I don't eat meat.

I've intended for the following string of posts for at least the next month or so to just be a series of explanations as to what's been going on with me over the last year; because I've gotten up to quite a lot. One of the things I've spent six months of the last twelve doing is revamping my diet. No more meat or eggs. Dairy is on the way, but we haven't completely beat it yet.

Now, I'm not sure how much I've previously gushed on here before about my love for food, or the fact that I am Jamaican, but my diet is a huge part of who I am. Food, constant supplies of it, makes me who I am. I'm 99% burrito 0.5% air, 0.5% other. However, this was a necessary things do and eventually will be a necessary thing for all of us to do.

I was simply educated about the meat industry and what it is doing to the world. Beef production is the largest consumer of fresh water on the planet. One pound runs about 2,000 gallons. Which means one quarter pounder burger took an incredulous 500 gallons of water to make. That figure scared me. Earth's supply of fresh water is scarce, water scarcity is already a very real thing and yet we're using THAT much water on....beef?

Granted, I'm also a compassionate person. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for animals, I was just always blissfully ignorant to just HOW poorly these animals are treated, how they are skinned and murdered alive, neutered, caged and the conditions they're suffering in.

Economically, this industry isn't even feasible. We feed a cow about 16 times more food than it is able to then provide for us.

I can't make anyone change who they are or stop doing what they like to do or see the bigger picture. It's not my place too. That's a personal decision. But something about suddenly living your life according to a moral standard you've set upon yourself is remarkably rewarding. Seeing a problem and deciding passivity is not the answer, gives a sense of pride that's hard to truly explain. It's nice to feel I'm making a difference, you know? I'll save about 30 animals a year. And each week I don't eat the average five pounds of beef the average North American does that's 10,000 more gallons of water that we ALL have to use. That's rewarding. That makes my heart sing.

Singing hearts make me hungry, so I'm going to have a veggie burger and some fries and veggie gravy and some soda. Because at NO point in this post did I say I was suddenly healthy, or care about how hard my heart struggles on a daily. (Okay, I lied I'm slightly concerned). All I said was, I don't eat meat.

Learn for yourselves:

Earthlings

Cowspiracy