Oprah Goes Vegan…Should you too?

Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday? I stumbled upon it when I got to the gym (4.75 miles, go me!), I originally thought it was an old episode but it wasn’t. Oprah’s guests were Michael Pollan, Kathy Freston (author of “The Veganist”) and General Manager Nicole Johnson-Hoffman from Cargill’s meat processing plant.  Certainly a very diverse group of people.

I really like Michael Pollan, I like what he has researched and written. I just like what he is about. He’s not an extremist, but he certainly is a strong advocate for changing our food system. He believes in eating from the earth and leaving behind all those processed foods. He said a couple of things on Oprah that struck me, one being that if you eat meat, you should know where it comes from and what the animal had to go through to get on your plate.

Lisa Ling went to Cargill’s processing site and they showed on camera what cattle goes through, from grazing to being skinned and cut down. I have to say my mouth was on the floor when they skinned and cut down the carcus, but honestly, I was surprised at how calm the cows were. They were not making a lot of noise, in fact they were very quiet. Apparently the way this slaughterhouse is designed (by Temple Grandon) is to promote the calming of the cows.

“I would not ridicule people who believe that you shouldn’t eat animals, but I would say that we are committed to doing it right. And I believe that when animals are handled with dignity and harvested carefully, that’s the natural order of things. It’s critical not to spook them. They are kept quiet on purpose. It gives them a peaceful end of life, and it’s also important for the quality of the product that we produce.” says Nicole Johnson-Hoffman.

Now onto Kathy Freston, “The Veganist”. She went to Harpo studios to help Oprah and everyone who works at Harpo be vegan for a week. Many people lost weight, some people cheated, some hated fake meat, but everyone took away something. Most people said they learned a lesson about the way they eat and are more conscious of their diet now. After looking through her vegan menu plan, I’m even more turned off to her. Every day in her meal plan includes some type of fake meat product, not to mention the addition of highly processed foods. Take a look for yourself. I feel like she is trying to make being a vegan more enticing to the mainstream public, while I wish she would just show them how many amazing meals you can make without meat AND fake meat products.

My thoughts:

• I thought that at some points the show presented the vegan “diet” as a fail proof way to lose weight. If you are a vegan, meat eater, vegetarian or whatever, there are ways to be healthy and ways not to be. You can be a junk food eater no matter if you eat meat or dairy products or not. Just because you are a vegan, doesn’t mean you will lose weight. I think if you are a vegan, vegetarian, omnivore or whatever you are, that’s great for you. Even better if you are incorporating fresh food grown in a responsible way in your diet.
• I hate fake meat products. I just don’t like how fake they are and how processed it is. If you want something to taste like meat, then eat meat. I would much rather eat organic chicken than some chik’n product filled with things I can’t pronounce. I don’t think most people realize how TASTY vegetables are, and if given great, easy to make recipes, many people would try to make more meatless meals.
• Some days I eat vegan, many days I eat vegetarian, but I do eat some meat/fish too. When I eat chicken or fish I make sure it’s organic or wild. I think everyone needs to do what they need to do to fuel their body. There is no one diet, one way to eat, that is going to be right for everyone. It takes time to figure out how you should eat for you, but no one should tell you, or impose on you the “right” way to eat.
• I do like the idea of being “vegan-ish”. Eating less meat is something all Americans can afford to do. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Americans eat 10 billion animals a year, 33 million of that number are cows. That’s a whole LOT of meat. If you can incorporate one meal a week, or even one meal a day meatless, than that’s having a positive effect on your health.

What is the point to my rambling?

The point is that I believe, like Michael Pollan that our meat system needs to be reformed. How can you start to do this? I believe by buying organic meats and dairy products, which support those farmers who are raising animals and animal products responsibly.

Bottom line: You need to decide what is right for your body! Make responsible informed decisions on what you put on your plate and in your mouth and you will have a great effect on your health and hopefully the state of our food system!

If you want to read more about this particular episode head over to Oprah.com. You can also watch some clips here.

“There are great farmers in this country who are doing really good work, and they need to be supported. We need to reform the meat system—not eliminate it.” Michael Pollan

Disclaimer: This is all my opinion and not meant to offend anyone!

So sound off...what do you think about all this? Do you try to eat less meat?  Did you watch Oprah yesterday and have any opinions either way?

Tagged as: fish, health, health-vegan, less meat, meat, michael pollan, organic, responsible eating, vegan