One year ago I stopped eating meat of any kind which was a pretty big step for me. Even bigger is that I’ve kept it up and now the idea of eating meat is just repugnant to me.
That’s quite something coming from a person who has a very limited track record of sticking to anything for long. It’s also from someone who was an avid and enthusiastic carnivore until this time last year.
I wrote an article last year about some of the benefits I’d noticed (‘6 Reasons Eating Vegetarian Food Is Best‘) and I thought it about time to update that and add in some new insights now the novelty has worn off.
1. Less Sleep
This was something I noticed almost immediately and it surprised me – cutting out meat seems to have reduced the amount of sleep I need. Initially this was 90 minutes a night but it seems to have stabilised to around an hour. Even so, this is a huge benefit for me and means I can either enjoy a slow winding up for the day or simply get more done.
When I wrote about this before some people reacted that it was probably something else I did that caused it. Obviously I can’t scientifically prove that cutting meat means less sleep and I know we all work differently on a physical level. Intuitively, I’m sure it was the cause and that’s good enough for me.
2. Feeling Healthier
Gone are the days of an unpleasant heavy sensation in my stomach after a big meat meal. I remember it felt as though I’d swallowed a big ball of flesh that my stomach was having a hard time to digest. I find it hard to over-eat on a staple of veggies, rice, dairy and pulses. I guess it’s that they’re bulkier and fill the stomach faster.
I just feel better in my body most of the time.
I’ve stopped during the winter months, but over the summer I felt like exercising daily – something I’ve not done for many years. I’m pretty sure my running shoes will see the daylight again once the temperature rises and I can safely jog without risking a heart attack from the biting cold.
Actually I don’t think this is anything to do with a vegetarian diet being physically any healthier. It’s more that my mental health is improved – as if the act of stopping meat was cleansing in itself.
3. Saving Money
Meat is definitely more expensive – both at home and eating out – and I’ve saved some money on grocery bills. I’ve also substituted some of those savings to buy organic and ecological where possible. I find it sad and frustrating that non-mass-produced food is so much more expensive than factory-made but that’s one of the wonderful results of capitalism and the market economy!
Ideally, I’d love to grow and eat some of my own food but that will have to wait until I move out of the city and into the countryside and have some land to use. For now, all food is bought and with another mouth to feed any day now, the small savings of a vegetarian diet are very welcome.
4. Speed versus Choice
Cutting out a whole food group clearly has consequences on the amount of choice when deciding what to eat. I eat out less than I used to and the smaller number of options on most menus is one of the reasons. I’m not complaining but just noticing it. On one hand it’s a logical consequence of not eating meat and, by definition, there’s always going to be less choice for me in any non-vegetarian restaurant.
Eastern Europe (and not only) does not cater well to those who don’t eat flesh. Restaurants catering for vegetarians are extremely rare and on a typical restaurant menu I estimate around 95% of non-sweet dishes contain meat. That saves me a lot of time when choosing from a menu but makes it far less enjoyable to eat out.
5. More Highly Evolved
This one is hard for me and a constant struggle.
I noticed it right away, I fight it, I’m not proud of it … but I have caught myself looking down on meat eaters as less evolved human beings. It comes out as smugness, snide and unpleasant comments to family and friends as well as holding my head a little higher as I come out of the organic shop with my latest healthy purchase.
That sounds absolutely terrible, doesn’t it?
And it is.
I hope this is a passing ‘obnoxious’ phase as I fully develop into, and own, being a non-meat eater. Most of my family and friends eat meat. In fact, the majority of the human race eats meat and I really do respect whatever dietary choices people choose. At the same time I can’t shake this idea that myself I’m now more developed than I was as a meat eater.
I just wish I didn’t take it further and make the leap that I’m superior to others. That’s just arrogant and wrong!
6. I am NOT ‘A Vegetarian’
When people notice that I don’t have any meat on my plate I’m quite often asked, ‘Are you a vegetarian?’ as though it’s some strange and mysterious breed of creature.
Often I just answer ‘yes’ because I’m too lazy to explain but I really don’t like being labelled for anything – relating to what I eat is no exception. There’s no label for ‘meat eater’ (well, except for ‘meat eater’) so why have one for people who don’t eat meat? Lumping large numbers of people together in a single unified category is dangerous and doesn’t get us anywhere.
