why are you a vegetarian? or not?

[Lotus]

Ok, I'm not a vegetarian, I totally admit it. But to be honest, I'm getting there really fast.... for me, meat has always been faceless, worry free, a no-brainer. I have and always will eat what my husband hunts, that will never change. BUT, something about meat has been grossing me out for a while now and as of late it's interfering with me eating it. It's the anatomy. The veins, the tendons, the fat, the skin.... even the funny squiggly white things in eggs. I'm getting to where I dissect the meat more and more until I hardly eat it and I think sometime soon I may just say forget it to all meat except the stuff the hubby brings home. So I wonder, if you are, or arent a vegetarian, why? Just curious :)

[MerAnthony]

I have never been a vegetarian. An I do love meat but depending on what meat it is. There are a few out there I do not care for.

[SeaGlass Siren]

I refuse to eat game meat. But I'm not a vegetarian either

[AniaR]

My dad is a hunter/trapper and a fisher. I ate wild meat growing up, and we were so darn poor that it was really one of our main sources of food. Eating what you hunt yourself has never bothered me. When I became aware of what farmed animals are going through, I tried to go vegetarian and nearly died in the process.

I have several illnesses, and one of them involves my body not being able to metabolize acids. Certain vegetables and nearly all fruits contain enough of this type of acid to do permanent damage to me. Everytime my body can't process it, it has to find a way to get rid of it or it can actually kill you, so my body deposits it in my soft tissue. That deposit turns to scar tissue. Right now my entire bladder is filled with scar tissue. It causes extreme pain. On top of that because the organ full of scar tissue is involved with food digestion, certain foods that end up in my bladder will now irritate it and inflame it. This also applies to synthetic vitamins such as potassium, all the B vitamins, and synthetic vitamin C. So not only is there a bunch of things I can't eat because they cause scar tissue, there's a bunch of things I can't eat because they inflame it.

I can't eay ANY of the meat alternatives without doing one of these things. No soy, no tofu, none of that stuff. Because I can't eat synthetic vitamin B and the fruits/veggies that have it in there I can't eat them, I MUST eat chicken. It's the ONLY reliable way I can get enough vitamin B's to do what my body needs. I can't even get the B shots because they are all synthetic.

I try to compromise by eating only one I need to, by knowing where it comes from, buying local and organic. If I go too long without meat I get very very sick and I have been in the hospital several times because of it.

So I appreciate the fight vegans and vegetarians are up against, but I don't appreciate them treating me like crap. I have had MANY contact me to see if they can make a diet for me based on what I can eat- and none can. I have seen 3 nutritionists, a dietitian, and a natruopath. None of them could.So leave me alone already hahahaha (not you, just in general)

[Lotus]

why don't you eat game meat, Andrea?

[SekhmetsSiren]

I'm a vegan. I don't have any problem with people who eat meat or dairy, and will even prepare either for friends and family. However, I don't wish be responsible for animals dying or being held in captivity on my account.

[SeaGlass Siren]

why don't you eat game meat, Andrea?
It's a pretty shallow reason I rather not say .__.

[Lotus]

well ok, that's cool. But I don't think this is a place anyone will think you're shallow for saying how you feel. I asked because I am genuinely interested in how people feel and think- not becauseI think anyone else's opinion is wrong. I just wondered if/why people chose to or not to consume meat. :)

[roamingmer]

Aniar my heart goes out to you - thats tough. I just hope over time and with control the scar tissue goes.
Ive read some an interesting book about vegan ultra endurance runer Scot Jurek and he has some really different creative reciepes - but woah the salt level is high. Ive discovered i cant tolerate milk protien (i trust my intestines); yeast has always had bloat power and i cannot tolerate alcohol. Every drink which has had any fermentation taste the same - disgusting. So what does that leave? Tofu? Highly genetic modification and massive amonts of artifical processing? No thanks (nice expensive hand made tofu exempted). Highly enhanced hormone meat and fish?

I eat as much home cooked hime produced food as possible without additional salt or condiments. I wint touch diet drinks and their non metabolic artifical sweetners; give me pure but natural sugar anyday.

I once met a healthfood vegan fanatic. He popped 12 home made vitamen pills a meal. Thats also pretty unhealthy.

Animal and fish farming is horrible, intensive and wrong. Unfortunately too much convienience for massive industries to change - and the vegan veg community wont achieve thAt (too small groups). So id rather eat bio meet (20-40g 3x week is more than enough for our non aniar bodies). Ethical hunters will not let food waste and will reuse as much as possible. But not too many of them either - too much human population.

So after a roaming rant... Ill eat healthiy whatever is available.

[SeaGlass Siren]

well ok, that's cool. But I don't think this is a place anyone will think you're shallow for saying how you feel. I asked because I am genuinely interested in how people feel and think- not becauseI think anyone else's opinion is wrong. I just wondered if/why people chose to or not to consume meat. :)
Pm me about it. I'm uncomfortable with saying

[Princess Kae-Leah]

I'm semi-vegetarian, a recovering meat eater if you will ;). Most people know that I am very strict about eating no seafood, and have been for years. I stopped eating beef a year and a half ago, and I switched to using Silk soy milk instead of dairy milk. I've never ate veal, lamb, duck, goat, goose, or exotic or game meats. Right now, I eat chicken 1-3 times per week and pork a couple times per month. I'm passionate about animal welfare and the environment, most know that, but it's not an all-or-nothing thing for me. I think we need to reduce our animal product consumption, for the sake of the environment, our health, and of course the animals, but it isn't always practical or realistic to go 100% veggie over night. People see what I post and assume I'm some militant vegan PETA member, but I'm really not. I just advocate for people to at least do what Raina does and limit it just to what you need to survive, I think most Westerners eat FAR more meat than they need. Humans are designed to be omnivores who eat more plants than animals(which is why so many of us can adapt easily to a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet), not mega-carnivores who need meat at every single meal, after all. For me, I'm a very picky eater and I don't like trying new things due to AS, so the transition to a more vegetarian diet is very much slowly but surely. I must admit it does get to me when people are completely unapologetic about their high intake of animal products, the way people word things makes a BIG difference, I don't have a problem AT ALL with "I'm sorry, I wish I could reduce my meat consumption but that's not realistic for my heath" but people being all defensive and rudely insulting vegetarians/vegans/semi-vegetarians and our values in the process gets under my scales. On the other hand, I hate it when vegans/vegetarians have such an all-or-nothing mentality that my reduced meat intake is no better in their eyes than if I ate a Big Mac every day, that all I do for AR is some how meaningless because I'm not yet 100% veggie. Hope nothing I said here stirs up the pot! ;)

