Hold the chicken. No really, HOLD the chicken. With love.

My new brown hat. I really liked it.  Until tonight.

I was friended by an animal rights activist tonight who is a PETA supporter.  China is a major contender in animal rights violations. This was brought to my attention this evening.  I used to be vegetarian .  I think I am again.  For fashion or for food no animal should suffer.  If anyone suffers for fashion it should be the human being.  I'll take the salad please.  Spare the chicken.

Make informed choices.  If you think another LIVING THING suffers, you have the power to change that. You do. 

p.s. I respect your dietary choices.  But right now I'm at a crossroads.  I was vegetarian for a year, and signs keep approaching me from all angles to give up meat again. Why is this such an emotional struggle for me?  If anyone out there is borderline veggie, speak up.  I'm having a hard time with this. 

Physically, I crave meat.  Psychologically and emotionally I can't stand it.  What a struggle!!! xoxo help!!!!

xo

p.s. even my "suede" boots in my profile pic are VEGAN.  Microfiber!!! C'mon.  Who am I to slaughter an innocent suede provider?  Where does suede come from anyway? Have you given it any thought? I wouldn't want to know, actually.  OMG.

Comments

[elizabeth]

I am reading (slowly - I keep getting distracted by other books) The Compassionate Carnivore. It is an interesting read. I rarely eat meat when I'm eating at home, but I do believe that if one must, it is possible to do so in a way that is conscious and respects the animals - it just takes time, care, and attention.

[randi]

oh man i feel the same, i was raised with delicious cooking, but one day when my dad served cornish game hens it hit me.. then it was watching a buddy kill a fish he caught by hitting its head against a wall.. tears.. real tears.. man.. its just such a hard thing for me, because when im eating that chicken enchilada, i dont think of it as an animal.. i dont know i totally understand your thoughts.. and i struggle with the idea of it for a lot of reasons... maybe animals were put here for that purpose?? i mean back in the day there wasnt really other ways for people to make clothes and dinner.. i dont know i dont have enough real knowledge on this subject to know what im talking about.. I've been vegetarian too for about a year and now im back to meat.. no red meat because i dont like it but.. i'm tempted to try it again. good luck Gillian, let me know what you decide. P.S. I think fashion isnt worth slaughtering animals for that sake only.. im all about the synthetic.. (sorry this was practically a novel ha ha)

[Maithri]

I LOVE The title of this post ;););)

This is a tough one Gill.... I give you all my respect and love... .I just find the cravings so difficult... sigh... i guess for those of us without your kinda willpower we do what Elizabeth said and do it as reverently as possible.

Big love, Huge...

M

[Samosasforone]

I love this photo you posted. I'm going to direct a friend of mine who is vegetarian sometimes and sometimes non-vegetarian to this post to share her thoughts.

[margie]

i am such a carnivore and yet for many years i dragged all four kids through a vegetarian existence. feeding them with TVP, beans and legumes, worrying that they were getting the right amount of everything. in hindsight i don't even remember what changed. we would eat chicken on friday nights and then i guess the chicken walked in on other nights as well.

[Account Deleted]

yippeee!
4 U
4 following your own body's needs.

:-)

i never enjoyed eating beef or pork
that much as a kid
and
when the Maharishi gave me my mantra
back in the 1970s
i just stopped with beef and poultry...

i DO eat turkey on holidays with my family
and i Do eat creatures of the sea.
i don't know why
but this is what my heart and body tell me
to do,
things that swim
{{ i DO live in florida,so there is THAT }}
and
things that fly
are now on my short list
so
i
deep
listen...

PS--nice hat, missy!

[Gillian daSilva]

That sounds good, I shall look into it.
I feel better physically when I eat meat. It is the psychological thing that gets me. Sigh.
Thanks Elizabeth!

[Gillian daSilva]

lol! I don't mind long comments...! :)
It is hard to know what to do. I could barely prepare our Thanksgiving turkey this year. I can't even think of it now.

