How I Quit Meat

February 1, 2018. Before I went to sleep, I had two smoked sausages with mustard and syrup on plain white bread, my favorite munchies snack. I woke up the next morning, brushed my teeth and said, “I’m done with meat.” Never thought of it before, never had the urge to quit meat. I was super addicted to buffalo wings, just a regular, everyday meat eater. I do believe some health issues I’ve had came about because of the flesh of these animals you people tend to eat. I wanted to sound a bit snobbish; some people tend to think because I dislike meat that I think I’m better. Guess what, I don’t kill animals to eat them! I am better. I’m kidding, to each their own.

Moving along now, I’ve had ulcers since eighth grade, which made me literally nauseous after every meal, and I would get sick wit the flu or a stomach virus at least three to four times a year. Back to February 2, 2018: I walked into work and in the break room, they had fried chicken catered; even the breast was fried. They had fried breast, c’mon son. Fried breast! The center piece! That’s my 1B (1A was buffalo wings). I said to myself, “If I make it past today, I’m really done with meat. This is crazy.” I made it. I didn’t touch a single piece of chicken. I smelled it, I looked at it, and I bid it farewell with no desire to even rip off a piece of that crispy skin. Wait, do you know how good the skin is alone? I would make fried chicken skin sandwiches with hot sauce on it. Carnivores, if you haven’t tried it, please do. You’ll need about three fried breasts, mayo for the bread, and my favorite, TEXAS PETE HOT SAUCE! (I said that in a very Matthew McConaughey-esque drawl). Did you know Texas Pete hot sauce is made in Winston-Salem, North Carolina? Such a travesty. My love for buffalo wings and fried chicken is now substituted by my colossal fried shrimp with buffalo sauce. I make it maybe twice a month, and I love it like it’s wings.

I actually cringe when I see meat now. It’s not an open cringe where people see me do it, and I don’t care who eats it in front of me; I’m not the “how can you eat this stuff?” type. It’s cool, put all that roadkill in your body. I don’t care. Steroids and bad vibes from animals knowing they're about to die. Here’s a little food for thought: Did you know energy never dies, and it can’t be destroyed? That’s some bad energy you’re placing within your spirit. I watched a video recently of how animals are treated before they’re killed, and it’s inhumane. I went off rambling again, back to me now. The first two weeks of not eating meat I dropped 18 pounds. My sense of smell heightened, I haven’t been nauseous since, and my ulcer pains are gone. I haven't had stomach pain, and I haven’t been sick either. Physically I feel great, and I don’t want to exaggerate, but spiritually (not religiously), I’ve never been in tune with myself like I am now. Things are different within my sight and energy, and another part of my body is different too (my box cutter... get it? Box cutter. That wasn’t a good one. I tried). I love it.

I read this article a few weeks ago and it spoke about how fish do not have the part of the brain where they feel pain, and then it became clear to me, maybe we’re not supposed to eat any mammals. They feel pain, they experience fear and they know when they’re about to die. You can literally stab a fish and it’s only flapping because it feels the touch and not the pain. I’ve started thinking about our bodies as humans and the Gods/Goddesses that we are, and I honestly think we have abilities that have been taken away from us due to the things we put in our bodies. I’m not saying we should be able to fly or see through walls, but I do believe the saying, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Keeping our temples clean and free from meats and processed foods would definitely change our senses completely.

My body used to release an odor that wasn’t normal, and my genital area smelled weird after sweating because of the toxins I would release. After defecating, I would leave the bathroom smelling like poop and mustiness. I no longer have those issues, and when I poop, there’s barely a smell altogether, and no musty smell at all. Granted, we all get musty and have odors after a long, hot, sweaty day, but it’s light to the point where it doesn’t play a factor in my comfort. I can’t imagine what it would feel like being strictly plant-based, and I bet that’s a totally different feeling altogether. Maybe one day I’ll embark on that journey, but I honestly can’t see it coming in the near future. I also didn’t see myself quitting meat, so who knows. To be completely honest, I’m actually afraid to go back to meat. I feel like the universe took it away from me for a reason. I don’t know about you all, but to wake up and quit with no prior thought about quitting: that’s some next level stuff, man.

I had better get off the toilet now,

Mars Brown

IG: @Mansa.Mars