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Vegetarianism





0
 06.01.2012 3:40am


Magicjewel
Dr. Fantabulous
Administrator



Kal said:

In the grand scheme of things, buying fruits or vegetables that have been imported from the other side of the globe is way more "harmful" than buying meat from even "non-humane" farms... so I try to buy local meat, fruit and vegetables whenever I can. However, the fact is, when you live in a large city, that stuff can be three, four or even five times more expensive than the regular kind, so it's not always an option.
If I had more money to allocate to food however, I'd definitely be much more careful about what I buy and try to reduce the amount of meat I consume.

My father is a farmer (though that is not how he makes his main income -- it's more or less something to do with a couple hundred acres of land he inherited).  I have a lot of respect for local farms and I really like knowing where all my food comes from.  This is not only in the realm of meat (which is partially why I don't eat it -- I can't ensure that it was ethically and humanely killed in with the least amount of pain as possible), but also all of my food products.  I buy local vegetables and fruits in addition to being part of a CSA (though I do purchase oranges, which are not local to WA, eat local bread, buy local alcohol, etc.  I make a lot of food from scratch so it works out really well.  The things I can't get locally I try to buy either organic or ethically produced items or I purchase them when I'm traveling and bring them back.  I also attempt to purchase local clothing, jewelry, and art whenever I can afford it and shop at local stores.  My boyfriend likes to poke fun at me because of my minor obsession with local shopping, but I really like knowing the person who is responsible for making something.  They're always happy to fix it if something happens, you can ask your famer how your food was grown or even help them on the farm, and it forces you to really think about your purchases, something most people don't do.   

It's expensive as hell but it tastes better and feels better to do.  I have to make sacrifices to do it but while I can afford it, I feel like it's worth it.  I'm planning to keep it up as long as I can.

And I second Onyx's comments about basic nutritional needs.  It's really important to actually research these things before you just start them. I think a lot of people do the vegetarian or vegan thing to try to impress people because it's in vogue or something, but it really is a pain in the ass and can leave you nutritionally deficient if you're not careful and committed to having a healthy diet.  I have been borderline anemic for a while anyway, and my doctor, when I told her I was considering this, was supportive yet stressed to me to make sure I ate enough iron and protein.  I actually got a little low at one point, but I was able to fix the problem before she, as she put it, "had to force-feed [me] a piece of chicken."  My doctor and I have a weird relationship like that because she is also my work colleague, but she was right.



"Well, your brain seems to work a little bit." -- Rune Walsh, Phantasy Star IV.




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0
 07.02.2012 1:45am
Thread Creator

Atma Weapon
I Am Pure Energy

I thought I would give a quick update, if anyone cares.

4 months in I'm still not missing or craving meat, per se. I feel as healthy and well as I ever have, and have lost about 10 pounds of body fat.

It's a bit of a nuisance that every meal has to be a moral decision, but it doesn't have a material impact on my quality of life. I've gained a new perspective on things and I really can't see myself thinking the way I used to about food. The genie is out of the bottle in a manner of speaking.




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0
 07.02.2012 3:21am


Mavilu
Yep, still gaming



That's good!, the first months are always the worst ones, until you adjust.
Congrats!.




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0
 07.02.2012 3:45am


Spidey
So Sigh Ety



Happy you are doing well with it , Atma.




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0
 07.03.2012 4:04pm


Catastrophe
I'm Catbug!



I can eat vegetartian meals but I could never live the lifestyle.

When it comes to eating meat, and consuming animal by-products (ie: dairy), I follow the "Ignorance is Bliss" line of thinking. Otherwise, I would become a vegetarian and then probably starve to death. I'm aware of where meat comes from (I'm not stupid), it's just I refuse to think about how it's procured. Yeah, it's a stupid way to live and I've been criticised for this line of thinking, but hey it works for me.

My mother tried being a vegetarian and lasted about 6 months (if I remember correctly) before she just got tired of it. Granted, this would have back in the late 60's, early 70's, when I'm sure options were a helluva lot more bland.

My boyfriend has contemplated it at times as well, which is kind of worrying, but at the same time, he's said that he isn't he'd able to stick with it because of all the foods he'd miss.




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1
 09.29.2012 10:40pm
Thread Creator

Atma Weapon
I Am Pure Energy

A byproduct of the positive vibe and life satisfaction I'm getting from this, is that it's given me motivation to learn how to cook Indian food.

I made channa masala today and it's amazing.

I think I'll use the leftovers to make a spicy hummus.




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0
 09.30.2012 1:08am


Indiana Jerico
Sinfully Delicious v2
Administrator



If I ever decide to become a full vegetarian, it would be because of health issues and not some moral "I must not eat other animals" stand. Everyone of us is part of a cycle in nature. I believe humans are designed to be omnivores. Our old ancestors are hunter-gatherers and I doubt they had any qualms about killing animals for food.

That having been said I used to hate eating veggies and would wantonly consume meat and junk. Ever since I decided to lift weights, however, I have started to watch what eat and have steadily added greens into my diet. As much as possible, I have also resorted to chicken and fish for meat.


