Vegetarianism

[G. Adams]

Well my aunt is having really bad health problems as a vegetarian because of the low iron intake, but she still won't budge back to meat.

[onphiya]

[font=Georgia]when i say prolong my life, i'm speaking for me personally. what works for one person may not work for another and meat consumption is something that does more harm for my body than good.[/font]

[Pooeypants]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (onphiya,)
[font=Georgia]when i say prolong my life, i'm speaking for me personally. what works for one person may not work for another and meat consumption is something that does more harm for my body than good.[/font]<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>
Well I suppose you need to take mineral and amino acids supplements?

[onphiya]

[font=Georgia]yea.[/font]

[grib]

I've been vegetarian in the past. My reason was this: I would rather shoot my own meat. I'm ignorant of the meat industry, and so prefer to stay away from that unknown. A wild animal is always going to be healthier.

I disagree that vegetarianism is unhealthy. Meat is not the only protein. Animal protein is, in fact, the most difficult for the body to break down. Meat puts more stress on the digestive system than vegetables. India has the vegetarian diet down.

[agrippa]

I am not a vegetarian either, but i'll say this: I only devour VEGETARIAN animals!!!

... well, with the exception of fish...

[Famicommie]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (G. Adams,)
Well my aunt is having really bad health problems as a vegetarian because of the low iron intake, but she still won't budge back to meat.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

Spinach and other dark leafy greens have a high iron supply.

[shunyadragon]

Humans are natural omnivores and they adapt to different environments. In primative societies these diets range from vegetarian to almost exclusively carnivore. I don't have any problems with eating meat for ethical or religious reasons.

There are a number of very good reasons to be vegetarian or eat less animal products.

(1) It takes less energy and generates less waste and polution to produce non-meat protein products.

(2) It is healthier to eat less meat and dairy products.

(3) It is definitely cheaper.

(4) Diets high in Dairy products have more problems with teeth and obesity.

(5) The seas of the world are approaching critical level of environmental disaster from being over fished.

[Pooeypants]

Number 5...I don't eat much fish

Can you name a primitive society that was mainly vegetarian but didn't suffer from ion or other nutrient defeciencies?

[shunyadragon]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (Pooeypants,)
Number 5...I don't eat much fish

Can you name a primitive society that was mainly vegetarian but didn't suffer from ion or other nutrient defeciencies?<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

There are several in Africa that vary from pure vegetarian to mostly vegetarian and they did some comparison on diet and health between these cultures and those that eat meat. I can't site the study because it was a while back when I read it. I do remember that the vegetarians were smaller in stature.

Iron, calcium and proteins are not a problem in being vegetarian if they plan their diet to include items high in these substances. Vitamin B12 is a problem for pure vegans, vegetarians that do not eat egg or milk products. Vegans should take B12 suppliments. Modern science and knowledge of nutrition have pretty much eliminated any problems that may occur from being vegetarian.

I do not recommend atheletes to be vegan, a few who were experienced problems in the past. In the west some people think that when yo become Buddhist, you should suddenly become completely vegetarian. This is not a good idea and the consequences to your health may not be good. I know of famous athelete who did this with bad results. Becoming a vegetarian is process not an act. In the west there were problems with people trying to follow the Macrobiotic Diet for the same reasons. In the west we most often seek the quick fix or the short cut. This is part of the reason why the the quicky answer to salvation is favored over a spiritual life style.

Arts of the Way (Martial Arts) suffers from the same quickie approach desired by many people in the west and we know have mail order 90 day Black Belt programs for $99.95.

My main arguement is not for pure vegetarianism, but humanity needs to eat less animal products for environmental reasons and health.

[Widgetdex]

i'm a vegetarian...and i really have no reason for it...i never ate a lot as a child so it was really easy for me to make the switch when i did.

i realize we quite literally live i an world of eat or be eaten, but i'd rather sit here and happily munch away on my broccoli...i don't have to kill it, hell, i don't have to even cook it...it takes a lot less effort and as of the moment i don't have to worry about the selenium levels in plants because steriods and antibiotics that are being pumped into them...and i have yet to hear of mad-veggie disease

that and i guess i just don't consider animals as food...especially when we as humans basically mass produce them...cattle might as well be large roaming hamburgers or steaks out in a field instead of actual animals.