[Elle]

I don't think I'll ever be a vegetarian. I used to eat at my grandparents a lot and my grandfather used to be a chef. Everything he cooked came with all the bones, the trotters, and in the case of fish - the face.
I'm also I bit like Raina in that I have to eat meat. My body doesn't do a very good job of absorbing iron, and leafy greens just don't cut it (I can't eat them in the quantity that I need). So it's red meat every other night in my house. It's either that or end up being anemic......I think I'll go with meat

[SeaGlass Siren]

I don't think I'll ever be a vegetarian. I used to eat at my grandparents a lot and my grandfather used to be a chef. Everything he cooked came with all the bones, the trotters, and in the case of fish - the face.
I'm also I bit like Raina in that I have to eat meat. My body doesn't do a very good job of absorbing iron, and leafy greens just don't cut it (I can't eat them in the quantity that I need). So it's red meat every other night in my house. It's either that or end up being anemic......I think I'll go with meat
I've got that same problem. Iron deficiency.y level is at 30 when it should be at 80.

[Elle]

I've got that same problem. Iron deficiency.y level is at 30 when it should be at 80.

If I don't eat red meat for a week, mine drops to 6-8......I get very tired, very grouchy and my asthma resurfaces to make my days worse. it's easier just to eat meat :)

[Aquatarian]

Happy Vegan here. :)

I'm all about sharing personal opinions. I was a full vegetarian for a little over a year and a half (no beef, pork, poultry, or fish) before I decided to go Vegan (no animal products whatsoever), and it's been a great experience.

I personally don't believe in using animals for my own personal gain. Just a moral things with me. :)

It's also has a lot to do with economics. If there's less demand for something (like meat) there will be less supply (therefore less animals has to go through what they go through). Not only does that work for food but it also works for production and distribution of food. For example:

There's energy lost and pollution made when animals are maintained, are processed for food, and when those animal products have to be transported. So not only am I adopting a healthier lifestyle but I'm also dramatically reducing my carbon footprint. Whoo!

I could go on forever but I would rather not. If anyone has questions feel free to ask away. }~>O

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Well said, Aquatarian! :) I totally agree that I think we need to drastically reduce the demand for seafood and meat, as well as fur, leather, and other animal-derived goods, for both environmental and animal welfare reasons. Here are some scary facts and statistics to "chew" on, according to various environmental and AR organizations ;):
*The annual beef consumption of an average American family of four requires more than 260 gallons of fossil fuel. The result is 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, or about as much as the average car over a six-month period.
*85% of topsoil loss in the U.S. is the result of livestock production, with each pound of steak resulting in 35 pounds of eroded U.S. topsoil.
*260 million acres of US forests have been cleared to produce grain for livestock.
*Cows produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, three gasses largely responsible for global warming. Through daily belching and flatulence, cows emit over twelve percent of the total methane released into the atmosphere each year.
*According to the United Nations, raising animals for food(including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses a staggering 30 percent of the Earth's land mass.
*According to scientists at the Smithsonian Institution, the equivalent of seven football fields of land is bulldozed worldwide every minute to create more room for farmed animals.
*More than 70 percent of the grain and cereals that we grow in the US are fed to farmed animals.
*Producing a single hamburger uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 20 miles and enough water for 17 showers.
*Every second, animals raised for food in the U.S. produce 89,000 pounds of waste. That's 130 times more than is produced by the country's entire human population.
*Seventy percent of the leveled rain forests in the Amazon is used to raise animals for meat consumption.
*100 million people could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by just 10%.
*It takes 5,000 gallons of water to produce a single pound of California beef.
*An international group of ecologists and economists warned that the world will run out of seafood by 2048.
*As many as 90 percent of all of the ocean's large predatory fish have been fished out.
*The global fishing fleets are 250 percent larger that the oceans can sustainably support.
*Over the past 50 years, worldwide consumption of tuna has increased tenfold, from 0.4 million to over 4 million tons.
*Eighty percent of the world's fish stocks are fully exploited or in decline.
*75 percent of fish stocks are being harvested faster than they can reproduce.
*It is estimated that anywhere from 8 to 25 percent of the global catch is discarded, cast overboard either dead or dying. That's up to 27 million tons of fish thrown out every year--the equivalent of 600 fully-laden Titanics!
*The U.N. Secretary General reported that 95 percent of damages to seamount ecosystems worldwide is caused by deep sea bottom trawling.
*It can take more than 5 pounds of fish from the ocean to produce just 1 pound of farmed salmon or sea bass.
*Author Allison Mood has estimated the annual global capture of wild fish at one trillion and possibly as high as 2.7 trillion. This does not even count for the number of fish caught illegally or as bycatch. That number becomes particularly staggering when compared to the United Nations' estimate of 65 billion land animals killed each year for human consumption.

