I also read an anti-vegan book, The Vegetarian Myth, Lierre Keith. The only thing I agreed with in
principle is that current agricultural practices are largely destructive to the
environment. I sympathize with her health
problems but honestly feel that she may be an extremist nut that lacks common
sense and has simply transferred that fanaticism to some “miracle” paleo
diet. The author says she finally had it with being a vegan when
she was offered a kale leaf for dinner.
I don’t think she has a very good grasp on nutrition and she sounds like
she surrounded herself with anorexics and based her dietary habits on their
example.
Some people do not thrive on a vegetarian/ vegan diet - there are so many reasons for this. The first step is to include a very wide
variety of nutrient dense foods. French fries and beer may be vegan , but no
one is going to thrive on this for very long.
But let’s assume somebody eats a
good vegan diet and still feels exhausted, the next step would be consulting a
doctor to monitor vitamin, mineral levels etc.
It may be necessary to supplement with B12, omega 3 from walnuts and
flaxseeds, and if this doesn’t help, then there may be genetic reasons why a
person is unable to thrive on a plant based diet and (IMHO) re-introducing
animal foods may become necessary. I
think it’s ridiculous that the author of The Vegetarian Myth continued being a
vegan for 20 years while her health deteriorated and did not take any sensible
actions to investigate and rectify the problems.
The actual main issue that I have with this book is how she
turns the ethics of animal cruelty on its head using flawed and inconsistent
logic simply to back up her own personal choice to eat meat. She “grew up” and realized that killing was a
part of life because it happens in nature and therefore accepting the desire to
kill for meat is just part of being a healthy and sensible adult human. This fails on many levels:
First, humans, unlike carnivores, can thrive and be fully
healthy on plant based diets. This gives
us the ability to make a conscious, ethical choice about taking life that lions
do not have. Making lifestyle choices
based on ethics and not instinct IS part of our evolutionary adaptation. Vegetarians and vegans are not childish
utopians (maybe the writer’s friends were) in denial of the cycle of life and
nature. If an individual ascertains that
eating meat is unnecessary because they now have access to a large quantity and
range of plant foods that their ancestors may not have had, then why should
they continue to inflict harm when it is no longer necessary?
The idea that we should do what is instinctive or
traditional for humans also conflicts with the writers’ other values including gender
equality and social justice. It is not ‘natural’ for animals to choose not to
mate, yet she promotes having no children.
Alpha male primates use physical strength to dominate females in the
group, yet obviously she stands against male dominance in human societies. It would be so counterproductive to say that
we should “grow up and get with the program” and accept these things because gorillas do it, yet she oddly takes that view concerning animal rights and
welfare. Her ethics about when to accept
‘nature’ are very selective. The point I am trying to make here is that we as
humans have evolved to the point of making ethical choices about how we structure
our society and choosing not to kill or enslave animals for our personal
consumption is very much in line with all other ideas of social justice. There is nothing particularly “unnatural” or
childish about it.
This book would have been more sensible if it focused on various
case histories and reasons for failure to thrive on vegetarian or vegan diets
and how to move towards ethical and environmentally sustainable meat production
rather than grasping at straws to attack ethical vegetarianism.
This does lead to the
next point. What about “carnivorous’
humans who are unable to thrive on a plant based diet or human populations who
live in a tough environment that does not produce enough plant foods? It is a fact that not all people can make the
choice to be vegan – some people live in deserts or in arctic tundra where most
of the year there is nothing to eat but animal flesh.
The cultures that have honored and venerated
animals and nature most are hunting cultures. They tend to see the animal as
their Mother, provider, Deity, Brother, Sister etc. A person who gets most of their nutrition,
clothing and shelter from an animal is bound to have a very sacred and personal
relationship with this being. There wasn’t
a significant difference between groups of human predators hunting down an
antelope and a pride of lionesses doing the same. This is vastly different from the way modern
people have turned animals into commodities for personal gratification in the
machinery of production and consumption. Animal factory farming. The cruelty, slavery and torture in this
modern way of rearing animals is what appalls most animal lovers and ethical
human beings.
There are ethical meat
eaters out there who are actively trying to change our terribly cruel,
unhealthy and unsustainable meat industries and to explore compassionate
alternatives that allow animals to have free and natural lives. There are also vegans who are trying to
change the destructive forms of modern agriculture that are swallowing eco
systems whole and destroying bio-diversity and soil fertility to create mock
soy meat for your vegan plate. Ethical
vegetarianism is a more complex issue that extends beyond just “not eating meat”.
There is a lot of better reading material out there than the
“Vegetarian Myth” for people who are exploring the pros and cons veganism. If you
want more sensible information and prefer not to be beaten over the head with whimsical
arguments (and male bashing), try a site like: http://www.beyondveg.com.
There are so many studies that support BOTH veganism and
meat eating. For me, it comes down to
personal choice, applying ethics as much as possible in whatever choice you
make and being your own experiment. I know that I stopped eating meat and never looked back and I'm in better health and shape than most of my meat eating friends.
Be
sensible, eat well and take any necessary supplements. If you continue to stay in great health after
many years, then it’s right for you.
Many people are healthy and long lived on vegan diets. If you
feel sick even if eating very well and taking the necessary supplements… for
crying out loud… stop it and explore other options. Use common sense. Remember that this is YOUR choice. You are
not the follower of a cult. Make
intelligent, informed choices and observe observe observe and for F’s sake… try
to respect other people’s choices.
Stay healthy and happy.
