Today I read an article that asks the question: "Is vegetarianism a diet or an ideology?"
Published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal, it discusses the fact that people become vegetarians for different reasons - whether it be health, animal-rights concerns, or religion. But in that for many of these people, the choice and action of becoming a vegetarian "symbolizes their entire, political, social, and ecological posture. Vegetarianism is their ideology."
I thought it was interesting, definitely something to consider.
I have found that within vegetarianism, the diet is simply the platform through which the ideology is expressed. It is a lifestyle. A culture.
Do a small experiment and type "vegetarian" into a Google search.You will yield 28,200,000 results.
Of course, there is a wikipedia page, but there are also vegetarian magazines, Vegetarian resource groups, Vegetarian restaurants and cafes (both near and far). There are how-to manuals, Government websites, recipes, various articles, books. There are starter kits, teen and childrens guides, famous names of vegetarians, festivals, etc...
Vegetarianism may be considered a "sub-culture," but it is a multifaceted one. It seems to go way beyond the issue of food.
In other news...
I've made it to day 5 of my Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian diet, and I'm still alive, and not even that hungry. I've found myself eating a lot of eggs, and bagels, and noodles - all of which were a large part of my diet to begin with. Being a college student, I don't always have the time to make a 3-course meal, so I have also found that Morningstar Veggie burgers are definitely becoming friends in my times of need.
Today's Menu
Breakfast: Spinach and Cheddar omelet on a Cinnamon Sugar bagel from Brueggers
Lunch: Pineapple and Dried Cranberries. Fries, Tomato and Mozzarella Panini w/ Pesto.
Dinner: Romaine toss salad and "Chicken-less" Nuggets
SWM
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Do you want to borrow the Bryant Terry cookbook? It is vegan, so it's a bit more intense, but he makes beautiful things.
ReplyDeleteOr, better yet, just go look at his blog a bit.
One thing I think that might be interesting for you think about is why be vegetarian? That is, rather than focus on it as a form of deprivation, consider the impetus that drives you to do this. Another point: when you read My Year of Meats, you won't want to eat meat for a while...
Actually, right this moment I'm looking through GRUB: Ideas for an Organic Kitchen, that Bryant Terry co-authored. I'm making his "Spicy Barbecued Tofu Triangles." Well, see how they turn out :)
ReplyDeleteCouldn't vegetarianism be an ideology that impacts your life, so much that you incorporate it into all aspects...even ones as fundamental as eating and diet? According to Merriam-Webster, an ideology is, "a system of ideas and ideals, esp. one that forms on the basis of economic or political theory and policy." That definition is essentially the definition of vegetarianism presented by CMAJ (didn't feel like typing that out). I feel as though vegetarianism is just a segment of an overall frame of mind, whatever that schema may be.
ReplyDeleteand apparently on Google, my name is Chris.
ReplyDelete-Christina