In my opinion, we need to decrease the above numbers from 1-2.7 trillion fish killed to no more than 500 billion or so, reducing the demand by 50-80%, and 30 billion land animals, reducing the demand by around 55%. To do so, we need to reduce our animal production consumption, drastically lower fishing and hunting quotas, eliminate or at least cut back government subsidies on the fishing and farming industries, and impose and enforce much stricter regulations on the industries.

[SeaGlass Siren]

ok. what about the rest of us with health problems?

[Princess Kae-Leah]

If you have health problems, it's fine that you eat what you feel is necessary for your health. I have many health issues too, which is part of the reason I'm not 100% vegetarian either. I feel that if everybody just ate the amount of animal protein necessary for their health we should be able to reduce the consumption to a more sustainable level. :)

[courtneymermaid]

I'm a vegetarian.

I started when I was in highschool and then was essentially tormented/teased into eating meat again. I'm half Austrian so that should sum it up right there... My whole family eats meat, bones and all! Ha ha! I was always the odd duck who would have her "weird" looking meal while the rest of the carnivores in my family would have their plates of animal...

Ah well.

Then this year I went to the screening of Minds in the Water here in Vancouver with some friends and decided that it was hypocritical for me to protest the slaughter of cetaceans when I eat their cousins (I'm talking cows here) and chickens. After doing a tremendous amount of research I decided it was the right thing for me personally.

Now to be totally fair to you meat-eaters out there, humans do have canine teeth for good reason. We are designed to eat some meat as well, but I think it should be a lot less than most humans actually consume.

I still have some dairy on occasion when it can't be avoided, but for the most part I am a soy girl.

[New York Mermaid]

All I eat is Chicken (and Turkey), Shrimp, Snow Crab (both once every 2 months or so) and Pork.

No Red meat for me. I get physically ill from eating Red Meat (Literally, My stomach cant or wont handle it). For that i take iron supplements among other vitamins to help. If im going to eat a fish (which is very rare), it would only be a Smoked Salmon Sushi Roll (last time eaten, 4 years ago).

I dont eat Tuna or other types of fish. <Because it is a Personal choice.

[MermaidBrittany]

I have heard (if you dont have health conditions) that becomeing a vegitarian of vegan for SOME people made it seem as if their body functioned better and they were less tired all the time. Has that happened to anyone?
I think I would actually like becoming a vegitarian, but it feels like so much planning. Was it hard in the beginning?

[SeaGlass Siren]

I have heard (if you dont have health conditions) that becomeing a vegitarian of vegan for SOME people made it seem as if their body functioned better and they were less tired all the time. Has that happened to anyone?
I think I would actually like becoming a vegitarian, but it feels like so much planning. Was it hard in the beginning?

i have a few friends who are vegan/vegetarian. i can vouch for them they they are less tired, and their skin glows. and i mean it's like super smooth and healthy (creeper andrea is creeper, touchin' people's faces n sh**)

[Aquatarian]

I have heard (if you dont have health conditions) that becomeing a vegitarian of vegan for SOME people made it seem as if their body functioned better and they were less tired all the time. Has that happened to anyone?
I think I would actually like becoming a vegitarian, but it feels like so much planning. Was it hard in the beginning?

I can say as far as sleep goes, I am definitely less groggy than I used to be. Granted because of my spiratic work schedule I am forced to work long hours and sleep at odd times of the day BUT when I used to eat meat, it was extremely difficult for me to wake up in the morning and to wake up from naps and such. Now I wake up easy, even if I'm still tired from not getting enough sleep the night before.

And I have to say going vegetarian is super easy. I'm only speaking for myself of course, I was blessed with good genes and have a body that is very adaptable and healthy (regardless of diet). You have SO many options even when eating out. There are almost all restaurants are vegetarian friendly nowadays. Even with those that aren't all you have to do is ask for no meat. :) Home cooking is even easier because you can prepare anything and you know exactly whats going in your body.

[MermaidBrittany]

I can say as far as sleep goes, I am definitely less groggy than I used to be. Granted because of my spiratic work schedule I am forced to work long hours and sleep at odd times of the day BUT when I used to eat meat, it was extremely difficult for me to wake up in the morning and to wake up from naps and such. Now I wake up easy, even if I'm still tired from not getting enough sleep the night before.

And I have to say going vegetarian is super easy. I'm only speaking for myself of course, I was blessed with good genes and have a body that is very adaptable and healthy (regardless of diet). You have SO many options even when eating out. There are almost all restaurants are vegetarian friendly nowadays. Even with those that aren't all you have to do is ask for no meat. :) Home cooking is even easier because you can prepare anything and you know exactly whats going in your body.

Ok great! That sounds really promising. I will deffinatly look at the veggi option next time im eating out. And feeling less groggy would be great. However, i think I might have to wean myself off of eating meats since im so used to it in my diet. :P


i have a few friends who are vegan/vegetarian. i can vouch for them they they are less tired, and their skin glows. and i mean it's like super smooth and healthy (creeper andrea is creeper, touchin' people's faces n sh**)

Haha smooth glowing skin sounds great :) Im sure it was just hard not to notice... :P

[Blondie]

I'm just going to be straight honest. I love meat and fish. I love the taste, I love cooking it, I know this might sound sick to some but I even like the smell of it raw :doh:

If I just eat a veggie meal I feel empty within the next hour. And I feel like I didn't eat anything. Meat keeps me full for a few hours. I tried tofu before and I thought it was awful. I couldn't make myself take another bite! And fish... Gosh I could probably live off of seafood. Crab is probably one of my favorites. So juicy and salty. I love it xD

To me a meal is not complete without fish or meat. But that's just me!

[Merrow Fair Isle]

^^^^^^^^ This. Sorry, but I am with iblondie. I appreciate veggies and vegand, and the dedication....but I would be a sad mer without a woodfire gril and some surf and turf.

