Just wondering how many others are out there on the forum. Personally, I'm vegetarian. Really, it's for health, but I also do like animals.
For those who are not either, they are slightly different. Vegetarians do not eat meat, but will eat other products such as milk or eggs. Some eat fish, but that I do not understand, because that is also meat. Vegans eat no animal products, no milk or eggs or anything.
Plants do have feelings. I think the most important aspect with eating whatever it may be (veges or meat) is to have a deep respect for the item you are eating.
If it don't move faster than me I eat it. usually stay aways from fast food all I can. Funny thing is I'm posting this and I got a vegetarian stew in the other room that I've been eating for day with tofu and ghost peppers in it.
The only thing I exclude from my diet is coconut, and any milk like foods. Everything else I eat, and I eat a lot of it. Can't remember the last time I had a meal with no meat in it either. Never understood the vegetarian diet thing. I don't think I would be able to survive on veggies alone.
A friend and I started just a couple months ago, before the end of our sophmore year in HS. Both of us got the every so often "faggot" and "I don't eat rabbit food" comment. But we got over it becuase they don't realize how much of pricks they were being.
Vegetarian food can be boring, sometimes. But most times I think it's a lot more adventurous because you have less things to work with. I hate that tofu gets such a bad name. People don't realize that you must add to make it taste better.
What are your opinions on PETA? I think they go way too far. Like, I understand you should treat animals with the utmost respect, but they take veganism way too far.
If you really can cook, vegetarian food isn't boring at all. I am no vegetarian, but I lived for nearly 3 years without eating meat and I never ate better and tastier things before in my life. Today I do sometimes eat meat but it's very rare. Nobody needs meat every day.
Not me. One of the few reasons I'm not a vegetarian is because I would require a whole lot to eat if I was to supply just my daily need of energy. My high metabolism just makes it hard for me to even try
There is only a very small portion of material from meat that can be processed by our bodies. Our acids aren't anything like that of say a canine's. Therefore in a meat diet you need more to provide same levels of fuel for the body.
I used to eat a hell of a lot of meat before I switched. Since being meat free I have never felt better. There was no muscle loss wtc as some trolls like to go on about. I was working in construction and on oil rigs since then as well (yes black gold shit) and I was the strongest and fittest of the lot.
Western culture is built on red meat, alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Big advertsing, big $$$ to be made and anything different to that paradigm is heresy.
This September will be my 3rd year of pescetarianism. (For those who don't know what a pescetarian is, think vegetarian and add fish and seafood.)
I've never really cared for land meats my whole life. I always felt vegetables were the tastiest. I only have fish/seafood once (sometimes twice) a week. I aim for wild caught so the fish had a normal life before it was over. I also would sometimes fish for my own fish.
I would love to have my own chickens one day, but getting the eggs from the nearby farmers isn't bad. Same goes for goat cheese. I also stopped drinking regular milk (not a pescetarian thing, just my choice) and started drinking almond milk. Has protein, more calcium, and is just downright delicious. I tried regular milk after having only almond milk for months and it was gross to me.
Ever since I became a pescetarian, I felt like I had much more energy. Other heavier meats always made me feel sluggish and fatigued. I used to actually think I had an iron deficiency from having such low energy, but I had my iron levels checked and they were fine. It was the digestion of heavy meats that slowed me down.
If it was my choice what to eat growing up as a kid, I probably never would have eaten (land) meat. I would mainly just eat it whenever my mom cooked it to appease her. Yes, it tasted pretty good, but not nearly as good as the peas or the sweet potato or sauteed onion, you catch my drift.
I have no desire to reintroduce the other meats into my diet. I feel much better now. I also do my best to stick to organic from nearby farmers. Been eating mainly organic for 10+ years.
Japan, which has the highest population of pescetarians, has been declared the healthiest country in the world.
From my experience, they are considerably cheaper per pound.. When you get them from the grocery store anyway. Not sure where you're getting them from though. Also, you can grow them yourself. Hard to grow a cow :P
If you buy meat from your local butchers, instead of buying supermarket stuff, you're doing yourself and the animals a huge favour. Cows on our farm have a good life while they live. Plenty of space, fresh grass, good food and well looked after. The only thing that could be considered cruel is when they go to the abattoir, where they're killed so quickly I doubt they feel pain. And they do have a good life. I can sort of understand vegetarians, but I simply don't get vegans.
Farmers really do care for their own animals. Factory farmed stuff however, stay away from it.