Notifications
Clear all

Improving the Plight of Animals

33 Posts
13 Users
374 Likes
1,156 Views
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7906
Topic starter  

Adding this topic in order to merge posts into one place for the plight of animals, the choice to become or not become vegan, buying cruelty free products and in general how we can improve the plight of animals. 


   
Grace, Stargazer, Grace and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@practicalnihilist)
Honorable Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 114
 
Posted by: @laura-f

I don't recall who said this on another thread, perhaps @Coyote?

It was about US having shortages of meat. And here we are:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-27/americans-face-meat-shortages-while-farmers-are-forced-to-cull?utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=bd&utm_source=applenews

Wendy's is having meat shortages too:  https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/05/business/wendys-beef-shortage/index.html


   
Stargazer, LalaBella, Stargazer and 1 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@laura-f)
Illustrious Member Participant
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2137
 

@practicalnihilist

Costco announced they are limiting meat purchases to 3 per customer.

In other news, my local farmer we get meat from announced that due to Newport Disease, there may very well be an extreme shortage of eggs and poultry nationwide. The state of CA is sending inspectors to all farms and euthanizing any chickens they believe may be infected, even if owners have proof of vaccination.


   
Stargazer, BlueBelle, Laynara and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@grace)
Noble Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 135
 

To everyone who is worried about meat shortages, I want to say that that I've been eating a plant-based diet exclusively for over a year now, and it's fantastic! I'm 56, healthy and happy, and the food I eat is delicious. Please consider plant-based eating as an option, at least give it a try for the majority of your meals if not all of them.

It's a little bit of an adjustment initially, mainly because you have to figure out the substitutes for meat, dairy, and eggs, but it's very doable, very flavorful, healthy, gentler on the planet, and kinder on animals. Plus I have this theory that we're never going to be fully cooperative and peaceful as a human collective if we continue to slaughter living beings for food.

Vegan body builders and long-distance runners show us that we CAN get the nutrition we need on a 100% plant-based diet. If for whatever reason you are someone who cannot eat plants exclusively, you may be able to be fine with 90-95% plant-based. From where I sit, a meat shortage is not a crisis.

P.S. I'm vegan, my daughter is vegetarian, and my husband and son are flexitarian. At home. I eat 100% plant-based, and the rest of my family does about 99.5% plant-based (they occasionally consume dairy and/or eggs). My daughter and I do not eat meat. The only time my husband and son eat meat anymore is if they're in a social setting where the food being served has very limited options. Of course with social distancing these days, there are no social gatherings to go to.

Thank you, all! Love you guys!


   
Rohenna, Stargazer, TriciaCT and 19 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7906
Topic starter  

@grace. I am with you on this. I am still eating a little bit of poultry and dairy but trying to eliminate the poultry and only from humanely raised farms, and only eating the dairy from small, humane farms.  My thought is that if someone can't give up animal food, please buy it from places that treat the animals humanely. 


   
Rohenna, Stargazer, TriciaCT and 19 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7906
Topic starter  

@grace. I am with you on this. My thought is that no creature should suffer because of my eating needs as well as my cosmetic and cleaning needs.  I am not fully plant-based yet, but we only buy from small local farms that treat their animals humanely.

 


   
Stargazer, TriciaCT, deetoo and 9 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7906
Topic starter  

Same with cosmetics and cleaning products. I avoid any creams, shampoos, cosmetics that use animals for testing. The cruelty inflicted on animals for testing, which is unnecessary, boggles the mind. I avoid such products but hadn't realized until now how extensive the cruelty products are: 

According to CrueltyKitty.com, these brands test on animals.  Don't buy them: Maybelline, MaxFactor, Clairol, Dove, Clinique, Johnson & Johnson, L'Oreal, Colgate, Aveeno, Avon, Bain de Soleil, Bath and Body, Bed Head, Calvin Klein, Clearasil, Dial, Crabtree & Evelyn, Estee Lauder, Febreze, Escada, Arm & Hammer, Amway, Joy, Almay, Banana Boat, Comet, Chlorox, Caresse, Crest, Dior, Gucci, Gerlain, Head & Shoulders, Gilette, Herbal Essences, Glade, Givenchy, Helena Rubenstein, Ivory, Jergins, L'Occitane, Irish Spring, Kotex, Lady Speed Stick, Neutrogena, Noxema, Olay, Old Spice, Pantene, Mr. Clean, Nice & Easy,Vaseline, Windex, Victoria's Secret, Downy, Elizabeth Arden, Ponds, Pine sol, Mary Kay, Kotex, Mitchum.

