I am a pescatarian. It sounds fancy and elitist but it's really not that bad, I assure you. A pescatarian is essentially a vegetarian who eats fish. I've been adhering to this diet since I was about 17 years old (save for a six month time span when I rented a room from a man who offered me dinner all the time and there was always some sort of chicken in the delicious curry he made, so I deviated).
Over the years I have gotten into soooo many discussions and perhaps even a few arguments about this diet and have subsequently become a bit of an expert at explaining myself to various audiences. Some people want the 30 second sum up, nothing too deep or thought provoking, as if they are seriously worried I have the ability to tell them one little fact that could totally blow their minds and make eating meat impossible for the rest of their lives. Others are actually interested in my reasons for becoming a vegetarian and have perhaps even dabbled in similar diets themselves (or awkwardly want to one up me, "yeah, well I've been a TRUE vegan since birth!"). Lastly, there are the people who go into straight-up attack mode. These are my favorite. I've had a person tell me that their dad works in the meat industry (and then I think to myself "sucks to be your dad...has he lost a finger yet?") and that people like me ruin all things good and tasty or whatever. One time I made the mistake of telling a rancher (yes, he was wearing a legitimate cowboy hat) that I really like animals and therefore cannot eat them. Needless to say he went a little berserk and proceeded to lecture me about the attachment he felt with his cows before he sent them off to be slaughtered. It was a strange evening.
My diet freaks people out. I don't really get it. I'm not really out to change the world per se, I just don't want pounds of rotting beef in my intestines. Hellloooo Marlon Brando. Plus, get into a conversation with my friend Jason about prions and mad cow disease and you'll be off eating cows forever. My reasons definitely have evolved over the years. Starting out, I was very anti-circus and rodeo. It sounds a little odd, but I was an impressionable 16 year old and needed an agenda of some kind. Who better to hate than Barnum and Bailey? I still think there is something twisted about seeing an elephant running around a tent in Tracy, California with a guy suffering from little man syndrome poking the poor thing with a sharp rod. I began frequenting Peta's website (while I don't do this anymore, they are not that bad and peta-haters need to chill out) and researching animal abuses in several industries and decided to stop eating meat for purely political reasons. I think I liked the idea of being a radical and doing something different. I was the class president, I had to rebel somehow.
To make a long story short (too late?), I maintain the same diet I did when I was 17 but for different reasons. Turns out, it's a pretty healthy way to live. I also feel good about not supporting three industries (beef, poultry and pork) which are horrible to their employees, animals and the environment. I really have no issue with other people eating meat, I will not have a meltdown if meat somehow ends up on my plate and I may even end up incorporating free range meat products into my diet in the future. Yay for supporting local businesses, knowing where your food comes from and decreasing your carbon foot print.
Also, I feel as though I need to point out that I am a serious foodie. I love all things yummy and I really like to cook. I feel as though being a pescatarian during my formative cooking years (especially in Sweden, Sonoma county and France) definitely helped me to become creative with mixing up flavors and it allowed me to learn how to make vegetables and other healthy treats taste delicious. When you are not able to have a big honking steak as your meal's focal point, you have to bust out the culinary visionary within. Seriously, all I have to do is let a guy taste my mashed potatoes and he will undoubtedly want to marry me. They are that good. No joke.
On a side note, I recognize that there are some seriously crazy and over zealous vegetarians out there. Some will try to turn you off of meat for good, which can be pretty annoying. Honestly though, it is an interesting cause worth looking into. I'm not just talking in regards to food. I think most people would be horrified by the completely unregulated (and unnecessary) abuses of animals in the fur, cosmetic and entertainment industries. Okay, enough of my bleeding heart for the animals soapbox shtick. I promise that I love people, too. In fact, the argument that vegetarians care more about animals than people always does give me a good chuckle. Keep 'em coming folks, I love to laugh :)
Have a good night :)
~Rachel
