Vegetarians?

[Talk2BigSteve]

I have been studying Buddhism for quite some time now, I have since begun meditating at 5AM for 1 hour everyday, given up smoking, and quit drinking. My next step is set for New Year's to become a Vegetarian(not required just personal conviction).

Which version has me stumped?

Being Diabetic, my only concern is I do not want tons of pasta and rice to supliment my diet and cause my sugar to spike. I take a multi vitamin packet everyday and I also take magnisium and ginseng as well.

A strict vegetarian, a vegan, avoids all foods of animal origin, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs.

Lacto-vegetarians include dairy products in their diet.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians also eat dairy products and eggs.

Pesco-vegetarians eat fish, dairy products, and eggs along with plant foods.

Finally, there are semi-vegetarians, who cheat a little and eat a little poultry along with fish, as well as dairy products and eggs.

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[slipoker]

Semi-vegetarian, the best of both worlds? And since when are there different levels of being a vegetarian?

Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

[slipoker]

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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Gee, I bet that post helped

[Talk2BigSteve]

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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Gee Thanks, I bet you one of these that I succeed....
http://www.djnugz.com/images/monsterthickburger.jpg

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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Gee Thanks, I bet you one of these that I succeed....
http://www.djnugz.com/images/monsterthickburger.jpg

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You prove my point, thanks. Good luck.

[Ed Miller]

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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I've been a vegetarian for 3 years, and I'm quite certain it's a choice I've made for life. What makes you think Steve will fail?

[Talk2BigSteve]

Which type are you Ed? How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[ilya]

I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 4+ years & was a vegan for 6 months of that time. There's a lot of surprisingly tasty vegan food out there if you search for it & I felt very healthy while I was vegan, but it's still much harder than being lacto-ovo, and I feel healthy enough.

Start with lacto-ovo with a bit of fish now and then, see how that works...you can always go from there. enough vegetarians around by now that you should have some tasty options wherever you are...well maybe not the deep South, dunno never been there.

Good luck, it's a healthy & humane choice.

[vulturesrow]

I dont think cutting meat entirely out of your diet is a good idea. Keep eating fish at the very least.

[ilya]

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And since when are there different levels of being a vegetarian?

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Well, it's like being a Christian. You might be the kind of Christian who goes to church on Christmas & Easter...or maybe you go to Sunday mass regularly...or maybe you do all that and also help out with the charity dinners...and so on and so forth. Most people would call anyone in that range a Christian, so the definition allows for different levels of commitment. It's the same thing with vegetarianism. A lacto-ovo-pisco vegetarian is like the Christmas&Easter guy, whereas a vegan who won't wear wool or use a shampoo which contains animal-derived ingredients (many mainstream brands do, even those which don't test on animals) is like a missionary. Also like Christians, vegetarians with different levels of commitment sometimes have trouble getting along & seeing that their common beliefs outweigh their differences.

[ilya]

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I dont think cutting meat entirely out of your diet is a good idea. Keep eating fish at the very least.

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i'm sorry to be blunt but this is simply nonsense. see, e.g., the long-running framingham heart study.

[PassiveCaller]

There's always been.

[PassiveCaller]

This is like giving advice on how to play a hand without any logic.

It's met poorly on the poker forums and its just as stupid here.

[MarkL444]

im a semi vegetarian. i eat meat a few times a month, and usually small amounts when i do. i think its great. ive been doing this for only about 7 months, but i regret nothing and really hope to improve a more strict vegetarian diet in the future. my suggestion to you is to try to read up a bit before you start this. there is a book called becoming vegetarian by melina/davis that is just amazing for showing you how to make sure you are still getting all the proper nutrients, etc. also i think if you can cook this will be a lot more rewarding.

i think the reason one poster said he doubt you will stick to it (and i almost agree) is because you are waiting to new years to do this. if you really wanted to do it, you wouldnt need to wait.

[Blarg]

Sounds like he's doing the typical thing of taking himself as an adequate stand-in for the whole human race.

Steve, I'd be whatever level of vegetarian you feel like, which doesn't have to come immediately but can be done through stages. For instance, giving up red meat doesn't mean you have to give up all meat, not for a while. But it makes it easier to adapt. This being adaptable and not an idealogue also includes not alienating friends at dinner too much, and not starving as an alternative to having something to eat when you're out and about. It allows for having your way to a pretty good extent, but also for the occasional weakness or indulgence without counting yourself an abject failure in your goals.