[Aquatarian]

Oh believe me, I used to be that one a**hole who would always make fun of vegetarians whenever I got the chance. I always said I would NEVER in my life become a vegetarian loved hot dogs too much, loved steak (extra rare I might add), loved fried chicken and crab with butter. And then I did some soul searching, got to know myself more and wound up going veg. ^_^

While I was veg I said I would NEVER go vegan. Loved cheese to much, loved pasta, grilled cheese, and loved extra cheesy pizza! lol Then I did some more soul searching and researched the diet more and now I'm vegan. :)

I really would not turn away from the idea just because you think you could never in your life go without something. It's not about going without and cutting things away from your diet, it's about finding new things to like, new recipes, new substitutions. It might sound like all a veggie person eats is salad, but that's not true at all. In fact I had a pretty amazing Vegan Thanksgiving a few days ago. :D

[AnnaAbyss]

I couldn't agree more. I just don't think a meal is a meal without meat. It's in our nature to eat it.

[Mermaid Cascada]

I loooove bacon... I might just die without it so that's why I'm not a vegetarian.

[seagirls626]

When my mom was pregnant with me, she said that she would devour hamburgers every day. The funny thing is, I became a vegetarian at the age of 9! I guess thats when I realized what meat really was, and ever since then I'm afraid to eat it. The only meat I EVER eat is chicken, and thats only because I'm allergic to fish and I refuse to eat eggs. Oh, and bacon. I can't seem to live without bacon. It's also very hard for me to eat a couple of bites of chicken without thinking of what it really is. I hope I get over my fish allergy! The fist time I had fish I threw up all night, and I just recently tried a tiny piece and had a terrible stomach ache for the rest of the day. :(
Do mermaids even eat fish?

[SeaGlass Siren]

Teeechnically eggs are not meat, just chicken period.... Teeeeechnically.

[Mermaid Saphira]

I have recently started transferring over to vegetarian.
Learning of some of the ways animals are killed and processed is unsettling to me.
I do have one "splurge" day a month in which I only eat organic turkey or chicken.
Seafood is good, so I continue to eat that as it is not actually consider meat (or so i have heard).
I still respect those of you who eat meat, it's your decision and none of my business...so...ya :)

[Alveric]

People are intended to eat meat but only in moderation. In ancient times people would have perhaps two or three servings a week. On other days they might have dishes flavored with meat (stew bones, etc.). Fish was eaten at least as often as meat.

The ancient Orthodox Christian lenten fast, which is to be observed during Lent and Advent, is vegan, no animal products allowed.

[AniaR]

The ancient Orthodox Christian lenten fast, which is to be observed during Lent and Advent, is vegan, no animal products allowed.
I do this with my family :) even though I've gravitated away from the church a bit, I actually love the Lent and Advent traditions and find they just help me center myself generally! Though most people don't know, that on Sunday you can partake - you don't fast on Sunday. (we learned this YEARS into it lol) My parents are smokers and generally every year for Lent they give up smoking. They really like smoking, so it's hard for them to break. They have sometimes gone months and sometimes close to a year when they try giving it up- but haven't been able to make it stick. At least they keep trying. In that regard though, they wouldn't partake on Sundays. ;)

I actually love the taste of meat too. That's why I just try and make better choices from where I get it. I don't eat any seafood. it's not an ethical choice, just a matter of me never finding anything I've ever liked and also feeling a bit sick when I eat it.

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Saphira, many do consider seafood meat

[Aquatarian]

At the risk of exploding and making myself sound like a jerk, I'm going to stop contributing to this thread for the time being. I would love to contribute more but I think I might end up making some enemies. :P

However if anyone has questions regarding a vegan or vegetarian diet I would be more than happy to answer. :)

[BlueMermaid]

I am vegetarian. I started it because I leaned how much healthier it is. Vegetairians have drasticlly less rates of heart disease, cancers and other diseases. Vegans have even less than vegetarians. I highly recomended the movie forks over knives, especially for people with health problems.

After I went vegetarian, I learned about how badly the animals are abused. If you would cry out for justice for abuse of a dog, then you should seriously consider not eating meat. Factory farms legally do things that you would be put in jail for doing them to your dog. Its absolutely sadistic torture that these animals are subjected to. Baby pigs testies removed with a pair of sizzors and some duct tape- standard practice. Those cute little baby chicks you see around easter, thrown alive into grinders - standard practice. Thats only a small example of what happens there.

So Due to these reasons, I eat a mostly vegan diet. I took a year to go vegetarian. I stared out with one day a week for 2 months,then 2 days a week for 2 months, then 3, etc. It made the transition easy!

And seriously, the health benefits are asounding. People go vegan and no longer need to take their medications, its amazing.

[AniaR]

However if anyone has questions regarding a vegan or vegetarian diet I would be more than happy to answer.

