FRESH: Coming to Grips with the "V" Word

Writing about this may be extremely unpopular and likely make me the subject of ridicule, but this is too big to drop. So what is the "V" word? No sexual innuendo implied, I'm talking about vegetarian! Before you heave a sigh, grumble under your breath about vegans and organic foods, just wait. This post pertains to you on a very personal level and you probably don't even know it.

As you may already know, I'm a dietitian, which means nutrition is my job. I am often baffled by how many crazy ideas are out there about what to eat and how to eat it. I'll come right out and say that most of them are crap. Recently the organic, local movement has made a lot of headway. I admit that I have scoffed at the idea that, from a health standpoint, an organic tomato is better than non-organic or that eating bacon from a pig who took antibiotics is going to make a significant difference in my health. Economically, it's hard to justify when you're on a limited budget. Don't get me wrong, I believe in the power of food but ultimately our choices are made by asking if the benefits outweigh the costs. And until last week, I had no idea how high the costs have become. It's beyond health or budgets, it's become an issue of human decency.

So what happened that blew my mindhole? I'll see if I can do it justice...

Cara, a friend of mine and fellow dietitian, had emailed me about a movie screening with a speaker beforehand. I knew that the speaker had to be good because Cara had raved about him in her email and when I tried to register for the movie+speaker, it was already sold out! So I bought 2 tickets and ended up bringing (okay, dragging) my boyfriend along. I figured it would be the usual public health nutrition message about school programs or obesity trends, but it wasn't. It was so much more. The movie is called Fresh. It highlighted all of the problems with modern-day agriculture while brilliantly contrasting it by showcasing people who are working to change it. I left shocked, indignant, and yet strangely hopeful. I think we assume because we live in the U.S. that certain standards are met. Think again. Here's what I learned:

1. Almost all (a whopping 85%!) of the meat in our food supply comes from animals who are treated miserably.

These are animals who spend their entire lives being treated worse than objects. I don't know that I can even describe to you the horrors of this industry. Chickens, pigs, and cows are penned up -most of the time unable to even turn around. They have body parts removed without any painkillers: beaks, tails, ears, reproductive parts. They have to be given routine antibiotics because they are kept in such close quarters that they basically live in their own excrement. Sometimes altered feed makes them gain weight so quickly that they can't stand anymore. That's all before they're killed for their meat.

2. Animal products in our food supply are now less healthy.

This system has made our animal products way more bacteria-laden (e.coli, salmonella, mad cow). The mass antibiotic use has created incredibly resistant bacteria. In fact, one hog farmer in Fresh almost died from the strep infection in his leg after being kicked by a pig; normal antibiotics didn't work. Farm animals are also fed hormones to grow faster, produce more milk, etc. 40% of dairy cows are lame by the time they are sent to slaughter. We breed weaker animals. They live in diseased conditions, those that die are actually fed to the "healthy" ones, and we end up putting all of this into our bodies. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel sick.

3. Your money = your vote.

What we choose to buy is the best way to send the message that consumers don't want this. There are people out there who are fighting for change: sustainable and organic farmers, animal welfare certified programs. There's a reason why you can get more cheeseburger than carrot for a $1: when you think about the resources required for both -you know it shouldn't be that way. Organic, farmers market prices are probably what high-quality fresh meats, eggs, and dairy should cost.

I was so disturbed after all of this that I started researching online to find out if all of this was really true and why I didn't know the extent of how bad it is. I came upon a lot more, including Food, Inc. and Meet your meat video (disclaimer: this one is really hard to watch). It is hard to even think about, much less talk about, but I can no longer blindly support cruelty and torture. Harsh words, but I think they are an underestimation of the reality. I move forward from this with a new outlook on what I eat. If I decide to eat meat, it will be from a farmer who at least respected the life of that animal before it died. The same for my milk, cheese, butter, eggs. I'd rather eat it less often and feel good about what I'm putting into my body.

So what is all this about? I'm blogging about my life in the aftermath of Fresh. I want to share what I learn that in hopes that it will help other people in the same boat. It's not easy to go against the grain. So far, I'm 7 days vegetarian. I'm still deciding on whether I will eat meat in the future, but I realize that in order to actually make a difference I have to be a player in the system. That means putting my money where my mouth is! P.S. If you need a pick-me-up after this, check out this video and the pictures on this blog :)