The thing is, though, you'll want the occasional indulgence a lot less often once you're no longer as used to them. I've found all dietary urges to become much easier to handle when you're used to them, and eventually they really don't become very hard at all. That includes salt, sugar, and meat. At first it seems crazy to do without them, since more of them is never enough. So many people never even try to cut back nor are they willing to even entertain the idea that there might be a good reason to do so.

But good vegetarian food makes you feel better than those things do, so you come to like it quite a bit for that reason. And after a while you find recipes you like too.

If you're on the road, you don't have to make yourself miserable and lifeless or woozy by starving all day, but you don't have to eat a cheeseburger either. You can choose something light instead, choose fish instead of hamburger, mustard instead of mayonnaise, viniagrette instead of bleu cheese dressing, etc. If you're going to dinner at someone's house, it's fair to ask ahead of time if there will be anything prepared for vegetarians. And to enjoy without regret a little meat and dairy once in a while.

I think it's especially sane to not totally swear off dairy because it's used so much in preparing foods. Sauces, gravies, breads, pastries, desserts of all kinds -- if you really try to swear off dairy entirely, it will mean swearing off foods that wouldn't strike you as dairy products at all, and start to make your efforts at better health and/or morality become as much a crusade as a decision, where the effect is so much less than the intent behind it.

[PassiveCaller]

This is good stuff. And as a lacto-ovo for a year I agree.. I didn't cut out dairy because it just is so difficult to avoid. At the same time I wanted to switch the course of my thinking towards eating better (eating +EV!).. Eating more vegetables and foods with great nutrients that help your body do its own job of maintaining itself better.

I don't eat all that much dairy or eggs but it makes things easier not having to deal with it and it will make it much much harder for someone making the jump to lose it all at once.

To the OP: Be creative enjoy trying new vegetarian/vegan things. There's lots of interesting foods to try once you break from the confines of a meat centered diet.

[Ed Miller]

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Which type are you Ed? How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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I'm lacto-ovo. I have no trouble eating out ever. If I were vegan, I could see how eating out might be a problem sometimes.

[craig r]

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Which type are you Ed? How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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I'm lacto-ovo. I have no trouble eating out ever. If I were vegan, I could see how eating out might be a problem sometimes.

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Eating out isn't really a problem in most metropolitan cities, but going on a long road trip where there are nothing but fast food is really crappy. Its not that you can't find something vegan, its just that it is really unhealthy and only makes you feel worse. Like you would be better off just staying hungry.

As far as health concerns, I think the thing most vegans don't get enough of is B-12, but if you take a supplement you will be fine; plus if you get the really good kind you will get a "niacin flush" which is real nice. Its like take ephedrine without the shaky feeling. Plus, you can take it a few times a day since it is water soluble.

Another thing vegans don't get enough of is Omega 3 (mainly found in salmon, tuna, etc..), but you can substitute olive oil in certain foods or flax seed oil.

It is definitely easier being vegan now than it was a few years ago and being vegetarian is really easy. Being vegan is much much tougher than being vegetarian. Like, I will crave ice cream or something like that, but I have been vegetarian for 13 years, and other than the first few months, I haven't craved any type of meat at all.

If you do go vegetarian BigSteve, please don't be one of those self-righteous vegetarians. I sometimes want to shove a fucing burger in their face. But, I doubt, because of your Buddhists reasons behind it, this would be a problem.

craig

[LittleOldLady]

First of all, there are no vegetarian police. PETA is not coming to your house to monitor your fridge and cupboards. Reduce/eliminate animal-derived foods as it suits you. However, as a diabetic, you have an additional problem. Legumes, for example, are mainstays in vegetarian/vegan diets as protein sources, but legumes have carbs and have to be carefully fit into a diabetic diet. Ditto fruits, grains, and dairy products. You may want to consult a dietician or at least a book on diabetes and vegetarianism to be sure you are meeting your nutritional needs as well as keeping your blood sugar where it is supposed to be. I am not a vegetarian, but I am a diabetic. I do eat meat, but much less than I used to keep cholesterol levels down.

