Why are you a Vegetarian?
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I'm not a vegetarian myself, but I grew up with a cousin who was because she didn't like the idea of eating an animal and I also have friends who are vegetarians for religious reasons. When my cousin stopped eating meat she became anaemic because she wasn't getting enough iron in her diet, but know she knows the right things to eat and also taking vitamins shes perfectly healthy.
Vegetarians do have lower rates of heart disease and cancer.TomLikesGuitar said:
* One study found vegetarians to suffer significantly lower mortality from heart disease than health conscious non-vegetarians. Mortality from ischaemic heart disease was 57% lower in vegetarians than the general population, and 18% lower than in non-vegetarians following a healthy lifestyle. Deaths due to cerebrovascular disease was 43% lower in the vegetarians compared with the general population.
* A study of 25,000 vegetarian Seventh-Day Adventists noted a definite dose-related link between meat consumption and heart disease. Among men aged 45 to 64, those who ate meat daily were three times more likely to die from heart disease than those who did not eat meat.
* The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study examined the relationship between diet and health in more than 5,000 young adults aged 18 to 30. Vegetarians were found to have a greatly improved cardiovascular fitness and a lower risk of heart disease.
* One way that a vegetarian diet is thought to protect against heart disease is the lower cholesterol levels seen in vegetarians. Raised cholesterol is widely recognised as a primary risk factor for heart disease and studies have consistently demonstrated serum cholesterol levels in vegetarians as being around 10 per cent lower than in non-vegetarians.
* The California Lifestyle Heart Trial indicated that a low-fat vegetarian diet together with other lifestyle changes such as increased exercise and stress management can actually reverse the progress of heart disease by reducing cholesterol plaques in arteries.
* Vegetarians suffer markedly lower mortality from coronary heart disease compared to non-vegetarians. This reduced risk may be related to the lower blood cholesterol levels of vegetarians.
* An 11-year study of 1,900 German vegetarians has found mortality from cardiovascular disease to be 61% lower in male vegetarians and 44% lower in female vegetarians than the general population.
* Vegetarian Heart research: A recent collaborative analysis of 8,300 deaths among 76,000 men and women in five prospective studies concluded that vegetarians have a 24% reduction in mortality from ischaemic heart disease, this increased to 45% in the under 65s. When compared with regular meat eaters the vegetarians showed 34% less mortality.
source= http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/vegetarian-health-heart-disease.htm
* A study of 25,000 vegetarian Seventh-Day Adventists noted a definite dose-related link between meat consumption and heart disease. Among men aged 45 to 64, those who ate meat daily were three times more likely to die from heart disease than those who did not eat meat.
* The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study examined the relationship between diet and health in more than 5,000 young adults aged 18 to 30. Vegetarians were found to have a greatly improved cardiovascular fitness and a lower risk of heart disease.
* One way that a vegetarian diet is thought to protect against heart disease is the lower cholesterol levels seen in vegetarians. Raised cholesterol is widely recognised as a primary risk factor for heart disease and studies have consistently demonstrated serum cholesterol levels in vegetarians as being around 10 per cent lower than in non-vegetarians.
* The California Lifestyle Heart Trial indicated that a low-fat vegetarian diet together with other lifestyle changes such as increased exercise and stress management can actually reverse the progress of heart disease by reducing cholesterol plaques in arteries.
* Vegetarians suffer markedly lower mortality from coronary heart disease compared to non-vegetarians. This reduced risk may be related to the lower blood cholesterol levels of vegetarians.
* An 11-year study of 1,900 German vegetarians has found mortality from cardiovascular disease to be 61% lower in male vegetarians and 44% lower in female vegetarians than the general population.
* Vegetarian Heart research: A recent collaborative analysis of 8,300 deaths among 76,000 men and women in five prospective studies concluded that vegetarians have a 24% reduction in mortality from ischaemic heart disease, this increased to 45% in the under 65s. When compared with regular meat eaters the vegetarians showed 34% less mortality.
source= http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/vegetarian-health-heart-disease.htm
Cancer = http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jul/01/vegetarians-blood-cancer-diet-risk
I just feel killing an animal is wrong, especially in a society where there are alternatives.
