Wack-job, weirdo, over-dramatic spaz…call me what you will, but I’m going vegan (or at least making a serious attempt at it). And coming from a meat-lover, that is a DRASTIC step. All thanks to a little book called Skinny Bitch, I am completely horrified by what I’ve been eating for the past 21 years of my existence. Though it was a traumatizing read, I think everyone should read it. The truth about the U.S. food industry and the government agencies that regulate it is highly disturbing. But really, is it that surprising that the government would deceive us in the interest of making money? I think not. Hear me out people. It’s the new year; if you want to be skinny, get your heads out of your asses and start eating healthy. Since I won’t be able to convince a mass majority to read this book (I figured any guy would be seriously embarrassed if caught reading Skinny Bitch), I’ll do my best to scare some sense into you.
The following is what I’ve learned:
First off, it’s a no-brainer to give up cigarettes, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and soda aka “liquid Satan” (diet is even worse) - they are bad for you, so get over your denial and give it up. Diet soda contains Aspartame, which was denied 8 times by the Federal Drug Administration before being approved. It wasn’t approved until FDA Commissioner Arthur Hayes was appointed…did I mention 3 out of the 6 scientists reviewing Aspartame advised against it’s approval and Hayes overrode the scientific review panel’s decision. Later he was investigated for accepting gratuities from FDA-regulated companies. Interesting.
The big problem with meat:
“Every time you consume factory-farmed chicken, beef, veal, pork, eggs, or dairy, you are eating antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, and hormones…Young girls are experiencing an early onset of puberty at epidemic proportions. Many scientists attribute this to all of the hormones in chicken, meat, and milk…” Even if that doesn’t scare you, scientific research proves that these chemicals alter the body’s metabolism and cause weight gain.
Another reason to boycott meat: animal abuse. Did you know that when male baby chicks are born in poultry factories they are considered “useless” and are tossed in the garbage and left to die!?! Did you know that after the chief of the Humane Farming Association interviewed dozens of slaughterhouse workers throughout the country, every single one admitted to abusing animals or neglecting to report those who did?? And I’m not talking hitting them, I’m talking chopping noses off, beating to death, hanging cows on hooks by their assholes, stabbing eyes out, dragging them till their bones break, skinning alive…etc. (Yep, I cried after reading some of the quotes from factory workers). Not to mention some of the slaughtering machines miss their targets and animals are boiled alive.
And if that doesn’t bother you, the USDA’s slack regulations on allowing contaminated meat into the food supply should push you over the edge. A quote from a factory worker: “I personally have seen rotten meat - you can tell by the odor. This rotten meat is mixed with the fresh meat and sold for baby food. We are asked to mix it with the fresh food, and this is the way it is sold. You can see the worms inside the meat.” Um, I think I just threw up in my mouth. Oh and remember mad cow disease? Well the USDA only tested .0005714% of the 35 million cattle slaughtered that year for it. That’s pretty fucking ridiculous. And thank God cattle ranchers are banned from feeding their livestock ground up cow, but that doesn’t stop them from mixing cow blood into the baby calves feed. Dis-gust-ing.
So am I saying the USDA and the FDA do the minimal amount to protect our food supply? YES. The worst part is “many high ranking staff members at the USDA were employed by, or otherwise affiliated with, the meat and dairy industries…An enormous, ridiculous, outrageous, catastrophic conflict of interest.” No wonder the USDA spends $30 million a year on beef buyouts alone to bail out the meat industry when they have a surplus. All of that bullshit about having to eat meat to get enough protein and drinking milk to get calcium is all a bunch of brainwashing. And the Environmental Protection Agency is no angel either. The EPA allows the use of StarLink corn in lifestock feed. You know, StarLink - the genetically modified organism that contains an insecticidal protein deemed unsafe for human consumption.
Oh and lastly we have to talk about the rocket fuel in our milk supply. “Thanks to the Pentagon, ammonium perchlorate, the main explosive component in rocket fuel, has been lurking around our environment for decades. It finds it’s way into water used for growing feed crops for cattle. Cows eat these contaminated crops, with the result being contaminated milk…and the EPA actually makes allowances for a ‘provisional daily safe dose’. We’re sorry, but we’re from - Earth - there is no acceptable amount to ingest where explosive components are concerned”.
So there you have it. I have quoted some of the most disturbing research findings out of this book to try to get you interested in reading the rest. Trust me, there is a lot of stuff I didn’t cover. Everything is sourced in case you have lingering doubts about their findings. It’s a great read - short, to the point, and LOL funny. In this day and age when cancer is so prevalent, it’s hard to imagine our food supply doesn’t play it’s part.
So…what exactly should you eat? ORGANIC fruits, vegetables, soy protein, nuts, whole wheat breads, rice, and pastas (these are the good carbs). The book even gives you a whole month’s worth of meal ideas to make your life easier. I haven’t eaten meat or dairy in days, and surprisingly I’m not finding it difficult. Today I ate fruit, cereal (with soy milk of course), white bean soup, cooked veggies, and whole wheat pasta with organic tomato sauce. I felt full and satisfied, and I’m definitely eating healthier.
I’m not saying this is going to be easy, especially since everyone I know is calling me a wack-job. But after all it’s only the first week, so we’ll see how it goes.
