It has taken me a long time to really enjoy eating a plant based diet, but I went into it with no experience or knowledge as to what it would take to make the change. I was a meat eater, sometimes up to 3 times a day and for the first few months it was very hard to satisfy my diet!
It has now been 15 months since that last time I ate meat, and there is no looking back. I truly feel better in many ways including my energy and endurance levels as well as recovery. This is most noticeable when I am at the gym, out hiking or mountain biking. Although I am getting older I feel my conditioning is better now at almost 38 than it ever was. I push myself very hard during physical activities and have never felt better.
Another major thing I noticed is no matter how much I eat and how full I feel I never get bloated. Within 30 minutes of a meal I feel good to go and never have the "meat sweats". I feel like my body is processing plant based foods much more efficiently than it ever did with meat products. This was one of those "proven facts" I didn't believe until I experienced it.
After all of the research, reading, watching and experiencing over the last 15 months I associate anything meat related with a face which is kind of crazy. Not only do I now associate meat products with a face, but also with the treatment that was endured for that piece of meat to make it to a plate.
I have many conversations with people about my diet, what I do and how I survive without eating meat. As I am highly active I consume a large amount of food everyday so this seems to baffle people. I usually keep the conversations simple by giving examples of what I like to eat, where I get my protein and how I curb cravings.
Every so often I will bring up the cruelty of animal farming and this is what gets me the most, I always see in their eyes that this bothers people. Humans naturally have a high level of compassion for animals, we would do anything for our pets wouldn't we? How is it that we can consume meat products at such an incomprehensible rate knowing what is happening to these animals? Wait, didn't I eat meat for over 36 years? YES. The fact is that people don't truly understand what happens at many farms, nor do they comprehend the sheer volume of animals killed for meat. That was me, I just didn't know or think about it too much.
The numbers are TRULY INSANE. I know I posted some numbers in my previous post, but here are some more:
Upwards of 99% of farm animals never get to express natural behaviours...something as simple as flapping wings or taking a mud bath. Imagine your dog or cat confined to a small cage and being force fed for its entire life...not a chance.
Industrial livestock sent to slaughter is equivalent to approximately 8 times the human population. HOW IS THIS SUSTAINABLE!
Dairy cows are artificially inseminated, separated from calves at birth...the milk intended for their young is now human milk. Once production stops, they do it again. Male calves are killed for veal, females become the next generation of dairy cows.
Many of these farmed animals only see the light of day and breathe fresh air on their highly stressed transport to a slaughter house. Next time you pass a pig truck, take a look inside...I can't anymore it hurts too much. Cramped, covered in animal waste and provided no food or water for what are sometimes extremely long trips. In Canada alone between 2-3 million animals die in transport each year. Canada has some of the worst rules in the modern world with regards to animal transport.
***These are all things I have researched online, feel free to search for yourself***
Reading statistics is one thing, but seeing these cruelties even just on video is absolutely heartbreaking and gut wrenching. Initially I never wanted to watch any of these types of things, but I am glad I have.
What a life changing thing seeing other sentient beings stripped of their natural ability to live, and eventually stripped of their lives in extremely cruel manner.
Also below one of my favourite quotes:
"If we can't show a child what happens to farm animals, perhaps what we're doing to the animals is wrong."
If you ever get the chance, like I have mentioned before GO VISIT A FARM ANIMAL SANCTUARY! This blew my mind. I never thought of a turkey as wanting to be pet, or a pig just wanting to lay with you and have its belly rubbed, or a goat wanting its head scratched. These animals are no different than our pets, they just want to live their best lives!
We as humans need to find ways to make farming sustainable and cruelty free to animals of all kinds. I understand that this farming is a large part of the world economy, but we can all make changes. I urge anyone who reads this to try starting off with just a few meat free meals a week and hopefully we can transition to a healthier world for all. If we don't, our next generations will pay dearly as this is killing our planet....I'll save that for the next blog.
Please visit these Instagram pages, such amazing sanctuaries!!!
