I've been thinking more and more about food choices, the things I eat and crave. I won't defend my meat eating, even though I have read in several forums messages by a few vocal, extremist vegans and vegetarians about the dangers of meat, how horrible the animals are treated, etc, that anyone who eats meat is wrong and stupid and terrible.
I know about it, I respect it; I try to make sure my meat comes from free range, not caged. I don't believe I am actually taking the life of the animal, but that I am simply consuming meat that someone else has prepared. However, I always thank the animal, I thank nature in general. It makes me feel good when I eat red meat, because I am mildly anemic. Iron supplements don't sit well with me. If I eat too much meat, I get a stomache ache, so I cut down. I see no problems with it. But I have been a victim of "omnivore bashing," as I heard someone once put it. And that bothers me. Yes, vegetarianism is very very healthy and can be maintained for life easily. But some people like eating meat. And some people experience health benefits from meat. Simple as that.
I don't want vegetarians to feel they need to defend their lifestyle, and I don't want omnivores to feel they need to defend their lifestyle. Humans in general almost always discriminate against what they feel is "wrong" or "unhealthy" or "stupid." But all people, everywhere, have their own views on what they feel is best
for them, for their own bodies, not for anyone else.
One day, I may decide to stop eating red meat. Not because I think the animals are cute, but because I may lose my taste for it. I don't eat lamb, veal, pork, or venison -- not because of ethics or morals or "lambs and deer are cute" or "those poor animals". I don't eat those animals because I can't stand the taste. The smell alone of lamb cooking makes me nauseated, and the taste makes me gag. Veal has a very weird taste that I can't stand. I don't like the taste of ham or pork, and if I eat bacon it needs to be extra crunchy, so the taste isn't so strong. Venison is too chewy, too gamey, too gritty. I also have problems eating certain vegetables and fruit -- some are too bitter, too mushy, too pungent, too strange in texture. A lot of people have similar issues, of course, but I have very severe tactile reactions that most people don't. Which makes me wonder if there may be a problem in how I actually process taste and texture...
I have discovered that I may actually have symptoms of sensory integration disorder and tactile defensiveness, which can be common in people with cerebral palsy. I've spoken with other cerebral palsy afflicted adults who say that they didn't even know about SID until they were adults, because it was unnoticed or overlooked or misdiagnosed in childhood. And for some, it extends to taste, smell, and the way they process specific foods. I may or may not actually have the disorder, and I certainly don't want to jump the gun and claim I do. I have been considering tests with doctors, because the hypersensitivity is getting worse as I get older. I have too many problems processing incoming stimuli to the point where I'll burst into panicked, angry tears and my seizure threshold plummets and my spasticity gets worse.
Yes, time for professional testing, I think.
http://www.sifocus.com/sensoryintegration.htmlAfter reading the signs of Tactile Defensiveness, I realized I experience all of them to varying degrees. I always thought it was perfectly normal.
I realize I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill. I may be perfectly fine and I may be overreacting. But now that I know so much about the effects of cerebral palsy, it never hurts to do some research.
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