Members of my family, however, are vegetarian, and when I eat with them, it's all veggies, eggs, and dairy products. I just had my first vegetarian Thanksgiving and I almost didn't miss the turkey, almost. The meal consisted of cheese, crackers, corn chips, salsa, and guacamole; pastry puffs with creamcheese/portobello filling; butternut squash bisque; green salad; spinach tart; a casserole of nuts, rice, eggplant, and numerous other veggies; mashed potatoes; homemade cranberry sorbet; homemade pumpkin pie; store-bought berry pie; cake; cookies, and fresh fruit. The food was delicious and filling, but I had to pick and choose carefully and watch my portions because many of the foods were high in carbs. I had enough to be satisfied, and my blood sugar was OK when I checked.

The best bets for dining out are ethnic restaurants--Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Italian. Upscale restaurants usually have a vegetarian option and will make vegetarian meals upon request. The other day we ate at a family-type chain restaurant, and the vegetarians had vegetable soup and grilled cheese and tomato sandwich on sour dough and pasta with a non-meat sauce and a salad. These meals were on the high-carb side for me--I had a big joint of meat, steamed veggies, and a bit of mashed potatoes and corn bread (I took half the meal home for another day).

I strongly recommend, Steve, that you do your homework about how to meet your nutritional needs while keeping your blood sugar under control. Given the high risk of heart disease that diabetics face, I would also ask your doctor about whether you need a low fat/low sodium diet as well (or perhaps that has already been recommended). I will say that my vegetarian family members are in robust health and that the vegetarian diet has been very beneficial in keeping weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels all where they should be.

Finally, it is ridiculous to speak of "failing" at vegetarianism. If you try it, and it's not for you (perhaps you have trouble keeping your blood sugar down), then you go back to eating meat and/or fish and/or poultry. It's not a test, and PETA will not give you an F on your report card.

[vulturesrow]

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I dont think cutting meat entirely out of your diet is a good idea. Keep eating fish at the very least.

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i'm sorry to be blunt but this is simply nonsense. see, e.g., the long-running framingham heart study.

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I really dont care to start another vegetarian diet pissing contest on this forum. The primary benefit of a vegetarian diet is that it tends to force people to eat healthier in general, in particular eliminating a lot of processed foods from the diet. PErsonally I try to stick to whole foods myself and in spite of a history of heart problems in my family history I have very good cholesterol levels and eat a substantial amount of animal products. I simply think it is a mistake to ignore the the evolution of our species which consisted of an omnivorous diet. Ill leave it at that, flame away.

[JJNJustin]

Vegetarianism is an extremely healthly diet. The key is to avoid refined sugars and refined starches in the place of animal proteins. I would favor including fish as their are many healthly nutrients in fish, including omega-3 fish oil, which lowers bad cholesterol and nurishes the brain.


If you find brown rice and whole wheat pasta, your diabetes will be better in control. Also, there are many vegetables which are medium sources of carbohydrates, yet high in fiber and low in glycemic index, i.e. squashes, yams, jicama, parsnips, beets, carrots, peas, etc. The bitter gourd is also considered of medicinal value for diabetics, improving pancreatitis and lowering blood sugar. Also are chromium picolinate supplements and cinnamon.

-J

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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I've been a vegetarian for 3 years, and I'm quite certain it's a choice I've made for life. What makes you think Steve will fail?

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From my experience:

1) People who decide to wait until the New Year to resolve, almost certainly fail.

2) The dozen or so Western people I know who have tried to establish an Eastern philosophy, failed when it came to the diet.

3) There’s a huge difference between say, a macrobiotic diet and a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. To not know which one’s right for you suggests a serious lack of thought on the subject.

4) It was never established exactly why he wants to become a vegetarian. Ethical? Health? Spiritual was alluded to, but it’s not clear if that’s the reason or for some other novel idea.

5) Too much at once- quit smoking, quit drinking and now wants to give up meat? Good luck.

6) I have never met anyone who has been a vegetarian for longer than 8 years- most people break somewhere between 4 & 5 years.


Reason three is no big deal; everyone starts at the same place, but he needs to do some serious thinking because it’s a lifestyle change and like most, requires a severe amount of dedication (at least in the beginning).

Really, I’m not trying to be negative- just being a realist. Most people have a hard enough time with their regular eating habits, let alone sticking with this kind of diet.

