Lifestyles of the Meatless

By Sherry Serrano

The stereo typical vegetarian: skinny, pale, hippie and bohemian-inspired attire wearing, sandals in hand, walking barefoot and is one with the earth, or in Hawaii, the aina. That’s all there is to it right?  Wrong.  The life of a vegetarian can vary in many ways.  They can be strictly vegetarian or “vegan”, where the person does not eat anything containing products from animals.  Or they can be slightly vegetarian allowing themselves to still eat some dairy products and fish.

To be or not to be Vegetarian

Motivation to become vegetarian can also vary.  Belinda, 51, works at UH’s Ono Pono’s, and has been a vegetarian for about 15 years.  She became a vegetarian because of her love for animals, she disagreed with the way there are treated and she said, “a lot of hormones and chemicals are used to raise cattle.” Aja, 22 and a senior at UH, has been an off and on vegan for the past 9 years.  She became a vegetarian because of the “fishery and agricultural management” and because it was a healthier diet than what she was raised on throughout childhood in Guam.

More than Meats the Eye

The beliefs and philosophies of a vegetarian can range from tedious to obvious.  Some believe that there should be no possession of any type of animal products at all.  Aja pointed to her leather belt and stated that she was flexible when it came to wearing animal products.  Belinda believes that vegetarians are friendly with animals.  She also believes that becoming a vegetarian can make a person spiritually lighter.  “When you eat a lot of meat, especially processed meat, you have a tendency to become more of the earth.”  When it comes to compromising these beliefs Aja explains that it’s up to each person whether they are dedicated enough to stand up and say “I’m sorry but I’m vegetarian, I can’t eat this.”  However, some are willing to compromise for one day.

Health Issues

In regards to health, both say that they have no health problems since becoming vegetarians and that their health has actually improved.  Aja explains that as a child her diet consisted of mostly meat and rice, and hardly any vegetables.  She said that adding more vegetables to her diet has helped her health improve.  Belinda explains that not all vegetarians are skinny.  In fact she knows some vegetarians that aren’t.  “It’s not about being fat and sick.”  She said that it’s about being strong and healthy no matter how much you might weigh.

Suggested Links

If you would like to join UH's Vegetarian club contact them at vegclub@hawaii.edu

For More information on vegetarians or for recipes and additional information:

The Vegetarian Resource Group  www.vrg.org/
Vegetarian Society www.vegsoc.org/
Vegetarian Times www.vegetariantimes.com