The Vegetarian & Vegan Thread

[chanelnumber5]

^ i hope not!

same, im gonna be annoyed if im been resisiting these 8 years only to find its done more harm than good, oh well couldnt possibly stop being vegetaian now the thought of eating meat now is its more of a habit or automatic reaction now

 

[ShuggaStiletto]

I would think it's alright as long as you've been taking vitamins. I know people who were born into vegetarian families and so have never eaten meat, or have only had small amounts of it when they were younger.

I think I'll end up going to a nutritionist or talking to my physician about it the next time I go, about becoming vegan, if my family/doctors let me go all the way vegan, so that I can figure out which vitamins I should take, etc.

 

[hitzpink]

Shugga, I don't recommend going to your physician for nutrition advice. Most general practitioners have very little training/education in nutrition, and are likely to try to steer you away from a vegan, or even vegetarian, diet! Talking to a nutritionist is a good idea, though. She/he should be able to give you good advice regarding a healthy vegan diet and what supplements you might need to take.

I love this thread, it's so interesting! It's great to see so many vegetarians. I'm 23 and only recently started experimenting with a vegetarian diet. There was a time when I ate a hamburger every single time my boyfriend and I went out for dinner -- which was several times a week. I used to be an incredibly picky eater, but now I love a ton of veggies I wouldn't have touched before, and the thought of eating a burger makes me queasy.

I honestly think meat kills you slowly.

I totally agree.

 

[FrockRadar8]

Since becoming a vegetarian, I've noticed that the smell of meat or poultry just grosses me out. It's practically unbearable. I can't help but ask myself "How in the world did I think that would be good to eat?"

 

[ShuggaStiletto]

I just went to get a drink in the fridge and we have a chicken leftover from last nights dinner and I almost vomited looking at it. Those videos are powerful.

Is anyone here a member of Peta, or someone that could explain more about me to them? I'm confused. Looking at videos on YouTube, reading articles online, going to their website, I'm confused about their views. I heard that they don't approve of pets of any sort? And all these stories about how Peta has killed lots of animals? I don't approve of some of their tactics...I don't think violence, etc. is necessary to get their point across, but their videos really changed my view so if I become a vegan or vegetarian I think maybe I'd like to join. I just want to know what I'm getting myself into first.

and Peta2 is just supposed to be a younger/"hipper" version of Peta right?

 

[Irene_A]

ive been vegetarian since the age of 7, and no side effects yet knock wood. im only 5'3 but i think thats cos im naturally short, cos alot of my family are. is it bad to be vegetarian at 15?

It's not recommended for anybody to be vegetarian while they are still growing, the you can be wathever you want as long as your diet is well-balanced, but not recommended doesn't mean forbiden and better eating vegetables than fast food.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Oh and it would be interesting about height. How tall is everyone here and when did you stop being veggie. I think height and meat definately go hand in hand. That is why I am glad by parents stuffed me full of protein such as eggs and milk when I was growing.

I became vegetarian when I was 9, of my own accord...and have been vegetarian ever since...I've been just over 5ft11 since I was 16...and peoples parents used to tell me I wouldn't grow...now I'm taller than all their daughters

 

[Irene_A]

Shugga, I don't recommend going to your physician for nutrition advice. Most general practitioners have very little training/education in nutrition, and are likely to try to steer you away from a vegan, or even vegetarian, diet! Talking to a nutritionist is a good idea, though. She/he should be able to give you good advice regarding a healthy vegan diet and what supplements you might need to take.

Well, nutritionist lack a lot of knowledge endocrinologists have, better going to both of them. I'm studying biomedicine right now and I had to take nutrition as a compulsory subject (I also took endocrinology). If you asked me, between being a vegetarian and eating meet in a healthy diet I'd always recommed the second, but a vegetarian diet is not a bad choice if you take all the supplements needed (as I said it's far better than fast food for example) except for pregnant women and children under 10.

