Resources are listed immediately following this first section.
My Give and Take:
In the last year, my views on eating animal-based products has developed significantly. As I say this, I want to please discourage any negativity anyone might direct towards me, on this blog or elsewhere. If you have questions, that is fine. I do not wish to be attacked.
Today (May 31, 2016) marks o-fish-ially one year since I ate fish. It has been since September that I ate animal products of any kind. Most of you know that I started this journey for health reasons: I believe a whole foods, plant based diet is the most optimal diet for health, and the best way to avoid the top 15 killers in America. My resources list is mostly based upon that idea.
As many people eating this diet for health reasons, I have also come to question the ethics of eating meat, and have deeply mulled over these questions over the course of the last three years.
I officially classify as fully vegan, and hopefully not in a way that sounds negative to anyone. I do not believe the whole world should or could be vegan. I believe in kindness towards all living creatures. I believe in sustainable agriculture.
I do not believe in the hatred many vegans express.
I do not think it's "wrong" to eat meat. I believe animals were meant to be an emergency food source. I believe that, the way God designed the world, we were supposed to live in harmony beside animals. Often this would mean eating meat and other animal byproducts as a way of not being wasteful - a form of compassionate living. Sometimes this would mean killing in order to save your own life.
That's not the world we live in. We live in a world in which animals are severely and cruelly bred for food, most of which is not necessary or healthful. The way I have explained how we eat to my son is this: many people can't choose how to eat. They must eat what they have. We are blessed enough to choose what we eat, and so we eat what's most healthful to our bodies and the planet.
In a perfect world, what would be most healthful to our bodies and the planet would be to eat about 2 ounces of animal foods per week, averaged across the entire globe's population. That is not how it is, therefore it is a good choice not to eat animal foods in order to lift the burden currently placed on our planet.
From my careful study and research, animal foods are not necessary for perfect health. In excess, animal foods can be hugely detrimental to health.
My last thought: have you ever killed the food you eat? Do you think you could? If you don't think you have the stomach for it, is it morally right to PAY someone else to do that for you?
I eat a whole foods, plant-based diet as classified by Dr. Colin B. Campbell.
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Materials:
This list covers both nutritional and ethical reasons for eating the way we do. There is plenty missing; I only included what I have actually read personally.
Forks Over Knives
Veganomics
PlantPure Nation
Cowspiracy
What the Health
What the Health
Books:
The China Study
Whole
Food Over Medicine
My Beef With Meat
Discovering the Word of Wisdom (LDS perspective)
Healthy at 100
Super Immunity
Disease-Proof Your Child
Raising Vegetarian Children
How Not to Die
Eating Animals
The Starch Solution
The Pleasure Trap
Forks Over Knives Families
The End of Heart Disease
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
The McDougall Program for Women
The Cheese Trap
Dr. McDougall's Digestive Tune-Up
Proteinaholic
Cookbooks:
The Happy Herbivore series
The China Study Cookbook
The Forks Over Knives Cookbook
Plant-Powered Families
Websites:
Nutritionfacts.org
Discoveringthewordofwisdom.com
Forksoverknives.com
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