perception of animals’ lives

perception of animals’ lives

I decided to give up meat and concentrate on eating plant-based foods for five days as a challenge to my ability to control cravings. Meat has been a part of my meals at least twice a day since I was a child. The motivations that led me into trying the vegetarian way included my father’s conversion into being a vegan and the information I have been receiving from various platforms that educate people on healthy diets and how to avoid lifestyle diseases. The main motivations for trying to take the meat off the plate include the environmental, ethical concerns, and health issues associated with eating meat (Moseley, 2017). Religious beliefs also influence the perception of animals’ lives, especially when considering the eastern traditions that are heavily influenced by Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.

The ability to shun meat has partly been motivated by the environmental concerns which include the forest covers that are cleared to make room for grazing, the increased carbon dioxide emission into the air, and the waste disposal mechanisms that release the animal waste directly into water sources (Dinu, Abbate, & Gensini , 2017). Furthermore, considering the ethical standards of rearing the animals that are used for large-scale production of meat makes me think that they are harassed and mistreated. Most farmers only concentrate on the meat content of the animals or milk. Thus, they inject the animals with chemicals that stimulate faster growth or production (Moseley, 2017). The health issues associated with eating meat also scares me, and they contributed to my decision to stay away from beef. The meat has effects such as the accumulation of cholesterol and too much fat that result in health complications.

The Eastern traditions are generally inclined towards protecting the animals based on the beliefs that animals deserve to be treated with dignity. I feel the same as they do regarding the propriety of animals. It is essential to ensure that animals are treated well because they also suffer from the same mental and physical problems that human beings experience. For instance, taking a young calf from the cow before it sucks the first milk torments the cow, and the calf gets disturbed (Moseley, 2017). The health of the calf is compromised because the bones do not develop into the required robust frameworks for supporting the body. The Hindu beliefs encourage taking care of nature and that every human being should take the responsibility of supporting other forms of creation, such as taking care of sick animals.

The Gentle Barn provides vegetarians with crucial information that informs and motivates the decisions to avoid meat further. The Gentle Barn has information regarding the adversities of eating meat and offers viable alternatives found in the meat. For instance, the presentations give the viewers a detailed comparison between calories found in meat and similar proportions of legumes (Dinu et al., 2017). The plant-based foods contain the required amount of nutrients and calories, while meat has excessive numbers of calories that cause strain in the body as the system tries to get rid of the excessive fats and calories (Melina, Craig, & Levin, 2016). The Gentle Barn is motivational because the information is presented practically that anyone can relate with when making the dietary decisions.

Plant-based whole grains are rich in all the nutrients needed by the body. Such plant-based foods contain fiber and mineral salts that enhance the health of the body, unlike the processed foods from industries that contain industrial sugars and bleaching chemicals added to flour. I have seen the advantages of taking plant-based whole-grain foods and including vegetables in meals (Dinu et al., 2017). The common fruits and vegetables are affordable and rich in vitamins. I will continue taking oranges, lettuce, apples, cucumbers, broccoli, turnips, and other plant-based meals that are rich in nutrients (Melina, Craig, & Levin, 2016). Choosing to become a vegetarian has some significant advantages to the survival of animals and the reduction of pressure on them to produce in large quantities that are aimed at meeting the market demand.

The documentary, Meet your Meat is well compiled, and it shows the severe conditions under which the common animals and poultry have to endure to have the farmers and producers deliver meat on our plates. The documentary shows some disgusting images of chicken clamped together in small cages and the unhealthy conditions that they have to survive in for their whole lives. It is unethical that the chicken only spread its wings when being taken for slaughter. Furthermore, they are slaughtered using machines that sometimes miss cutting the throats, and they are thrown into the hot water alive. It is also discouraging to see how cows have been converted into milk machines by impregnating them every year using Artificial Insemination and using devices to milk them (Moseley, 2017). Besides, the cows are sometimes underfed with the nutrients that would make them healthy. They collapse on their way to slaughterhouses, but they are still slaughtered for human consumption. The issue of slaughtering sick and injured animals further discourages me from taking the meat because I suspect that there might be traces of the cancerous cells in the flesh.

The representation of how pigs are treated is brutal and ruthless because the farmers seem to assume that they have no sense of pain. The piglets are castrated brutally, and their ears snipped for labeling without injecting them with any pain killers. Further, the pigs are fattened by feeding them with genetically modified foods until they cannot support their weight or even reach for food (Melina, Craig, & Levin, 2016). The brutal treatment of pigs makes me hate taking bacon, while the mistreatment of chicken has made me loathe eggs and chicken meat. It would be better if the animals were reared under healthy conditions.

The other relevant documentary id the Forks Over Knives, which focuses on the way Americans eat and advocates for the consumption of whole meals instead of animal-based products. The documentary offers critical insights that encourage eating foods that are low-fat, whole-grain, and generally turning into vegetarian consumers. Forks Over Knives has played a significant role in changing my perspective towards healthy eating because I was unaware of the consequences of taking processed foods. I was always craving for my next chicken pie, and pizza had to be in my diet at least twice per week. After watching this documentary, I am now focusing more on taking plant-based proteins, carbohydrates that are less processed, and natural vitamins from fruits and vegetables. During the five days of trying to avoid meat, I have been eating whole grains, tubers, vegetables, fruits, and fruit juices during lunchtime breaks. Meat has way too many adverse effects on health. Therefore I might as well quit taking any form of meat. Furthermore, the manner of processing the meat is questionable, considering my inclination towards the religious beliefs from the Eastern countries.

My interaction with da, who is already a vegetarian, revealed to me that the desire for better health had contributed more to his vegan lifestyle than the religious beliefs. He talked about the possibility of becoming overweight due to eating meat and other animal-based products. By becoming overweight, obesity sets in and exposes one to another wider variety of health complications. For instance, an obese person is at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Other dangers include the growth of cancerous cells in the body and stress or depression caused by criticism from people around them. My father became a vegetarian after going through medical school, treating several individuals, and realizing the consuming animal-based products such as meat triggers most of the diseases. Being a vegetarian has changed his life a great deal because he is physically fit despite his old age. His advice was that I should make an informed decision regarding the variety of meals I want to be eating. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of taking care of animals. My father faced severe opposition from friends when he shunned meat and barbeque parties, but he remained asserted on his vegetarian lifestyle.

(Moseley, 2017)

References

Dinu, M., Abbate, R., Gensini, G. F., Casini, A., & Sofi, F. (2017). Vegetarian, vegan diets, and multiple health outcomes: a systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 57(17), 3640-3649.

Melina, V., Craig, W., & Levin, S. (2016). Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: vegetarian diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116(12), 1970-1980.

Moseley, W. G. (2017). A risky solution for the wrong problem: why GMOs won’t feed the hungry of the world. Geographical Review, 107(4), 578.