Vegetarianism

 

I've been an on and off vegetarian since I was married. My wife Christina is a vegetarian. There are a number of reasons that I've been 'on'.

• Watching the movie 'food inc' and the whole disconnection with nature and unnaturalness of the food industry put me off.
• The last years footage of the abattoirs in Indonesia was anther reason I was put off meat. I was disturbed by the look of fear in the animals eyes.
• I think there is a health element, when you havnt eaten meat for a while at night my stomach feels light, not that heavy feeling you feel.
• I think there is a Spiritual element. Budists and Hindus are well known for been vegitarians. Christians well I think there maybe an argument that pre-fall.

The reason I crumbled is that meat tasted good, it smelt good. It was to hard to pass in a restauants when the only option was some limp vegitarian option.

The last 4-6 months things have changed. It is as if the carnivorous button has been turned off. The smell of cooking meat does not draw me; nor does the thought of some taste morsel in my mouth. Even the vegetarian options in restaurants look ok.

It is as if I have just passed some secrete barrier. Maybe it is similar to the addiction to nicotine disappearing...

 

Food

 

After watching "Food inc" and also reading Tim Flannery's book  'Here on earth' to a lesser extent, sourcing the type of food and how it has been produced has become important to me. 

Some options in Cowes which we are utilizing are ::

• Phillip Island food fanatics, Organic Veges which come in a box every Monday. Organized by a collective of like minded people. So far you get some interesting things. Never had persinnon... 
• Phillip Island primary produce, chemical free pasture feed beef and sheep. Just needs to be poultry to be perfect.

The Vegetables are probably about the same cost but its pot luck a lot of the food is seasonal. Hopefully in a year or so the garden will be able to supplement this. Meat is more expensive but we never really ate much anyway but its a nice treat.

Food Inc

The 'Crikey blogs', did a bit of a blurb on the movie 'Food Inc'. A look at the horror which is the American food industry. The Crikey blog looked at some of the Australian equivilents::

When we consider Australian circumstances such as the huge proportion of chicken meat sourced from intensive chicken factories, the duopoly controlling approximately 75% of the food retail sector and the pervasive influence of food industry interests in state and commonwealth food regulation committees, the answer is ‘very relevant’.
There is a common lesson. Control of the food system by large corporations supported by government policies driven by an ideology of deregulation and the pursuit of unfettered growth, has resulted in a food system that is a commercial success, but a public health, social and environmental failure.

I became convinced about this stuff a couple of months ago when listening to a talk by 'Nick' from 'Ethical.org.au' . Both Christina and myself are starting to go down a more consciencious food sourcing and eating regime. Latter, probably in the new house I will share....