Hey Glenda,

Guess what??? This past weekend we had guests that came to visit us from Trinidad.  They cooked Venison like you wouldn't believe!!  It was so moist, tender and very easy to digest.  I got the recipe, the taste was absolutely DIVINE 

jonnie - 2007-05-02 11:17 AM I bet you both feel guilty now

Not really.

Yes, Venison is much better than beef.  Beef is fed growth hormones and chemicals.  If you lived in my area, you would cry over what they do to cows...NOT what they do to deers.  At least the deers are free to roam the forest and eat natural food, whereas cows are put in conditions that make your skin crawl and will break your heart.  I do not eat Beef - period.  I only eat organically grown chicken and pork, and wild-caught fish from southern waters and the local trout streams here in the mountains where I KNOW the water is pure.

I posted part of an article that Yoga Journal did with Beryl Bender Birch regarding eating meat and such.  It was the best article ever.  She talked about 'mindful' eating and preparation of our food...regardless of whether it was meat or not.  Instead of freaking out over the meat issue, you really should focus on what your body needs and being mindful about how it is prepared and consumed.  That is more important than being a vegetarian. 

For what it's worth...I was at my most UN-healthiest when I became a vegetarian.  It was horrible and screwed up my body's internal organs.  It took me a long time to re-gain my balance. 

When I was a teenager, my rule was to not eat anything that had a face. About ten years later, somehow fish made it back into my diet (though not shellfish, due to other dietary rules that I follow). Still not sure about my rationale regarding fish, but I've been consistent with all these views for close to thirty years now, and still going strong.

The turning point to vegetarianism for me was when I was younger, and about to take a bite of a chicken drumstick. I looked at it a bit, and realized it looked too much like my own leg. It pretty much ended for me right then and there.

When I first saw the post about venison, right away my mind went to the image of Bambi as well. But I held off responding because I know that what (and who) you choose to eat is a totally personal choice. You can't forcibly impose your morals on someone else. My husband and children are carnivores, and yes I do prepare their food for them (on the rare occasions that I do actually cook, but that's a whole 'nother issue!). Am I a hypocrite for choosing not to eat as they do but still handle and prepare their chicken and beef? I think it would be extremely foolish of me to choose the chickens and cows over my family. So I choose to educate them with being consistent in my example and my own practice of not eating meat.

My 12-year-old daughter has now expressed interest in becoming a vegetarian because "it's not fair to the animals". I've NEVER said anything like that to her nor around her; that's just not how I speak. Yet she's learning the proper way of thinking and being just by my example. So I totally feel I've done my part.

jonnie - 2007-05-02 1:46 PM

OrangeMat - 2007-05-03 9:33 PM

When I was a teenager, my rule was to not eat anything that had a face. About ten years later, somehow fish made it back into my diet

Poor Nemo

And he's orange, too! YIKES!

You have to be real careful about that 'holier than thou' attitude when it comes to vegetarianism.  The mind can really drive you nuts about eating flesh if you let.  Been there and done that already. 

Hey Shalom,

I can assure you that those un-healthy family members are more un-healthy due to all those medications they take, rather than not being a vegetarian.  In second place, I vote that junk food is laced with all sorts of chemicals and MSG!!!! 

You guys would really freak out if you were at my house.  First of all, my children are not allowed to be vegetarian.  Yep, that's right.  Been there and done that with complete failure.  In fact, I tell my daughter she has to eat a certain amount.  This BS of allowing children to make food decisions is crazy.  Whoever wants to debate this issue with me, you'll loose and it's not worth the conversation.  As my daughter gets older and practices more yoga with me, this rule will probably change, but for now, this is the way its going to be. 

Anyway, some of the very best yogi's I've ever met were from Tibet, where they ate meat.  Some of the worst yogi's I've ever met were from India and are vegetarian.  Ya'll have a great day,