Mental Indigestion

I am a dedicated omnivore. I do understand a vegetarian’s ethical opposition to killing animals for food. I also understand their concerns with regard to the treatment of animals being raised to be food. Where our ideas diverge completely is with what I consider to be vegan evangelism.  I accept the fact that we eat too much meat. I agree that we could all benefit, health wise, from a diet that placed a greater emphasis on the consumption of vegetables. What I reject utterly is the persistent reference to meat eaters as murderers. I most strongly object to being called a murderer by these evangelists. By all means, educate people about the choices that are available by which we can replace some of the meat protein that we consume with vegetable protein. But do not pretend that society can switch from being omnivorous to being vegan. The existing population cannot be sustained by a vegan diet. There is simply not enough of the right kind of food to replace the meat part of our diet.

I also take offence at what vegans refer to as “carnism”. To quote from their website, “Carnism is the invisible belief system, or ideology, that conditions people to eat certain animals. Carnism is essentially the opposite of veganism; “carn” means “flesh” or “of the flesh” and “ism” denotes a belief system. Most people view eating animals as a given, rather than a choice; in meat-eating cultures around the world people typically don’t think about why they find the flesh of some animals disgusting and the flesh of other animals appetizing, or why they eat any animals at all. But when eating animals is not a necessity for survival, as is the case in much of the world today, it is a choice – and choices always stem from beliefs.”

I do not eat meat because of any belief system. I eat meat because I am a human being and human beings are omnivorous. Our dental and digestive apparatus has evolved to accommodate the eating of meat as well as vegetables, fruit and grains. Being vegan is a choice based on a belief system. Being omnivorous is following a natural instinct.

The first attached article caught my attention recently because it touches on the importance of cooking food and eating meat. The second article appealed to me because of its surprising conclusion. I won’t give away the conclusion here. I recommend you read these articles for yourself. I came upon both of these articles quite by accident. I was not searching the internet for information to support my pro-meat eating ideas. But now that I have found them, I feel somewhat vindicated.

Cooking May Have Driven Human Evolution | Food & Think.

Unless you’re a fan of steak tartar, cooking meat before you eat it is a matter of course. It’s a culinary custom that human ancestors may have been practicing for millions of years. But is there a reason behind why we’ve been doing it all this time? It could be that prepared animal proteins can provide a body with a “pick-me-up.” In a first-of-its-kind study, Harvard researchers investigated the energy a body gains from consuming cooked meat. Follow the link above to read the rest of the article.

Long-distance running and evolution: Why humans can outrun horses but can’t jump higher than cats. – Slate Magazine.