The background

Lately I have been having this urge to cut on my meat consumption. I am not vegan. I am not even vegetarian. For 27 years of my life all I can remember is parents feeding me meat, eggs and dairy and me picking up their eating habits. I never questioned it. Until about 2 years ago when an unexplained itching began. Then the occasional general itching turned into permanent itching spots that wouldn't cease unless I took a really long ice cold shower. After months of research, the reason turned out to be milk.

Milk? So out of the blue?

My doctor asked me if I wanted pills to ease my allergy (more accurate: intolerance). And I chose to cut milk out of my menu instead. When I did so, the itching stopped within days, the spots vanished in a week. Since then, I never had any trouble as long as I stay away from dairy.

But this diet of mine resulted in something even more strange. I started to notice I am no longer attracted to the idea of eating meat. In fact, as time goes by and I dig more and more in vegetarian recipes and reasons to not consume animal products, I find myself more and more convinced that this is the way to go.

If it weren't for milk, I would have gone vegetarian a long time ago. But there's still the doubt: would I make it? Would I miss it? I learnt to live without milk (and it wasn't easy in the beginning) due to the fact that I had no choice. Sometimes I miss it, especially the cheese, but I can't think about me drinking milk anymore. What for?

And if I managed to cut on my dairy and be ok (for almost 2 years now!), why insist on eating animal meat, ... when really, there is no logical reason to do so. Why consume it, when I don't even enjoy it anymore? Why contribute to animal suffering, why must a living creature die in order for me to feed, when there is no need to. I can let them live instead.

I will let them live.

This is my challenge. And it's not starting Monday or next month. But first thing tomorrow, starting with my breakfast.