You did fine *hug*

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Here here, Blue Mermaid! I'm doing the same thing you did, slowly-but-surely transitioning into a 100% vegetarian diet. I haven't eaten seafood in well so long I can't remember when ;) and I gave up red meat I think in August 2011. I hardly ever eat pork any more, I use Silk soy milk instead of dairy milk, and since I traditionally have been pretty dependent on chicken for protein, I'm working on replacing my "real" chicken with Gardein vegetarian faux chicken. There's some really delish fake chicken products out there! If you're a chicken person like I am, I HIGHLY recommend Gardein's frozen products, which are sold in many stores and aren't usually much pricier than "real" meat. I find eating them with barbecue sauce or McD's or Wendy's sweet and sour makes it taste especially chicken-y and is a great alternative to chicken nuggets or strips from fast food or chain restaurants. Some of Morningstar's products are pretty good too, my mom's a big fan of their fake sausage, but I never was much of a sausage person. If you wanna transition, I suggest giving up seafood and red meat first, as they're both really bad for the environment and red meat's so bad for your health, then either give up altogether or greatly reduce your consumption of pork, as pigs are abused really bad, pig farming isn't great for the environment, AND pork isn't usually very good for you either and work on reducing your intake of poultry. If you're just getting started, you may just want to try Meatless Mondays for a while and eat vegetarian one day a week for a while. If you're having trouble, try watching some of PETA's slaughterhouse and factory farm videos on YouTube or the documentary Earthlings, they will totally make you lose your appetite for meat. Think most animal farms look like a Fisher-Price Little People farm set, with happy pigs and cows in green pastures? Think again! A big thing for me is the environmental impact as well. Even if you're not an animal rights person per se, the high demand for animal products is horrible for the environment and certainly not helping world hunger, as we're feeding a ridiculous amount of grain to livestock. Some people think seafood is better for them and the planet than land meats, but not really, as we're sucking life from the ocean at an alarmingly unsustainable rate and it's so high in mercury and other contaminants. Here is some info on the downsides of animal products from my FB mer-page, organized by type of product:
All Animal Products:
Common Foods Ranked By Carbon Footprint, From Highest To Lowest, With kg of CO2 emissions per kg of food consumed) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/common-foods-ranked-by-carbon-footprint-from-highest-to-lowest-with-kg-of-co2-em/488477371172418)
6 Reasons Why If You Must Eat Meat, Chicken May Be The Less Damaging For The Environment
(http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/6-reasons-why-if-you-must-eat-meat-chicken-may-be-the-less-damaging-for-the-envi/488437047843117)What Do I Think Is A Truly Sustainable Amount of Animals Killed For Food? (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/what-do-i-think-is-a-truly-sustainable-amount-of-animals-killed-for-food/486507181369437)

Seafood:
7 MORE Reasons Not To Eat Seafood(Source: Liberation BC) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/7-more-reasons-not-to-eat-seafoodsource-liberation-bc/490711934282295)
Guide To Mercury Contamination In Seafood
(http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/guide-to-mercury-contamination-in-seafood/348611841825639)65 Worst Seafood For The Environment(Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch)
(http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/65-worst-seafood-for-the-environmentsource-monterey-bay-aquarium-seafood-watch/488920031128152)10 Reasons Not To Eat Lobsters And Crabs(Source: PETA) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/10-reasons-not-to-eat-lobsters-and-crabssource-peta/415590948461061)
More Reasons Not To Eat Shrimp(Source: France24 International News) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/more-reasons-not-to-eat-shrimpsource-france24-international-news/352249224795234)
20 Reasons Why Seafood Is NOT A Health Food
(http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/20-reasons-why-seafood-is-not-a-health-food/346571922029631)10 Reasons To Not Eat Salmon(Source: PETA)
(http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/10-reasons-to-not-eat-salmonsource-peta/345202398833250)5 Reasons To Not Eat Tuna (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/5-reasons-to-not-eat-tuna/343833008970189)
10 Reasons Not To Eat Shrimp
(http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/10-reasons-not-to-eat-shrimp/343820278971462)15 Reasons Why Shark Fishing And Trade In Shark Meat/Shark Fins Should Be Made Illegal Worldwide(Source: Shark Savers)
(http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/15-reasons-why-shark-fishing-and-trade-in-shark-meatshark-fins-should-be-made-il/340754772611346)Don't Just Take This Mermaid's Word For It!: Anti-Seafood Consumption Quotes From Respected Environmentalists And Biologists (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/dont-just-take-this-mermaids-word-for-it-anti-seafood-consumption-quotes-from-re/340084112678412)
More Reasons To Not Eat Seafood(Source: NMFS US National Bycatch Report) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/more-reasons-to-not-eat-seafoodsource-nmfs-us-national-bycatch-report/334878199865670)
50 Reasons Not To Eat Seafood(Or At Least Reduce Your Fish Consumption To No More Than One Sustainable Fish Meal A Week!) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/50-reasons-not-to-eat-seafoodor-at-least-reduce-your-fish-consumption-to-no-more/325909027429254)

Beef:
25 Reasons Not To Eat Red Meat(Or At Least Reduce Your Beef Consumption To Less Than Once A Week) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/25-reasons-not-to-eat-red-meator-at-least-reduce-your-beef-consumption-to-less-t/329349023751921)

Pork:
10 Reasons Not To Eat Pork(Or At Least Reduce Your Pork Consumption To Once A Week Or Less)(Source: PETA) (http://www.facebook.com/notes/kae-leah-royal-purple-mermaid-princess/10-reasons-not-to-eat-porkor-at-least-reduce-your-pork-consumption-to-once-a-wee/349376531749170)

In short, reducing your animal product consumption is a win-win-win for your health, the environment, AND the animals.

[Mermaid Arianna]

I'm a vegetarian. I don't like the way the animals are raised and slaughtered. I cried watching the slaughterhouse video in health class. I just can't stand it. I never liked the taste. My dad doesn't support me and tries to trick me into eating meat. My mom has finally accepted it. I don't eat seafood either, its gross I don't like it.

[Lotus]

Madeleine- sorry to hear your dad does that, that's just bad form. I totally understand where you are coming from in terms of the way most feed lot animals are raised and slaughtered. I really don't like it either. That's another reason I'm drifting away from eating meat as much. I stand by my vow to never turn away what my husband hunts tho. Not only does he work hard to bring it home, but I know that animal got to roam and be free, rather than be stuck in a feed lot.

[AptaMer]

You're right to stick with animals that have been free, I think, Lotus. Feedlots and those packed chicken farms where the chickens can't move properly are bad for the animal's health, and it's probably not good to eat meat from unihealthy animals.

A movie I watched recently called King Corn was very revealing to me. It's about where the modern diet comes from, it's kind of based mostly on corn. You can watch it here if you're interested.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvMxIEgbsIo&amp;feature=share&amp;list=PL024DDDBB3 F3C6C57

The look on the guys faces when the professor tells them they're made of corn is priceless. At 41 minutes into the film, they meet a guy who tells them about how unhealth corn feeding is for cows, and they the investigate the feedlot industry.