[stigmata]

I think your choice depends largely on your reasons for doing this.

I have personally been a "Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian" for a long time, for ethical reasons. I do, however, buy free-range organice milk & eggs. Also, I think that being a Semi-Vegetarian is actually OK from an ethical standpoint, as long as you are just occasionally eating really good, free-range meat. My basic premise is that factory farming and a lot of modern farming methods sucks. Changing farming methods is a realistic short term goal which is achiavable by consumer choice. The increased availability of organic & free-range produce over the last 10 years is testament to this fact.

If you are doing this on health grounds, then either Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian or semi-vegeterian is the easiest choice. It just depends how much you like meat.

[Talk2BigSteve]

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Which type are you Ed? How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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I'm lacto-ovo. I have no trouble eating out ever. If I were vegan, I could see how eating out might be a problem sometimes.

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Eating out isn't really a problem in most metropolitan cities, but going on a long road trip where there are nothing but fast food is really crappy. Its not that you can't find something vegan, its just that it is really unhealthy and only makes you feel worse. Like you would be better off just staying hungry.

As far as health concerns, I think the thing most vegans don't get enough of is B-12, but if you take a supplement you will be fine; plus if you get the really good kind you will get a "niacin flush" which is real nice. Its like take ephedrine without the shaky feeling. Plus, you can take it a few times a day since it is water soluble.

Another thing vegans don't get enough of is Omega 3 (mainly found in salmon, tuna, etc..), but you can substitute olive oil in certain foods or flax seed oil.

It is definitely easier being vegan now than it was a few years ago and being vegetarian is really easy. Being vegan is much much tougher than being vegetarian. Like, I will crave ice cream or something like that, but I have been vegetarian for 13 years, and other than the first few months, I haven't craved any type of meat at all.

If you do go vegetarian BigSteve, please don't be one of those self-righteous vegetarians. I sometimes want to shove a fucing burger in their face. But, I doubt, because of your Buddhists reasons behind it, this would be a problem.

craig

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Thanks, I laughed at your first sentence about metropolitan city. I live in Meridian, Mississippi the Deep South, where we deep fry the Mac & Cheese.

Yeah I am not going to become some zealot or martyr for vegetables and I am not giving up on wearing my leather Nike sneakers either.

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[stigmata]

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6) I have never met anyone who has been a vegetarian for longer than 8 years- most people break somewhere between 4 & 5 years.

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I do agree that a lot of people break after a few years, but I know a boat load of people who have remained vegetarian for more than 10 years, and I am sure that 80+% of them will die vegeterain.

I think it's probably easier if you don't live in such a meat-orientated food culture. Places like America & France are really tough for vegeterians, due to prejudice, availibilty & temptation. For example, when I go to a restraunt in france, I have discoverd it is much better to order a "plate de legume" rather than asking for something vegeterian, recieveing a dirty look, and then being served fish /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Paluka]

I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 10 years. I also put a fair amount of effort into making many of my meals vegan, and I often go to the places offering vegan desserts rather than normal ones. However, I live in New York City which is the easiest place in the world to be vegan assuming you can afford to eat out all the time.
I believe that the healthiest diet is going to be a vegan diet done correctly. Any sort of diet can be healthy if done right, and any kind of diet can be unhealthy if done badly.
I think you will find the switch to being vegetarian really easy if you have time to cook for yourself all the time. If you want to eat out a lot, being vegetarian is usually easy but often unhealthy.

I've been a lacto-ovo-vegetarian for 11 years this January.

I strongly disagree with Mitch on this. Becoming a vegetarian isn't hard - if you have the discipline to meditate each morning, I'm sure this won't be a big issue for you. In my experience those who "break" do so because they choose to, not because they lack willpower. I got cravings for a few years, but since I turned 20 or so the thought of meat actually makes me feel queasy. It would take considerable effort for me to go back to eating it regularly.

I recommend that you experiment to find what's right for you. Choose a diet and see how you feel at the end of a month; if you don't like it, make some changes. I don't know how diabetes will affect your choices, but I imagine full veganism would be a challenge. If it helps, keep in mind there's nothing wrong with easing into it - you can start by cutting out red meat, then poultry, etc.

There really is no wrong way to do it as long as you stay healthy. Watch your iron, protein, and B-vitamins and you should be fine.