This is only a partial list.  I picked them because I know these brands.  You can get the full list and the details on Crueltykitty.com.

Cruelty Free: Trader Joes brand, Kirkland which is Costco's brand, and Whole Foods (365) products say they are cruelty free.  All three of these stores have tons of products, soaps, shampoos, cosmetics, even hair dyes and all are cruelty free.  YAY!


   
Rohenna, Stargazer, TriciaCT and 15 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@elaineg)
Famed Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 416
 

@jeanne-mayell

I'v flirted with going meat free, but I feel like I'm starving, and I love milk and cheese too much. 


   
Rohenna, TriciaCT, Jeanne Mayell and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@grace)
Noble Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 135
 

@jeanne-mayell

Thank you so much for the reminder on buying cruelty-free products, Jeanne <3 I need to get better at checking those lists. I do make sure to get plant-based bar soaps and avoid anything with sodium tallowate in the ingredients list (it's derived from animal fat).

@elaineg

ElaineG, my son has taken up making plant-based cheeses (some of his primary ingredients include cashews, roasted red peppers, and sunflower seeds). I'm amazed at how good those cheezes are. His grilled cheeze sandwiches are phenomenal!


   
FEBbby23, Rohenna, Stargazer and 15 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7906
Topic starter  

I would love to find cheese alternatives that are good.  I do love cooking with coconut milk.  The taste is great and creamy, and there are some yum dishes with coconut milk, veggies, and turmeric and hot peppers on fresh steamed jasmine rice. Yum. I need more ideas though. I can't digest beans.  Hey @Laura-f, you got any ideas?  


   
FEBbby23, TriciaCT, shan and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@laura-f)
Illustrious Member Participant
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2137
 

@jeanne-mayell

I will head over to the recipes thread and bump it to answer ? 


   
Stargazer, FEBbby23, deetoo and 5 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@kateinpdx)
Noble Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 130
 

@grace

I agree that a meat shortage is not an emergency. If anything it will likely support people's health. 

We also switched to primarily plant-based eating for health and environmental reasons and I am surprised how much I like it. The food is delicious and I feel better in general (lighter, more energy, my joints feel better). We do still (very) occasionally eat animal foods and am surprised that most of the flavor in my dishes actually comes from the veggies and seasonings, not the meat or dairy like I thought it did.

The thing I missed was the texture I realized, and there are so many ways to make up for it. (Even tofu can mimic meaty texture if you freeze it, then thaw it out, it gets chewy).

My theory and feeling is that the way we raise animals is barbaric and has a heavy cost. Everything from the profound environmental degradation that is measurable (and one contributing factor to things like the CV), to things we cannot yet measure, such as the energetic toll that raising animals in egregious conditions must have on our collective energy and psyche. 

I am of the personal opinion that we will not be able to truly heal until we respect animals and raise them humanely, in a way that respects the environment and their roles as sentient beings. And some of that includes eating much less meat and animal products. 


   
FEBbby23, Stargazer, deetoo and 13 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@herondreams)
Famed Member Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 187
 

@jeanne-mayell

Like you, I aim for animal food products from farms that are local/regional and/or humane. I used to be vegetarian, and wasn't a healthy one, and became anemic and super lethargic/depressed. As I gained more awareness of myself and devoted more attention to my health, I learned that high omega 3s/DHA and other good quality fats are essential for me, as is animal protein. Walnuts and flax seeds are not enough. I can tolerate black beans okay (still pretty uncomfortable) but lentils, soy, even peas and peanut butter cause me excruciating pain. I have celiac disease and a tricky digestive system, and because of that, we do little dairy anyway, but always grass-fed, humane when we do. We have easy access to quality meat and dairy in our area, although it is expensive, but eating less of it is good too.

Which is to say that I would encourage people to veer away from an all-or-nothing approach. First, not everyone can be vegetarian/vegan--there has been some ableism in those movements.  