[Lotus]

There's another great documentary about a whole foods plant based diet called "Forks over Knives," My husband and I watched it about a month ago- pretty crazy stuff, even if you have no interest or intention in making that kind of lifestyle change yourself.

[Aquatarian]

Deciding to open this up again. Because I just want to. haha :)

I recently sat down and watched "Forks Over Knives" a couple weeks ago and found it confirming things for me as well as giving me more info that supports my veganism which makes me feel great.

I watched it on Netflix and also say the documentary "Get Vegucated" where 3 meat eating people go vegan for a few weeks to see the results and the reasoning behind the lifestyle. It was pretty good. I would recommend it if you have any free time.

[Tasha Mermaid]

I am a very happy Vegan :) ,

I went from being a meat eater(though never ate seafood) straight to being a vegan on jan 30th 2012
Reasons are a few, mostly would be because i have been a BIG animal activist my whole life, in fact i can remember protesting animal, ocean and environmental rights from the age of 5 years old, it has always been my main focus in life.
When i was 10 years old i decided to never use or wear leather, silk or wool because it did not fit in with what i believed, i would constantly go months without meat if someone made so much as a moo while i was eating meat (which my little brothers found more then funny) my mum used to force me to eat meat again, i have always loved vegies and fruit and never been a fan of junk food.

So last year after watching forks over knives i made the switch to being vegan, my partner is a meat eater but he wants to go vegetarian.
I have had no health issues with going vegan and have found that my once a month extreme iron deficiency that i had as a meat eater is now gone, i will mention i get all my nutrients from foods i do not take vitamin tablets :)

I adore being vegan, it fits in with my beliefs and it makes me feel great, i feel healthy and happy and i adore creating vegan dishes that even have my meat eater friends hooked.
As i said my partner is a meat eater and this is how we make it work....our home is vegan/vegetarian and when we are not at home he can have whatever he wants, we both made this compromise, when going to friends houses i just take my vegan options like the vegan burgers etc for bbq's.

I am also a health conscious nazi (strange because im fat yet people would think that i ate bad all day when i do not, nor do i eat huge amounts) who hates anything chemical as it makes me ill and gives me headaches, i also like to make food from scratch which my partner prefers the taste of.
We dont miss out on anything, we have casseroles, pasta's, potato bakes, lasagne, rice dishes, salads, stir frys, burgers, pizza, etc although i do not make carb filled dishes often and i dont use oil and i am not a fan or sugar or salt.
I think people think going Vegan is hard work, it is not, we eat yummy vibrant dishes all the time :)

Also should point out that im not a vegan nazi who throws my beliefs down peoples throats, everyone needs to make up their own mind, but i am more then happy to show people new yummy foods, although if someone is hurting an animal in front of me they are best to be prepared for me to hurt them back but that is a different kettle of fish :).

So what it comes down to is what you feel works for you, even simply making a couple of dishes a week veg instead of meat can help a lot, but remember that even vegetarians and vegans have to think about nutrition, many presume that they do not have to, they are the ones who get sick :(

[drucilla]

I'm not a vegitarian, that being said I hate meat. (Rather meat hates me I guess... lol) Everytime I eat meat I get really sick, but I can't stop altogether because it wouldn't be fair to my husband to put him on a no meat diet because of my issues with it. If I could find a vegitarian grocery store near us that was really cheap I'd make a non-meat dish everyother night, so we could compromise. Until then this household is unfortunately carnivorous.

[Tasha Mermaid]

I'm not a vegitarian, that being said I hate meat. (Rather meat hates me I guess... lol) Everytime I eat meat I get really sick, but I can't stop altogether because it wouldn't be fair to my husband to put him on a no meat diet because of my issues with it. If I could find a vegitarian grocery store near us that was really cheap I'd make a non-meat dish everyother night, so we could compromise. Until then this household is unfortunately carnivorous.


My fiance is a meat eater and we work the meat eater/ vegan thing well, you just need to talk.....if you are getting ill from meat then you should not be eating it :S .......there are alot of tasty meat alternatives you can get and America has alot of option when it comes to that even in the Walmart place.....most health food stores or asian grocery stores also sell alternatives ....just a heads up :)

[Aquatarian]

^ Agree. :) there are so many possibilities out there. Personally, I still live at home with my mum and she is a carnivore. :P I'm vegan and we manage meals just fine. As a side effect - she's eating more veggies and drinking less milk which is definitely a plus on her part. ^_^

[SeaGlass Siren]

so something miraculous/strange has happened to me.

a few days ago i was making turkey burgers and turkey bacon for my fiance and i.... i got sick of looking at the pink flesh :| i made myself a veggie burger instead. thinking i must have been feeling sick, i decided to sleep it off. then today my mom made beef soup with carrots. i look into the pot and the beef (that used to entice me) no longer looked as appetizing so i just had beef broth with carrots only. i still wanted to eat meat so i only put one chunk in... but i couldnt touch it.

AM I BECOMING VEGETARIAN? o-o is it normal to NOT want meat when a person (who usually LOVES meat) just completely gets sick of it?

[Aquatarian]

^It's completely normal. It's actually one common reason I've heard people go veg in the first place, they just lose a taste for meat. :)

[SeaGlass Siren]

oh thank poseidon... x_x i thought it was just me.

[Taniira]

I've been toying with the idea of going semi-vegetarian for a while for health reasons (except when I visit the boyfriend, because OMG HAGGIS YUM, or visit my parents because I can't turn down mom's cooking). Sometimes I'll go a week or two without meat, but it really just depends on what I've made. I have a hectic schedule so on the weekends I just make a big batch of soup/chili/something and then freeze it into individual portions. This week I'm eating a lot of meat, but that's because I just visited my parents and got sent home with a ton of chicken and brisket, but next week it'll be back to the tomato chickpea soup and turkey chili I have stockpiled.