I don't judge people that eat meat. This is just a personal preference
I don't judge people that eat meat. This is just a personal preference
I love every kind of meat. That being said, my mum does like making tasty vegetarian/vegan dishes in spite of the fact that no one in our household is either of the two, so I can appreciate a nice vegetarian meal, but meat is always an added bonus for me and can potentially improve any dish.
That being said, when (or even if, since the tuition fees in the England are so high now) I'm in university, I might have to live off vegetarian meals because I'd be to poor to be able to buy any meat, but if I had some disposable income, I think I would treat myself.
That being said, when (or even if, since the tuition fees in the England are so high now) I'm in university, I might have to live off vegetarian meals because I'd be to poor to be able to buy any meat, but if I had some disposable income, I think I would treat myself.
I'm a vegetarian because it's how I've been brought up. My parents were both hippies and decided to bring up their kids as vegetarians. They've made it clear that I can eat meat if I choose to, but just not in their house.
But I've never felt the need to eat meat, and I even gave up drinking milk and eating eggs 4 years ago (although I still eat dairy products such as cheese, chocolate and mayonnaise). I'm perfectly happy the way I am and have no desire to try a different diet.
It's a healthy lifestyle and I believe its unnecessary to eat animals. But at the same time it doesn't bother me that my friends eat meat. I understand that people have different beliefs and that's just fine.
But I've never felt the need to eat meat, and I even gave up drinking milk and eating eggs 4 years ago (although I still eat dairy products such as cheese, chocolate and mayonnaise). I'm perfectly happy the way I am and have no desire to try a different diet.
It's a healthy lifestyle and I believe its unnecessary to eat animals. But at the same time it doesn't bother me that my friends eat meat. I understand that people have different beliefs and that's just fine.
If I was to become vegetarian, it would be for animal cruelty reasons. However, at the current stage I'm at, I try and favour free range animals that have been reared in good conditions. That may change later.
Just putting it out there... animal's habitats are destroyed to make farming land. Those animals die too.Digi7 said:
Interesting fact, I was taken to a vegan restraunt by my old housemates and my girlfriend (one of my housemates was vegan) and the smell of the place made me physically ill. I had to go outside and sit on my own while I waited.manic_depressive13 said:
Then they proceeded to call me closed minded and immature for not liking the smell (assuming it was a choice rather than feeling physically nauseated) .
Just thought it was an interesting story to bring up considering that so many people complain about the smell of meat.
"To the cruel, it is meat and drink; to the kind, it is the chicken the vegan compliments as the best tofu ever." - TVTropes, Comedic Sociopathy. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ComedicSociopathy]
And a damn fine summation of my views on the topic.
And a damn fine summation of my views on the topic.
I've been a vegetarian since I was ten years old - I'm twenty-two now. I initially made the decision not to eat meat for ethical reasons, I don't believe that there was a truly 'humane' way of killing animals on mass and didn't want sustenance from death. I knew that I couldn't kill those animals myself, and certainly wouldn't want anybody to do it for me.
Of course I'm aware that this wouldn't affect the beliefs of others or indeed the number of animals killed. I don't force my views on others and will cook non-vegetarian food for my family. There are those who occasionally will be obnoxious and try to hide meat in my food or question my personal dietary choices. I find that people often regard vegetarianism as a fad, or that vegetarians will occasionally eat a steak too as they are unable to stick to their convictions. This makes me ANGRY WITH RAGE.
People who claim to be vegetarian but eat fish are in fact pescetarians. Though some don't view fish as meat for religious reasons I think the majority do regard it to be.
Of course I'm aware that this wouldn't affect the beliefs of others or indeed the number of animals killed. I don't force my views on others and will cook non-vegetarian food for my family. There are those who occasionally will be obnoxious and try to hide meat in my food or question my personal dietary choices. I find that people often regard vegetarianism as a fad, or that vegetarians will occasionally eat a steak too as they are unable to stick to their convictions. This makes me ANGRY WITH RAGE.
People who claim to be vegetarian but eat fish are in fact pescetarians. Though some don't view fish as meat for religious reasons I think the majority do regard it to be.
