Becoming a veggie/vegan, is it worth it?!
Becoming a veggie/vegan, is it worth it?
Do the health benefits outweigh the hassle of having to learn to cook decent veggie/vegan food?
I'd like to go vegan really, I'm not a big cheese fan anyway, but I can see myself lapsing into veggie stuff every now and then, in case anyone was wondering why I wasn't making a distinction between the two.
Answers:
“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.”They may also have a lower risk for some other diseases such as constipation, diverticular disease, gallstones and appendicitis. Women who eat little or no meat are four times less likely to develop breast cancer than women who eat meat reguraly.An English study that compared the diets of 6,115 vegetarians and 5,015 meat eaters for 12 years found that the meatless diet yielded a 40 percent lower risk of cancer and a 20 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. According to William Castelli, M.D., director of the famed Framingham Heart Study, vegetarians outlive meat eaters by 3 to 6 years.After reviewing 4,500 scientific studies and papers on the relationship between cancer and lifestyle, a team of 15 scientists sponsored by two leading cancer research institutions advised that those interested in reducing their risk of many types of cancer consume a diet that is mostly fruits, vegetables, cereals and legumes. They declared that up to 40 percent of cancers are preventable, with diet, physical activity and body weight appearing to have a measurable bearing on risk. In 1996 the American Cancer Society released similar guidelines, including the recommendation that red meat be excluded entirely from the diet.Heart disease does not have to be a death sentence or mean a life of cholesterol-lowering drugs and bypass surgery. By prescribing a vegetarian diet, regular exercise and spiritual nourishment for his heart patients, Dean Ornish, M.D., proved that the progression of this number-one killer can be halted and even reversed.In 1995, 683,000 people died prematurely as a result of atherosclerosis-related diseases. In other words, they died largely as a result of their meat-eating ways. This figure represents 29 percent of all deaths for that year.
Meat contains 14 times the amount of pesticides as plant foods, since pesticides get concentrated as they move up through the food chain, and since they're more easily stored in fatty tissues.The EPA discovered that the breast milk of vegetarian women contained far lower levels of pesticides than that of average Americans. A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that "The highest levels of contamination in the breast milk of the vegetarians was lower than the lowest level of contamination…(in) non-vegetarian women… The mean vegetarian levels were only 1-2% as high as the average levels in the U.S."In the fall of 1996, a study showed that prenatal exposure to PCBs, even relatively small amounts, can impair intellectual development in children. Aside from fish, PCBs can be found in other high-fat foods such as cheese, butter, beef and pork. Women who plan to become pregnant were also advised by the study to avoid foods containing PCBs because the chemicals can remain in their bodies for years.An early '90s EPA report found that 95 percent of human exposure to dioxin, a known carcinogen, comes from consuming red meat, fish and dairy products. Later, chicken and eggs were added to the list. Dioxin builds cumulatively in fatty tissue. The only way to flush it out is through rigorous fasting or via lactation. When a batch of dioxin-contaminated soybean feed entered the food chain in 1997, the FDA set limits on concentration at one part per trillion. If all animal foods were held to this standard, it is likely that many would not be cleared for human consumption.
In the United States, farm animals receive 30 times the antibiotics that people do--not so much to treat infection, but to make the animals grow faster on less feed. Though perfectly legal, the practice is, in effect, promoting the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some of these bacteria can cause human diseases that physicians are finding difficult to treat. The practice is adding to the general worldwide crisis of drug-resistant disease. Each year, 60,000 Americans die because their medications were ineffective in combating bacterial strains.Every year, on average, each American becomes sick and 9,000 people die from something they ate. That something was probably of animal origin.Except in rare instances, neither the USDA nor the FDA has any regulatory powers on farms where pathogens originate. With the exception of E. coli O157:H7, dangerous bacteria are legally considered "inherent" to raw meat. It's up to consumers to neutralize pathogens with cooking. Two of the "legal" ones--campylobacter and salmonella--account for 80 percent of illnesses and 75 percent of deaths from meat and poultry. One hamburger can contain the meat of 100 different cows from four different countries. One infected animal can contaminate 16 tons of beef.The Centers for Disease Control estimates that campylobacter infects 70 to 90 percent of all chickens. Campylobacter infections give their human victims cramps, bloody diarrhea and fever and lead to death for up to 800 people in the United States each year. For 1,000 to 2,000 people per year, infection will lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disease that requires intensive care for several weeks. A September 1997 sampling of supermarket chicken in Minnesota found 16 percent infected with an antibiotic-resistant strain of campylobacter.A USDA microbiologist declared in a Time magazine story on processed poultry that "the final product is no different than if you stuck it in the toilet and ate it." No wonder: A 1978 USDA rule allows poultry processors to wash contaminated birds rather than discard them or cut away affected parts. "Wash," as interpreted by the poultry industry, means "communal dunk" in what amounts to a virtual fecal soup that ensures salmonella cross-contamination.
Vegetarians have also been shown to have more endurance.At Yale, Professor Irving Fisher designed a series of tests to compare the stamina and strength of meat-eaters against that of vegetarians. He selected men from three groups: meat-eating athletes, vegetarian athletes, and vegetarian sedentary subjects. Fisher reported the results of his study in the Yale Medical Journal. His findings do not seem to lend a great deal of credibility to the popular prejudices that hold meat to be a builder of strength.
"Of the three groups compared, the... flesh-eaters showed far less endurance than the abstainers (vegetarians), even when the latter were leading a sedentary life."
Overall, the average score of the vegetarians was over double the average score of the meat-eaters, even though half of the vegetarians were sedentary people, while all of the meat-eaters tested were athletes.
A comparable study was done by Dr. J. Ioteyko of the Academie de Medicine of Paris. Dr. Ioteyko compared the endurance of vegetarians and meat-eaters from all walks of life in a variety of tests. The vegetarians averaged two to three times more stamina than the meat-eaters. Even more remarkably, they took only one-fifth the time to recover from exhaustion compared to their meat-eating rivals.
Wherever and whenever tests of this nature have been done, the results have been similar. Doctors in Belgium systematically compared the number of times vegetarians and meat-eaters could squeeze a grip-meter. The vegetarians won handily with an average of 69, whilst the meat-eaters averaged only 38. As in all other studies which have measured muscle recovery time, here, too the vegetarians bounced back from fatigue far more rapidly than did the meat-eaters.
Source(s):
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/f...
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.ht...
http://goveg.com/healthconcerns.asp......
http://www.chooseveg.com/health_overview...
http://www.cspinet.org/eatinggreen/index...
Order a free vegetarian starter kit
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/
no. eat meat! MEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Only if you want to add to greenhouse gases.
No. It's not worth it. If you think eating meat is wrong, then that animal died for nothing.
it can be easier to start out as a vegetarian, and wean yourself off meats that way, then you can work to wean yourself off dairy products.
You can also only buy organic dairy. Products such asHorizon and Clover sell milk and milk products with no growth hormones in them. They stuff cows with that stuff, and it is not good for us!
Nowadays there are also some really great meat substituions. I love the brand Quorn- they make turkey rolls, and they taste like turkey! Also, yummy little stir fry chicken bits and even cutlets! Morningstar Farms makes great things also- their grillers prime taste just like regular burgers to me. They have crumbles, which is like ground beef that I use in lasagna and chili, sometimes even sloppy joes!
You have just got to think vegtables and replace what meat you can with meat free products and so on....Some of it is about discovery and learning new recipes but it is definiately worth it...give it a go
I am not sure about being vegan............................
Why not eat veggies and meat thats good for you like fish or baked chicken? Who says meat is bad? It's all rubbish! EAT MEAT!!!
It really depends on how willing you are to give up certain foods. Just make sure that whatever you do, you do your research so you can do it healthily. A lot of people choose the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle without really knowing what they're doing, and they end up malnurished and doing themselves more harm than good.
You are going to give up chocolate ? Nothing is worth that.
Perhaps the BEST THING YOU HAVE EVER DONE IN YOUR LIFE..... You will find out as time goes, better body, better mind, cleaner vision..... better environment, better connections...
No, it's not worth it.
There is a short piece on vegetarianism on my 360 page. I hope it helps you out.
http://360.yahoo.com/iamleonardmoo...
Here is some really helpful information about becoming a vegetarian. Hope this is helpful
http://www.brown.edu/student_services/he...
didn′t do it cause of weight reasons, but of oecological and spiritual reason. i am vegetarian for 26 years now and i am really fine with it.
vegan is very nice, but i need some milk for my coffee...
vegan is great and cool
i am also using no animal products whenever it is possible
no feather′s in bed, no leather in dressing, no animal coats.
it can be healthy if you get enough protien but that is not as easy when you don't eat meat. besides that it is not unhealthy but it is not healtheir than eating normal.
no
NO
Humans are omnivores. Your body needs some meat. That doesn't mean to go out and eat greasy chicken wings every day, but a little bit of meat (not necessarily every day) is probably the best.
Everything in moderation.
no, eat meat Meat MEat MEAt MEAT MEAT!
If you don't like your hair and you want to smell bad, go vegan! Otherwise, eat meat like we were meant to. There is a reason why people have canine teeth; it's for tearing meat. Not to mention meat has other nutrients that you won't find anywhere else. Go organic and bypass all the added hormones. Nothing beats a medium rare serloin but if red meat isn't your thing then eat fish and chicken. Tuna has loads of protein and little fat.
No! Its not very worthy to become vegan all the time.
Being a Veggie/Vegan isn't especially healthy and doesn't mean you Will automatically lose weight.
For health reasons some years ago I had to go on a lacto-vegetarian diet for four and a half years. I got used to preparing and eating veggie food but never lost the feeling that there was something missing. Eventually I had an operation and was quickly back to eating meat..which I love eating. If you don't like meat....don't eat it! If you don't like dairy products of one sort or another...don't eat them! BUT Don't put yourself on a diet unless you have to.....why force yourself not to eat foods you enjoy...lifes too short. Whatever food you like...eat it but try to avoid junk/fast food as it really is not good for you.
Best wishes, Mike.
If it's just for health benefits not moral reasons then why bother. You can learn to cook vegetarian meals and choose vegetarian options at some meals without committing yourself to go without meat completely and still enjoy the health benefits of a diet rich in veg.
I was vegetarian for many years on and off. I would eat an occasional chicken and beef only on holidays.
Recently, a year ago, I got my family to become vegan because we met some people we liked and learned a lot from them. They are very vegan because of animal rights, etc.
It was very stressful! I found that I was reading all the labels and there is so much in food that has whey, which is milk. IT became too much for me. I had to relax on it!
When we were at a potluck and our vegan friends were hosting. Someone brought a quiche. My husband really didn't think twice to put it on his plate! Our vegan friend had said, "that is not vegan!" My husband felt like he had to put it back....the people who brought it were so offended!
It was just too much for our families!
I think being vegetarian is fine because we like to have pizza, once in awhile. I like eggs. I buy my eggs from a woman who raises chickens and I can see what she feeds them and how they live.
I buy only the best dairy and raw cheese because it is good!
If eating is causing stress.....cut it out!
Yes!!!
I would say eat very few animal products. Dairy and eggs - to me - are strange things for humans to eat. But going totally "vegan" is a very strict way to live. I personally eat a bit of fish and chicken and wear leather shoes. But my use of animals for food is very limited, and my health is excellent.
There is a website that you should check out that can answer your question. http://jeffpopick.com/
Veganism is a way of life and is a HEALTHY way of living.
Just recently I moved from part-time veggie to mostly vegan (no leather clothes, no fur, natural fabric clothing such as cotton-hemp, animal free personal products etc.) however I guess you could say that I ride the fence....on occassion I revert to eatting cheese (absolutely love it !!! ) but then I feel terrible about doing so. But on the whole, I eat mostly vegan. Being veggie is not that hard these days. There are tons of food products available and many food marts are trending towards carrying veggie and vegan food, hygiene and cleansing products.
So to anser your question, yes being veggie/vegan does have its health benefits. Vegan is a way of life (more than just about eating non-animal products) but so long as you are doing your best, that is all that matters.
Check out http://www.vegetariantimes.com/... This is a great magazine that offers lots of very interesting information!!
Good luck with your choices and you have my support for veggie/vegan living!!! :)
yea I think so.At first it's hard and then as you go along it's easy.here are some links that might help you:
http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-recipe.asp...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/vegetariani...
http://www.peta.org/
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/3002-be...
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetaria...
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/
yeeaaaaah it it SOOOO worth it I've lost alot of weight since becoming a veggie and i never feel guilty any more for eating Innocent animals,also some of the veggie products taste lovely i like quorn and I'm planning on trying tofo yummy lol good luck and rember your being more healthy and your saving lives of Innocent creatures go you yaaay x x
The cooking part is not really that different once you figure out what you're doing. If you plan everything ahead of time it makes it a lot easier and you reduce your chances of your food going bad. I understand your concerns. I just recently made the switch and I've found the more research you do, the easier it becomes and the more you realize how important it is.
The only benefits you'll receive is........ being a 100% healthier! You'll feel great!
It is worth it if you aspire to be a pale, weak, whiney misery guts.