The Vegetarian Option

"You're a vegetarian?" asked a friend, with such horrified look that I thought I had suddenly transformed into a goat or some strange sea creature. "Yes," I answered.

"Why?" asked my friend, with an even more daunting tone. And I began to explain for the nth time…

Living the life of a vegetarian is not easy. You have to adjust to a society where 90% of the population eats animal flesh. The reality is that when you attend parties, your main course ends up being dessert. Or, you would be limited to a glass of water.

I completely understood my friend’s reaction. It’s actually quite amusing to observe different reactions from people. Some would think that I’m going to die of malnutrition soon. And who’s dying of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other degenerative diseases these days? What kind of food do doctors tell their patients to avoid when they have diagnosed their patients of serious diseases? Of course, we can guess: Meat.

I’d rather start living a healthy life now than wait for my doctor to tell me that I’m dying of mad cow disease, cancer, or whatever kind of disease that may develop in the future.

Looking at it from another perspective, there are the laws of nature. If a man, who doesn’t know anything about gravity, jumps off a building, he’s off to the next world. His ignorance of the law of gravity doesn’t exempt him from its effects. I’m sure you know the biblical passage: “What you sow, so shall you reap.” And in science, the law of thermodynamics states that, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Well, I’m not saying that the chicken you just ate will return from the dead and eat you. But isn’t it right to say that the pain inflicted in the animal you are eating will also be returned to you?

It’s not easy to be a vegetarian. You have to believe in your principles with utmost conviction to be able to resist the temptation of eating meat again.

Now, in case you don’t know, there are different types of vegetarians. There’s the pesco-vegetarian – one who doesn’t eat meat and chicken, but eats fish. The ovo-vegetarian doesn’t eat meat, chicken and fish, but still eats eggs. There’s also the lacto-vegetarian (that’s me!) – one who doesn’t eat meat, chicken, fish, or eggs, but consumes milk and other dairy products. Then there’s the vegan – the complete and full vegetarian. No milk, no honey, nothing that comes from animals at all.

A lot of famous people in the world were and are vegetarians, and their reasons range from ethical to health – to everything in between – including Karma. Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Dustin Hoffman, William Shatner, Brook Shields, Alicia Silverstone, Natalie Portman – and others too many to mention – were all vegetarians.

Yes, living the vegetarian way seems hard. But a path becomes easy if you know the way; if you truly believe in it. There may be obstacles but if you know what awaits you in the end, it will give you the determination – and the courage – to stand up each time you fall.

Now, the question, why am I a vegetarian? It’s because I respect life.

(Note: The author of the above article is Architect Virna Liza V. Padua, my youngest daughter, who is currently a partner of 3rd Cube Architects (website: www.3rdcube.com) and is a member of the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Camarines Chapter. She is also a Past President of the Rotary Club of Midtown Quezon City, Philippines. – J.Padua)