I once worked in a very posh training centre close to Brussels. They had a professional chef who was very good and took great pride in his cooking. He also had a belief that ‘vegetarians’ are crazy, stupid and a sure sign of the decay of the modern world. He reluctantly catered for them, but I was always a little nervous that he might poison them. I’ve no doubt that some ‘vegetarians’ are crazy and stupid, but then some meat eaters are not well balanced either.
7. Separate Meals
While I may hold this belief that giving up meat was a positive step in my personal development, I’m not so arrogant to impose that on anyone else. I regard it as a personal choice and I continue to serve meat for other people (mainly my kids and Mona).
I also don’t expect anyone to prepare something special for me when we socialise. I’m quite ok to eat what everyone else is eating – just skipping the meat dishes. I’m fortunate that all my family are very supportive and go out of their way to prepare special veggie meals when I visit, and I’m really grateful for and touched by that.
Mona gave up meat at the same time I did, but her pregnancy kind of sabotaged that. I’m not saying that vegetarianism and pregnancy don’t go together – but she did succumb to a craving for fish and a little meat. We both believe that our bodies give us clear signs about what we’re missing, and she took the cravings as just that. I also spend a lot of time as single father to my 6 year old and I prepare meat for her.
I guess if my vegetarianism was morally driven then I’d not do that, but it’s not, so I do.
The downside, of course, is extra complexity, waste and more energy consumption in preparing meals. I sometimes wonder if it’s just pure self indulgence on my side but then I look at the bigger picture of my life and I stay with it.
8. Do I Miss Anything?
I’ve not had any desire to eat meat from mammals.
I did pass a grill in the summer and enjoyed the smell of cooking meat – but not enough to actually eat it. I feel very comfortable with the thought that I’ll never eat cow, pig, sheep or chicken again before I die.
I do miss fish and seafood, though, and in particular sushi.
Not sure how that will play out this year and I’m just going to see where that takes me. I know from past experience that the more I fight something, the greater power I give it. Fortunately Mona doesn’t like seafood at all, so we never buy it.
It could just be a passing phase – or I may start eating a little fish now and then.
Overall this year has been a very positive experience and if anyone is thinking about stopping meat I highly recommend you give it a try.
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Great article, Ian. My partner and I have decided to eat a mostly vegetarian diet. We still eat meat and we keep it to once a week. I find that it has been even less than that. I actually don’t find less to eat. I find more choices because I feel more willing to try different foods I wouldn’t have eaten because I would have just had the steak or chicken.
I am happy you are taking this path!
-Joe
Joe, interesting about trying different things and I can see how that could happen. I went the opposite way, in simplifying my diet. I don’t really miss the variety yet, but that will probably change. For now I’m waiting for Mona to get back to veggie diet as it’s challenging enough dealing with our separate needs without exploring new kinds of food. I’m confident that will come as I love cooking and trying new things.
I loved the post and recognised a lot in it.
Stop eating meat was one of the best things I ever did. I wanted to do that already a long time, but always found it much to complicated. I did not want to force it upon the rest of the family, so would have to make vegetarian as well as normal meals. And as cooking is not exactly my hobby, I always searched for an excuse.
Until one day, I was driving my car and saw a big truck with pigs on their way to the slaughterhouse. And suddenly I started to cry and could not stop. That was the moment I deceided to just stop eating meat.
No replacements at first, just cooked diner as I always had for the others, but I just skipped the meat myself. And I felt fantastic.
That was years ago already. And I still eat no meat. If I am in a restaurant or with family and there is some meat in a soup or something, I just eat it. Or I give it to my husband. And I eat his salad, as he does not like salads.
Like you I never call myself a vegetarian (and strictly am not one) I just do not eat meat. And it still feels great.
Thank you! Interesting how different things trigger our decisions. I’m certain there would be much less meat eaten if we were to directly face it’s source. When bought from the supermarket it’s generally been stripped down so it’s hard to tell it was once an animal. My daughter recently discovered that ‘fish’ she eats is the same ‘fish’ as swims in the sea. she thought it was the same word used for 2 different things!
Each to their own I say. Some like this, Some like that. There are many benefits to eating meat and not eating, aswell as having a mixture. Main thing is to be true to yourself
Though i must say I love my steaks
And I, for one, am not about to preach to anyone on this matter. As you say, each to their own and be true to yourself.
I agree with Hayden when she advocates being more conscious of the food we eat and respecting the source. Enjoy the steak … just respect the animal it came from!
