I often come across people sharing gruesome videos of how animals are killed in factories for food. They typically highlight cruelty towards animals as a basis of promoting Vegetarian lifestyle. In this post I plan to look at the emotion/spiritual/cruelty aspect but also look at how bodies are designed and also the implication of commercial farming on our food. At the end of the day the idea is not to prove one better than other but to make people look at it from a different perspective
So what do human's eat? The answer is Life Form. Weather we eat a plant based diet or an animal based diet we are eventually eating a Life Form. I am sure no one likes and promotes cruelty but if there are videos showing how animals are being slaughtered then I am sure a creative person can make videos showing how plants feel pain when they are cut for food or how trees feel when there fruits are "brutally plucked". It has been scientifically proven that trees and plants respond to music, experience pain and might have feelings/emotions. So the aspect of morality/cruelty etc. should not apply as we are all eating some Life Form.
Now what I think is a valid argument is that certain animals are physically designed if I may say, to be herbivores and certain are carnivores. For instance a tiger, dog, wolf all have canines to cut through meat, have paws designed to grip and hunt, have small elementary canal's to digest meat quickly. And then you have Cows, Elephants and even Humans that have teeth which helps in chewing food, elementary canals which are much longer and a different digestive system etc. So by physical design Humans are herbivore or Vegetarian and I personally buy this argument a lot more than I would buy the moral argument.
Here is an aspect of food that comes from the Hindu way of life. Food is classified as Sattvic, Tamasic or a combination. This is a classification based on the tendency of food. It is believe that sattvic foods are supposed to aid clarity of thought, spiritual endeavors, and general physical health. They are generally vegetarian but not all vegetarian food is Sattvic. Tamasic food on the other hand is mostly non-vegetarian. However veg foods like onions, garlic etc. are considered Tamasic too. Generally speaking Sattvic food is recommended. But for people dealing with harsh and cold weather, extreme physical activities etc. tamasic food is helpful. Tamasic food is also prescribed to Sattvic food eaters as a medicine for ailments like joint pain etc. Tendency of food is another factor to consider in your diet based on you circumstances.
Another thing to think about is adaptability. Humans are probably the most adaptable creatures on earth. We have evolved from apes hunting around in jungles to cultivators to modern industrial beings. I think in this process over generations we have adapted to various types of foods too. It's only in humans that you will find Vegetarians, Non-Vegetarians, Vegans and Omnivores. If you look at tigers they have been Non-Vegetarians for centuries and Cows have been Vegetarian for centuries too. Dog's are a bit different now and probably its the friendship with humans that's rubbing on them.
Last but not the least it is important to mention the impact of commercialization or industrialization of both Veg and Non-Veg foods. Our crops and vegetables are filled with chemicals and pesticides. A lot of them have been genetically modified. We are not sure about the impact of these but there is enough evidence pointing out the ill effects of fertilizers. The meat that we eat is not safe either. Chicken and Goat and Cow and Pig are being farmed like crops. Here they are given steroids that help them grow big in no time. There are ill effects of eating meat of animals that have been raised on steroids. Processed foods should be a big NO NO. So weather you eat Veg or Non Veg make a choice based on Organic or not, Fresh and Seasonal typically raised closer to your home or not, processed or not, Sattvic Tamasic or a mix. At the end of the day choice is yours and they say "You are what you eat".
So what do human's eat? The answer is Life Form. Weather we eat a plant based diet or an animal based diet we are eventually eating a Life Form. I am sure no one likes and promotes cruelty but if there are videos showing how animals are being slaughtered then I am sure a creative person can make videos showing how plants feel pain when they are cut for food or how trees feel when there fruits are "brutally plucked". It has been scientifically proven that trees and plants respond to music, experience pain and might have feelings/emotions. So the aspect of morality/cruelty etc. should not apply as we are all eating some Life Form.
Now what I think is a valid argument is that certain animals are physically designed if I may say, to be herbivores and certain are carnivores. For instance a tiger, dog, wolf all have canines to cut through meat, have paws designed to grip and hunt, have small elementary canal's to digest meat quickly. And then you have Cows, Elephants and even Humans that have teeth which helps in chewing food, elementary canals which are much longer and a different digestive system etc. So by physical design Humans are herbivore or Vegetarian and I personally buy this argument a lot more than I would buy the moral argument.
Here is an aspect of food that comes from the Hindu way of life. Food is classified as Sattvic, Tamasic or a combination. This is a classification based on the tendency of food. It is believe that sattvic foods are supposed to aid clarity of thought, spiritual endeavors, and general physical health. They are generally vegetarian but not all vegetarian food is Sattvic. Tamasic food on the other hand is mostly non-vegetarian. However veg foods like onions, garlic etc. are considered Tamasic too. Generally speaking Sattvic food is recommended. But for people dealing with harsh and cold weather, extreme physical activities etc. tamasic food is helpful. Tamasic food is also prescribed to Sattvic food eaters as a medicine for ailments like joint pain etc. Tendency of food is another factor to consider in your diet based on you circumstances.
Another thing to think about is adaptability. Humans are probably the most adaptable creatures on earth. We have evolved from apes hunting around in jungles to cultivators to modern industrial beings. I think in this process over generations we have adapted to various types of foods too. It's only in humans that you will find Vegetarians, Non-Vegetarians, Vegans and Omnivores. If you look at tigers they have been Non-Vegetarians for centuries and Cows have been Vegetarian for centuries too. Dog's are a bit different now and probably its the friendship with humans that's rubbing on them.
Last but not the least it is important to mention the impact of commercialization or industrialization of both Veg and Non-Veg foods. Our crops and vegetables are filled with chemicals and pesticides. A lot of them have been genetically modified. We are not sure about the impact of these but there is enough evidence pointing out the ill effects of fertilizers. The meat that we eat is not safe either. Chicken and Goat and Cow and Pig are being farmed like crops. Here they are given steroids that help them grow big in no time. There are ill effects of eating meat of animals that have been raised on steroids. Processed foods should be a big NO NO. So weather you eat Veg or Non Veg make a choice based on Organic or not, Fresh and Seasonal typically raised closer to your home or not, processed or not, Sattvic Tamasic or a mix. At the end of the day choice is yours and they say "You are what you eat".
