Vegetarianism

[Ares Tyr]

why do you eat fish? Honestly, the fish you eat probably came from fish farms, therefor raised to die. Even that point is a little contrived isnt it? Sorry dont mean to question your choices i just dont understand that part of vegetarians.

I found out about that, so I only buy fish that are taken out of the ocean. It's a ***** to look for specialty brands though.

If it's for the purpose of health rather than ethics then I don't see the problem with it, but if its an ethical choice then I do find it hypocritical. Alot of people surrounding the two main cultures I live within (Buddhism and Hardcore Punk) are vegetarians, or even vegan, but I'm not. I enjoy steak and what not too much. Also I'm pretty certain on the fact that the food chain exists for a reason. Animals eating animals is definetly not a new concept, and I'm not into that whole "we don't need to eat meat in modern society" shit because if modern society all of a sudden falls out, I don't want to feel some sort of moral dilemma when I've got my knife against the throat of my next meal.

The ethics argument makes more sense than that for health I see how a person doesn't want to eat animals that were raised to die, but to eat fish (even wild caught) kinda destroys the whole point. If your trying to be ethical, you should just pick and choose what animals can be eaten, either eat them all or don't. To be a vegetarian for health is a bad idea, as human beings are omnivores and should eat both meat and other foods to be healthy. But if you want to be vegetarian, take supplements and eat a lot of protein.

I edited my post to further elaborate my point. But yeah, I agree. Human beings should eat everything because it's more natural and healthy for them to do that. However, vegetarianism isn't an impossible way to live and still maintain an extremely healthy, protein rich diet. Take for example MMA fighter and UFC veteran Mac Danzing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Danzig] or Ricardo Moreira [http://blog.peta2.com/2008/07/vegan_mma_fighter_ricardo_more.html] both of which are vegans, who require large amounts of protien in their diets. They aren't even allowed to consume animal byproducts like milk or fish oil, but still maintain high levels of protein, calcium, and carbs in their diets.

It just depends on the right vegetables and roots. I read an article in an MMA magazine sometime ago that discussed it in more detail. So it's not out their for health reasons either, but then again, veganism is by far more of an ethical choice.

 

[Bagaloo]

As long as you don't start preaching vegetarianism, or assuming you are better than everyone else because you don't eat meat, the best of luck to you.

 

[6883]

So ya, Iv been a vegitarian all my life. Now I know it seems like a huge accomplishment but for me its just normal. Think about it, you cant miss what you've never had. Im a strict veggie btw, this meens no fish or bird, along with the other obvious meats. For those leaving their meat filled diets, a word of advise. Eat thing with PROTIEN!!! Meat isnt the only thing on this planet that has protien in it. You can find many soy products in a grociery store. Many of these try to resemble meat, but dont go in thinking its going to taste like a burger because it wont and you'll just be dissapointed. Go in with an open mind.
Oh, and my friends who do eat meat have tried "my meat", (please no gay jokes)
have said that it is good, its just not like real meat.

Hope this has helped. =)

 

[Ares Tyr]

So ya, Iv been a vegitarian all my life. Now I know it seems like a huge accomplishment but for me its just normal. Think about it, you cant miss what you've never had. Im a strict veggie btw, this meens no fish or bird, along with the other obvious meats. For those leaving their meat filled diets, a word of advise. Eat thing with PROTIEN!!! Meat isnt the only thing on this planet that has protien in it. You can find many soy products in a grociery store. Many of these try to resemble meat, but dont go in thinking its going to taste like a burger because it wont and you'll just be dissapointed. Go in with an open mind.
Oh, and my friends who do eat meat have tried "my meat", (please no gay jokes)
have said that it is good, its just not like real meat.

Hope this has helped. =)

It almost did. But then you used a smiley and rendered your arguement null and void.

 

[nerdsamwich]

To be fair aren't the vegtables you're eating just plants the were raised to die and be harvested?

True Fact: Plants feel pain too.

Where the hell did you get that piece of nonsense from? Plants have no nervous system and therefore no feeling whatsoever. I'd refrain from citing ridiculous things like that as fact.

