The Angry Vegan

The Angry Vegan

I am not angry, and I am not a vegan. My sixteen year old daughter thought it would be a hilarious concept for a story after I accidentally bought a vegan cookbook, which I was actually not upset about.

I went into the bookstore with the intention of finding a plant-based cookbook. I was leaning toward vegetarian. When we got back in the car, I started reading through the book when I realized it was actually comprised of vegan recipes, not vegetarian.

There are several reasons to consider going meatless, which essentially comes down to human health.

As the saying goes - “You are what you eat.”

Environmentally

I used to work for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) in the Animal Waste section. That meant I toured a number of factory farm facilities, questioning the owners on how they planned to store and dispose of the waste products of the animals, and how they intended to take care of spills and leakage. The impact to the land and water is a concern, from beef to pigs to poultry. Factory farming, as it’s called where a large amount of livestock are kept in close confinement, is supposed to be a cost effective means of producing meat and animal products, but must be balanced against it’s impacts to the environment, and therefore, the health of humans.

Definition of Factory Farm by Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

: a large industrialized farm

especially : a farm on which large numbers of livestock are raised indoors in conditions intended to maximize production at minimal cost

https://thehumaneleague.org/article/what-is-factory-farming

Ethically

Animals are usually raised in unnatural environments, often overcrowded and fed unnatural foods. Overcrowded conditions and a perceived lack of obtaining food, all leads to stress for the animal. Stress and fear causes a huge surge of hormones to be released throughout the body, which taints the meat and products being raised for consumption.

Hunting - I am a supporter of ethical hunting and fishing. I don’t think I could personally shoot an animal, but I do like to fish. Both my husband and my daughter are hunters and avid outdoorsmen. I have chosen not to eat wild game, except for fish, at this time, but I fully support their efforts.

Dietary

Animals kept and raised for human consumption are often fed antibiotics and hormones on a regular basis at maintenance levels for growth, production and health issues. They are kept in overcrowded conditions, without receiving proper amount of sunlight or freedom to graze and feed naturally. These practices are not only unhealthy for the animals, but are damaging to people’s health and wellness. Although still up for debate, antibiotics ingested through animal products leads to immune problems and antibiotic resistance. Hormones can lead to many health risks, including obesity, auto-immune conditions, reproductive problems, and many other lifestyle issues both identified and not. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims added hormones and antibiotics to animal’s diets, is of an insignificant level of concern for people. Based on anecdotal evidence, the correlations of health issues to animal use and a scientific background, I have my concerns. Below, I have included a few links to sites that address the issue. (I am not affiliated with any.) There are many more you can look into for information regarding the pros and cons of antibiotic and hormonal use in meat animals.

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html

https://www.yankeefarmersmarket.com/the-truth-about-hormones-and-antibiotics-in-your-meat-a/281.htm

https://thehealthyfish.com/need-know-hormones-antibiotics-meat-products/

The argument for consuming meat, is that it’s part of a healthy diet balanced in protein. Balanced amounts of protein can be adequately consumed through eating the proper combinations of vegetables, legumes and many other non-animal food products. I have chosen to go with a plant-based diet to address my own health issues. It’s an individual choice, but worth contemplation. I’ve also chosen to avoid highly processed foods, and severely limit sodium and sugar intake. I am open to incorporating vegan options.

Thank you for reading!