]manic_depressive13 said:
It was more her ignorance he was making a point of I think. He was repeating her question, but saying what he would prefer, and she was ignorant to that, replying she would never eat there. Most people wouldn't want to eat ONLY vege, so the fact he eats both is irrelevant, becuase he may prefer to eat meat but has vege as a side
I used to be a ravenous meat-eater until several months ago, when I fully realised the extent of my hypocrisy. I wouldn't kill an animal unless I was about to starve and had no other alternative - I've been on farms and I've seen pigs and poultry get slaughtered. It wasn't pretty (especially the pigs - they scream. A lot).
To me, causing that much suffering for selfish reasons - eating meat isn't a necessity at all - is disgusting. Particularly when you consider the modern meat-processing industry, how fucked up it is, how much it pollutes, how much waste it produces etc... and also when you consider that the protein found in meat is easily replaceable.
That being said, I don't 'judge' meat-eaters, nor do I try to convert people to vegetarianism. It's a personal choice based on my ethics, and I never talk about it with anyone.
However, some of the arguments posted here - such as "we're omnivores, we have canines, it's nature, deal with it" - are very crap rationalisations that make me angry tbh. I myself used to recite them to vegetarians as a way to feel smug, but I now realise it was just defensive posturing.
Again - eat as much meat as you want, but don't use those types of arguments. They're idiotic, especially coming from people who've never reared cattle or actually hunted animals themselves (like their much vaunted 'predatory' nature would suggest).
I hate preachy vegetarians, but I absolutely loathe smug omnivores who want to lecture veggies about why their lifestyle is stupid or 'unnatural'. (Funny how selective interpretations of 'nature' come to feed non-arguments... see attacks on homosexuality, for example.)
To me, causing that much suffering for selfish reasons - eating meat isn't a necessity at all - is disgusting. Particularly when you consider the modern meat-processing industry, how fucked up it is, how much it pollutes, how much waste it produces etc... and also when you consider that the protein found in meat is easily replaceable.
That being said, I don't 'judge' meat-eaters, nor do I try to convert people to vegetarianism. It's a personal choice based on my ethics, and I never talk about it with anyone.
However, some of the arguments posted here - such as "we're omnivores, we have canines, it's nature, deal with it" - are very crap rationalisations that make me angry tbh. I myself used to recite them to vegetarians as a way to feel smug, but I now realise it was just defensive posturing.
Again - eat as much meat as you want, but don't use those types of arguments. They're idiotic, especially coming from people who've never reared cattle or actually hunted animals themselves (like their much vaunted 'predatory' nature would suggest).
I hate preachy vegetarians, but I absolutely loathe smug omnivores who want to lecture veggies about why their lifestyle is stupid or 'unnatural'. (Funny how selective interpretations of 'nature' come to feed non-arguments... see attacks on homosexuality, for example.)
Funny that, chicken is possibly the most horrible food. At least in Australia, chickens are treated fucking terribly.imacharginmehlaz0r said:
I got this from one of my best mates who worked for a company that performed health checks on places like Steggles and Ingham chickens. Admitedly he only worked in northern Queensland but he gave up his favourite food due it his experiences.
(He gave up chicken by the way.)
I second this entire post, I agree with his points and am a vegetarian for the very same reasons.latenightapplepie said:You do know that canines have nothing to do with eating meat right?Zeeky_Santos said:
Both herbivores.
On topic: I'm a vegetarian for health, ethical and environmental reasons. I would even try veganism if I didn't live still live with my parents.
I think this is your problem. You may want to, in future, make a distinction between these two categories of people in your own mind to avoid sounding like you're doing the exact thing you hate.Super Toast said:
The wording "if they're a vegetarian because "Meat is murder" than they can stick their own self-righteous head up their ass." says to many people, "They're vegetarian therefore; self-righteous. They have to stop eating meat so they can stop being uptight."
I think in future you need to make sure that you explain that vegetarians who are arses about it annoy you. Not just vegetarians.
All I'm saying is meat's the most direct way to get protein, which is a vital part of our diets.latenightapplepie said:
And do you realize how stupid your second point sounded? Do you honestly believe a cow can outrun a pack of wolves? Did you take a blow to the head?