Eating and the Morals of Food

I like to eat. A lot.  I decided just last month that my new official hobby is baking. This is BIG for me, I have never ever had a declared hobby. Although I have always liked doing particular things, reading, talking, cooking etc., I have never said "this is my hobby, I will spend a large portion of my time doing this, because I like it". I think i've always just chickened out. I'm a flitterer, I jump from one thing to another.

However over the past year I have been doing increasingly more baking. It was a problem, mainly because I would use it as a way to avoide uni work or other things I really needed to do, but didn't want to. I was stressed before I baked and I was stressed after I baked, toped with a huge lot of guilt.

But when I decided to make baking my hobby it was as if it all fell into place, I could bake BECAUSE IT WAS MY HOBBY, and that was a perfectly legitimate use of my time, after all people who paint or garden for their hobby spend hours on it each week.  I never knew how powerful a 'hobby' can be.

So anyway don't be suprised that I start blogging about my new hobby a lot....

My friend from Highschool James, has become vegan. This was a very thought out decision for him, he started with a commitment to veganism for lent one year and never went back. It's interesting his views on the difference between being vegan and vegetarian. For me it's so wonderful to see something grip my friend and really change their whole world view.
Sometimes I wish I had the commitment to be vegan, well not vegan. I honestly believe that it is morally acceptable to eat animals and their products so long as it is done with the most care and respect. I think the whole animal should be used and that the killing should be done in the most humane way possible, this means away from the slaughter house. I believe that animals should live a fufilled life, they do deserve our respect both in life and death.

But what about myself? Am I truely doing the best I can to respect my own position in this world. I would say no. I should be treading as lightly as I can. For me this comes back to my eating habits. I think I eat well, both ethics and taste wise, but here's the catch: I eat too much. I've tried thinking about my weight, but I have a tiny voice inside of me that tells me that doesn't really matter, that i'm just trying to compete in a arena I don't belong in, the voice may be wrong but is sure is persuasive. So I think i'll try it from an ethical point of view, I should be eating less because I shold only be taking what I need. I think this might just work!

While I'm at it I think i'll also throw in some exercise... I actually like to exercise, I just don't I can tell myself it is part of my duty to appreciate my body and I will show respect to all those around be if I do.

and to really seal the deal: I'll make it my hobby!

That makes three hobbies now: baking, eating less, and exercising...

wait does this sound like a contridiction?

Kind of, but not... I just like to do three things.

Oh and I also love to share ;)