I’m a joyful vegetarian but I don’t begrudge other people the right to eat meat. After all, I do believe that different blood types thrive on different diets, and I have many friends who hate the thought of slaughter, but literally become ill if they don’t eat occasional meat.

I propose, then, compassionate meat. Whole Foods has already set high industry standards for ensuring that the animals are not only raised chemical-free, but with a reasonably high quality of life. These animals are given more care, space and hygiene than in your typical factory farm.

Why should this matter? Because all stress, pain and fear translate into hormones released into the meat. Besides, it’s bad karma. There are ways to painlessly slaughter animals while showing them respect and gratitude.

A friend of mine told me about a trip to Nepal in which she saw yaks slaughtered in a very caring and relaxed manner. The side of the throat was slit, in a place where the animal felt no pain, and as the blood flowed the yak slowly went to sleep. There’s absolutely no excuse to put animals in a state of utter fear and trauma in their final moments of life. It is just not necessary.

If you’re a meat eater then I humbly ask that you become more aware of inhumane factory farm practices and then choose to support the compassionate alternative. And please spread the word, because creating more stress and pain on the planet – especially that of the helpless animals in our care – is neither sustainable nor good for the human soul.

The reason I write this is because the reality is that most of the people on the planet do eat meat. In my ideal reality I'd prefer that no animals ever get killed, but the actual reality is that for the moment, they are. So rather than agitate meat-eaters and make them hate the word "vegetarian," I prefer to offer a compromise and an alternative.

Therefore, I accept that for the time-being most people eat meat. What I don't accept is the brutality and heavy trauma of the process. If we can start by changing this, then we've achieved a huge leap in consciousness. And consciousness builds upon itself.