Can vegan be for everyone?!
Answers: I just got done reading the book Skinny *****. I loved it. Then I went online and saw a negative review about it on Amazon where the person explains that a vegan diet isn't for everyone. Now, even though these ladies who wrote this book aren't the most professional people in the world, they still back up all their points with reputable sources, don't they? I don't see how any human needs meat or dairy in their diet after reading that book. Our bodies have evolved since cavemen times, correct? I also read "You: On A Diet" and they think we should go back to more of the eating habits of the cavemen. Skinny ***** argues that we have evolved and do not need meat or dairy of any kind, and that it is in fact unnatural to eat. It isn't something that some people need to be healthy. I think EVERYONE could be vegan and be healthy, but some people still say it's not for everyone. How so? Give me some proof or at least reputable evidence to counter or overrule the points in the book Skinny B*****
The last change in our bodies since"caveman times" was the ability to process lactose past the age of two. That mutation is still spreading and only present in about twenty percent of humans.
www.beyondveg.com
Lots of info how veganism is not for everyone. And info on what cavemen ate and what apes eat today. This post should get lots of thumbs down but you should still check out that page, it is honest about the potential downfalls eliminating a foodgroup or two.
Also I would like to know what the carbon footprint of a vegetarian in Alberta looks like compared to a meat eater. We have one of the shortest growing seasons in the country so when fruits and vegetables are no being trucked in from BC they are being flown in from Florida or California or New Zealand.
No vegan is not for everyone, I still want a steak every now and then and I definitely want my leather shoes and wool coat.
I'm taking a college level nutrition class at the moment - geared toward nutrition in the health field. I'm not very far into the class, but one thing my instructor has already driven home is that the healthiest diet choice anyone can make is veggie/vegan. The problem is not everyone makes sure they get the nutrients they need. As long as you eat a balanced diet of fruits, veg, grains, legumes I think a vegan diet is the best diet for anyone. I'm not one to push eating habits - I figure adults can decide what to eat for themselves, and then live with the positive or negative consequences of those choices. HOWEVER, think of the decline this world would see in obesity, diabetes, many types of cancer, cardiovascular disease if people did eat that way. I think its not that the diet is not for everyone, people are just lazy and stuck in their ways...
the only reason that would make vegan diets "not for everyone" would be the lack of willpower to stick with it. there is no reason that anyone HAS to eat dairy or meat....that's just what people tell themselves.
If everyone stopped eating animals, we would have a more civil and much more intelligent society.
Some people do not have the mental capacity to stop eating animals.
Some have not yet evolved.
Some people do better on an omnivorous diet. I'm a big believer in listening to your body's signals, and if they feel best eating certain foods, well, clearly being vegan isn't for them.
Whether eating meat or dairy is evolutionary is like asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. But nobody can argue that the way animal foods are produced now is certainly unnatural. What the writers of "You: On a Diet" and everyone else advocating the caveman diet forgets is that people didn't really live very long back then.
What I do think is that eveyrone could at least stand to 1) reduce their consumption of animal foods and 2) eat less cruelly produced animal foods.
Vegan is not for everyone, just those who have money. Try going to any city with a urban population and see how easy it is just to eat healthy let along vegan.
Human beings are omnivores, we have not evolved to the point where veganism can provide everything. That's the reason vegans often need supplements to their diet.
A abundance of soy in the diet can affect males, because it contains substances that mimic estrogen.
Basically, as long as we don't push our lifestyle on anyone else, or think less of them for what they eat or don't eat, then we will be fine.
I've done allot of research on this subject, there is much talk on Metabolism types. The idea that some people can not do without animals flesh.
I am not sure I buy into to it when there are so many studies(100's) on the healing properties on being on High Raw Vegan Diet. I personally believe the human body can live consuming animal flesh but THRIVES on a plant based diet. I think eating animals flesh is an acquired taste. As most small children have to be coaxed or forced to eat it. I think once you are eating it it's addictive. Once I quite eating flesh, it never regained it's appeal to me. Even when I thought I was craving it, a tastes or 2 would put me back off.
On the Skinny B books I think they are good for a person who is exploring options for their lives. Not the hard core science of the John Robbins books or The China Study(or so many others) but anything that helps people find the path to good health is excellant.
Slainté (to your health)
PS I don't eat regular soy either. Unless it is fermented it is bad for everyone Male & Female.
No reason why not, but it's a matter of choice.
