I know these things exist, but I always like to avoid the topic.

Ignore it as if it doesn't exist.

It is a little too much and I am disgusted and saddened.

The reality is most meat comes from factory farms.

In school this week I learned feeding cows, sheep or goats 

to cows, sheep or goats is now banned.

Let me clarify.

One day a cow is alive. The next morning it is dead.

It is ground up and fed to the remaining living cows.

Do you think the cow may have been sick and thats why it just died suddenly?

Besides that, now a living cow is eating a dead (possibly sick) cow.

This is what caused mad cow disease.

The above process is now illegal, but it is legal for euthanized pets to still be fed to farm animals.

I am talking about your dogs and cats who were euthanized at animal shelters.

Feed for cows.

WHAT!

Euthanized pets are food for cows?

I can't even imagine.

Cows are supposed to eat grass.

It is bad enough they are fed a grain diet, which is not healthy for them.

And cows should be living outside in a pasture grazing on grass, not cooped up.

Conventional chickens are fed arsenic, which is a deadly poison.
The arsenic in their diet is used to help them combat parasites and to promote growth.
In theory, if a chicken is eating arsenic and we are eating the chicken,
then we are also eating arsenic.

The things that are done to animals are atrocious.

With this knowledge, there is another concept called food energy.

It is believed we take on the energy of what we eat.

What type of energy do you think we are feeding our bodies when we eat food that was raised in inhumane ways or food that suffered and experienced pain as it died?

For me, this information creates a dilemma.

As of now I have stopped eating chicken for about a month, but I am still eating beef.

I don't necessarily have a problem with people eating meat, 

but I do have an issue with how it is raised, the cruelty the animals experience, 

and the damage factory farming is doing to the environment.

In general, I am as cautious as I can be about where I eat meat out.

I feel the meat from Chipotle is okay because of the principles the company stands for.

I am also okay with beef from shake shack since they say no hormones or antibiotics ever.

The vegetarian feed can be questionable because grain is considered vegetarian. 

I really want beef that is grass fed, but when I am eating out I can only be so picky.

After learning all of this information, I am looking for ways 

to find the type of animal products I want.

I want meat that is raised in its natural habitat and fed its natural diet.

I want meat that wasn't abused and didn't suffer when it died.

I found a place near my apartment that has beef from small farms.

I also found a farm near my parents house that seems promising.

I want to go visit the farm and see what's really going on.

Ultimately, something has to change.

In order for the future to be better, this factory farming process needs to be stopped.

In my opinion, sedentary people don't need to eat a ton of animal protein.

I still don't fully believe athletes/body builders need to eat a ton of animal protein.

Clearly there are vegan athletes.

I am going to test my theory out in the near future on trying 

to gain muscle with a more plant protein based diet.

I'm still enjoying not counting my food, but I will start again and journal it.

Everything depends on the body type and I am not saying we should stop eating meat in general.

I just think we can eat less and we can treat animals better.

Check out the below and see why I feel how I feel.

Here are two videos that are pretty real and gruesome.

http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/factory-farming/

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/

Here are a few resources for finding quality animal protein near you.

http://www.eatwellguide.org

http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html

http://www.apppa.org/