Second, the industrial food system needs to be dismantled, including plant monocultures that cause loss of biodiversity. Deforestation was happening in Brazil not just for cattle but for soy crops. Corn is another one. There is a middle ground here we might envision, and many of our communities have the seeds of this sort of food system in place--networks of small farmers that have diversified crops, both animal and vegetable. As the Savory Institute has shown, it is even possible to raise beef/lamb in ways that restore carbon to the soil. With this model we will all need to consume less, certainly, and the amount of food we waste now is appalling. 

Whatever we choose to eat, we should be intentional, mindful, grateful, and consider all the labor and life that has been expended in our meal so that we might live. Food is always a sacrament.


   
FEBbby23, Kateinpdx, Stargazer and 23 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@laura-f)
Illustrious Member Participant
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 2137
 

@herondreams

Same here. My autoimmune issues came to the forefront during the time I was vegetarian. What people may not realize is that unless you strive for organic plant products, you are poisoning your system worse than if you eat meat.  I also have absorption issues - in fact was diagnosed with anemia and malnutrition as a result. I couldn't possibly eat enough walnuts to get the zinc I need, and while I do take supplements, unfortunately my body prefers a little red meat now and again to keep my mineral levels up. I was also considered borderline osteopenia, went back to (organic/local) meat and that has disappeared.

I agree that there is some ableism in this argument.

The Japanese have a phrase they say before eating anything: "Itadakimasu" - it means "I accept this food gratefully"


   
Stargazer, FEBbby23, Rohenna and 9 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@deetoo)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 2122
 

@laura-f and @herondreams, I am in a similar situation with my autoimmune conditions and I eat some meat.  I do purchase organic and humanely raised, and don't eat a lot of it.  I'm also limited with my carbohydrate intake because of blood sugar issues.  Bread and pasta (whether gluten-free or not) are the worst culprits.  I haven't had any rice or pasta in over 6 years.  I also have to watch the bean consumption; they're good for me unless I have a large amount, which can spike my blood sugar.  I'm allergic to soy, so no tofu for me.  And I've recently been dealing with food reactions caused by histamine.  So it's been quite a balancing act for me these days.  Thank God I can still have my daily 88% dark chocolate!

@kateinpdx, I agree that we will not be able to truly heal until we respect animals and raise them humanely.  Along those lines, @herondreams, I agree that the industrial food system needs to be dismantled.  It's appalling and sinful.  I love what you wrote:

Whatever we choose to eat, we should be intentional, mindful, grateful, and consider all the labor and life that has been expended in our meal so that we might live. Food is always a sacrament.


   
FEBbby23, BlueBelle, Stargazer and 9 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@triciact)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 6 years ago
Posts: 1222
 

@laura-f

I had the same thing - I was not eating as much meat at one time and found out I had anemia. I tried to replace it with other things but at the time (several years ago) I was not eating completely organic. I had digestive issues trying to eat the plant based sausages recently. I am now only eating grass fed beef occasionally, mostly fish and chicken, rarely pork - all organic. I space out my meat meals and eat two meatless meals every week (pasta based usually or pizza on occasion). We eat fish two to three times a week and then supplement with chicken and some grass fed beef here and there.

I love to eat this particular meatless pasta recipe from Lydia Bastianich. I like to leave my cherry tomatoes in the oven at least 35-40 min and I use a ton of garlic ?  and I use Super greens spaghetti because it's made with green veggie powder in the flour. Mangia!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STjPZR5nUQQ


   
Stargazer, FEBbby23, herondreams and 9 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@grace)
Noble Member Registered
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 135
 

@herondreams

I agree with you about veering away from an all-or-nothing approach. In my post I noted that, for those who cannot eat plants exclusively, perhaps a 90-95% plant diet might work (of course, it could be closer to 75% for some people, everyone is different). I applaud everyone who is mindful of what they eat and where it comes from, whatever your dietary needs or restrictions may be.

I ate meat until 2006, then was vegetarian for 13 years, never thought I'd be able to become fully vegan, but managed to nonetheless and have been one for the past year and a half, with no desire to  go back. I think I picked a good time to transition, for me, anyways, because both nutritional knowledge and plant-based options are far more advanced than they've ever been.

