Going Vegan Week 1

So, the whole going vegan thing is going well... well, down the drain. I've been vegetarian for three four days. I feel better, lighter, and less congested. (I mean congested in the middle not chest congestion.)

I am Buddhist, I'm also an atheist, I'm really not sure how that works out... but, anyway. Buddhists, for the most part, do not believe in the ingestion of meat. The theory is in order for you to have the meat to eat, an animal had to die. So, you are effectively ingesting death and with that, the pain and suffering of the animal as it died. Not to mention that killing someone/thing goes directly against the Buddhist principle of non-violence.

I killed a gnat once. He was seriously pissing me off, flying in front of my eyes and in my nose. After I squished him on the TV screen I cried for a few minutes. Who am I to end the life of another? (Am I really that devoted to the blissful sanctification of life or do I have emotional issues? Who knows!)

Because I do not see the actual process of ending the life of my "food" does that make it acceptable? Are there alternative ways for me to get protein and other benefits that would normally come from meat? Absolutely.

Now, onto the question of veganism. I have heard the opinions of people who think that veganism is an unhealthy lifestyle choice. I don't necessarily agree. There are lots of options for replacing nutrients. I am, however, finding difficulty with the eggs, milk and cheese aspect. I am Irish, we drink A LOT of milk.

I know that if a cow is not milked, the milk in her udder will curdle and make her very ill. Hens lay eggs every day. In my opinion this is a normal, natural thing. More harm would come from not milking the cow. The hen's eggs would go to waste if not collected. Maybe I am whitewashing the issue, because I really like eggs, I absolutely love cheese and I doubt that I could live without milk.

I do my best, I only buy cage free eggs. The milk I am not so sure about. I need to research where my dairy products are coming from and make the decision of whether to continue to include those items in my diet. When I get to it, I'll let you know.