===

"Plans? What plans? I'm making this up as I go!"








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0
 09.30.2012 10:55am


Mavilu
Yep, still gaming



Indiana Jerico said:

 I believe humans are designed to be omnivores.
===

"Plans? What plans? I'm making this up as I go!"

We are. That's why we have carnivore teeth and eyes in front to hunt and intestines designed to eat plants, we are part of that cool group of animals that include most bears and raccons.




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0
 09.30.2012 1:25pm
Thread Creator

Atma Weapon
I Am Pure Energy

Humans do many things in modern times that go against our evolutionary history. We sleep in beds rather than caves. We plant crops rather than foraging them from the wild. We expand the social group beyond immediate relatives. We build machines that make our lives easier. We elect governments. All of these changes are widely viewed as improvements over conditions we faced in Africa 200,000 years ago.

Conditions have changed. We have the technology to produce protein supplies from plant sources much more cheaply and efficiently than we can produce meat. That means that the suffering we inflict on animals in farming processes is completely unnecessary, and it also consumes valuable resources that could be used to feed the growing global population.




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0
 09.30.2012 4:33pm


Onyx
Butts
Administrator



Indiana Jerico said:

If I ever decide to become a full vegetarian, it would be because of health issues and not some moral "I must not eat other animals" stand. Everyone of us is part of a cycle in nature. I believe humans are designed to be omnivores. Our old ancestors are hunter-gatherers and I doubt they had any qualms about killing animals for food.

That having been said I used to hate eating veggies and would wantonly consume meat and junk. Ever since I decided to lift weights, however, I have started to watch what eat and have steadily added greens into my diet. As much as possible, I have also resorted to chicken and fish for meat.


===

"Plans? What plans? I'm making this up as I go!"

Funny thing is I know at least three vegetarians/vegans who went back to eating meat specifically for health reasons. And Daniel Bryan, WWE wrestler and vegan, had to start eating meat again. Weird thing is that he had to go vegetarian for health reasons, but WWE's travel schedule makes it that much tougher to find easily accessible vegetarian/vegan food options.




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0
 09.30.2012 4:54pm
Thread Creator

Atma Weapon
I Am Pure Energy

I know some similar people. Well, at least vegans. I tried to convince them that they should at least take a multivitamin in order to ensure a consistent intake of essential nutrients. Especially vitamin B12. It seems that there is no way o get it from plant sources. B12 supplement is produced by bacterial bioreactors,so there's no threat to animal welfare. These people were opposed to it, just because it wasn't "all natural" or whatever.

And most people who try to go veg/vegan simply don't take protein intake seriously. They end up wasting away, and often concluding that it can't be done healthily. Science baby, let's use it.




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0
 09.30.2012 8:30pm


Vyers
Dark Adonis



I've become semi-vegetarian since I started living alone, not out of any sense of responsibility or caring, but mostly out of laziness and poor meal planning.

For example I really like making stews, and most of my "dinners" are made up like:  Something proteiny + Something Carby + Vegetables.

Generally my stews use beef or lamb, and my meal would be a chop with potatoes and mixed veg.

Nowadays though if I'm not certain I'll be cooking dinner (due to working late, or going out), I don't want to leave pork/lamb/beef in my fridge since it doesn't keep very long, so I've taken to substituting chickpeas for meat in stews (has about the same texture, not at all the same taste, but it's fine), and for my meals, I've been eating a lot of fish or baked beans as my other protein alternatives.

It wasn't until I picked up a packet of sliced ham at the supermarket last week that I realised it was the first time I had purchased "meat" in about three months; and going without hadn't been a big deal.




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0
 09.30.2012 11:16pm


Mavilu
Yep, still gaming



Atma Weapon said:

Humans do many things in modern times that go against our evolutionary history. We sleep in beds rather than caves. We plant crops rather than foraging them from the wild. We expand the social group beyond immediate relatives. We build machines that make our lives easier. We elect governments. All of these changes are widely viewed as improvements over conditions we faced in Africa 200,000 years ago.

Conditions have changed. We have the technology to produce protein supplies from plant sources much more cheaply and efficiently than we can produce meat. That means that the suffering we inflict on animals in farming processes is completely unnecessary, and it also consumes valuable resources that could be used to feed the growing global population.
Oh, sure! and that's why we can have vegetable protein, proccess it and call it a day, but we are still omnivores and most people left on their own devices will obey the natural instinct to eat meat alonside other things, just like any other omnivore.




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0
 10.01.2012 12:12am
Thread Creator

Atma Weapon
I Am Pure Energy

The social environment also plays a big role. Take Indian culture for instance. There is a strong social stigma in some sub-groups, especially Brahmins, against eating meat on religious grounds. I know several young Indian men who eat meat, but keep it a secret with their families, in the same way someone who is gay or atheist might do in this country. Many are not open with their wives either.




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0
 10.01.2012 3:09am


Onyx
Butts
Administrator



The Indians I know that are practicing Hindus are either vegetarian or pescetarian. One will also eat chicken. Beef is (obviously) the big taboo, though. None of them will touch anything made from cattle, including leather or dairy.




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