like they should come dipped in gold. But don't feel guilty splurging on it.

Spending extra means you'll buy less–you'll consume less meat, which we know is good for our hearts. You'll enjoy the flavor more, since it's hidden under less corn additive. You'll be supporting your local economy. Animals on their natural diets never ravel as far. That means you're ALSO saving CO2 emissions. Look at you! You're dominating environmentalism & sustainable eating!

Millions of people around the world are also participating in Meatless Mondays, a sacrifice that started during WWII to help with rations & show solidarity. Show solidarity to the farmers & to the health of our species by participating now. Then, look! You're only buying healthy meat for, at most, SIX days a week. It's all about baby steps, but you've got to start walking at some point.

P.S. If this got you interested, continue reading here for facts that you can use to share the idea of sustainable farming & eating with others.

Are you eating meat? Where are you getting it? How do you feel about industrialized farming? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

*Facts from Food, Inc.

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