Vegetarianism

In recovery, you’re forced to let go of food rules.

Learning to stop seeing certain foods as superior to others is definitely a challenge at first, and in the case of veganism and vegetarianism, bringing morality into the equation only serves to complicate matters even more.

Every sect of vegetarianism is an inherently restrictive diet. And they might be a moral choice for some, but these diets have so clearly been co-opted by wellness culture with health messaging, that it’s nearly impossible to weed out the health claims from any moral initiative. This makes leaving vegetarianism an obvious first step in recovery. But the moral aspect of vegetarianism often renders it an excuse you can run with for a while.

At least, until now.

If you’re clinging to vegetarianism in recovery for moral reasons, first off: I hear you. I did the exact same thing. Being vegetarian makes you feel like you’re able to shift food from being something you fear, into a loving choice that purportedly makes a difference with something bigger than yourself. It really sounds incredible! And I totally understand wanting to feel like your actions are in line with your values. But there’s two main problems with this:

First, continuing to entertain any restriction around food will invariably stifle you within the confines of your eating disorder. And as long as you’re living in the shadow of your illness…

You’re cheating yourself out of the experience of life, and you’re robbing the world of you.

Because in all the universe, in all of time, there is only one you. And you only have one chance to live this life! I’m begging you: don’t spend it as a puppet with your eating disorder pulling all the strings. Only you have those one-time gifts and voice that the world can benefit from. And by not fully participating with the world around you, you’re depriving it of the chance to be forever changed by you.

And that second little problem? It’s this:

Vegetarianism isn’t making your existence any less offensive.

And I say that with the utmost love and camaraderie. You are a one-time deal, offering distinct gifts and perspective to this world. And there is an unavoidable cost to living in society. You will never be able to negate the fact that your life will impact the world in both positive and negative ways. The truth is: vegetarianism won’t automatically wipe your slate clean.

Take these issues, for example:

• The overwhelming majority of cocoa production is produced at the hands of child labor, human trafficking, and slavery.

• The palm oil in our snacks and cosmetics is endangering wildlife and driving massive deforestation.

• Lululemon clothes are made by young women who are forced to work overtime for unlivable wagers in a physically and verbally abusive factory. Not only that, but the cotton sourced to make the clothes was likely harvested through forced labor.

• California almonds chug as much water in one year as the entirety of LA does in three years.

• Foods not grown in your area are flown in on emissions-releasing jets, causing largely negative environmental impacts.

• Pesticides for non-organic foods are causing oceanic dead zones.

• The iPhone in your palm was created using slave labor of such poor conditions, Apple put up nets to prevent “workers” from committing suicide by defenestration.

• The cotton in our clothes is harvested using child and forced labor by most countries (i.e. Egypt, Pakistan, China, India, Brazil, Argentina, etc.)

I’m not trying to stress you out with all of this, but I am trying to make a point: none of these issues are negated by becoming a vegetarian. And this little list doesn’t even come close to encapsulating every way that our participation in society has negative impacts on the world at large. Case in point, the US Department of Labor has an entire list of goods produced by child labor and slavery. And guess what? Vegetarian foods made the list.

Here’s some of them:

• Acai

• Bananas

• Beans (including soy)

• Nuts (Brazil, Cashew, Hazelnuts, & Peanuts)

• Blueberries

• Broccoli

• Carrots

• Citrus fruits

• Coconuts

• Coffee

• Corn

• Cucumbers

• Eggplant

• Garlic

• Stone fruits

• Grapes

• Lettuce

• Melons

• Olives

• Onions

• Peppers

• Pineapples

• Potatoes

• Rice

• Salt

• Sesame

• Sugar

• Tea

• Tomatoes

• Vanilla

• Wheat

And that’s just a sample of the foods we consume that are directly harming and imprisoning other human beings. Again, these people are slaves in other countries. And most of them are children.

If this makes you want to scream ‘Fuck Vegetarian Propaganda,’ you’d be absolutely warranted.

What’s more, in outlining their list, the USDoL clarifies that it “is not intended to be punitive, but rather to serve as a catalyst for more strategic and focused coordination and collaboration among those working to address these problems.”

Which begs the question:

Is vegetarianism really the path to less harm?

And if not, what can we do?

Here’s what I’m suggesting:

Screw vegetarianism. First and foremost, you deserve full remission from your eating disorder. And the world deserves a fully-recovered you.

Give yourself the grace of recognizing that you deserve remission, in spite of of how depraved major companies are operating.

Then, when you’re recovered, be an activist. Fight child labor, slavery, CAFOs, pollution, or whatever it is you think needs to be changed. Rally against harmful policies. Hold companies responsible. But do these things as yourself, not as a half-starved, semi-recovered version of yourself.

When all is said and done, what I really want to say to you is this:

When you’re recovering from an eating disorder, implementing more food rules is the last thing you should be worrying about.

You are more important to this world than vegetarianism. And there is nothing more important than healing yourself from the illness that plagues you. Only then can you participate in this life in a way that’s fully yours.

Your recovered mind has so much more to offer this world than what you choose to eat.

With so much love and understanding,

Maria