I’m Thinking of Making The Switch; A Conversation.

The following is a facebook dialogue spanning several months.  One of the people, Zach (Z) , got a hold of me, Noel (N).  We haven’t seen each other in roughly 10 years but thanks to facebook being ubiquitous, we’ve reunited somewhat via the www.  The convo goes as follows:

(Z) Hey Noel,
It’s been eons since I heard from you. I ran into a guy here in Houston who served a(n LDS) mission with your brother.  Anyway, he thinks the world of you guys and he made me all curious about your guys’ diet. Kind of random, me coming out of nowhere, but that is something I’m kind of interested in these days.

(N) Hey there Zach! Good to hear from you. I’m not sure I know who (the guy) is but I’m sure my brother Dayton does. I’d ask him but he’s in China at the moment.  Later buddy.

(Z) How bout you? What have you been up to? Also, tell me a little about this vegetarian diet. I’m thinking of making the switch. When I think about what I’m eating, I get nauseous and pretty much have to not think about it. It has me thinking that maybe there’s no point to eating it in the first place.

Noel in a Slot Canyon

(N) Veggie stuff: There’s a lot I could say here. I’ve been vegetarian for well over 11 years. It’s treated me really well, I’m very pleased with that decision 11 years ago, and I feel fantastic.
I didn’t go into it ignorantly. And I continue to study and read and learn more that supports that decision. I don’t eat meat for a lot of reasons but most of them could probably fit into 3 categories:

1) For my sake

2) for the planet’s sake, and

3) for the animals’ sake.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll aim to simplify this as much as I can for now.
Everything I’ve read leads me to believe a plant-based diet is ideal for health and longevity. If you eat a halfway balanced (variety of food) vegetarian diet you will not be lacking in any nutrient save B-12 (I take a supplement every month or 2).
Raising animals for food is detrimental for the Earth. Most (I think around 70%) of the grain we produce in the U.S. is used to feed animals for the slaughter-let alone energy, water, fossil fuels, land. This becomes incredibly inefficient due to the production ratio of 1 lb of meat requiring approximately 12 lbs of grain.
Lastly, I don’t think it’s ethical to have a sentient animal raised in a hellish environment and then killed because we enjoy the taste of it. If I needed it I would eat some meat. But there’s never been a time in my life when I’ve been that desperate.

I hope this wasn’t too long or too much. I think you leaning toward less meat shows you’re a person who has a lot of awareness and is conscious of his life, surroundings, and choices. Good job dude. I’ll link you to 2 things. 1 is a 20 minute speech and the other is an interview I had with 1 of my former professors.

Ted Talk: Dan Beuttner (Link)

A Conversation with Marty Mendenhall (Link)

(Z) Yeah, man. I entirely agree with everything you said. I’ll definitely check this stuff out. I may be your next convert. But yeah, I’m going to look into this “veggie stuff” and get back to you. Talk to you soon.

(Z) Noel, I made the switch! I haven’t had meat or dairy for a couple weeks now and I already feel great! I’ve also lost over 5 pounds in that time. I look at it as a lifestyle change that will be relatively natural for me to make. I never liked the idea of eating animals anyway. Finally I can just go with what feels right and not have to block out how repulsed I am by what I’m eating. I think I continued to do it more out of convenience than anything else. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. Thanks for the info you provided. I had always thought about making the switch, but you gave me the little nudge I needed to get over the hump. So, thank you!

(N) Zach! That’s great news dude. You’re very welcome. I’m stoked you feel better physically and your conscience is at ease. That’s a big deal. And losing 5 lbs makes a lot of sense when you cut that stuff out. If you ever need/want some reading material or vids to back up your decision, let me know. There’s a ton of solid material to back your choice.

(Z) Seriously, I’m going to get out and advocate your cause. Lost another pound since I last wrote and I’ve noticed I actually don’t feel as hungry during the day. I don’t know exactly why that would be, but I don’t get the crazy urge to stuff my face when I get home in the evenings. It’s great.

(N) Ha! Nice dude. Yeah, you can be a missionary for vegetarianism.
Later

(Z) By the way, I’ve now lost over 12 pounds since mid June. Feeling lighter, more active, and more energetic than I have in a LONG time. I’ve taken a lot of crap from just about everyone, but I’m kind of beyond caring. However, I’ve already got five other people who are trying it out to see how it goes. Not bad, eh? That interview of Mendenhall was interesting and also the TED speech. All this stuff goes right along with the book I’m reading, The China Study. I’ll tell you, I’m completely converted and I could not be more happy with my decision. I’ll continue to keep you posted.

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