Hi everyone,

Just to preface, I'm aware of some of what I'm about to say has been debunked, just explaining my thought processes.

I've been experimenting with majority plant based eating habits for a long time on the assumption that it might be better for my health and the environment. For years I've almost entirely abstained from buying meat and fish to prepare at home and almost exclusively eat these when dining outs. I've also gone through periods where I gave up some or all dairy products.

On Monday I watched cowspiracy and seaspiracy back to back. Not sure why. Something prompted me to take the plant based stuff further because I felt like I need to align my behaviour with my own ethics for animal welfare, health and environmentalism. I eat beef rarely, same with pork and found out about them being pretty intelligent, comparable to dogs and cats and thinking I wouldn't eat them either.

These "documentaries" shocked the living hell out of me to the point I decided no more animal products or fish, except eggs. It drove me to r/vegans because I thought ya know what maybe they're right, they're healthy, environmentally conscious etc and maybe this is what I need to just take the plunge into.

Holy shit I've never met so many brainwashed cult-like turds in my life. I consider myself open-minded and I've managed to not hate or villify my vegan friends and acquaintances IRL, but THESE GUYS? JESUS CHRIST. Bunch of science deniers, doublethinking, dehumanising cultists.

This can't be it. Surely. If they cared about the environment or animals at all like they claim they would applaud every effort people take to live better but they don't. They excommunicate and guilt trip.

Anyway that led me here since one suggested checking ask a vegan and debate a vegan and I started to receive suggestions from all the vegan subs. I've read the huge copypasta debunking veganism and I'm happy to say I've found here the evidence I was hoping to find from the vegans. I hold a distinction in my masters in biochemistry and a bunch of vegans being all like "nyeeeh carnists" doesn't really compare to a well thought out, researched and composed post about nutrition, sustainability and corruption. Ignoring malnutrition just won't cut it for anyone trying to convince me of a diet.

Ended up checking out the other side of cowspiracy and seaspiracy too to see how they've been misrepresenting information in a way that I completely lapped up. I can't believe I spent 3 days upset I couldn't find vegan prawn substitutes after quite recently reading about the problem with the surge in vegan junk food. The doublethink is infectious.

Now I'm here wondering where to go from here, and whether anyone has any diet advice for those seeking to look after their health first and foremost, but avoid slavery, deforestation, welfare abuses and all that. I still care about these issues. I don't want to overeat animals if I don't need to and it's also bad for me.

All I can think of is buy local and eat everything in moderation but I'd like some more advice please. Also I'd like to increase my intake of offcuts and organs/offal which I was already doing anyway. I can hardly remember the last time I ordered a prime cut of steak, partially since I enjoy the "bad cuts" and partially because I have fairly low meat intake anyway so I'd rather consume the goodness of the collagen along with it.

Sorry for the wall of text and thank you in advance to everyone and have a nice weekend.