I disagree with Ben L - eating vegan is much cheaper than eating meat. Yes, fake meats are quite expensive, though not more so than meat, but it's very easy to be a vegan without them.
As for Skinny B*tch, I'm vegan and I hated it.One of my main objections was to its tone, I kept thinking 'just who the ****do you think you're talking to?' - the authors treat the reader like an idiot who just might learn something if they read on and try to keep up. I also hated the b*tch talk - the sort of sexist language my generation of feminists fought to stop men using against women.
That aside, I'm concerned by its premise; its claim is that as long as you're vegan, you'll lose weight. This is NOT true; even if you avoid junk food, a vegan diet will not necessarily cause you to lose weight.
I'm also concerned by the amount of mock meats, cheeses etc (ie processed food) they recommend; their menus would have you eating it every single day. While it's fine occasionally, it's not particularly healthy. Having sneaked a look at the recipe book, Skinny ***** in the Kitch, it seems to me a majority of the recipes call for faux meat or cheese too.
And no, I find some of their sources dubious. Their thinking seems to be 'if it's in a book, and we agree with it, it must be true'.
As I said, I'm a vegan, but in my opinion a balanced diet containing a little meat is healthier than the diet this book proposes.
And they mislead in their claim that the diet will prevent cancer - vegans get cancer too
*Edit: To answer your points - not sure why you ask why I'm a vegan, but it's because I choose to minimise my personal contribution to animal exploitation and suffering. I have been a vegetarian most of my life and a vegan for 12 years.
I think when they say they're against processed food, they mean only the processed food which is unacceptable to them. The faux meats, cheeses, ice creams etc that they recommend are highly processed - you couldn't make such things without a lot of processing.
And I think they DO give the message that a vegan diet will prevent cancer. In fact no foods do that. I'm living proof as I've had cancer as a vegan.
I don't have the book with me so I can't, at the moment, comment on specific sources - if I get my hands on a copy while this question is still live I'll answer that point.
I also read the book Skinny *****. Even though I do admire these girls for writing for what they believe in, I think it lacks alot of crucial information. I myself have been a vegan for the past two months and a vegetarian for many many years before that. I think it is correct to say that veganism in not for everyone in the following sense: not everyone is willing to make the necessary adjustments to their diet to accommodate the vegan lifestyle and yet still maintain a balanced diet. It takes more of an effort for a vegan to meet the daily requirements for protein and certain vitamins and minerals then for a non vegan. For me, the effort is well worth the cause! But I couldn't say the same for everyone! Following an eating plan like the ******'s suggest is not complete. There 1000 calorie eating plan is lacking alot of essential nutrients. I congratulate you on wanting to be vegan. But to make sure your body gets all its need meet, I suggest you read "Becoming Vegan" by Vesanto Melina or "A diet for a new America" by John Robbins... Good luck on your new journey!
Humans are omnivores. I think we're supposed to eat meat.
I tried to be a vegetarian a long time ago. I saw a dietitian and everything. I followed a good vegetarian diet. I became so unhealthy and malnourished. I was a pale stick!! So, I started eating meat again and became healthy.
It isn't for EVERYONE. my body couldn't handle it.
I loved this book. Something I read later on after becoming vegan already. Honestly I thought it was just another diet book- and not a vegan ethics book. The language was a little degrading- but I didn't think much of it while reading.
I didn't like the Faux meat thing either. I was kinda disappointed when I picked up the cook book. But I'm pretty sure that was only appealing to those who couldn't ween themselves off meat just yet. I think things like tofu and tempeh are much better than meat anyway- I don't want them tasting like the meat I didn't like in the first place. lol. That's why I will recommend this book to people who can't live without the taste of their meat.
As for proof to overrule the book: I don't think people can come up with a good argument- I'm actually waiting to find out if someone can. Normally meat eaters don't know what they are talking about (with false opinions they think are facts). So Star for you!
I am not vegan but am seriously considering going back to being a vegetarian this morning because of my father in law having a heart attack. I do have some plugs for going vegan (2 that you may hare read in the skinny ***** book of yours! 1. The diet original to man had no dairy or meat or anything animal related! 2. My vegan friend friend previous to becoming vegan had very high cholorestal and when she went vegan it became normal with no medicines! What ever you choose for your diet know that fruits, vegies, nut, berries do more to keep you happy and well than any animal product. But please don't undo your diet with to much junk food!
i like to eat meat meat made humans intelligent by giving us essential proteins to develop our brains it also stopped us from simply being prey and we started to hunt food why stop now its also delicious