I'm on a really tight budget to get debt-free this year and fresh produce is just not cheap, plus I always feel like it takes forever to prepare, and it seems like I always end up throwing half of what produce I do buy away . My defrost-chili-heat-and-serve is just so much faster. Also it doesn't keep and I live on my own and it's SO HARD to cook for just one person (though if anyone has any quick, cheap, and easy recipes feel free to PM me!). I don't even really like cooking most of the time, to be honest. I always feel like I could be doing better things, like reading or crafting.

[BlueMermaid]

For those who are considering a vegan diet but need help, this may be useful:
https://www.facebook.com/HappyHerbivoreBlog?fref=ts

Happy Herbivore creates a menu for the week of easy to make meals, and it includes a shopping list. You can get the one person plan or the family plan. Its $5 a week, money well spent until you get the hang of it.

If you need motivation, here are some points to keep in mind:

Eating meat and dairy (and processed foods, white sugar, artificial flavors & colors, preservatives, etc) are the cause of MOST of the heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetics, and more. People cure these diseases by changing their FOOD! Or you could just prevent it all together!

The resources used on food animals is destroying the planet.

The antibiotics used on food animals is making antibiotic resistance, so pretty soon they won't work to help us. So thanks to the meat industry, we will be dying from diseases that we could get under control before.

Worse of all, the animals used for food are ABUSED. "standard practice" on food animals is a criminal act if you do it to your pets. Would you put your dog in a cage so small that it couldn't move, and leave it there it's whole life? Would you cut off your dogs tail and genitals with a pair of scissors with no pain meds, then use duct tape on the wound? Would you put your puppy to sleep by slamming it's head into concrete? Would you throw a baby bird into a grinder? This isn't even the half of it..... So if you think it's wrong to do to a dog, then it's wrong to do to any animal. When you buy meat, you pay people to do these things to animals!

[Taniira]

Thanks for that link! I think I'll give that service a try for a couple of weeks, assuming everything stays in budget :)

[BlueMermaid]

:thumbs up: Taniira! Hope it's helpful!

[Mermaid Danielle]

Hmmm, I'm not vegetarian or vegan, though I do tend to limit my consumption of meat based off of what I'm feeling. If I eat meat, I'm usually eating chicken and I tend to be a little picky about the red meat I eat- this usually applies to when I'm not at home ( ie away at school or going out to eat). If I'm home, I'll usually eat whatever my dad is cooking, he's a really good cook :)

Personally, I've always decided my diet on what I feel like eating. I was raised on a healthy diet, with very little sugar, so my eating habits are pretty good. I prefer a piece of fruit over chocolate almost any day. :) Believe it or not, what your body is or isn't craving actually has some significant value to it (your body is saying 'hey! I need more of whatever is in that, or something similar to it' or 'Nope, don't need anymore of that')

On the other side of things, I'm hypoglycemic (low blood sugar, opposite of diabetes), so I try to not mess with my protein intake (which is what keeps my sugar levels, well... level). If I ever can't eat meat, for what ever reason, I would obviously have to look into other options for protein.

Ultimately, as bad as I feel for the animals suffering that results from my meat eating, I'm not planning on changing my diet anytime soon. When I can afford to, I may look into different options for how I purchase meat (and what is done to the animal prior to it's death), but until then, I'll be sticking to my normal...

[BlueMermaid]

Danielle, it is a misconception that meat is the best source of protein. There is plenty of protein in vegetables. I used to be hypoglycemic too. Here is a link that really breaks it down, showing the numbers: http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html

I found out that beans are much cheaper and healthier than meat. But even if meat was cheaper, the way I look at it, I would rather pay more to eat something good for me than something that's going to lead to diseases. Long term, healthy food food is cheaper than the health care you will need later in life.

[Mermaid Danielle]

Huh, interesting. Thanks for posting, BlueMermaid. :)

[SeaGlass Siren]

Veggies don't give you complete proteins though FYI. They give incomplete proteins even though there are veggies that give you a ton. Personally I would just eat one serving of meat (a size of a deck of cards) just so I get complete proteins, and then eat vegetarian ...

[BlueMermaid]

Andrea, read the link I posted, and go to the section on incomplete proteins, I think you find it interesting.

[BlueMermaid]

Your welcome Danielle! :)

[Lotus]

I've heard for the longest time that quinoa is truly a complete protein, but it took me forever to try it lol... finally I did one day- cooked it up with some garlic and chicken broth and stuffed it into bell peppers with organic ground beef and spices and a little cheese... (vegan nightmare!) it was soooo yummy.... HOWEVER- I am going to make this same recipe with all veg and just a little cheese tonight simply because lately I have been craving produce, and my slow but steady weight loss has stalled big time. I'm waking up (if you can call it that) feeling groggy and crabby if I sleep at all and my hands are all swollen. I know darn well I'm eating too much salt and fat. And I know better than to do this to myself, but I tend to self-sabotage when somethings bothering me. ANNNNNNYWAAAAYYYY.... (as I ramble on endlessly) Not gonna go vegan, but def. gonna be going semi-veggie for a while to re-balance myself.
One thing I can say I have given up tho is milk. I drink almond milk now and put coconut milk creamer (YUM) in my rare cup of coffee.
thanks, Alasea for all the stuff you posted- I'm gonna read up today. :)

[Aquatarian]

Veggies don't give you complete proteins though FYI. They give incomplete proteins even though there are veggies that give you a ton. Personally I would just eat one serving of meat (a size of a deck of cards) just so I get complete proteins, and then eat vegetarian ...

