You read that right! It has been four years since I chose to become a vegetarian (January 2018). Here is a bit of information about what motivated me to make the change. To begin with let’s dive into what my relationship with food was like before making the switch. Before making this transition, I never paid as much attention to the effects that different foods have on our bodies, moods, thoughts, and therefore our whole lives overall.
Over the course of my self-improvement and awareness journey, I came across interesting information that made me question my belief systems. I read somewhere that ‘what you consume, you become’ – unknown. This is with regards to all aspects of our lives: from the music, we listen to, to the foods and beverages we consume. Upon being confronted with the idea that we are what we consume, I began to do some research to uncover how we as human beings react to our environment and all that we take in. In this particular article, we will focus on the types of food we eat (in particular animal products) and how they affect us on all levels.
In my transition to vegetarianism, I began cutting out most meat products, however, I still consumed bacon and fish for six months. Finally, at the beginning of 2018, I decided to cut out meat completely. I was warned by a few people that this would hinder my health but I knew it would, in contrast, improve it.
After a few months of this new lifestyle, I began to notice a change in my energy levels. I felt more energetic and less sluggish. My relationship with food changed and I welcomed new recipes and had a more varied diet. I didn’t just eat carrots for each meal as most people think vegetarians do. I was open to trying different spices to add more flavour to meals. I cooked and consumed different vegetables, grains, and ‘veggie meats (mainly soya-based)’ to get enough protein. Overall, my diet included different foods that I would have never considered or sought out without making this change. I was and still am glad about the abundance of nutrient-dense foods that I was exposed to as a result.
The physical benefits were evident, but there were also many spiritual/ psychic changes. One of the reasons apart from the health benefits of making the switch was because of my view of living beings. I began (especially as a result of meditation) to view animals, insects, and all living things as being equal. I truly felt within my soul that every living thing was connected to another and had a soul too. How could I continue consuming life when I viewed it as being so important? How could I continue when I now know what I did not know before? I simply had to make the switch. I do not condone people that eat meat – I might even begin eating it again later on in life (life is so unpredictable). For now, I am in a country where there is an abundance of alternatives to supplement a meatless diet. At the moment I have a motto, ‘If I can’t kill it then I can’t eat it,’ who knows maybe this will change in the future. As human beings, we are constantly evolving and so I may evolve into a meat-eater again or even a vegan. For now, I am completely content with being vegetarian.
Despite knowing the health risks that other animal products like milk (due to hormones), cheese and eggs have I do still eat these. I love the taste of cheese and most of you reading this probably love the taste of meat and that’s okay. We are all individuals and have the right to choose what we want to put into our bodies. I have chosen a different route from my cultural norm but that is only because I have become aware of the impact that meat has on my body and also the environment (methane released from cow dung is one of the top, if not the highest contributors towards global warming).
Watching shows like ‘what the health?’ and ‘forks over knives’ also exposed me to new information. After watching these, I watched videos from slaughterhouses. It was in my opinion, so disheartening to see how some chickens live in a cage that is too small for them to even turn their bodies their whole lives. Most of them had broken legs because of this. Cow bodies in some parts of the world are injected with hormones to grow at a rate that is abnormal to them and then slaughtered. Why do we view cats and dogs as pets that are taboo to eat but we can kill other animals to satisfy our taste palette? When I look into the eyes of an animal I see a soul. That is why I wrote this article, to bring more awareness to the matter. Do a bit of research for yourself into what different food products (excessive meat consumption, dairy, packaged food, etc) do to your bodies. Even if you don’t care about the animals in the extreme way that I do, maybe you will care for your health – the truth is just one internet search away.
To end, as an individual I have an internal urge to always try and make good changes in the world. Everyone has a different view of what ‘good’ is and how they can change the world for the better. Knowing that I have saved a few animal lives over the past years makes my soul feel at ease. Maybe consuming meat makes your soul feel at ease? Whatever it is, just do you boo š
Planting Soul Seeds 