 

[Sillygirl]

If you asked me, between being a vegetarian and eating meet in a healthy diet I'd always recommed the second, but a vegetarian diet is not a bad choice if you take all the supplements needed (as I said it's far better than fast food for example) except for pregnant women and children under 10.

what kind of supplements are you reffering to? I agree that taking B12 supplements is essential if you're vegan, but I can't see what a vegetarian would be missing on without animal flesh in his/her diet

as long as you get proper nutrition while being vegetarian, (i.e., with complete proteins & iron to make up for the lack of animal flesh) , you're fine



(edited for spelling)

 

[Irene_A]

The main supplement you need is B12, but then you have to be careful with iron (bad quality from vegetable sources), vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus if you are a strict vegetarian and essential aminoacids (I think there was a post about them in this thread).

 

[Sillygirl]

well yeah, that's what I meant, you have to be carful with all of these, but they can all be obtained through a balanced vegetarian diet without having to take any supplements (except b12 for vegans of course)

 

[ShuggaStiletto]

I just read that soy is bad for you if you have too much. I know too much of anything is a bad thing, but I never realized this. That'll make being vegan much much harder if I have to restrict soy too. It's an ongoing debate apparently.

 

[misssakura]

Is anyone here a member of Peta, or someone that could explain more about me to them? I'm confused. Looking at videos on YouTube, reading articles online, going to their website, I'm confused about their views. I heard that they don't approve of pets of any sort? And all these stories about how Peta has killed lots of animals? I don't approve of some of their tactics...

Hey there Okay so the first thing to bear in mind with Peta is that it's a very varied organisation, also split up historically into roughly three 'acts'. The first, and perhaps their most celebrated, started in the 80s with their campaigning to raise awareness of the horrible cruelty that happened to animals in laboratories, a practice that had been occuring under the public's nose for many years. The second act seen by many was the campaign to eliminate meat from the every day diet, probably their most lasting. The third act has often defined them as activists, with their recent 'activist' protests against the fur industry and other big conglomerates such as KFC.

Now, my problem with Peta is not what they have achieved, nor what they stand for. I think that is all ethically sound. Also i'd like to add that just because the prominent PETA members might utilise more activist techniques, it is no reason not to support their campaign, there are millions of regular every day people who join PETA, who don't believe that using animals is right.

What I will say is this. PETA tars everyone with the same brush. In my opinion this is wrong and misleading. It distorts the fact. There is absolutely no doubt that there is an insane amount of animal cruelty out there, and I will not stop anybody from watching their educational videos, in fact I encourage it. I encourage people doing their research. I would just caution not to always take PETA at face value.

A good example would be their recent campaign regarding the use of wool. Now, i'm not a huge wool user, I have a New Zealand Wool duvet and it keeps me warm, but I don't wear it. However PETA is campaigning against the treatment of Australian Wool Sheep, following shocking undercover investigations into their trade. Australia produces 30% of the world's wool. PETA claims that [all] wool farmers abuse the sheep, shove them into pens, brutally cut the wool off their flesh and throw the corpse into the gutter. This may be true for the australian wool market, but this is insulting to those sheep farmers who tend and lovingly care for their flock, as is the case in many countries such as New Zealand and England. Flocks are allowed to graze naturally on pastures, free roaming, many will only undergo one dip a year to remove parasite eggs, a process that takes fewer than 15 seconds. The sheep are taken individually into the shearing hut, where a single nick of the sheep's skin by the handler could lower the value of the wool by up to 15% or more. The process is fast and done very skillfully, an ancient trade, where the sheep is then released back to the flock, without the hot and cumbersome wool for the summer.

This is just one example of PETA tarring everybody with the same brush. For example, organic farming has completely different operating mechanics and ethics than regular farming. Organic farms are very willing to greet visitors, so if you want to keep eating eggs, i'd suggest finding your local organic dairy farmer and asking if you can come over to see how they operate. Often these small farms are incredibly proud of what they do and they're excited to show it off to their potential (or existing clients).

I'd say, support PETA, you don't have to be an activist, but I urge you to research things for yourself, and decide your own ethics.

If you can, go organic, and really try to cut down on milk, but if you do have to drink milk then it can be organic too, as these are very small farms that allow the calf to stay with the mother, as well as cutting down on the amount of milk the cow has to produce.

