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Traitor to the Cause
Aug. 12th, 2005 10:44 pmI just intentionally ate an animal product. :-(
( The back story )
I tried to talk her into flaxseed oil instead (not that it's available here), but she insisted it's not the same. And she's right. While they both contain omega 3s, fish oil contains the usable forms, DHA and EPA, whereas flaxseed contains ALA, which has to be converted into DHA and EPA. So I'm looking into ordering some vegetarian DHA supplements online, but in the meantime I bought a two-week supply of cod liver oil.
I figure I can't pretend to be a purist, since I eat cheese made with rennet and, by eating in non-vegetarian restaurants, I probably accidentally eat meat byproducts all the time. I am also not scrupulous about checking into whether other medicine I take is vegetarian. So it's not like I've been 100% animal-cruelty-free anyway; it's not like it's possible to live without injuring other beings to some degree. I'm reminding myself that the point of my vegetarianism is to reduce suffering and my negative impact on the environment, not to hide behind a delusion of purity and virtue. But, darn it, I like the delusion of purity and virtue! Me-of-seven-years-ago would be really disappointed in me. And even me-of-today is not yet convinced enough of the more nuanced view of vegetarian morality to be able to take the cod liver oil without vomiting. :-(
( The back story )
I tried to talk her into flaxseed oil instead (not that it's available here), but she insisted it's not the same. And she's right. While they both contain omega 3s, fish oil contains the usable forms, DHA and EPA, whereas flaxseed contains ALA, which has to be converted into DHA and EPA. So I'm looking into ordering some vegetarian DHA supplements online, but in the meantime I bought a two-week supply of cod liver oil.
I figure I can't pretend to be a purist, since I eat cheese made with rennet and, by eating in non-vegetarian restaurants, I probably accidentally eat meat byproducts all the time. I am also not scrupulous about checking into whether other medicine I take is vegetarian. So it's not like I've been 100% animal-cruelty-free anyway; it's not like it's possible to live without injuring other beings to some degree. I'm reminding myself that the point of my vegetarianism is to reduce suffering and my negative impact on the environment, not to hide behind a delusion of purity and virtue. But, darn it, I like the delusion of purity and virtue! Me-of-seven-years-ago would be really disappointed in me. And even me-of-today is not yet convinced enough of the more nuanced view of vegetarian morality to be able to take the cod liver oil without vomiting. :-(
