Thank you so much for your long response. Losing a pet is very hard and we do need to allow ourselves to grief. And I am so sad for your bird. I can't even comprehend not to take care of a living being in our care.
I hear you on the animal cruelty and will only eat eggs from my own chicken who have a pretty good life.
I am horrified by the way mass produced animals are treated and while I am not against eating meat, I feel that as a society, we are way overdoing it. And not even eating the healthy parts. The broth made from bones and feet for example.
We are so wasteful as a society.
I am so happy to hear that you are feeling better after switching to eating mostly fresh produce. Logically, that is what we need to eat most off.
I am currently growing mealworms - right now for my chickens but also with the idea to use them as a protein and vitamin source. Much research is done that insects used to be a huge part of our diet and are very healthy for us.
Now, it is just a matter of getting over the yuck factor...