Food Issues

This morning I woke up a little later than usual which meant that instead of applying make-up in the predawn half-light I had the advantage of full sun. As I examined my face, looking for smudges and smears from the heavy foundation that I use to cover skin imperfections I realized something....my skin was perfectly clear for the first time in years. No rash on my chin, no pimples on my forehead, no redness around my nose - it was all gone. 

I'm guessing this is due to the changes in my my diet over the last three weeks. Instead of oatmeal for breakfast, yogurt and fruit for lunch. and dinner that often includes soy protein, pasta and vegetables, I'm eating very little protein, no dairy, and a lot of vegetables. I'm not eating meat but that's normal because I'm a vegetarian. And just to clarify, I'm not a vegan (someone who eats no animal products), I do eat eggs and dairy, but I don't eat fish or chicken - nothing (as a friend of mine once said) with a face. 

When I tell people I'm a vegetarian most ask why I don't eat meat. The reason is that it's against my values. I don't believe it's right to prematurely end the life of an animal when there are perfectly good alternatives. It makes me sound sort of pompous when I say that out loud though so I generally just mumble something about being an environmentalist and change the subject. Another reason I'm vague is because I've learned over the years that my extreme beliefs tend to invite debate with the opposing side of that argument. It's a viewpoint I've heard many times...God put animals on this earth for us to utilize and when we eat them we honor them. 

Here in Uganda I would find that to be a relatively plausible argument because many people have goats and chickens. The meat you buy at the market is either still alive or hangs proudly from the front of vendor stalls. It's not ground up and wrapped in shiny plastic supermarket packages, divorcing you from the reality that the hamburger you're about to consume was once a cow. When the lives of humans are taken prematurely we call it serial killing or cannibalism. We're shocked and appalled. When the life of a cow gets taken we call it dinner.

Or I should say 90 percent of Americans call it dinner, I am one of the other 10 percent who don't. In general I don't consider myself to be a hard core activist about my beliefs. In 20 years of vegetarianism I've rarely tried to convert anyone to my way of thinking. I don't want people to run in the other direction when they see me coming - the life of a militant activist is a lonely one I would expect. Maybe that's why I don't donate to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

 

Or maybe I don't donate to PETA because I don't like their marketing tactics. They're trying to be edgy - to rise above the information noise and make veganism seem cool by targeting a young demographic with shocking ad campaigns. Perhaps you remember the one they ran on college campuses a few years ago encouraging students to drink beer not milk? The latest is a viral video, Boyfriend Went Vegan, which I've included a link to if you want to watch it. At more than 3 million views it's certainly drawing attention for the organization, but at what price to the vegan cause? PETA's "ends justify the means" approach embodies everything I abhor about extreme views. Of course, I could just be biased against them because I know they will never employ me...they only hire vegans. 

And while I do embrace vegetarianism, so far I've been unable to live the austere life of a vegan, and it's for exactly the same reason that most people give me when they tell me why they eat meat - because it tastes so good. Ice cream, cheese, yogurt and warm buttered bread are just a few of the things that make life worth living.

But for the past three weeks in Uganda my diet has been mostly vegan. Ugandans aren't really big on dairy. Their cookies are dry as dust and their ice cream reminds me of vanilla flavored wall insulation. But they have something much better...fruit so delicious that to describe it as such is almost an injustice. Sweet and juicy pineapple, mango, papaya, jackfruit, and watermelon. There are also tiny apple bananas that can be eaten fresh or combined with millet flour and deep fried to create banana pancakes. The fruit is so wonderful that I haven't missed dairy. And this morning I realized the side benefit of clear skin.

So maybe I should reconsider veganism again, not just for the sake of clearer skin, but for the clarity it would bring to my values as well.  The problem though is, as Oscar Wilde said, "I can resist everything but temptation". Kampala doesn't have Butlers chocolate and Irish cheese. After returning to Dublin, I'll probably cave after a few weeks of abstinence.

Normally I don't have to think too much about this compromise to my values, but here in Kampala where the roosters crow every morning and the goats wander casually along the side of the road it's hard to ignore. And I'm reminded of what my Aunt Joan used to tell me about the dismal life of a dairy cow. She was truly someone who could understand and appreciate both sides of the argument, having been both a farmer and a minister's wife.  During our discussions she never tried to push me in one direction or the other, instead she just asked that I give some depth to my values through critical examination and reflection. 

So I have a lot to think about over the next month I suppose. It's a fine line between accommodation and compromise.  A former colleague once gave me a t-shirt from a fast food burger chain because he said he appreciated that I wasn't closed to other viewpoints. Now I wonder if whether in being so accommodating I've compromised my values. Maybe it's time for me to reexamine my commitment to vegetarianism. Maybe it's time to go vegan.