Then how would a plant recognize and fight back against a virus or bark beetle infestation? Just because neurons are responsible for animal sensations doesn't mean that neurons are the only way to go. Haven't you seen the Mythbusters where they proved that plants respond to music? They seemed to prefer Metallica. And a university study hooked up a sensitive EEG to a ficus and subjected it to baseline tests, and then a course of experimentation that seemed to show that the plant could not only feel pain, but emotions as well. Tobacco plants even warn each other by pheromone communication when one of their number is infected with a disease. That right there is smarter than a lot of people I know.

 

[SLy AsymMetrY]

Yeah, you need the protein that animals provide in order to stay sane and prevent brain damage.

For Proof: http://bit.ly/xj7jE

I'm sorry but if you knew any vegetarians then you would know that they and the 500 million Indian vegetarians are completely sane!

Hah! Who're you trying to kid? Nobody's 'completely sane'. The whole world's completely nuts! The only sanity comes from the animal kingdom. Other animals actually understand their place in the food chain.

 

[PyroZombie]

your to tell me you've never known the love only meat and a charcoal grill can provide?

 

[clicketycrack]

I could never become a vegetarian. That veal is just so damn good.

 

[TheBigInterview]

you lack the protein that you're going to need and to make up for that you'll need to start buying more expensive pseudo-meat and all that jazz. source: cousin's been a vegetarian for 9 years now and said it has a huge financial toll on her. but her spirit is high and will not give up.

so that's really the only thing i can say to you. if you feel it's right go for it, but expect some problems with money.

 

[deleted_scifidownbeat]

DELETED

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

what about the poor broccoli!? do you think they like being slaughtered!?

sorry, sorry. i'm with the thinking that we're made to eat meat, so why not. they really don't know any better. though i do buy free-range, etc, because i'd rather know they lived nicely before they died for my hamburgers.

edit: coming from someone who was veggie for two years.

 

[The_Echo]

Humans are omnivores for a reason.

To be fair aren't the vegtables you're eating just plants the were raised to die and be harvested?

True Fact: Plants feel pain too.

Where the hell did you get that piece of nonsense from? Plants have no nervous system and therefore no feeling whatsoever. I'd refrain from citing ridiculous things like that as fact.

I don't know about pain, but I do know that plants have memories and feelings.

Also, if they didn't have a nervous system, then how would carnivorous plants (i.e. Venus fly traps) ever know if they have prey on them?

 

[jane_says]

Should look into alternative sources of iron. I was a veggie for a while too but I'm anaemic so it really didn't agree with me. You get a lot of iron from meat so if you find yourself getting fatigued you might wanna look into a good supplement. Also the darker a green vegetable is i.e brocolli and spinach the higher the iron content. Little nugget for you on that - Popeye was never intended to be a cartoon for entertainment purposes, he was a marketing strategy for spinach growers.

 

[The Rusk]

why do you eat fish? Honestly, the fish you eat probably came from fish farms, therefor raised to die. Even that point is a little contrived isnt it? Sorry dont mean to question your choices i just dont understand that part of vegetarians.

I found out about that, so I only buy fish that are taken out of the ocean. It's a ***** to look for specialty brands though.

To be honest that's no better. The methods by which fish taken from the ocean have a very destructive impact on the ocean's ecosystem.

As for advice, here's what I can offer:

Buy and use lentils. If you find you don't like them, try a different type. They're extremely healthy and rich in protein. They go best in things like curries and bolognases (substituted for mince).

If you don't know already, try and figure out what herb and spice combinations go with what. The problem a lot of first time vegetarians have is that they complain the food is too bland. However what they don't often realise is that it's not because of the lack of meat, but just that the food hasn't been seasoned right. A good way to pick up what herbs and spices to use is to simply start watching a few cookery programmes every now and then.

Be more adventurous with what you put into your food. Another thing some people complain about becoming vegetarian is the lack of variety. However there are tons of different types of vegetables and beans to use, most of which I personally love.


These are just a few things off the top of my head. PM me if you want any more advice or anything, though don't expect a reply for about a week as I'm going to egypt tomorrow.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Humans are omnivores for a reason.

