Let's talk about meat for a second....

There's typically 2 trains of thought when it comes to meat:

You're either for it, and will vehemently argue the benefits, or you're against it and your mantra is it's murder.

Meat is the connective tissue for bones.  Let's assume in this conversation we're talking about a cow.  There are different cuts of meat from a cow.  Some meats are tender due to non-use (i.e. veal and cuts of steak such as filet mignon).   Other meats are tough such as brisket.  Some times, it's just all ground up with a fat content label (such as 20% or 30%; think hamburger meat) and even other times, it's ground to a paste-like consistency, stuffed with fillers and made into tubes of a meat-product like hot dogs.

If you're into eating meat, you probably are in the wrong place.  I'm not shaming anyone, or making them feel like crap, or even going to gross them out with slaughterhouse videos.  But I wanted to put that out there, so you know that while I'm vegan, unlike so many (ahem, a prominent woman in Australia calling people who eat eggs a "chicken muff diver") I am not bashing you.

I will say this- do you understand what lymph is?  Lymph is basically the body's cellular sewage system.  Yes, we all know how bodily plumbing works, but did you know on a cellular level, your body does the same thing that the larger sum does?  It takes in nutrients, gets fed and creates waste.  This waste is drained out by your lymphatic system.  This is the exact same with animals.  When you eat meat, you are eating the lymphatic system of animals.  You're eating the cellular waste that gets trapped in muscles and other tissue.  We've all heard the term "you are what you eat".  Well, what are you when you eat another animal's cellular refuse?

When hunters kill a deer (and bear with me on this, my husband used to hunt.), when it's shot- if it's not shot in the heart dropping it immediately- it gets a surge of adrenaline coursing through it's body into every muscle cell fiber giving it a fight-or-flight response, in the hopes of saving it's life.  This makes the meat tough and gamey.  Because of that adrenaline rush, it alters the meat.

The same thing happens in slaughterhouses and commercial farms where animals are raised and killed specifically for their meat.  There is an adrenaline rush when the animal is stunned to be slaughtered, or is dispatched, regardless of how humane the killing is claimed to be.

Another thing to consider when eating meat is why is your dog more valuable than a cow?  Ever seen a cow play?  They do.  Ever see how intelligent cows can be, because they have curiosity and respond to simple commands, they even display love.  These are all things your dog has, so why value your dog over a cow?  Because it fits in your car or lap?  Because they can walk with you?  Because they do tricks?

I didn't want to turn this into a "meat is murder" kind of blog post.  That's not my intention.  Do I believe meat is murder?  Eh, the jury is still out on that for me.  Do I think that I will ever kill another animal (I had chickens that had to be slaughtered one time for our farm.  I didn't want to do it.  For the record, my last chicken is my pet Annie.  I love this bird more than I ever thought I'd love a chicken!)?  no.

Here's the deal- people are so incredibly disassociated from where their food comes from that they don't relate that cow in the field chewing cud to the burgers on our plate.  They change the name in the supermarket.  It's not a cow in there, it's beef.  No pig, it's pork.  Oh wait, you want ground pig in an intestinal tube?  Oh, we call that sausage here.

If you're going to eat meat- that's your choice.  I'm not going to stop you.  I'm not going to even say anything to you, and I won't hold my nose in the air and walk by in an air of superiority.  None of that is my place.  It's your choice.  And I would hope that for your health and the animals, that you would choose the kinder path for everyone involved.

****My husband says I'm coming across like I'm bashing meat eaters.  I'm not.  I used to be one.  I'm also not going to coddle people into thinking that ending an animal's life will give them nutrients they can't get from plants.  I am going to end it here, hoping you'll be kind too.****