[stigmata]

Protein isn't a problem for most western diets, esp. if you are lacto-ovo.

Out diet is so overloaded with protein, to the chinese we stink of piss.

[vexvelour]

I really feel that becoming a vegetarian is a great idea if that's what you want. I dedicated myself to it before going to college, but failed because I lived in the dorms and couldn't cook my own food.

However, more than becoming a vegetarian, I think organic foods is the way to go. If you eat only veggies that have been grown and covered in pesticides, you won't feel much better than if you ate a steak for breakfast lunch and dinner. The key is to provide your body with clean, un processed and nutritious veggies, and I promise you'll feel a huge difference. I switched to an organic diet (including organic meat) a few months ago and I feel 1000x better than I ever have. Just a thought. Good luck with vegetarianism.

[turnipmonster]

I agree with everyone that says it's much easier if you enjoy cooking for yourself. I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 11 years and can't ever remember wanting to eat any kind of meat during that time.

like everyone else said also, it's not necessarily a healthier diet, although it can be a good opportunity to change the way you eat. there are plenty of vegetarian things that are terrible for you.

I've spent a fair amount of time on the road and never ever had a problem, but you need to be a little creative (like stopping by a grocery store for pita, vegetables and hummus instead of a fast food place) sometimes and in many restaurants you won't have as many options as a meat eater.

--turnipmonster

[Talk2BigSteve]

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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I've been a vegetarian for 3 years, and I'm quite certain it's a choice I've made for life. What makes you think Steve will fail?

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From my experience:

1) People who decide to wait until the New Year to resolve, almost certainly fail.

2) The dozen or so Western people I know who have tried to establish an Eastern philosophy, failed when it came to the diet.

3) There’s a huge difference between say, a macrobiotic diet and a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. To not know which one’s right for you suggests a serious lack of thought on the subject.

4) It was never established exactly why he wants to become a vegetarian. Ethical? Health? Spiritual was alluded to, but it’s not clear if that’s the reason or for some other novel idea.

5) Too much at once- quit smoking, quit drinking and now wants to give up meat? Good luck.

6) I have never met anyone who has been a vegetarian for longer than 8 years- most people break somewhere between 4 & 5 years.


Reason three is no big deal; everyone starts at the same place, but he needs to do some serious thinking because it’s a lifestyle change and like most, requires a severe amount of dedication (at least in the beginning).

Really, I’m not trying to be negative- just being a realist. Most people have a hard enough time with their regular eating habits, let alone sticking with this kind of diet.

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#1 I picked New Year's not as a resolution but simply because that will give me a full month to try out different recipes and slowly incorperate that into my diet.

#2 Thank you for this, it reassures me that I will have to put in major effort to make this a success

#3 Again this is one of the reasons that I am a taking a full month to study and research this so I do not end up hurting myself, that is one reason I stated that I am diabetic in the Original Post.

#4 Spiritual and Health, with out going in to alot of philosophy, it is a belief that in order for the mind to be healthy(focused) the body must be healthy.

#5 Quiting drinking was easy as I was never a big drinker, Quiting smoking was much harder it took me a few attempts at cold turkey to realize that I needed help. I got NicodermCQ clear and did that for 2 weeks. I did not even post on here about it just in case it was going to be another failed attempt. When I went back to the Drug Store to get another 2 weeks I stopped myself and said "I am not going to spend another $50 just to prove that I can do this" so I left the store and still have not smoked. If I can do both of those then what is going to be so hard about this?

#6 My E-mail is Talk2BigSteve@gmail.com send me an e-mail for New Year's 2014 and see how I am doing. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for being real!

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[OtisTheMarsupial]

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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I agree with you. The simple fact is, the majority of people who attempt vegetarianism fail. They simply do not have the will power, knowledge, and positive influences of other vegetarians to overcome the mega-marketing of the American meat industry. Steve might succeed, but he will be in the minority, like me and the other smart people /images/graemlins/smile.gif

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6) I have never met anyone who has been a vegetarian for longer than 8 years- most people break somewhere between 4 & 5 years.

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I have been a vegetarian for 23 years.

[4_2_it]

Why don't you start out as a semi-vegi to get used to it and slowly work your way up the ladder stopping where you feel most comfortable? I wish you luck.