[Gillian daSilva]

Thanks M, you are so nice. Like you, the cravings get me. We must need some elements of meat in our diets, why else would we crave it that way?

[Gillian daSilva]

Anu thanks, maybe she can relate.

[Gillian daSilva]

The chicken walked in...lol.
Too funny! It does become central to the meal. Maybe if it weren't the main feature it would be easier to phase out. I just don't know!

[Gillian daSilva]

Yes. I rarely eat cow. Like never. I do lots of turkey, but would rather it be prepackaged for me. Fish always, yes.

Thanks for the hat compliment. I wasn't trying to pick on China specifically, lots of other countries have issues with animal and human rights.

Listening to the heart is a good thing. :)
xo

[Debi]

Well, I don't eat much meat just because I don't like it much, but that said, human beings have teeth specifically designed to eat meat and veggies and whatever else, which tells me that mama nature knew what she was doing when she designed us, and it's kind of vain for us to second guess her. And re: China. Go ahead - pick on them specifically; they have LOTS of issues we should be picking on them about. I for one am done with political correctness - we gotta be brave enough to point at the problem and say there, that's it. And then maybe go have a hamburger.

[MiddleAgedWomanBlogging]

I could never understand people who complained about fur coats while wearing leather gloves or shoes and carrying leather purses. To me, it's all connected. Men have killed animals for centuries to feed their bellies and warm their families. It is my understanding they used each and every part of the animal. But, now with new technology, it sounds horrid to eat animals. I have Food, Inc. on Netflix waiting list. I may never eat again! The way these animals are treated is a crime. I commend you for your beliefs and being able to practice them! A woman on The Today Show had microfiber fake leather pants on this morning! Cheaper and easier to clean than real leather! YEAH!

[Marilyn]

I have struggled with this one at times too. For many years I didn't eat chicken, now I do in moderation. I do love leather bags and shoes too. At least it is worth thinking about and living in moderation. Thanks for the reminder.

Love your hat too. When I worked for Nike we developed a hat similar to yours.

[Gillian daSilva]

LOL this made me laugh,thank you. I also agree with you about mother nature...must be something to that.
:)

[Gillian daSilva]

I love leather too. I just wish it didn't come from animals. :(

My hat was from TARJAY....(Target) Ten bucks! Cute, huh?

I have so much to think about. :(

[gloria]

I am semi but only sometimes:D Actually when I think of cows, I think of their beautiful eyes and mouths always moving, their musical moo's, I love cows. So when I look at the meat part of it, I think of it as "DEAD MEAT." That is basically what we are eating, dead meat. That's not to say that I don't eat beef, I do at times, but not too often these days. I don't know, I made tamales and they had pork, poor piggies::oink::oink. Oh well, you'll decide what to do. Take care.

[lake]

thought provoking post....I am currently transitioning to vegan....it's not the meat I have trouble with it is the cheese....I love cheese. Tofu is very processed as I understand and mucus producing. I am learning to make nut cheese with nutritional yeast.

I find watching Peta video's really does connect me to the food I eat.

There are ethical farms that treat animals well including slaughtering methods....this post made me wonder what would happen to cows if people didn't eat them. They aren't wild animals to my knowledge. I shop at a co-operative organic market where the people are very informed about where their meat comes from and actually visit the farms they purchase from.

I also understand if the choice is for wardrobe...there are just too many shades of grey for altruism for me. Though I may not purchase a new pair of leather boots, I might consider leather if I bought them at thrift store. As far as meat for ethical reasons vs. health reasons, if you are buying at your average grocery store the larger animals tend to live a more humane life. Cattle must graze therefore their life is far better than a chickens whose whole life exists in an area the size of a shoe box, and don't be fooled by the term cage-less chickens, it means just that, they are still grown in overcrowded conditions with other chickens that are not sanitary and do not allow for any of the animals natural instincts.