I love you, Ian, but you’ll have to pry my sushi from my cold dead hands.
As for the meat thing…strangely, I have never felt a desire to become a vegetarian even though I lurve me some vegetables. My only conflict was with the way my food was being produced (not just meat) which is why I have been shifting our house to a more sustainable and conscious method of food consumption.
I think we can participate in ‘the circle of life’ but they key is participate, not just mindlessly eat whatever because it’s easiest or that’s the way you’ve always eaten.
Native cultures tend to respect their food because they are intimately connected with how important it is and what it really takes to create their food source. It is that respect for life, and my part in it, that I am trying to connect with.
I love you too Hayden and somehow I doubt prying sushi out of your hands would be main priority in this situation!
I really like what you say about being conscious of what we eat and where it comes from. I think we’ve developed many cynical ways to cultivate the food we eat to cut cost and make profit. In that, we’ve lost a lot of our connection with the circle of life and our place in it. Even getting cremated when we die seems a way of thumbing our noses at nature and our place in it. To say nothing of the way we farm animals (and vegetables for that matter).
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I think we’re naturally closer to eating vegetables rather than meat. I base this on my own experience. As you know, I’ve been a raw vegan for more than 9 months and a still a vegetarian for more than 5 years now. I stopped being an evangelist long ago, but I do enjoy these benefits every day. Thanks for the insights
Thanks Dragos! As I think I’ve written elsewhere, we’ve developed this myth of early man as fierce hunter. I suspect (and I think I read this too) that early man was more likely to be scavengers of meat rather than killers. Look at our bodies .. hardly equipped for huunting. I think we evolved as omnivores and can eat both meat and non-meat .. but we can chose to change that.
This is a very inspiring post for anyone who wants to eat vegetarian food.
Congratulations to complete a whole year of not eating meat! Keep up with it.
Thanks for the kind words.
Congratulations Ian!
I think vegetarianism is a necessary step on the path of non-violence.
Mike! I missed you my friend and so great to see your face again! Hope everything is going well in your life.
Hi Ian,
Congrats on hitting the one year mark. Even though I have not converted into a vegetarian, I had started including less meat into my diet. I heard so many benefits about being a vegetarian and your article stacks onto the evidences.
Cheers,
Vincent
Thanks Vincent. I hear from many people tat they are reducing the meat in the diet … whatever feels right for you!
Hi Ian,
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
This is a great article. I’ve been wanting to write something like this, but I have so many memories of people getting really *irate* when they find out I’m a not a meat eater – I’ve been avoiding it! I get tired of defending myself to the masses. (E.g., “We have molars, of course we’re supposed to eat meat!”)
Ugh.
I tend toward a veggie diet for lots of reasons (animal fats have been linked to MS progression [bad for me!], the environmental costs, general health, cost of buying meat vs. beans/veggies/etc, love for veggies, kinder/gentler way to live, etc. etc.).
I’ve even cut out sushi this past year. That’s probably been the most difficult for me, but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make to do my part.
It all starts with the individual, right? Be the change…, anyone, anyone?
Great post and great writing, my friend.
Hi Lori. I think cows and sheep have molars too don’t they? There are plenty of good reasons to stop meat and at the end of the day it’s a personal decision, as you say. I’m amazed sushi seems to be so popular .. and difficult to give up.
Careful of excess tofu. It upset my partner’s thyroid and took her eighteen months to get her weight regulation back to normal.
Congratulations on the one year.
The aspect about cutting down your sleep time is quite interesting.
I have explored being a vegan and vegetarian on and off for 3 years now, and just getting back into it now. Actually, I am doing juicing now.
One thing I read about is that every time you consume it, it raises your blood pressure or stress, don’t recall which one it is.
Another contributing factor is the source of our meats, I have watched a few documentaries about our food supply such as Food Inc and it is quite shocking.
There are some shocking things for sure in getting food onto our table. If there was more awareness I’m certain more people would give up meat. One day maybe.
I’m happy to find your blog!
I agree with #5. After not eating meat for about 1 yr, I felt quite a shift inside. I realized it one day when I took my kids to the zoo. All of the sudden, I felt very connected and empathetic to the animals in a way that never happened before.
#6.bugs me too! Labels put unfair, rigid limitations on us. Every day, I wake up & make the choice to not eat meat and it’s not because I’m a vegetarian.