[bobbyi]

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How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

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It depends on how strict you are. I still eat seafood in large part because it makes eating in restaurants a lot easier. I haven't eaten red meat or poultry since high school and have never had trouble eating out. OTOH, if you are a vegan, eating out is very hard.

A lot of people are talking about whether you will succeed or not. I think a lot just comes down to how much like meat. I ate it largely out of convenience and really don't miss it all. The thought of never having a pork chop again just never sounded like a big deal to me anyway and I don't understand people who find it difficult and go back after a few years because at this point, it doesn't even look like food to me. I had sworn of fast food burgers from places like McDonalds years before I stopped eating meat simply because I find that stuff gross. (OTOH, the thought of never again having lobster or shrimp is pretty terrifying, which is the other reason I still eat it).

[TimTimSalabim]

I did it for a couple of years once. No fish, but I did eat dairy. It's very difficult to sustain unless you have very strong reasons for doing it, and it also helps a lot if you do most of your own cooking. Eating out a lot when you only have one or two menu choices (or none if you go vegan) gets tiring.

[Talk2BigSteve]

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Why don't you start out as a semi-vegi to get used to it and slowly work your way up the ladder stopping where you feel most comfortable? I wish you luck.

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I am basically doing this, I have been for about the past week eating one vegetarian meal each day I set the date of New Years so that gives me about 5 more week to learn and eat. I am calling tomorrow to set up an appointment with my doctor to tell him my intentions and get some advice as well, but I am the type of person who will not go there like a completely uneducated moran looking for all the answers, like some people do when they go to a doctor. I am also going to set up an appointment with the Diabetic Counselor at Rush Hospital here in Meridian to go over some of the information that I have found doing some research.

I love to cook and I have plenty of time to do so.

I have also stopped eating anything after 6:30PM I think that fact alone with have a great impact on my health and well being.

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[nothumb]

My girlfriend is sort of a vegetarian from an environmentalist standpoint... she has no problem with eating meat but she can't support factory farming, etc. So she pretty much only eats fish and organic dairy, or free-range meat. Thanks to us living in the crunchy granola [censored] of the east coast this is not difficult.

I have been trying to cut out red meat, which is hard because I really love steak and burgers and whatnot, but I definitely feel better sticking with more fish and lighter fare. Makes it easier to [censored], that's for sure.

NT

[theBruiser500]

being a vegan is healthiest. a lot of people will say that moderation is best and some meat is good. they are wrong. these people are stupid and have not researched the subject, also they are feeling better about the easy choices they have made regarding their diet. the less meat and dairy you eat the healthier you will be.

[Paluka]

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being a vegan is healthiest. a lot of people will say that moderation is best and some meat is good. they are wrong. these people are stupid and have not researched the subject, also they are feeling better about the easy choices they have made regarding their diet. the less meat and dairy you eat the healthier you will be.

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this man speaks the truth.

[Clarkmeister]

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a lot of people will say that moderation is best and some meat is good. they are wrong.

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Agreed. One needs far more than just "some" meat in one's diet.

[Sponger15SB]

Big Steve tosses the salad.

[JihadOnTheRiver]

Are you a vegan?

This poll needs an option for raw foodists (I'm not sure if there's a technical term for it). Some people don't eat anything that's been cooked at over about 118 degrees because they believe cooking destroys enzymes or something.

I'm not one of them, but I try to eat as much raw fruits and veggies as I can. I once went about a week without eating any cooked food, and I felt great, but I don't think I could do it permanently. Not because I craved meat or a cooked meal, but just because I'm lazy. I eat meat because it's always there, not because I like it.

[bobbyi]

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However, I live in New York City which is the easiest place in the world to be vegan assuming you can afford to eat out all the time.

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Really the easiest? I would have guessed California, but I am just going on reputation because I haven't spent much time there.

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However, I live in New York City which is the easiest place in the world to be vegan assuming you can afford to eat out all the time.

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Really the easiest? I would have guessed California, but I am just going on reputation because I haven't spent much time there.

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I would go with Bangalore as the easiest, myself.

[vulturesrow]

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being a vegan is healthiest. a lot of people will say that moderation is best and some meat is good. they are wrong. these people are stupid and have not researched the subject, also they are feeling better about the easy choices they have made regarding their diet. the less meat and dairy you eat the healthier you will be.