To be fair aren't the vegtables you're eating just plants the were raised to die and be harvested?

True Fact: Plants feel pain too.

Where the hell did you get that piece of nonsense from? Plants have no nervous system and therefore no feeling whatsoever. I'd refrain from citing ridiculous things like that as fact.

I don't know about pain, but I do know that plants have memories and feelings.

Also, if they didn't have a nervous system, then how would carnivorous plants (i.e. Venus fly traps) ever know if they have prey on them?

Maybe if you, you know, understood how plants work you wouldn't make such ridiculous claims.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/flowering-plants/venus-flytrap.htm

Mammals, birds, and most reptiles have very similar brains to our own. While the centers for language and logical reasoning aren't as developed in most animals, the centers for pain are quite similar - as these are likely older pathways. It's reasonable to assume that most vertebrates feel pain much the same way that we humans do - and social animals like chickens clearly suffer in isolation or overcrowded areas.

Plants do not have brains. Plants do not have nerves. If plants react to "pain" it's not likely anything like what we experience. It's safe to say that plants are totally mindless, unlike most animals. To say otherwise is more than a little ridiculous.

 

[CoconutTequila]

Should look into alternative sources of iron. I was a veggie for a while too but I'm anaemic so it really didn't agree with me. You get a lot of iron from meat so if you find yourself getting fatigued you might wanna look into a good supplement. Also the darker a green vegetable is i.e brocolli and spinach the higher the iron content. Little nugget for you on that - Popeye was never intended to be a cartoon for entertainment purposes, he was a marketing strategy for spinach growers.

That is true, but not all iron is necessarily accessible by digestion. For example, spinach (or at least I'm pretty sure it was spinach) has an extremely high iron content but the amount that you can actually get from eating it is quite low.

 

[brainfreeze215]

I don't have any problem with vegetarianism. What I do have a problem with is vegetarians who try to put themselves on a pedestal and make we carnivores feel inferior. How obnoxious.

And, while this sort of pessimism is the kind of trait that gives me a negative impression of people, aren't all creatures, edible or not, in a way raised to die?

Deep, right? Depressing too... damn.

Um... ice cream!!

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Should look into alternative sources of iron. I was a veggie for a while too but I'm anaemic so it really didn't agree with me. You get a lot of iron from meat so if you find yourself getting fatigued you might wanna look into a good supplement. Also the darker a green vegetable is i.e brocolli and spinach the higher the iron content. Little nugget for you on that - Popeye was never intended to be a cartoon for entertainment purposes, he was a marketing strategy for spinach growers.

That is true, but not all iron is necessarily accessible by digestion. For example, spinach (or at least I'm pretty sure it was spinach) has an extremely high iron content but the amount that you can actually get from eating it is quite low.

Eh, it doesn't really matter in the long run, since common vegan foods contain high amounts of iron. They're absorbing less but, if they're eating properly, they're still getting their iron. Also, apparently vitamin C - which vegetarians typically get more of - makes it much easier to absorb non-heme iron. Go figure.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

Another reason for the satisfactory iron status of vegans is that vegan diets are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C acts to markedly increase absorption of non-heme iron. Adding a vitamin C source to a meal increases non-heme iron absorption up to six-fold which makes the absorption of non-heme iron as good or better than that of heme iron 4.

Fortunately, many vegetables, such as broccoli and bok choy, which are high in iron, are also high in vitamin C so that the iron in these foods is very well absorbed. Commonly eaten combinations, such as beans and tomato sauce or stir-fried tofu and broccoli, also result in generous levels of iron absorption.

 

[jane_says]

Should look into alternative sources of iron. I was a veggie for a while too but I'm anaemic so it really didn't agree with me. You get a lot of iron from meat so if you find yourself getting fatigued you might wanna look into a good supplement. Also the darker a green vegetable is i.e brocolli and spinach the higher the iron content. Little nugget for you on that - Popeye was never intended to be a cartoon for entertainment purposes, he was a marketing strategy for spinach growers.

That is true, but not all iron is necessarily accessible by digestion. For example, spinach (or at least I'm pretty sure it was spinach) has an extremely high iron content but the amount that you can actually get from eating it is quite low.

