Is it ok to be a vegetarian?!

Is it ok to be a vegetarian?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being vegetarian? If i were a vegetarian could i see the aura better? :D

2 days ago
i'm not a vegetarian..

2 days ago
so i guess...that you will loose weight too right?

It's sad when people come in here and say things because they feel they are right instead of having done extensive reading on the subject and trying it for themselves. A book store is highly beneficial, especially on this subject. If you don't want to spend time searching for titles, go to amazon or google and type in "vegan books" or "vegetarian books," get a list of titles and then go to your book store and read through them. You'd be amazed with the information and how many myths are out there.

I can't believe the things say on here. First of all, protein is called "the building blocks of life" and so everything has some protein in it. Take this into consideration - 100 calories of cow has around 5 grams of protein, while 100 calories of broccoli has around 11. Quinoa is a complete protein. As well asnuts and legumes. So is hemp, as well as being the most digestible and easily absorbed by the body. Furthermore, the whol protein thing is a myth. High protein diets, especially animal protein, is very detrimental on the body and its organs and is responsible for a lot of diseases (try China Study by T. Colin Campbell, for one suggestion).
Second, Omega-3 does not only come from fish. It's in flax seeds, walnuts, hemp milk and often fortified cereals and soymilks as well as oat milks, rice milks, etc.
Unlike what was said above, vegans do have gravy, ice cream, cookies, pastries, cake. . .and all that. Vegans, to put it very simply, have everything - just without the animal products.
B12 is a vitamin formed by bacteria. It used to be found naturally in top soil but with modern farming methods with pesticides and such and topsoil erosion, it is no longer present in soil. B12 can actually be stored in the body for years, which is why it takes so long for a deficiency to occur. Furthermore, very little is needed. We’re talking micrograms. A vegan diet may not be a reliable source of B12, but a flesh-eating diet isn’t necessarily, either. Meat has not been found to be a reliable source of B-12, at least according to extensive studies done by the USDA. The B-12 is too tightly bound within the protein to be adequately absorbed by our intestinal tracts. Even if meat were a good source, it is no longer a natural source of B-12. Unfortunately because of modern feeding practices of cattle, they no longer receive adequate B-12 in their diet and so they have to receive B-12 supplements (in other words, you are getting a supplement of B-12 second hand by eating meat). Dairy contains B12, but, unfortunately, dairy is the single most polluted food in our diets. It often has levels of dioxin and other petrochemicals that are far in excess of limits set by the EPA. It is also a food that promotes anemia by not only have low levels of iron, but also has elements which prevent proper absorption of iron. It is a very low nutrient dense food, and is very high in preformed Vitamin A which is not a healthful nutrient according to studies. On top of that, high consumption of dairy leads to excessive levels of Insulin-like Growth Hormone 1 in humans, and high levels of this hormone have been linked with various cancers, including but not limited to breast, prostate and colon cancers. I could go on, but I guess you get the idea here. Again, too, the B-12 from the cow's is not native to their diets any more, so they are getting it supplemented in. Yet, despite the high levels of consumption of foods high in B-12 in this country, it has been estimated by Harvard School of Public Health that B-12 is the most common nutrient deficiency in the US. So, it really comes down to the fact that we are not getting sufficient B-12 from any of our diets, and even if we could, the food sources that would give us sufficient B-12 our too polluted and unhealthful to eat in the required quantities to be considered ideal. In other words, in today's industrialized world where we wash fruits and veggies excessively (we used to get B-12 from the soil remnants on our produce), we are really best off taking a supplement for B-12. B-12 has found to be non-toxic in extremely high doses, so there is really no downside here (it is also relatively cheap). Seaweed and nutritional yeast both have some B12. Fermented items have some. Some cereals are fortified with it along with some vegan soymilks. For a direct source of vitamin B12 along with other B vitamins and a slew of other nutrients, I highly suggest Kombucha.
I've been vegan for two years and I've never felt better in my life. It's the best decision I've ever made for myself and (not only for the health reasons but after seeing Meet Your Meat (meat.org) and Earthlings (look it up in Google video)) I wish I was raised that way. The benefits are endless. I no longer have asthma, I have way more energy and can just keep going whereas I used to get winded really fast. . .while I used to get sick at least twice a year, I do not get sick anymore. I'm no longer tired constantly. . .the list just goes on and on. Not only for yourself, but for others, the environment, and animals.
The only real disadvantages are hearing the myths and misconceptions and silly stereotypes. And the fact that veggie restaurants aren't so huge, but even they can be found at happycow.net