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People that ignore the evolutionary path of our species and think eating like a cow 100% of the time is a superior diet are the ones who are wrong.

[BigSoonerFan]

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Having been a vegetarian for over 17 years, your reasons for becoming one will not sustain you; you will fail, so don't bother.

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I've been a vegetarian for 3 years, and I'm quite certain it's a choice I've made for life. What makes you think Steve will fail?

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From my experience:

1) People who decide to wait until the New Year to resolve, almost certainly fail.

2) The dozen or so Western people I know who have tried to establish an Eastern philosophy, failed when it came to the diet.

3) There’s a huge difference between say, a macrobiotic diet and a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. To not know which one’s right for you suggests a serious lack of thought on the subject.

4) It was never established exactly why he wants to become a vegetarian. Ethical? Health? Spiritual was alluded to, but it’s not clear if that’s the reason or for some other novel idea.

5) Too much at once- quit smoking, quit drinking and now wants to give up meat? Good luck.

6) I have never met anyone who has been a vegetarian for longer than 8 years- most people break somewhere between 4 & 5 years.


Reason three is no big deal; everyone starts at the same place, but he needs to do some serious thinking because it’s a lifestyle change and like most, requires a severe amount of dedication (at least in the beginning).

Really, I’m not trying to be negative- just being a realist. Most people have a hard enough time with their regular eating habits, let alone sticking with this kind of diet.

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#1 I picked New Year's not as a resolution but simply because that will give me a full month to try out different recipes and slowly incorperate that into my diet.

#2 Thank you for this, it reassures me that I will have to put in major effort to make this a success

#3 Again this is one of the reasons that I am a taking a full month to study and research this so I do not end up hurting myself, that is one reason I stated that I am diabetic in the Original Post.

#4 Spiritual and Health, with out going in to alot of philosophy, it is a belief that in order for the mind to be healthy(focused) the body must be healthy.

#5 Quiting drinking was easy as I was never a big drinker, Quiting smoking was much harder it took me a few attempts at cold turkey to realize that I needed help. I got NicodermCQ clear and did that for 2 weeks. I did not even post on here about it just in case it was going to be another failed attempt. When I went back to the Drug Store to get another 2 weeks I stopped myself and said "I am not going to spend another $50 just to prove that I can do this" so I left the store and still have not smoked. If I can do both of those then what is going to be so hard about this?

#6 My E-mail is Talk2BigSteve@gmail.com send me an e-mail for New Year's 2014 and see how I am doing. I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for being real!

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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I chose to become a vegan about four years ago on January 1st. I made it about eight days. I wasn't prepared at all, but I have been a vegetarian since then. As the guy in the bookstore (an apparent vegetarian) said when I desperately bought "Vegetarianism for Dummies", stock up on the peanut butter!

I've been a vegetarian for a week and it's been easy. Alot of rice based stuff (Indian food), soup, pizza, etc. Havent' really had to think about it honestly - but I live in NYC where we have 3,000,000 ethnic restaurants/pizza joints per block.

My reason for going veggie is because of the way animals are treated at slaughterhouses. So, I will still eat meat only if it is kosher (killed humanely/not abused). The alleged potential health benefits of avoiding meat/dairy are not my reasons for avoiding meat.

[calmasahinducow]

I'm a pesco-vegetarian (not the proper term but whatever) and it's one of the best choices I've ever made.

[calmasahinducow]

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So, I will still eat meat only if it is kosher (killed humanely/not abused).

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I have been to a kosher slaughterhouse. You should stop eating kosher meat if those are your real reasons.

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So, I will still eat meat only if it is kosher (killed humanely/not abused).

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I have been to a kosher slaughterhouse. You should stop eating kosher meat if those are your real reasons.

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U serious?

It's great to see that there are a number of posts here from people who object to the cruelties generated by animal agriculture. If you're interested in becoming more vegetarian, and learning about the various issues involved, probably the best place to start is listening to the Erik's Diner podcast that is posted each week on Vegan.com. The host of the podcast, Erik Marcus, is also the author of a great new book about vegetarianism titled, _Meat Market: Animals, Ethics, and Money._ Highly recommended.

[colgin]

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Which type are you Ed? How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

Big Steve /images/graemlins/cool.gif

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I'm lacto-ovo. I have no trouble eating out ever. If I were vegan, I could see how eating out might be a problem sometimes.