[the_anawim]

I'm a vegetarian because I'm a Christian. I know there's not a one to one correlation for most people (ie, being a Christian doesn't "make" you a vegetarian, or vice versa)--but from the standpoint of my faith there are lots of reasons to be a vegetarian. A big part of it is I am a Christian pacifist. I do see much more of a one to one correlation, here--ie, I don't see how people can be Christians and not be pacifists. But at any rate, that is important for me because I believe that non-violence is essential to Christianity, and thus being a vegetarian is one way to witness to the fact that God intended the world to function without any forms of killing. Also, perhaps the main reason I'm a vegetarian is because of the economic facts--also related to my faith. In short, I can't ultimately reconcile following Jesus and eating meat for which it is taking much of the world's food resources (grain) to prepare. If I did that, I'd be saying--well, I don't "need" this meat to live, but I like it--so I don't care that by my eating it I'm sapping up lots of excess grain that could be used to feed third world countries. Those are just a few reasons for me.

Scott

[Pooeypants]

I'm an omnivore, I was born one and I'll die as one.

[Sasha]

The world has lots of grain, its just a matter of distributing it better, if your realy woried about feeding the starving children in africe (wastage) I wonder if you still eat junk foods, the land their could also be used for more nutricious foods, same for coffee, and coco plants, and beer to name a few, how about tea leaves. To be vegetarian because of wastage is a little narrow minded, we do alot worse things than raise cows to waist resources, moreover the land usualy used to raise cows is not the same quality as the land used for grain.
The safety of plants is also not a given, soy canola and canola are both genetically modified. Moreover you have no idea how many chemicals were used in the production to control weeds and pests.
As far as health were concerened, if we had the digestive system of a horse or a cow. Perhaps we shouldnt eat meat, the fact is we don't.

[Paavo]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (the_anawim,)
I'm a vegetarian because I'm a Christian. I know there's not a one to one correlation for most people (ie, being a Christian doesn't "make" you a vegetarian, or vice versa)--but from the standpoint of my faith there are lots of reasons to be a vegetarian. A big part of it is I am a Christian pacifist. I do see much more of a one to one correlation, here--ie, I don't see how people can be Christians and not be pacifists. But at any rate, that is important for me because I believe that non-violence is essential to Christianity, and thus being a vegetarian is one way to witness to the fact that God intended the world to function without any forms of killing. Also, perhaps the main reason I'm a vegetarian is because of the economic facts--also related to my faith. In short, I can't ultimately reconcile following Jesus and eating meat for which it is taking much of the world's food resources (grain) to prepare. If I did that, I'd be saying--well, I don't "need" this meat to live, but I like it--so I don't care that by my eating it I'm sapping up lots of excess grain that could be used to feed third world countries. Those are just a few reasons for me.

Scott<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

Didn't Jesus eat meat though?

[Bryan]

Being vegan is healthlier, consumes less resouces and causes less suffering, that's why I'm vegan. Vegans live longer on average, get sick less, have fewer heart problems, and are less likely to get cancer. Vegans are much less likely to be obese or overweight.
The only nutrient that vegans may have a problem with is B12, which is easy to get it pill form, from some types of yeast, and BEER also contains some.

[Bryan]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (Paavo,)

Didn't Jesus eat meat though?<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

i think the only time Jesus eats meat in the bible is fish he created, and thus it can be claimed that he never killed any animals.
Also some scholars cliam the fish referance was added later because of the acronym from the greek word for fish means something about Jesus(that's where the Jesus fish comes from)

But I'm no expert on the Bilbe, nor am I a Christian.

[Bryan]

I found something on the fish at http://bookshelf.info/wordlists/e/eec/www/...=I.html#ichthus

ichthus
An icon in the shape of a fish that many people display on the trunks of their cars or in their doorways. For years until I learned its proper name I called it a Jesus fish. One reader tells me people in his area call it a holy mackerel. The fish is usually filled in with Greek letters interpreted as an acrostic, meaning ``Jesus Christ Son of God Savior''. It was originally a pagan symbol of fertility.

[GeorgePotter]

I'm not a vegetarian but I have no problem whatsoever with people determining their own diet. That's none of my business.

Quite a lot of vegetarians (by no means all, or even most I'm sure) seem to think my diet is THEIR business, however.

[shunyadragon]

</span><blockquote><span class="smallfont">Quote:</span><hr size="1" />Originally Posted by (GeorgePotter,)
I'm not a vegetarian but I have no problem whatsoever with people determining their own diet. That's none of my business.

Quite a lot of vegetarians (by no means all, or even most I'm sure) seem to think my diet is THEIR business, however.<hr size="1" /></blockquote><span class='postcolor'>

Some vegetarians are offended by carnivores or omnivores, but most just don't eat meat.