vegetarian? vegan?
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- tomkat0
I eat what I would kill myself.
Fish, I eat.
Mammals, I don't.
- hhsix0
I must share: I have been vegi for 7 years and I feel a lot better now than when I ate meat - it is a myth that you become pale and tired. I also fall ill a LOT less than those around me and I put this down to my vegi diet.
Meat was never supposed to be consumed on the scale that it is now, by the human species .. any doctor will tell you that the acid in our stomach is just not up to disgesting meat on an every day basis. We are designed as a species to eat meat out of neccesity and therefore rarely.
Someone mentioned the environmental impact of eating meat, and this is so so true - people do not realise the stats behind animals raised for human consumption - both in terms of the carbon footprint and the effectiveness of land to graze the intense numbers needed to fit the gluttonous demand of our species. The BBC just did a study and the researcher, (much to his own disliking) concluded:
"...transport is a tiny component of agriculture’s worldwide contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. No, the main culprit is out there in the fields, chewing her cud. It turns out that livestock – predominantly cattle – are responsible for an astonishing proportion of global warming gases - 18 per cent of the total, to be precise. That’s right, almost a fifth of all emissions which is more greenhouse gas emissions than all the transport on earth – planes, trains, cars, skidoos the lot."
So we see, a study by the UN states that animals bred for our consuption contribute more greenhouse gas emissions than the might of all the worlds cars and transport combined. You CANNOT claim to be an environmentalist and eat meat - the two just do not go hand in hand whatsoever.
The reason I became vegi was mainly, though, to do with the philosophy and deeper meaning behind our own actions and their effect. It is a lifestyle choice that has a contributes a massive ripple, and I feel that I am in great company ~ as history has shown that a disproportionate amount of great minds have supported vegetarianism. Just some key figures include:
>> Plato and Pythagoras:
Vegetarians were actually called Pythagoreans up until the 1800's. Pythagoras did not eat meat and also disallowed his students from eating meat. He was an avid supporter on philosophical grounds.>> Einstein:
"Although I have been prevented by outward circumstances from observing a strictly vegetarian diet, I have long been an adherent to the cause in principle. Besides agreeing with the aims of vegetarianism for aesthetic and moral reasons, it is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.">> Leonardo da Vinci:
"...creator of the Mona Lisa, was such a fervent vegetarian that he would buy caged birds from poultry vendors and set them free."What we see is an ideal growing faster than any religious sect or belief system: "in 1945 it is estimated that there were about 100,000 vegetarians in the UK. The figure today is approaching 4,000,000, an increase of 4,000 per cent."
It's easy to mock vegetarians, as it is easy to mock anyone who makes choices that question your own mainstream generic view on living... but what have you done to make difference? I make a difference each and every day... and it's a great feeling.
- rafalski0
I was once told that people needed meat at least until their mid-twenties, because only meat contained all amino-acids needed for growth. Hence vegetarianism wasn't good for kids.
I don't know how valid that was, but the guy who told me that was a vegetarian.
- pascii0
here's my hint for those of you who have troubles with stomach-acid. i used to have this for 25 yrs, then my doctor gave me the advise, to eat nothing after 18h evening for 3-4 times the week. this helps the stomach to rebuild
- Jaline0
thanks, pascii. I think I'll try that.
Mine isn't that big of a deal (I found that eating at more strategic times helps), but I'm open to different things.
As for meat versus veggies, I think everything should be taken in moderation. Especially meat. For some reason it just grosses me out when someone has huge, dripping burgers or pieces of meat. At the same time, I think tofu is gross. But meat is more disgusting to witness, because of the portions people eat nowadays.
Although I eat everything, I only eat certain types of fish and meat. I do it because it tastes good, but also because I to get my full nutritional needs. I'm not ready to make the lifestyle change required to switch to a vegetarian, nor do I have a good reason to do so.
- moth0
Your facts are wrong also.
moth
(Apr 13 07, 10:23)how do you about the facts? where are your facts?
JG_LB
(Apr 13 07, 10:25)If you knew about the facts, and were even a little bit conscientious about what you put into your mouth, you'd know that eating meat doesn't have to be "horrendous". It sounds like your facts could be the mere hysterical bleatings of some vegetarian fascist who bases their facts of the meat industry on worst case examples.
Farming animals for food isn't always horrendous. Sometimes it is, and you have a choice not to eat that that is.
- pascii0
...it's a fact that meat takes longer to be digest. but mankind has eaten meat since we exist, but not in that mass. i'd say, meat 3 times a week is ok, friday fish and the rest vegetables
- wendog0
good points moth, Im not saying eating the meat is inhumane, i just think that nowadays it is supporting alot of very evil things...things werent the same a hundred years ago...this is all about big business and moneymaking - not health and the environment...I recommend seeing Earthlings, its a very good movie that explains alot...
- pascii0
eat less meat = problem fixed.
- Crouwel0
I eat what I would kill myself.
Fish, I eat.
Mammals, I don't.
tomkat
(Apr 14 07, 01:19)yeah. even though i wouldn't even kill a fish either. i tried to save a spider earlier today.
- ribit0
what about the rights of vegetables in all of this?
spiders should be eliminated because they are horrible in a 'not of this earth' sort of way...
- Jaline0
actually, mosquitos are worthless
- Jaline0
*mosquitoes
- pascii0
"it's ok to eat fish 'cause they don't have any feee-lings..."
- wendog0
actually fish have a pretty complicated and sensitive nervous system
- ribit0
save the vegetables! use photosynthesis!
- nessdog0
My old flatmate was vegan... her bum burps smelt something rotten.
- wendog0
sweet links ribit - im gonna go out in the sun now!