Eh, it doesn't really matter in the long run, since common vegan foods contain high amounts of iron. They're absorbing less but, if they're eating properly, they're still getting their iron. Also, apparently vitamin C - which vegetarians typically get more of - makes it much easier to absorb non-heme iron. Go figure.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

Another reason for the satisfactory iron status of vegans is that vegan diets are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C acts to markedly increase absorption of non-heme iron. Adding a vitamin C source to a meal increases non-heme iron absorption up to six-fold which makes the absorption of non-heme iron as good or better than that of heme iron 4.

Fortunately, many vegetables, such as broccoli and bok choy, which are high in iron, are also high in vitamin C so that the iron in these foods is very well absorbed. Commonly eaten combinations, such as beans and tomato sauce or stir-fried tofu and broccoli, also result in generous levels of iron absorption.

Should look into alternative sources of iron. I was a veggie for a while too but I'm anaemic so it really didn't agree with me. You get a lot of iron from meat so if you find yourself getting fatigued you might wanna look into a good supplement. Also the darker a green vegetable is i.e brocolli and spinach the higher the iron content. Little nugget for you on that - Popeye was never intended to be a cartoon for entertainment purposes, he was a marketing strategy for spinach growers.

That is true, but not all iron is necessarily accessible by digestion. For example, spinach (or at least I'm pretty sure it was spinach) has an extremely high iron content but the amount that you can actually get from eating it is quite low.

Eh, it doesn't really matter in the long run, since common vegan foods contain high amounts of iron. They're absorbing less but, if they're eating properly, they're still getting their iron. Also, apparently vitamin C - which vegetarians typically get more of - makes it much easier to absorb non-heme iron. Go figure.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

Another reason for the satisfactory iron status of vegans is that vegan diets are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C acts to markedly increase absorption of non-heme iron. Adding a vitamin C source to a meal increases non-heme iron absorption up to six-fold which makes the absorption of non-heme iron as good or better than that of heme iron 4.

Fortunately, many vegetables, such as broccoli and bok choy, which are high in iron, are also high in vitamin C so that the iron in these foods is very well absorbed. Commonly eaten combinations, such as beans and tomato sauce or stir-fried tofu and broccoli, also result in generous levels of iron absorption.

Very true. A lot of iron supplements recommend mixing or taking them with orange juice.

 

[Chartic]

I have recently started practicing vegetarianism. I still eat fish but will not eat any other type of meat due to them being raised to die. I would like to know if anyone has any advice for me or any warnings that my lifestyle of not eating much meat could have on me.

i shouldn't help you, because i believe vegetarians are 1/3 of the most arrogant assholes on earth, because they refuse to accept the idea of survival of the fittest, and letting these stupid animals live.

but i like your name, reminds me of some form of blood disease. BUT you got to help me understand this shit, by answering a few questions.

your main problem will be protein, which without you would be very weak.

-fish are a excellent source of protein, but some fish related products, such as some brands of canned tuna, will have been treated with oils, and water, and preservatives that actually get rid of some protein.Try having fish that you have seen whole, like at the seafood section of your local grocery store.

-eggs, also a good source of protein.

-also, bugs. Not fucking kidding. some of them taste beautifully roasted, just make sure to not eat the poison sac, and you should be fine.


Okay now for your part of the bargain;

-Why do most vegans and vegis seem so goddamn smug when i eat something that was too stupid to run after seeing one of my reletives run full-bore towards it, with something that clearly shot out the first 2 times hot metal death?

-is there anyway that you can say to these arrogant assholes that not everyone likes to eat foliage that can be easily grabbed from a tree for 1/100th of the cost?

-Does this look infected

-Why are people vegans? I've heard people say because its life, but so are fucking plant. I've been told to stop cows from farting and grazing, but thats them living. i don't get it.

1.Because most of them believe that they are saving the world or something like that. I don't really know. I guess they also believe you are primitive for still eating meat. Again, I'm not sure.

2.Tell them that.

3.Yes

4.They believe that they don't want to harm the earth at all, like you I don't understand it.