My Journey toward a life of Vegetarianism

I am huge documentary freak, if I see one I watch it. I have watched Farmagedon, Food Inc, Forks over Knifes, Fat Sick & Nearly Dead, Hungry for Change. You could say I've been saturated thoroughly in stories about eating a more plant based diet. Its not merely a decision built upon a moral obligation against eating meat, its not that. Its can I say A. I am happy with my body in general now B. Can I Support industrial farming which destroys the dreams of small farmers (of such thing I wish to be myself one day)? The answer was a quick no. Its not that I hadn't heard about what it was like; I had a rough idea like some I know but they ask that I not tell them because they know they would likely stop if they say those films. I will get to a point when my investments let me run my farm and aquaponic garden, I want to raise goats, fish and chickens. Can I dream of giving my animals everything but support the supposed "farmers" that don't show the animals the same thought? Can I say I will be a vegetarian forever, well the goal is until I can raise the animals to know the sources of my food like fish, cheese, eggs is raised correctly. Will I eat meat again, after being a meat eater for the majority of my 22 years I can say I share no real attachment to it but make no promises. However that farm is many years - decade down the road, surely a lifestyle change toward plant based and kept with for that long will surely take over and stick. I have a list of all the vegetables by season to make the diet switch cheap, though having a hard time with Breakfast recipes that aren't to fancy and that don't include egg or cheese. I also have troubles finding recipes in general really, trying to plan out the first month meal wise.

I am going to write down this journey for the first 6 months in a notebook, Its going to be interesting to see how I progress over the months, excited!

 

If you're not eating egg and cheese does that mean you are a vegan, not vegetarian?

 

I read that there is different kinds of vegetarians (those that eat cheese or/and fish) but that is a good question that I am not sure the answer to.

 

If you eat dairy, you're a lacto-vegetarian.
If you eat eggs, you're an ovo-vegetarian.
If you eat dairy and eggs, you're a lacto-ovo vegetarian.
If you eat only fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and soy/rice based foods, and you do not use anything made from any animal, you are a vegan.
If you eat fish, you are not a vegetarian but are, instead, a pescetarian.

 

I tried to stop eating meat and animal based foods but it doesn't last past a month.

What are you if you only eat candy?

 

Sweet

 

Thank you for this Allen; it appears I will be a vegan (though staying completely away from soy based anything, no tofu or soy beans) until I get my aquaponic farm, then its likely I will eat the fish.

 

Why don't you want soy, it is yummy

 

I love soy milk!

 

Yesterday it was cold and foggy and I was in an asian cafe and I had hot soy milk in a mug and it was awesome.

Yeah. The SOY beastie is a wondrous critter. It should be consumed.

 

Its not because of the supposed turning me into a female(just in case anyone thinks that), its that around 2007-8 it was reported that 90% of soybean crop in the U.S is from Monsanto, their hybrid seeds. They have a patent on those seeds and sue small time farmers because those hybrid seeds invade small farmer fields. Then the small farmer is bullied and taken to court were he/she can't afford to pay for court battles. Monsanto is the killer of small farms and by eating soy I take the chance of supporting that company. If it was allowed I would so buy up a lot of their stock just to short it and drive the price of its stock down.

 

So grow your own soybeans.

Or only buy soybeans from China which is, where I live anyway, easier to do than not. Monsanto don't go there.

Also if you buy tofu you are supporting all the folk that made the tofu regardless of where they got the soybeans from.

Seriously you can tie yourself in knots trying to eat in a way that no bad stuff ever happened on the way to your mouth.

 

I'm on the same journey myself, but I don't plan to arrive for another 100 years or so.

 

Right. I could grow them in my garden in the future, but for right now I am going to avoid it I can still eat other beans for the proteins and fiber.

 

But what if you buy them from China?

And yes you can live without buying soybeans. They are a pain in the ass to cook. I haven't cooked any for omg 20 years. Other beans are quicker. But I do eat a lot of tofu. And if you go veg and buy products made for vegetarians you will find most of them contain soy and no they don't tell you where that soy came from.

I'm suggesting that you take a radical diet change slowly and don't get too torqued up about it. Leave off the meat, see how you go, then reevaluate.

 

Makes sense. Thank you for the advice.

 

Being a true vegan is very difficult, if not impossible. Everybody uses things made from animal by-products, even if you aren't eating them. For example, you can't drive a car without using beef by-products. Beside the obvious leather seats, brake fluid, antifreeze, tires, some automotive adhesives, and asphalt all have components that come from cows.

 

Right, that is true. I put vegetarian because that is what I associated with all vegetable, fruit, nut and seed diet (I also wanted to use honey because I have local farms near me). I associated vegan not with eating but with that kind of no animal by product lifestyle. I will however when I get that farm, years/years down the road, limit my dependence on most manufactured products.

 

I'm a post-modern vegetarian, I eat meat "ironically".

 

Try not to go insane, most Vegetarians I know are insane.