19/05/2019
Sunday’s, the day of rest! And doing absolutely nothing! Mainly because the weather has turned (again) and May is feeling more like March with the promise of lots of rain!!
Definitely time for a new post!!
Today I am posting another blog about my choice to give up meat and become a pescatarian.
I have already covered this in a post I did back in 2017 which you can read here ?? https://lifestylelisa.com/2017/06/22/why-i-decided-to-become-a-vegetarian-life/ but have decided to cover the topic again.
So YES I am a pescatarian which for those of you who don’t know what that means (like my dad!) it means I don’t eat meat but do include fish in my everyday diet.
I decided to cut out meat altogether around 5 going on 6 years ago. Which means I have probably answered the question “why don’t you eat meat” hundreds of times over already! But it is still a question I continually get asked ….. a lot!
Firstly there was no health reasons behind it, I have read many different articles about how cutting out meat is good for you, and WHY you should go plant based!!!! AND then I read many other articles saying cutting out meat is bad for you, and WHY you need meat!! It’s the usual what do you believe scenario. But seeing as “touch wood” I appear healthy enough I wouldn’t say cutting out meat has been a bad decision for me.
Then there is of course the environmental impact, well 6 years when I completely cut out meat the environment if I’m honest wasn’t top of my list, but absolutely now it’s a nice bonus that I am treading a little more lightly on the resources of our increasingly crowded planet!
For me it was much simpler than all that, it was purely because of my love for animals. I adore animals and the thought of eating one actually turns my stomach. I wouldn’t like to kill an animal myself and it makes no sense to have someone else do it for me.
When I look into the eyes of an animal I feel a sense of empathy and there is no doubt for me that they do feel pain, they suffer, they want to live and they have feelings.
Sometimes I come under a little unfair scrutiny for the fact that I choose to eat fish but not meat. But that is what I have chosen and it suits me and I respect my own choice.
My boyfriend Luke is a meat eater, as are his and my family, with the exception of my dad and sister who occasionally eat a burger when we are America but other than that don’t eat meat.
I wouldn’t consider myself to be a preachy person and to be honest anyone who preaches any views to me, makes me kind of want to switch off. I believe that every person has the right to do and eat and believe in whatever they want but don’t try to enforce it on others.
I really can’t deny that eating meat is a natural human behaviour and I would never judge someone on that.
BUT (time to get controversial) since we are on the subject I have to say I am and will always remain baffled by those who claim to love animals but eat meat, and further still (and maybe this is the main factor) walk around or visit any kind of petting zoo and feed and touch and stroke pigs, chickens,cows and lambs and then proceed to eat a beef or chicken, or bacon etc sandwich after. I don’t believe that’s right and it’s not something I would feel comfortable ever doing. The sense of guilt I would feel after would be overwhelming!
HOWEVER I still choose NOT to preach any of my beliefs on to anyone else, that’s just my view. I do believe however that you can’t truly be an animal lover if you continue to eat meat, there’s just no logic behind it.
I’m always happy to hear your views so either drop me a comment below or email me direct at [email protected]
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday everyone
Thanks for stopping by lifestylelisa
I actually went pescetarian for the same reason! I always had lots of pets as a child and I began to realise it’s kind of arbitrary what we choose to keep as a pet or to eat :s They’re all fellow living creatures we could be friends with. Cue jokes from my family about how you could be friends with a fish! I’ve not been pescetarian for as long as you, but honestly I just don’t miss meat much. There are tonnes of great swaps you can do, and I’m building up a good repertoire of recipes. A fave is always halloumi burgers:
https://thefeministgadabout.com/2019/05/26/halloumi-houmous-and-guacamole-meat-free-burger-featuring-my-favourite-guacamole-recipe/
Nowadays though I think the environment is a good reason to cut out meat, and I’ll often just tell this as my reason when people ask, to avoid the pet fish jokes!
I love the look of the halloumi burger, may have to give that a go!
I agree about the great swaps and meat recipe’s are so easy to adapt by swapping the meat with Quorn or Tofu. I just hate all the hypothetical people I encounter who preach about their love for “animals” whilst eating a beef burger!! Xxx