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Ditto for me. Being a vegan would make it harder to eat out although would not be much trouble eating in.

[Cosimo]

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I dont think cutting meat entirely out of your diet is a good idea. Keep eating fish at the very least.

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i'm sorry to be blunt but this is simply nonsense. see, e.g., the long-running framingham heart study.

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Uh?

“In Framingham, Massachusetts, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower people’s serum cholesterol. . . we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories weighed the least and were the most physically active.” - William Castelli, MD, Director, The Framingham Study

“The diet-heart hypothesis has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of pride, profit and prejudice, the hypothesis continues to be exploited by scientists, fund-raising enterprises, food companies and even governmental agencies. The public is being deceived by the greatest health scam of the century.” - George Mann, SsD, MD, Former Co-Director, The Framingham Study

[calmasahinducow]

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So, I will still eat meat only if it is kosher (killed humanely/not abused).

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I have been to a kosher slaughterhouse. You should stop eating kosher meat if those are your real reasons.

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U serious?

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Pretty much the only difference is that it's slightly cleaner and the rabbis pray over the cows.

[LittleOldLady]

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So, I will still eat meat only if it is kosher (killed humanely/not abused).

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I have been to a kosher slaughterhouse. You should stop eating kosher meat if those are your real reasons.

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U serious?

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Pretty much the only difference is that it's slightly cleaner and the rabbis pray over the cows.

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Kosher slaughtering involves shackling the cow by the foot and slitting its throat, so that the blood drains. I wouldn't argue that the cow enjoys the process. The principal difference between kosher and non-kosher meat that might interest a non-Jew is that in order to be sold as kosher each and every carcass must be carefully examined for blemishes, diseased areas, etc. Anything that has any sort of a problem is rejected and may enter the non-kosher food stream. You can be sure that kosher meat has been carefully inspected by those who consider the inspection a sacred religious act (a mitzvah). To put it mildly, the government meat inspection process is not as rigorous and is more open to corruption.

[calmasahinducow]

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Kosher slaughtering involves shackling the cow by the foot and slitting its throat, so that the blood drains. I wouldn't argue that the cow enjoys the process. The principal difference between kosher and non-kosher meat that might interest a non-Jew is that in order to be sold as kosher each and every carcass must be carefully examined for blemishes, diseased areas, etc. Anything that has any sort of a problem is rejected and may enter the non-kosher food stream. You can be sure that kosher meat has been carefully inspected by those who consider the inspection a sacred religious act (a mitzvah). To put it mildly, the government meat inspection process is not as rigorous and is more open to corruption.

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This is true. My father used to work for Hebrew National and he observed a slab of meat that dropped off a cart onto the ground. A worker picked up the meat and put it back onto the cart. He was fired on the spot. At a normal slaughterhouse, the cattle is killed with an electric prod to the brain. It's (supposedly) painless.

[CORed]

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At a normal slaughterhouse, the cattle is killed with an electric prod to the brain. It's (supposedly) painless.

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It has been proven beyond any doubt that it is painless. they interviewed 500 dead cows, and none of them reported feeling any pain.

[Ed Miller]

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My reason for going veggie is because of the way animals are treated at slaughterhouses. So, I will still eat meat only if it is kosher (killed humanely/not abused).

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Some of my best friends are Jews, but if you think Kosher slaughter is particularly humane, you got another thing coming.

A quick Googling came up with:

http://www.grandin.com/ritual/kosher.slaughter.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2977086.stm

[Marnixvdb]

Since you should be careful with carbs (as you are diabetic) I would never become total vegan. A lot of the diet-replacements for meat (rice, beans, grains, etc) are rich in carbohydrates by nature.

Remember that you need to combine different protein-sources in one meal, if they are not coming from animals. The body takes in protein coming from plants much less efficient. You should be able to find enough info on that if you research on vegetarian diets.

I gave up my vegetarian diet after being diagnosed diabetic since it would complicate my diet enormously. Therefore, for you I'd say scrap (most of) the meat, but keep the fish and dairy products in there.

gl

Marnix

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Vegetables are not food. vegetables are what food eats.
Fruits are vegetables that try to fool you by tasting good.
Mushrooms are something that grows on vegetables after food is done with them.