While I consider myself healthy, I have conditions that I'm mindful of ... fybrocistic breast condition, spinal issues in the neck area, nerve issues at my shoulders, for example. I've overcome panic attacks, severe carpal tunnel, and digestive issues, among other things. And I'm an empath who feels others' pain more fully than many of the people around me do. I'm well acquainted with pain, both the physical and emotional kinds, and I have some issues that don't make me as fully abled as some of my counterparts, but I consider myself healthy, vibrant, happy, and grateful nonetheless :)

Research shows that Americans as a whole eat 3 to 5 times more protein than their bodies need, with most of this protein coming from animal sources. For this reason alone, a meat shortage will not hurt us. I think we as a collective need to be mindful of individuals who have to eat animal products for their well-being. And maybe some day science will develop ways to meet these needs without humans having to raise and kill animals. That is the hope. For everyone else, transitioning to more (or all) plant-based meals is a good thing all the way around.

Whatever we eat, I wholeheartedly agree that it's important to be grateful for the nourishment we receive. But an animal wants to live happily just as much as I do, and therein lies the dilemma for me (which I've overcome by finally being able to be vegan).


   
FEBbby23, herondreams, Stargazer and 11 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@stargazer)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 601
 

kateinpdx & grace ...

The beef industry here in the US is such a mega-travesty, because of the enormous demand of the fast food restaurants and the American need to base their entire diet around consuming red meat. I call it the unfortunate ' curse of the omnivore', and red meat can become an unhealthy addiction for many.

I have basically avoided it for the better part of my life, and though I enjoy fresh fish and do have (humanely sourced,organic) poultry and dairy on occasion, I am not attracted to red meat at all. This is an ethical decision as well as a health issue,and as you described Grace, with your own physical being, eating red meat can be detrimental. Just the toxicity of the adrenaline that is pumping through the poor creatures when they are slaughtered can be really bad to ingest.

The thing is, if one doesn't have a homegrown or humanely sourced product, you can never know what the meat actually contains, or if it is even beef ... even discarded dairy cows are sent to slaughter to be placed on supermarket shelves.

And this is a sad truth .. horse meat is a favorite in many countries, although banned in the US, multi-thousands of American horses are shipped over borders to horrendous deaths in Canada, Mexico and Japan... it's appalling! And yes, horse meat has even turned up in the beef chain as disguised, in the US.

Many of these horses are our Wild Mustangs that are being brutally taken from their designated homelands on our public lands, to support the increasing demand for cattle grazing ...a mega mega $$$ industry that is being fully steamrolled through by our corrupt politicians.

That in itself is good reason to practice a plant-based diet, and there are so many wonderful alternatives now that are available almost everywhere as consciousness grows .....

(Sorry for the rant here Jeanne ?, though here's a prediction that may become a hit )).... 'In the not too distant future, the world will become a more compassionate place for both animal and human alike'... maybe because of plant-based diet wisdom and sane government stewardship? It's possible! ?


   
lenor, Kateinpdx, FEBbby23 and 11 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@jeanne-mayell)
Illustrious Member Admin
Joined: 7 years ago
Posts: 7906
Topic starter  
Posted by: @stargazer

kateinpdx & grace ...

The beef industry here in the US is such a mega-travesty, because of the enormous demand of the fast food restaurants and the American need to base their entire diet around consuming red meat. I call it the unfortunate ' curse of the omnivore', and red meat can become an unhealthy addiction for many.

Underlying that demand, creating that demand, and ensuring it continues is the NCBA, National Cattleman's Beef Association and the meat lobby. They are the real reason that America is still into red meat.  They are as politically influential as the NRA is in keeping guns in people's hands and are as politically influential as  the oil and gas industry is in burning greenhouse gases. 

 


   
lenor, Kateinpdx, FEBbby23 and 15 people reacted
ReplyQuote
(@stargazer)
Illustrious Member Registered
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 601
 

@jeanne-mayell

Oh yes, Jeanne ... one of the most profound and ugly manifestations of the idiocy and greed of T-Rump's ugly administration. The Cattlemen's Asso. are all in bed with the devil's own; the DOI and their henchman the BLM, and are decimating our public lands, our great wilderness preserves, and our irreplaceable and iconic Wild Mustangs.....

It is beyond heart breaking, and gets way too little recognition... so much has been destroyed already in the name of the almighty dollar. If it continues, the legacy that represents this country's finest heritage will be just a memory of our once vast uncorrupted wild places .. all being sold out to corrupt big oil, mining and drilling, and cattle enterprises that are private, for mega-profit big business.  ?

 


   
Unk p, lenor, TriciaCT and 13 people reacted
ReplyQuote
Page 1 / 2
Share: