Vegetarian's??!
Vegetarian's??
What are some good reasons for becoming a vegetarian other than that is saves animals? and what are some down sides to it?
I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian, I'm all for helping animals and the environment but I want to know other reason why it's good and reasons why it is bad. Just so I know if I'm making the right decision. please help! thanks =]
Answers:
I was raised a vegetarian in tell I moved out of my parents place. I did enjoy the Worthington fake turkey and stripples, which was fake Bacon. There are Grillers that you can find at any Safeway, which are fake hamburgers. These are made of soybean products. All these you can eat with a variety of other vegetarian food and cook them like meat. At the time I stopped I found it to be more expensive than real meat. It’s not so easy to find. The ABC (Adventist Book Center) carries it in most cities, which is run by the Seventh Day Adventist. I do get it every now and then just because I crave it. Protean is a little problem but you can always make your own trail mix with lots of peanuts.
Here’s to your health!
Jessica Lancaster
Go to the library and check out, "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins (of the Baskin-Robbins empire) and read it.
You'll never go back.
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EDIT: To Shelly: How cool! Wasn't that a great book? And about your comment on being "an animal lover?" There's a whole section in the book where he tells these stories of the most AMAZING experiences people have had with animals...there's the one about the sea turtle staying afloat with a woman clinging to his back after a shipwreck, then there's the one about the dolphins leading the Russian cargo ship through a dangerous, iceberg-filled passageway in the ocean, and another about a man recalling his boyhood when he was raised on a pig farm and remembering his father slaughtering his pet pig.....oh, there's tons of stories, and they are all documented.
There's another whole section interviewing athletes and olympic athletes about their careers and their vegetarian lifestyles, and doctors about medical facts, etc.
It's a GREAT book.
some up of become a vegetarian is all the fruits and veggies and less fats so you will become skinny, but you will not get protein if you do not eat nut. i recommend peanut butter.
Been a Vegetarian since I was 11 ( I am 26 now) have low cholesterol and I am generally healthier. Not to mention that "too full" feeling you get after you eat meat is nonexistent.
good thing is its good for your body & it'll make you skinnier
Blueridge is right on - I read that book and never touched beef again. Also, read about what beef does in your stomach. Not pretty. Being a vegetarian has also made me start eating a lot more fruits and veggies, which is always good, and I've discovered many more healthy foods. My cholesterol and blood pressure are also great, but I started working out a lot more after becoming a semi-vegetarian too (I still eat some seafood like shrimp, scallops, etc.).
It also just seemed hypocritical for me to be such an animal lover, but then eat them. I guess I just got to a point where I couldn't differentiate between the animals I love and snuggle with, and ones that I eat. In addition, I just personally believe that we've evolved past it. Centuries ago, we were hunters and gatherers, but with farmers, and grocery stores, etc., I just don't think it's necessary to eat meat anymore.
The animals today that are being raised for meat are kept in VERY inhumane conditions so that they can make more prophit
But the main reason I am vegetarian is health.
Animals raised for meat are pumped full of hormones to grow big and fat fast. This makes them diseased and isn't good for you to eat)
Animals that are meant to eat grass and other vegetation (i..e Cows) are being fed up ground up sheep and other cows. This makes them diseased. Ever hear of mad cow? That came from cows being fed ground up diseased sheep.
The Seventh-Day Adventists (who are health concious and mostly vegetarian) tried to find disease free chickens to make their own eggs... They could NOT find any chickens without cancer.
Basically, it's practically unsafe to eat meat. Some people say that the human body really isn't even meant to eat meat, and that's why cancer is so prevalent today. True or not, it IS a fact that most Americans today consume much more protien than their body requires. This causes health problems.
Environmental reasons
You know that like 90% or more of the farmland is for feeding cows, not people? IF for ONE day we took all the grain which is fed to cows, and instead made bread, we could give two loaves to every human being on earth. If everyone was vegetarian, we would not need to breed so many cows, and PEOPLE could eat the grain, World Hunger could be pretty much solved.
We could re-forrest like 90% of the rainforests and other forests we've cut down, if we didn't need that land for so many cattle (to satisfy people's taste for steak
Finally.. if you dare.. watch this video. I warn you, it's very disturbing.. could potentially make you cry and/or puke. But if you are wanting to become vegetarian.. it will definitely strengthen your resolve. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vijanhkqv...
You need to take B-12 supplements if you go vegetarian.
At the age of about 4 my parents decided to make my family vegetarian.
A very good reason is the ways meat is processed. There are soo much chemicals in meat that we have seen an increase in the early oneset puberty. In the last couple of years there has been an increase in females of precocious puberty that many say is a result of the hormones in meat and milk (findarticles.com/p/articles/m... ).
After going back to eating meat at the age of 13 ( I am now 25) I recently found out that I have a malfunctioning gallbladder (not in any way am I blaming the gallbladder malfunction on meat, just on poor eating habits) and the doctor told me that I should probably stick to a vegetarian diet because of the fat and the cholesteral that is found in a carnivorous diet.
Not to mention that your body functions better on a vegetarian diet. I am living proof of that. My energy is better, I am beginning to slim down to a healthier weight ( I went from 135lbs to 193lbs in about 3 years...I am only 5'4), I am currently at about 165lbs and I started less than 2 months ago. And I am still losing weight!
The only thing I would say is that you have to know how to balance your diet. Proteins can be found in the most unknown foods. And now there are many classes out that teach vegetarian cuisines.
The only downside is there isn't many places to eat out and not rely on salads and pasta dishes all the time.
Many ethnic food restaurants have good vegetarian menus. Try indian restaurants, authentic asian restaurants (vietnamese, thai, korean, etc.), middle eastern restaurants...etc
Or search the internet for great resipe's (www.ivu.org/recipes/)
Be ready to try new things!
I hope this helps!
I grew up vegetarian, and I still am (Now 22) Besides the fact that it's sick the way the raise and kill the animals (No offense to anyone who eats meat, my husband does and I still cook it for him and what not) But also it's much healthier for you in the long run. There isn't many down sides to the life style except that you should make sure you get protein from other places which is pretty easier than people make it out to be. I think it's just a healthier way of life, though it's not for everyone... if you do decide to go vegetarian and you need some help with foods and stuff e-mail me, I'll help out all I can, or if you would like to continue finding out more about vegetarians...
E-mail addy is: BeautifullyBrokenFae@yahoo.com
I would be a vegan if my body allowed it. People don't understand that b12 is only absorbed if it is a meat source. Supplements, algae, yeast are all analogues and don't work. There isn't anyway around that but that is the only reason that meat needs to be consumed by the average person. All other nutrients can be provided by alternate sources.
One thing to be aware of is that conventionally raised meats are poor sources of b12. Wild game meat and properly raised animals are the better source with liver being the highest. In fact your entire b12 requirement can be met with a single ounce of liver. Otherwise your requirement can be met by 2.5oz of good meat.
People don't need to eat more then 2.5oz of meat a day period and arguments can be made for less servings in a week. In terms of meat in my diet, I consume 3 servings of fish to 2 servings of red game meat to 1 egg to 1 vegan meal a week.
Dogs do have a higher B12 requirement and require roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times our requirement depending on level of activity.
I would love to not be responsible for other animals deaths but I believe the most important thing is to make sure my health is assured and after that to limit my footprint on this earth. In that pursuit I eat wild plants, home garden native plants and animals that are raised properly or are wild.
For every plant I consume I attempt to plant others and I save the seeds and spread them when I hike. I have a formula of whatever amount of seeds the plant would have produced is how many I release.
Thank you for caring enough to look at what you can do and be responsible.
you feel amazing not having all that meat rotting in you intestines, your energy comes up you lose weight(unless you overload carbs) it is hard to get vitamin d you can get from sunlight but supplements d-3 are animal source, iodine has to be supplemented too usually with seaweed or iodized salt, it can be a bit more expensive to buy fresh ingredients but not too much, another downside is people think you won't notice a bit of meat when you dine out they may use lard or pork fat and your body will not tolerate it and the meat makes you feel super tired or physically ill. animals we eat are not treated well and are pumped full of medicines and cheap food designed to fatten them up for the slaughter.
vegetarians live (on average) 7 years longer than meat eaters.
Eat meat! I see nothing wrong with fish or baked chicken! The Mediterranean diet is one of the most healthiest in the world! Fish has omega 3!!!!
Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body.
Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats.
A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease.
Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India.
Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal.
Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices.
Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods.
Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc.
Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases.
ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN DIET:
More & more evidence is surfacing that directly links a prolonged non- vegetarian diet to diseases as cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma just to name a few.
1. LOGEVITY: Vegetarian can expect to live 4-10 years longer then the non-vegetarians.
" Source: Seventh day Adventists study
2. LESS HEART DISEASE: Because of low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content of the vegetarian diet the risk of heart disease is lowered. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
3. LESS CANCER: Up to 40% of all cancers are diet related. Cancer death rates have been associated with obesity and high fat / low fiber diet. Vitamin A & C are thought to be protective against colon cancer. Low fat diets protect against prostrate and breast cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors which are present in plant foods and shown to be potent anti carcinogens.
4. LESS BOWEL DISEASE: Diverticular disease and appendicitis occur more frequently with low fiber intake as in meat diet.
5. LEES OBESITY & LESS INCIDENCE OF DIABETES: It is easier to plan a low fat diet for a vegetarian then for a meat eater. The fiber in plant food dilutes the energy & provides a satisfying meal without all the calories. Diabetes over the age of 40 seems to be related to obesity.
CONLUSION:
When activists like M.K. Gandhi, sports personalities like Martina Novratilova & Carl Lewis, beauties like Brooke Shields & Kate Winslet, physists like Edison, Albert Einstein & A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, religious leaders & mystics like Jesus & Osho can be legendaries in there respective fields taking the advantage of being vegetarian, Is'nt it more prudent on our part to switch over to vegetarianism & enjoy better quality & longevity of life.
If you are thinking about becoming a vegetarian for health purposes, that is a fantastic choice. I avoid red meat due to the addition of RBGH, which I believe makes me ill. If I consume dairy with RBGH, I end up with symptoms similar to lactose intolerance, but I do not have those with products from animals not treated with this. (RBGH is Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone and it is believed to be a contributing factor to early onset menstruation in younger and younger females)
Vegetarians don't save animals (yes, I realize how unpopular this answer will make me, but so what?) any more than I save lima beans by refusing to eat them. Lima beans (and animals) are still being raised, processed, and sold in stores with or without anyone purchasing them.
If you do make the choice to go veg, do it right. A strict diet of french fries does not make you a vegetarian, just a picky eater. You need to actually like a wide variety of foods, and be willing to eat different things at each meal to have a healthy, well rounded vegetarian diet. A multi vitamin is a must, and you need to figure out your nutritional needs and what you aren't getting enough of to compensate for it.
Vegetarianism is a lifestyle choice, and it isn't for everyone (again, I DO realize how unpopular my answer is, but you do have the right to both sides of the story). I tried it for 2 years, but was constantly anemic and run down. My body would not process enough iron without meat, in spite of the fact that I practically lived on iron rich foods like leafy greens. I could not tolerate most multivitamins, they tore up my intestinal tract. So, I had to make the choice to go back to eating meats, in small quantities, with lots of healthy fruits and vegetables to round out my diet for my health.