The No Meat November Challenge

Year 1 and the origins of my No Meat November Challenge:

It all started on November 1st 2009. After a night of of heavy-eating at the Halloween BBQ, I woke up on a cold November morning feeling like a zombie who had consumed too much well seasoned flesh. It was then, for the sake of my aching belly, that I decided to go on a full meat detox. My roommate at the time was skepticle; she laughed at my plan and assured me that within a few days , i would cave and return to my carnivorous ways. I had to prove her wrong.

I realized that I needed a real motive; Will power was never strong point. After some thought, I barged into her room and said “I’m doing it for the animals!”. With a raised eyebrow and sheepish smile she asked me how one month of would make any difference to animals? “well” I responded “One month is better than nothing, right?”.

I told her I would spend the next 30 days eating all vegetarian meals- and though it was a short challenge, I would be cutting down the consumption of animal produce in our home by half. To make things more exciting, I was going to place a jar in the kitchen and for every day that I didn’t eat meat- she would have to drop a dollar in the jar.

Much to her dismay, On December 1st 2009, I was $30 richer! (I gave the money to a shelter close to my house that eventually shut down last year due to lack of funding)

Onto year 2 -No Meat November part 2 (Karachi edition):

Still on a high-horse from the success of part 1, I decided to challenge myself again! This time, though, I had no dollar jar- and definitely was not in a vegetarian friendly environment. Enter Karachi, Pakistan – a city for meat- lovers. To make things all the more complicated, Eid Ul Adha was around the corner.

Eid Ul Adha is a Holiday where Muslims around the world purchase, feed , care for and eventually sacrifice an animal in the name of God and distribute the meat to the needy (reminiscent of Abrahams will to sacrifice his own son in the name of God). The slaughtering method is scientifically proven to be the quickest & least painful way to kill an animal. A part of the meat is kept in the home and cooked into a delicious meal which is meant to be shared with loved ones.

Well, for any one that truly enjoys a succulent lamb curry, you can imagine this would be a difficult challenge. Truth be told, It wasn’t! The reason for that is simple – I had a cause that I believed in backing me every step of the way!

The thing that kept me strong for a full 30 days in November was the fact that this time I had paired up with an animal rights group who were receiving $5 from their sponsor for every day that I chose to stick to my challenge!! That was motive enough! November flew by and the money I raised went to an amazing cause!

And that brings me to Year 3:

So, here I am again. After the first 2 years of No Meat November, I am back and super excited because this year is going to be completely different!

For No Meat November 2011, I have a whole lot in store- and this time, I’m not doing it alone & I’m not doing it small!  Firstly (and most importantly) The amazing World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has come on board and all funds raised this year will be donated to one of their causes!

Secondly, I will regularly be uploading information about Animal Rights & the Environment to both my blog and twitter page @NoMeatNovember.

And finally, This year is going to be all about how much fun this challenge can be and how YOU can get involved!! I will be blogging from Toronto & New York City- hunting out the best vegetarian dishes I can find, uploading recipes and recommendations – all while supporting my furry friends around the globe !

For all those who wonder “What about every other month?” – stay tuned to find out what changes I am making this year that will answer your question!

Keep checking my blog and twitter (@NoMeatNovember) for updates and info!!!

Looking forward to Nov 1st 2011 ! No Meat November!!!