Angry Letter from a Vegetarian Zora
We get a lot of great feedback from a wide range of people... but it's not always positive. Most of you are reading this because you like our products and do eat meat. We aren't sharing this letter to create a vegetarian-bashing session, but rather to open the discussion about this topic and tell you a little more about us and why we do what we do.
Although we didn’t exactly appreciate the language used — blurred-out here for the purpose of sharing — still, we'd like to give credit to the Angry-Zora for voicing her opinion and having the guts to express herself. She has passion and we appreciate that.
Our own family once tried a strict vegetarian diet, but we just didn't feel good and actually lost TOO MUCH weight — unless we added a lot of grains and starch, which we now know is also unhealthy as they are the cause of metabolic disorders such as obesity & diabetes and is even linked to cancer. We struggled with it, but in the end, we believe that BALANCE is the key — a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, nuts, healthy oils such as olive, coconut and avocado, AND the meat from healthy, pasture-raised animals. And yes, to be honest, occasionally we even eat a little bit of dairy and whole, organic grains.
Meat is also acidic, whereas veggies are alkalizing — in our opinion, you don’t want too much of one or the other. “A little bit of everything won’t kill you,” as our-Zora’s grandma used to say. Based on how we feel eating a balanced diet, we are certain that grandma was right.
There is also a HUGE difference in where meat is sourced: Our-Zora has visited many ranchers and slaughterhouses personally — some were like horror movies, which we would NEVER use; but the ones we do use are ultra-clean and treat the animals as respectfully as possible. And seeing it in person — no, it did not make us vegetarians — to the contrary, it gives us a huge amount of respect for the good people who do this work (that many people would rather not see), and yes, even a respect for the animals who gave their lives to feed our families. We see the whole process and system as part of nature when done responsibly and sustainably.
For us, it really is about balance and respect: We acknowledge we are carnivores, but it’s unfair to call us cannibals. Meat eaters are not bad people. Rather, we are eating the diet that feels most natural to us.
And, if we may, here is a direct response to the Angry-Zora, from Josh, Zora’s husband and the company CoFounder:
Dear Angry-Zora,
Your letter is gutsy, but a piece of advice: You won’t get far insulting or badgering others because they believe something different from you. Choose kindness. You’ll make the world a better place, and your opinions will be more respected.
You might find it funny that we sometimes get a surprised reaction from hard-core meat eaters as well. They wonder why we’d do something so crazy as to ruin “beef-jerky” by putting kale and tomatoes in it (most of them, however, love our bars after they try them)!
Again, it all comes down to balance. A balanced diet. Balance with nature. Balance in relationships with others. Balance is achieved through respect. We respect your opinion, and we hope, someday, you’ll respect ours.
Our founder, Zora, is originally from the Czech Republic. In its Slavic origin, your name means “rising sun." As I write this, it is dawn in Colorado. Strong, warm winds, called Chinooks, are eating away at the deep snow that fell last week. Early light peeks-up from the plains in the East. The “Zora” morning star, balanced between night and day, flickers brightly, for just this moment.
Shine brightly, Zora. Find your balance, and learn to express it with thoughtful intelligence.
Eat what you think is best for you. Grow strong. And never lose your courage to speak out.
If you do that, you’ll always be the real Zora.
••
To all our readers: What are your thoughts on this heated topic??
Your letter is gutsy, but a piece of advice: You won’t get far insulting or badgering others because they believe something different from you. Choose kindness. You’ll make the world a better place, and your opinions will be more respected.
You might find it funny that we sometimes get a surprised reaction from hard-core meat eaters as well. They wonder why we’d do something so crazy as to ruin “beef-jerky” by putting kale and tomatoes in it (most of them, however, love our bars after they try them)!
Again, it all comes down to balance. A balanced diet. Balance with nature. Balance in relationships with others. Balance is achieved through respect. We respect your opinion, and we hope, someday, you’ll respect ours.
Our founder, Zora, is originally from the Czech Republic. In its Slavic origin, your name means “rising sun." As I write this, it is dawn in Colorado. Strong, warm winds, called Chinooks, are eating away at the deep snow that fell last week. Early light peeks-up from the plains in the East. The “Zora” morning star, balanced between night and day, flickers brightly, for just this moment.
Shine brightly, Zora. Find your balance, and learn to express it with thoughtful intelligence.
Eat what you think is best for you. Grow strong. And never lose your courage to speak out.
If you do that, you’ll always be the real Zora.
••
To all our readers: What are your thoughts on this heated topic??