And don't wear fur. Its disgusting! Peta is absolutely right, and its my favourite campaign, apart from their campaign against broiler chickens. Sorry if that was a rant

 

[Sweets]

hmm... well i definitelly dont think that meat/eggs/dairy has a role in how much you grow... unless its how much you grow outwardly. I'm 5'11, vegetarian since 13... Meat doesnt equal good nutrition, just as not eating meat doesnt equal good nutrition either. You have to make the correct choices for your individual needs.

I was thinking about the person who created the hamburger/cheeseburger and what their motives must have been. Like, i want to create something with empty carbs, and ground beef and cheese, full of saturated fat, this will be the ideal food! i can't imagine why anyone would eat one, and i think back to how a cheeseburger tastes and well... its not really good, especially if you have a clean palate.

on the argument against soy, yes, many people are allergic to soy. However; many more are lactose intolerant and either ignore that fact or dont even think that their health problems could be do to dairy. Your protein doesnt have to come from soy, but i say eat/drink it in moderation if you are not allergic. Not every meal should be soy based, but it is a good addition to a healthy diet.

 

[ShuggaStiletto]

^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger

hahaha the origins of the hamburger!!

 

[hitzpink]

I just read that soy is bad for you if you have too much. I know too much of anything is a bad thing, but I never realized this. That'll make being vegan much much harder if I have to restrict soy too. It's an ongoing debate apparently.

Organic, fermented soy products (like tempeh, tofu, miso, and soymilk) aren't bad for you. Always go for the organic stuff, though. Non-organic soy is virtually guaranteed to be GMO. There is a lot of anti-soy stuff on the internet, but a lot of it is just scare tactics and based on sketchy research. Obviously it's not a good idea for ANYTHING to dominate your diet, so if you're eating cereal with soymilk for breakfast, baked tofu for lunch, and tofu lasagne for dinner, you might want to cut back a little! However, a little soy everyday is fine, and better than many of the alternatives (cow's milk, etc).

That being said, you should definitely limit the amount of unfermented, processed soy products that you eat. Things like soy "meats" and soy "cheeses". If you want to cut back even more on the amount of soy you eat, one suggestion I have is to lose the soymilk and replace it with almond milk or rice milk. I LOVE almond milk and use it for everything -- except savory cooking, in which case I use soy.

Anyway, nothing is going to make me give up my tofu scrambles in the morning! Yum!

 

[Sweets]

how do you do a tofu scramble? i had one at a resturant and really liked it, but i dont know how its done

 

[Irene_A]

hmm... well i definitelly dont think that meat/eggs/dairy has a role in how much you grow... unless its how much you grow outwardly. I'm 5'11, vegetarian since 13...

Well...you're wrong . Doesn't mean if you don't eat meat you'll be short, but probably shorter than you could have been (not always, just as not everyone who smokes gets lung cancer, sorry for the example I was just reading a paper about it), it's not because of the proteins but because of the energy. Vegetarian diets are hypocaloric, which means they don't give enough energy for someone who is still developing, you have to eat a lot more and probably won't reach the minimum (I'm talking about children and young teenagers, not adults). I studied vegetarianism as one of the factors that affected growth and general development in children, but then everyone is different, there are lots of individual aspects and you'd probably have been tall no matter what you ate.

 

[Irene_A]

Too much of almost everything is bad, you can become sick if you take too much of some vitamins. From all the vegetable sources, soy's the one who has more essential aminoacids and it contains isoflavones which protect against cancer. The debate was about them because supposedly big amounts of them could possibly cause cancer instead of procecting against it but I don't think anything has been proved yet.

 

[Sweets]

please keep in mind there's a lot of propoganda, especially when it comes to finding facts AGAINST vegetarianism. i dont really think its justified to compare not eating meat to smoking cigarettes... oh and saying "well.. you'e wrong" is rude, regardless of the smiley face you put after it. Kids, especially girls are going through puberty at a much earlier rate these days because of the hormones put in milk. That is not good, healthy growth. Any vegetarian child or teenager can get plenty of calories, especially if they have supportive and/or vegetarian parents.