Vegetarians...anyone

[redhen]

Quote:

 

[AngieChick]

DH grew up veggie, in a community of veggies, so when we were first married and living near his family in TN I was exposed to very healthy vegetarian eating. His mother was an expert at balancing nutritional needs while eating a varied diet. I was fortunate enough to learn how to do this as well.

At this point, if any of us were to eat red meat, it would wreak havoc with our digestive system. It would be seriously ugly. That alone is incentive to not try it!

My reasons for not eating it is more about the kind of life factory farm animals have. Death is a normal part of the life cycle, and that is fine with me as long as the time spent on earth was not causing undo harm to the animal. As a system, that's the way it is for commercial lots. So, I want no part in it. There are also huge environmental consequences. Not to mention that the meat/eggs/dairy from the factory farms are so much cheaper to produce that it has squeezed out the small farmers almost completely, the ramifications of this on our nation's food supply are going to be huge. I think it's wonderful that so many are raising and eating their own animals rather than commercial. Honestly, if I weren't such a wuss (and if my youngest son weren't so sensitive) I would do the same, and may eventually. But, until then, meat is off the menu. We all have our lines in the sand we draw, and that is where mine lands.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

My daughter made me try tofu...it was nasty. She also had veggie pepperoni which looked just like the real thing. My DH took a piece not knowing it was different. It made his face scrunch up and his tongue come out.

 

[CityChicker]

I was a strict vegetarian for many years and it absolutely wreaked havoc on my health. I really think that a healthy diet is a very individual thing. What works great for one person may be recipe for disaster for another.

I was a "good" vegetarian. I ate a great diet- whole grains, lots of fresh, organic vegetables, and always a good source of protein. During a good part of this time in my life, I even managed a natural foods store.

Overall, I was a vegetarian (and a vegan for part of this time) for the better part of twenty years. I developed diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and had crippling migraines. As I began to add meat back in slowly, my health improved and has continued to do so. Do you know how hard it is to be a vegetarian diabetic? LOL. For me, it was impossible. I still haven't eaten any red meat or pork for more than 20 years. My diet is still vegetable based, many of which we grow ourselves. I have added back in eggs, cheeses, chicken 2-4 times a week, and fish a couple times a week.

My health has totally turned around since going back to "some" meat. As always, your mileage may vary.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I personally feel that the American diet is overly meat-centric and all that extra unneccessary meat that we eat as a nation does not make us any healthier, nor our environment. People in other countries manage to be healthy on far lower intakes of meat products. Along with being mostly saturated fats, animal fats tend to concentrate toxins the animal experienced in the environment.

In 2000, total meat consumption, including red meat, poultry and fish, reached 195 pounds per person — 57 pounds above the average annual consumption in the 1950s, according to the USDA Agriculture Fact Book, 2001-2002, the latest version.

(Meat Can Be Murder on Long-Term Health )

I also prefer not to support our nation's current system for raising animals for consumption.​

 

[Wifezilla]

I personally feel that the American diet is overly meat-centric and all that extra unneccessary meat that we eat as a nation does not make us any healthier, nor our environment.People in other countries manage to be healthy on far lower intakes of meat products. Along with being mostly saturated fats, animal fats tend to concentrate toxins the animal experienced in the environment

I could not possibly disagree more.

It was only when I went back to meat and saturated fat that my weight dropped and my blood pressure went down (it sure is nice not having to worry about having a stroke any moment). Many countries eat MORE meat than we do, and only when they replace meat with refined grains and starches do they start suffering from diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

I have spent the last 2 years studying evolutionary diets along with isolated civilizations and what happened to natives when they westernized their foods. A good place to start if this topic is interesting to you is http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/index.html​

 

[DrakeMaiden]

That is why I said it was my personal opinion, not a statement of absolute wisdom on the matter. Jeesh.

I didn't say refined grains were healthy. There is such a thing as a legume and I personally find that it is something healthy for me to eat. Let me emphasize that one more time -- I have found that it is healthy for me to eat.

I don't eat the soy crud either. That stuff is toxic.

 

[redhen]

popcorn anyone???

 

[Missouri Maiden]

ME not vegan but I don't eat meat

 

[Wifezilla]

I don't eat the soy crud either. That stuff is toxic.

We can agree on this point at least

popcorn anyone???

Do you have any idea how many carbs are in that stuff? LOL​