Three Big Myths about Vegetarianism

Myth:  Vegetarianism is a modern concept. 

Although some people may think it’s a rather new-age, hippie or contemporary trend, vegetarianism has actually been around for thousands of years.  Yes, you read that correctly—thousands of years.

Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher and mathematician, is thought to be the father of vegetarianism.  Born in 580 BC, Pythagoras believed that animals possessed an individual soul, which made humans and animals much more alike than different.  Respect for and non-violence towards animals were the main reasons behind Pythagoreanism, or the non-consumption of meat or fish, according to Wikipedia.  The term vegetarianism did not come into play until the nineteenth century.  This concept was practiced widely in the ancient Greek civilization.

Jainism is one of the oldest religions in India, dating back to as early as the 9th Century BC, and is still practiced today.  One of the main principles of the Jain religion is also that of non-violence towards animals and a peaceful coexistence between all living beings.   Jains are strict vegetarians.  Like Pythagoreans, Jains also believe that every animal has a soul, and that we should regard every living being as we do ourselves, harming no one and being kind to all living things.

Myth:  One cannot live—and thrive—on a vegetarian diet.

Not only does eating a vegetarian diet give your spirit a bit of a boost, knowing that you are not contributing to the suffering or death of animals, it is also incredibly healthy and delicious.  Let’s tackle the spiritual aspect.  There is something incredibly freeing and lovely about eating a vegetarian diet.  What is it exactly, you might wonder?  A sense of peace?  Celebrating our interconnectedness as sentient beings here on Earth?  Living in harmony with nature?  It’s all of the above and more.  There is a lightness of spirit and incredible joy to be found when we consider ourselves to be equals to (not dominators of) all of the other inhabitants of this planet.  Are our fellow Earthlings any less deserving of a happy existence than we? 

We have all heard the old adage, you are what you eat.  What does that mean for us if we eat the flesh of dead animals whose last moments of life were spent in absolute terror as they faced the slaughterhouse conveyor belt?  These are living, breathing, thinking and feeling creatures whose lives we create and destroy at our own will.  And why, when there are an abundance of other food sources available to us?  If slaughterhouses had glass walls and we were forced to face the reality of how ground beef really came to be, there would be millions of overnight vegetarians.  Many people don’t give much thought to how that meat ends up on their plate.  Jeremy Betham said it best in 1789 in his Introduction to the Principles of Morals & Legislation, “The question is not, Can they (animals) reason?  Can they talk?  But, can they suffer?”  Yes. And oh how they suffer at human hands, by the millions, every day. For those interested in learning how meat is made, here is a video from investigative reporter, Lisa Ling, going behind the scenes of the nation’s biggest slaughterhouse, Cargill.

Myth:  Vegetarians don’t get enough protein

The truth of the matter is that we don’t need nearly as much protein as the meat and dairy industries would have us believe. In addition, chances are that vegetarians already eat enough protein without even trying! Nutritionist Heather Lounsbury dispels the protein myth in a really great article. Research has shown that eating a diet of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes is actually a very healthy way to live.  The facts are out there. If you need more proof that you can live happily and be very healthy on a vegetarian diet, here is another great read by Dr. Winston Craig. Clearly, we do not need to eat animals in order to live a healthy life.  There are plenty of plant-based food choices available. 

Famous Vegetarians:

Leonardo da Vinci

Leo Tolstoy

George Bernard Shaw

Mahatma Gandhi

Albert Einstein

The Beatles

And I had to mention this one—Milwaukee Brewer, Prince Fielder!

The list of vegetarians in history is long and fun to read.  Perhaps one day you might add your name to that list?