I’m happy you found it too! I know what you mean about the zoo. I go quite often and always have mixed feelings about it – and definitely I feel for the animals.
If you read more of what I write then you’ll probably find I’m on a mini crusade against labels generally – ‘vegetarian’ is just one on a long list!
I’ve been at it for nearly six months now and I hear you about the sushi. I also don’t like being called “the vegetarian” and find myself limited to three items on the menu when I eat out. Finally, I get hungry more often–which can be a nuisance at times. Honestly, I don’t feel that many health benefits (although my health certainly hasn’t suffered). I imagine the health benefits differ from person to person.
On the plus side, I feel much more calm than I used to be and less aggressive. Not so sure I’m going to stick with it but for some reason I can’t bring myself to eat meat anymore on moral grounds. I love the taste of meat but I can’t seem to justify eating something that lived just for the sake of my taste buds.
I think it’s getting better for non-meat eaters to eat out. I remember when my sister stopped meat eating about 30 years ago. Whenever we went to a restaurant and she said she wanted a vegetarian option, the usual reply was ‘We could make you an omlette!’ Three options are at least better than none .. but I still don’t enjoy eating out as much as I used to.
Ian, well said! My husband and I were vegans for many years. Gradually, we’ve returned to consuming meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs. Most of our meals are still vegetarian and I can’t imagine that will ever change. Your site is beautiful and your articles are so interesting. Thanks!
Thank you Amanya .. I’m happy you like the site!
This was such an enjoyable post!! I went vegetarian in 2006 for a few months, maybe longer, although I did not give up sushi so maybe partially vegetarian or fish-atarian – but anyway, for some reason I gained weight. I am very small by nature and I was living a stressful life with too much travel so maybe it wasn’t my veggie diet at the time but then I started to introduce raw foods into my diet as well as green juicing and I have drastically reduced my meat consumption and only save it for special occasions. I feel it is much easier to not say I give something up so that I don’t beat myself up (Oh I am so good at that) when I slip up and funny enough, I go without eating meat for weeks and months sometimes now and hardly miss it. Oh but sushi…..to give up the occasional delicious raw fish treat from our Japanese friends. I bow to you for you are a stronger person
!
With the sushi thing .. it helps that my wife finds the whole idea of sushi quite disgusting so we’d never go to a sushi restaurant. But when I’m on my own .. it definitely takes a little will power ..
Hi Ian — that’s interesting, that being vegetable-only has had you eat less — for me, I think I’ve been eating more since going veggie, but that’s because I’ve been naughtily compensating myself for doing it by eating lots of Indian food. But my metabolism is, thankfully, pretty hardy and has burnt up tons of vegetable biryani with surprising efficiency.
I love Indian food! I don’t cook it as much as I’d like .. mainly because I forget how much I like it. Thanks for the reminder!
In addition to similar discoveries as yours, I find that my consumption paradigm has shifted from emotional to physical. I crave real food now instead of mindlessly filling the empty hole. My body wants nutrients not empty fillers.
Having just eaten half a bar of chocolate, I’m thinking I’m not yet at that stage of changing some of my eating habits! I have something to look forward to!
Thanks for this post. Yep, I also went veg for 3 years and predominantly raw for half a year and on the upside I felt very clear minded, woke up fresh and light and so on. On the downside I became very thin (because I just didnt feel the need to eat since I had so many nutrients and enzymes in the raw food). The thinness bugged me, I just did not look good, and, laugh at this, did not look respectable
Anyways, I stopped and now, after being back on the beef, I think I need to find a middle path.
As with everything in life, I think it’s important to find what works for us. We’re all different, and if you feel better overall when your eating beef, then that’s great. Interesting about not feeling good when you don’t look good (and no laughing from me!) – I wonder where that comes from?
On January 6th I had my 4th year anniversary of going vegetarian.
I became a vegetarian because it was an incongruence between my non-violent ideas and killing to eat.
Sorry if it sounds preachy but I really like this quote by Tolstoy: “As long as there are slaughterhouses, there will be battlefields.” My interpretation is that as long as the killing of animals is ok, someone will manage to turn the enemy into an animal, a sub-human.
4 years! Congratulations!
It doesn’t sound preachy .. and I agree with the quote up to a point. I do think it’s possible to eat meat with full respect to the animals. Slaughterhouses don’t fit into that as I don’t believe there is any respect shown to the animals.