meateaters

[vurdijak]

Anyone have any opinions on being a vegetarian? My cousin is sickened by my voracious meat eating, and tells me that if I cut meat out of my diet I would feel healthier and live longer. Not to mention I wouldn't be promoting the butchering of fluffy stuff with my dietary habits. Any thoughts?

[tessa]

Personally I know little of it, other than the warnings that meats provide certain nutrients to the body that plants do not.

When in doubt, check Wikipedia, I always say. I haven't read through it thoroughly, but perhaps it can shed a little light for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism

Of note, there is a section entitled, 'Health benefits and concerns'.

Hopefully this can help you. And on subject of sparing fluffy stuff, as much as my girly girl side would cheer and go, "You go, girl!", there is the fact that lack of hunting can cause overpopulation of certain animals, which inevitably leads to famine, starvation, and ultimately death to stem the population back down to managable numbers, and IMO, hunting is the lesser of those two evils. Of course, that doesn't apply to every animal that's killed for food, but it's something I think some people don't take note of.

[Sairina]

@tessa:
Well, most people can actually be sure that every single animal they eat has *not* been hunted, but produced for food.

Personally, I'm a vegetarian, eating eggs, milk and stuff for animal protein, but no fish or meat. Which shouldn't really cause any problems except maybe iron deficiency, but it's possible to avoid that with certain vegetables. Of course, if you're the type that doesn't eat most things that are green, vegetarianism isn't for you.

Healthiest way is probably to eat little, but good meat - not from mass production, but from a little wholefood farm, or such. Most people eat way too much meat anyway.

[Grindel]

One DOES feel better with a healthy diet, and I am convinced this includes meat now and then. Don't constrain yourself by removing nice things from your menus. Extremes are bad, so don't eat meat alone and don't become a vegan.

[Delia]

I have been a vegetarian for quite many years. At some point I slipped back to eating fish(I SO sinfully enjoy aquatic dishes) and nowadays I do eat 'regular' meat occasionally. While my youthful enthustiatic days are gone, I do recommend trying to cut your intake of meat(it does yoy wonders). One should acquire a balanced diet which is quite elusive these days, IMHO. I can sympathize with the various animal-rights movements but in the overall I think that one should be thankful of the life given and spend a moment in thought.

[adanath]

It is all about tolerance and moderation.

[Devi]

Smart vegans can get the same vitamins and nutrients in the same quantities as meat eaters, and I think smart meat eaters live just as long as smart vegans.

I think it's a matter of how much energy, time, money, and karma you're willing to spend on your diet. If you're concerned about health - just be smart.

If you're too lazy to be smart, both diets provide a lot of sources of unhealthiness. I think a stupid vegan might live a bit longer than a stupid meat eater. Heart attacks are much scarier than iron deficiencies, and stupid vegans don't need to worry so much obesity. Of course, that can be debated too!

[loni]

there is the fact that lack of hunting can cause overpopulation of certain animals, which inevitably leads to famine, starvation, and ultimately death to stem the population back down to managable numbers, and IMO, hunting is the lesser of those two evils. Of course, that doesn't apply to every animal that's killed for food, but it's something I think some people don't take note of.

this isn't about hunting vs. not-hunting. the meat that people eat is not meat that they are hunting themselves. sure, there are terrible overpopulations of deer -- if you want to hunt your own deer & help with the overpopulation problems, go for it.

but the reality of where meat comes from is factory farms, where animals are treated really terribly. a much worse evil than hunting or even overpopulation, for sure. i don't want to get into the nasty details of how the animals are treated, but it is a much worse life and death than any living thing deserves.

ethical vegetarianism isn't necessarily about thinking animals shouldn't be eaten; it's about thinking that it is wrong to produce animals in factories like they are product rather than living creatures.

Extremes are bad, so don't eat meat alone and don't become a vegan.

devi already commented on this, but i feel like repeating the point: there is nothing inherently unhealthy about a vegan diet. in fact, as long as you're not stupid about it, eating vegan is perfectly healthy.

[Sairina]

It is perfectly possible to have a healthy vegan diet, of course. It is just, as far as I can tell, a lot more difficult than a sensible diet that does include a little (and no too fat) meat or at least animal products. And the problems you can get if you're being too lazy to do it correctly can be a lot worse than just iron deficiency.

[loni]

there are plenty of health risks involved with eating meat, too. the level of meat-consumption in the us puts the eater of the average american diet at a high risk of protein toxicity and kidney problems. not to mention higher cholesterol, heart problems, and cancer -- particularly colon, prostate, & ovarian cancers.


of course, i'm not saying that you can't have a healthy omnivorous diet; i'm just saying the health risks of eating stupidly as a meat-eater are just as bad as the health risks of eating stupidly as a vegan.

whether someone choses to eat some, little, or no animal products is their own decision, and they have the ability to be healthy or stupid equally across all of it. :)

[tessa]

but the reality of where meat comes from is factory farms, where animals are treated really terribly. a much worse evil than hunting or even overpopulation, for sure. i don't want to get into the nasty details of how the animals are treated, but it is a much worse life and death than any living thing deserves.

You bring up a very good point I had completely overlooked. You're right, that kind of situation is the stuff of nightmares.

[Meribo]

Good riddance to the vegetarians, I've been a vegetarian for seven years and I have no reason to go back.

If you're not vegetarian you will get a mali to your skill improves.

[Olrane]

Bah. I like boars!

[Staltos]

If you lead an active lifestyle, I've heard mediteranean diets, specifically Italian, are extremely healthy because the meals are usually well balanced with healthy portions of white meat and fish. Of course there's also the less healthy italian food like pizza, but it is still way better to get a couple slices of pizza than a cheeseburger.

[adanath]

Eat in moderation, meat and vegetables. The animals are here to eat, but to take care of as well. Take care of nature, and eat in moderation, and your body will thank you. To be too extreme either way can be detrimental.

and by the way if we are to have a party..there will be massive amounts of ribs, pork tenderloin, and bbq there along with vegetables