We need to educate ourselves so we can make accurate , informed decisions that are personal to us. Most people my age were not raised as vegetarians and it is a process. We need to share our information with each other aware always that we all are on our own personal journeys. I'm really saddened when I see people attacked for not being in the same place. I was actually at a dinner party the other night when a somebody said to a staunch vegan, Does it bother you that other people eat meat? her response was "does it bother you that other people are racist?.....needless to say the party went silent for quite a while. I don't even know how she made the comparisons...I just know I was deeply disturbd by her comment.

[Wayfaring Wanderer]

I say that if you crave it that badly you shouldn't deprive yourself.

Try to go meatless a certain number of days out of the week.

Or you could think about buying meat that you know was raised in a more humane & sustainable fashion, more organic.

I was a vegetarian for 6 six up until 3 1/2 years ago. I do like to eat meat on occasion, but I don't to it every single day. And I avoid things such as red meat.

[Stephanie Bennett]

It's so interesting that you're writing about this, Gill. I bought the book, Eat To Live, today and it is primarily geared toward vegetarians. I feel exactly the way you do about meat. I crave it, but find it repulsive when I actually consider the fact that I'm eating an animal.

[Gillian daSilva]

I think I'll watch Food Inc too...then I'll make an informed decision.
I was out late last night with two very good friends from years back...we ate late...I was ravenous by the time the food came and ate a chicken dinner like a Neanderthal!!! You would have thought I'd never seen food before. Sigh.

[Gillian daSilva]

Yes, the eyes get me too. Big blinkers with long lush lashes. :(
Sentient beings...someone once told me. If they can rear children, they have a sense of emotion. Therefore, we shouldn't serve them up as food.

[Gillian daSilva]

That sounds like me now. I make a lot of veggie choices.
But I can't get past the craving. It makes me cave every time.

[Gillian daSilva]

Yes! You said it :)

[soeurs du jour]

I'm a carnivore, I need a certain amount of animal protein in my diet. I guess the problem is the mass produced slaughtering of animals. I'm lucky in that where we live, I can meet the cow, the lamb or the chicken that will be part of my meal and even the chicken that lays our eggs. It's a choice and I respect the choices that others make. Being a farmer's daughter makes a difference I think. It's a tough decision but I think your body will tell you what to do.

Kath

[Tara Bradford]

I do eat chicken and fish; very rarely red meat. Am trying to eat more vegetable dishes, but many do not agree with my sensitive stomach. So it's a challenge, balancing all the variables. To each his own! And sorry, but I'm not giving up my leather and suede handbags, boots and shoes - or jackets. I have yet to see an alternative that doesn't look cheap. Am sure there are some - I just haven't seen them, personally. xoxox

[Gillian daSilva]

True, I am just trying to educate myself. This post was just me thinking out loud.

[Gillian daSilva]

My body always goes half and half.
:)
Little bit of meat, little bit of veg. :)

[Gillian daSilva]

LOL! I can hear you say this. Like, Hello? Not giving up the boots!
God you make me laugh, thank you. Thank you for injecting humour into such a drab subject.
Yes, rich buttery leather boots.
Think I'll go shopping. Okay, forget my post! ha ha

(I'll have a salad while I shop to even things out.)
xo

[devil mood]

Hi Gillian!
It is one thing I'm proud of, that I haven't eaten meat in 10 years. I used to love it but then my values and my teenage years spoke louder. It was a bit hard in the beginning because there weren't too many choices to eat at restaurants and it's so tiring being the only person that doesn't eat the meal at dinner-parties - could you make something else for me? I don't eat meat - It's horrible. But it's really worth it. I don't miss meat at all, in any sense, in fact I became a lot healthier since I stopped eating it.
But being portuguese I have a soft spot for fish so I still eat fish. :-(

[Gillian daSilva]

Hey girl :) Love that fish too, it is hard to give up. I have a weakness for crab, and other shellfish.
Where has your link gone? I have no idea where you went?!!
Cannot find you on my list.
Good for you for not eating meat for ten years!!! Great stuff. I would have caved by now. :(