The Wild

Daily writing prompt

What are your feelings about eating meat?

View all responses

This is a difficult topic for me, and I have some strong and well informed opinions.

First let me acknowledge that I have tried almost every diet conceived in the pursuit of an ideal way of eating. I have done this for health reasons, but also in pursuit of grander objectives, like sustainability and the environment.

In my early 30’s I used a very specific raw vegan diet to reverse several conditions that the mainstream medical community told me were incurable. I became a real champion for the diet, and fought very hard to continue it, even when it was clearly impractical in my home country of Canada.

After that realization it was a slow spiral away from the lofty goals of plant based diets. I went vegan, but found that I could not tolerate many of the staples which made the diet manageable. Then I went to vegetarian for a few years, and finally back to a variety of omnivorous diets.

From an ethical and environmental perspective I thought that veganism was the ideal diet. It claimed to be better for the environment, and took animal welfare very seriously. In many ways I felt (and still do) that a vegan diet would help human beings to evolve into a more spiritually attuned species (ie. more compassionate and empathetic). Unfortunately the reality is that it simply does not work for most people.

The problem for me was that I could not find a way to be healthy on the diet. I know there are people who have managed to sustain it, but not many. The most notable example is my former raw vegan guru. He has been living on an organic fruit farm in Costa Rica for almost 20 years, and is clearly happy and healthy.

While my former teacher was blissing out in paradise, I spent 15 years here on the frozen prairies learning about diet, ethics, and philosophy. Below is a brief summary of the reasons I no longer believe in Veganism.

1. We are not spiritual beings having a human experience. It is quite the other way around. The story of Icarus could well be an analogy for my own attempts to reach what I considered to be an ethically perfect diet. The ability of human beings to imagine perfection speaks to our divine and spiritual nature. The fact that we can never realize perfection is grounded in the very real fact that we are primarily biological creatures.
2. Veganism is what I would consider a religion. It has a very clear narrative which is used to explain an ideal path to salvation for all human beings. If you disagree about its status as a religion, then you should at least consider it a social philosophy on par with other grand ideals. Like all Utopian visions, there is a tendency to sacrifice personal well being for the greater good. As we all know, communism is an excellent example of why these systems do not work. So while I was struggling and suffering to do my part for the planet, my wealthy neighbors were consuming more in a month than a year of my austerity could reverse. To avoid bitterness and resentment I personally had to walk away.
3. Veganism It is not healthy. I once fought this realization with every ounce of my being. After years of struggle, misery, experimentation and research, I can say with 100% certainty that veganism in neither natural nor healthy. To expand upon this point I would say that we are in a very dangerous time. Humanity has divorced itself from creation and the natural world, and no amount of vitamin B12 supplements will repair that fallen bridge. We need to reconnect with reality, including the fact that we are omnivores.

I could probably say more, but I think that I have probably gone on quite long enough. Suffice it to say that I decided I would not sacrifice my own well being, or the gift of life that I was given for a human conceived ideal that sounds more and more like hubris every passing year. Would the world be a better place if humans stopped eating meat? Probably. Would there be massive suffering and death – certainly.

To keep things in perspective I would also say that its a mistake for us to stop eating fruits and vegetables. In fact the only food that I am absolutely certain we as a species would be better without are the ultra processed food like products that have replaced natural whole foods for most people. You might think this foolish or extreme – but what does the data say. How are we doing as a whole – mentally, physically and spiritually?

To wrap up I would like to suggest the following. If you choose to eat meat, I would strongly consider choosing free range, organically fed, and humanely slaughtered options. Even better, if you wish to consume meat and animal products, get a bow or a fire arm, and go out and hunt your own. Instead of sitting behind the thin veneer of consumer conscientiousness, get out there and get your hands dirty. If you cannot stomach killing or butchering animals then maybe you should look into the vegan lifestyle. At the very least plant a garden for goodness sake.

Reference:

“Meat” by Wildebeast1 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.