A Bite of Meat to Eat

Humans have gnawed on, chomped through, and bitten off pieces of meat from animals for millenia.  Early humans in North America were hunters & gatherers, not farmers.  They followed the food source--herds of bison or other quadripeds--where they moved as the seasons allowed.
And, let's face it, our teeth tell the story of a meat-eating species.  Our front teeth scrape meat off bones, our molars grind through the tissues to make food easier to swallow.
I've been a meat-eater my whole life.  I grew up in an agricultural community that was surrounded mostly by big cattle ranches.  I ate beef a lot.
I also ate my fair share of wild game--elk, deer, antelope, etc.
Part of growing up in an agriculture-based community in the middle of prime wild-game habitat means learning that hunting benefits the animals as much as the humans.
In elementary school we played a game that showed the significance of hunting on herds of animals.  If controlled hunts weren't allowed, herds could grow and grow, habitat could be over-used and eventually animals would either starve to death or disease would wipe out large numbers.  Mind you, by third grade, I'd already seen quite a few carcasses hung up in the shop and gotten a chance to poke dead body parts with morbid fascination.  What can I say?  I was a tomboy.
Since then, as an adult who's gotten more education in the broader world of biology, I've realized hunting plays an even more important role in our society today.  Elk and deer meat have filled our freezer season after season.  It's cheaper, leaner and healthier for an ecosystem than beef.
Through my internet travels, I've recently discovered a very disturbing infographic.
Please read it--it's very enlightening.  (I promise it doesn't take long)


Infographic by CulinarySchools.org

After seeing this, I was inspired.  I'd already ordered a cleanse package--something to do for myself for a week and kickstart/reboot my system.  I've never done a cleanse before, but I'd heard they were uncomfortable and difficult.  This system promised no starvation or discomfort.
I got all the required foods--beans, veggies and fruit.  All plant-based food were accepted.  No meat, no dairy, no processed sugar.  No caffeine (not a problem for me) or other stimulants.
As someone who's a protein fanatic, I knew it would be hard.  I protein.  It gets me through the day.  But the cleanse was going to make me feel better.  And it was just a matter of willpower, right?  Right.  

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Day 1:  Wednesday.  I start my morning off with a quinoa breakfast dish--made with almond milk, cinnamon and fruit.  Finegreatgood.  Yes, quinoa is full of healthy stuff, but it's not exactly packed with protein--and I've always started my day with an egg or two.
But I could do this.  I would do this, damn it.
For lunch, I have a not-awesome, not-gross bowl of veggie-packed soup.  It was ok.  Still not a lot of protein, just a few lentils.
By dinner, I was absolutely starving.  I made myself a shake with blueberries and bananas and oatmeal before making the actual cleanse-shake.
Throughout the day, I was cold.  By the evening, while the Mister was sweating his way through the scooter fix, I was wrapped up in a blanket.  I was ready for bed early, to end the torture.

Day 2:  Thursday.  I start the morning with oatmeal instead of quinoa.  Try to liven it up with some cinnamon, berries and honey.  It's definitely better tasting than the previous breakfast.
Lunch meant more soup.  Seriously hungry by this point.  Trying to remind myself that I have the willpower, I can DO IT.  Ugh.
By dinner, I was fed up.  I'd eaten lots of fruit through the afternoon, but I really, really needed to chew through some meat.  A roast beef sandwich from the Pickle Barrel sounded unbelievably marvelous.  So I ordered one and almost passed out from bliss after the first bite.
At that point, I'm telling myself I can do two meals early in the day that are plant-based, but I need meat at dinner.  NEED IT.

Day 3:  Friday (I can't believe these days just keep showing up in order!).
I begin again with oatmeal.  By lunch, however, I'm feeling not great.  The cleanse has me taking two pills with each of the two early meals.  I feel like my pills are piling up in my gut, not moving or breaking down, and it hurts to take a deep breath.  I guzzle water, hoping to wash them along.  I eat more fruit, hoping to push them along.  No luck.  Don't even remember dinner.

Needless to say, there was no Day 4.  I gave up.  I have no willpower.  My body craves meat.  From my stomach, to my metabolism, to my mouth.  I love the time it takes to really chew through a bite of meat.  My stomach adores the time it takes to break down complex proteins.  My metabolism can't get enough of the energy meat provides.  Once again, I wax poetic about flesh.
So now I face guilt.  The guilt of being another person who is pushing the planet deeper into a climate spiral we have little chance of changing.
Yes, I know that eating meat is bad for the environment.  Yes, legumes are much better for the earth as well as our bodies.  Red meat in particular is bad for the human body.
I guess my only option at this point is to refuse beef that comes from unidentifiable sources.  The local co-op makes a point of listing the ranch their grass-fed beef comes from, as well as the family it supports.
I can also make the conscious decision to rely mostly on wild game.  Eat it throughout the year until our freezer is empty and then give other options a go.

I hope someone, somewhere, has seen the infographic and has the willpower I don't to give up industrialized meat.  If nothing else, at least I tried.  I just wish that thought comforted me more than it does....