Another common misconception ;)

There are plants that give you tons of protein. A few that are made with complete proteins include; soy (or any soy products), spirulina, hemp seeds, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa. You can also eat different things together to make a complete protein. For example if you were to eat a veggie burger/patty with some whole wheat bread (which is kinda obvious your gonna eat it in a sandwich :p) then they make a complete protein. You theoretically could even eat them at separate meals (beans for lunch and pasta for dinner).

[BlueMermaid]

"We've all heard that plant protein is "incomplete" compared to meat protein, and that plant foods have to be carefully combined to make a "complete" protein. But that's just an urban legend that was never based on science. The American Dietetic Association abandoned that idea decades ago. "

Read more about it here: http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html

(Yes, I love that site, because it covers all the common misconceptions people have)

[BlueMermaid]

Readers Digest just put this up today:
http://www.rd.com/slideshows/convincing-reasons-eating-vegan-isnt-crazy/

"According to traditional dietary standards, a 140-pound woman should have 50 grams of protein a day, and for a vegan that might come from a cup each of cooked spinach (13 grams), lentils (18 grams), and tempeh (a soy product with 41 grams). (You can find more suggestions (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm) from the Vegetarian Resource Group.)

In fact, large-scale research like The China Study (http://www.thechinastudy.com/the-china-study/about/) have revealed that too much protein, namely animal protein (http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/12/health/red-meat-shorten-lifespan/index.html), is harmful for your health. Other research shows that excess protein in your body can strain your kidneys or cling as fat."

[Traveling Merman]

Humans evolved as omnivores and an apex predator, I don't argue with evolution,

I don't really believe in "farming" like cage hens but I'm all for the regular old fashioned farming where the farmers aren't given a crap deal by the supermarkets!

As for hunting I don't think it should e allowed as its a less tangible way of population control there should be alternatives, in Britain we aren't allowed to hunt full stop!

I don't think meat should be wasted as I think that's a bit irresponsible/ignorant! Lol

[SeaGlass Siren]

how odd.. my nutrition teachers told me otherwise. :| i hate being misinformed..

[Mermaid Shayna]

I don't eat meat. I love animals and, personally, to eat one makes me sick. I don't care if people eat meat- as long as they don't flaunt it in my face (which has happened.)
I once crawled into the pen where they were keeping the milk cows at a fair and fell asleep and the cow watched over me, nudging me to wake me up when the cow beside us stoop up so I wouldn't get crushed. I remember her eyes, how gentle she was to me despite her enormous size. (I was much younger at the time.) That's why I could never eat a cow.

[Scapey]

in Britain we aren't allowed to hunt full stop!



Not true, man. I know plenty of folk that go shooting rabbits, grouse, pheasant etc.
We even have a guy who hunts deer on my Airsoft site - We made VERY certain to get in touch with him to be sure our schedules didn't clash! ;)

I am completely against hunting purely for fun- Fox-hunting, for example, is disgusting and should be banned.

But hunting for food... Especially if you can use any other part of the animal too... is absolutely fine by me.
Respect the animal that gave its life for you - Eat as much of it as you can, and waste nothing that could be used! ( And thus haggis and black pudding were invented :D )

[The Young Mermaid]

Hi!
I have been a vegetarian for seven months. I started out on short tirm, and doing it for fun, but I soon had two upsetting occurrences.

The first one, I went to a chicken barn where they were raising chickens for camble soup. The barn stunk. It was full of almost featherless chicks, that didn't have much room to run. They were genetically engineered to have larger breasts. Because of this they kept tripping over them selves because they were disproportionate. I felt so sick that one the way home I swore to never eat meat again.

The second I was invited to a slaughter barn to help unload some pigs. I didn't really want to go, but there was no way out so I went. Once we had got the pigs in, my little brothers begged to have a tour. So of course I had a tour of the whole place. Including the slaughter room. They had just killed a cow. Blood was everywhere. It was so gross. It was hanging upside down headless. The head sitting off in the corner. Paralyzed, I looked on in horror. This was so gross, and upsetting because I love cows. My brother in law is a dairy farmer and I go help him all the time. I love cows. I went home and cried I was so upset.

Now don't take me wrong, I don't think eating meat is wrong. But for me I feel it is gross, and I just have a hard time eating animals. If it doesn't bother you, go ahead, eat. But I think after these two instances I have been grossed out a little to much. I am still tempted a lot of the time. But whenever I think about that dead cow, I feel so sick I don't want to eat the meat. So I plan on staying vegetarian for a long long time. :)

[Lotus]

@ Scapey- I love you, man! I really really do. Because you nailed it on the head- If you're going to hunt, eat it, use it, respect it.
@young mermaid- I'm sorry you felt so bad, but you have done the right thing by choosing to do otherwise. That's how change happens. When people are educated and make different choices based on what they have learned.
@traveling merman- exactly what kind of population control is ideal in a world where human beings have forever altered the natural world? Should we just leave the animals to themselves to "work it out?" I'm seriously curious about people's ideas on how stopping responsible hunting is good for the balance of things. I really really am.

[Scapey]

Thanks :) I've always been a big fan of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipes and methods ( http://www.rivercottage.net/ ), and the credo of using "Everything but the Oink"!
It just makes sense to me - We evolved to be omnivores, and for most of us our systems work best when given an omnivorous diet.
If you wanna be vegetarian or vegan, that's great - More delicious meat for me! ;) So long as you do it properly, and balance the missing parts of your diet with something to compensate.
And if for health reasons, or you don't like the taste - fine!

But if you're one of those people who won't touch meat because you think the animals are too cute - If you want me to respect that decision, then you better not be wearing any leather, or eating any gelatin based candy! :p
( joking )
( mostly )

[Alveric]

We can't eliminate responsible hunting because our ancestors killed off the predators. Even with hunting, there are too many deer in Kentucky. They run out onto highways and get themselves and people killed (I've been in one serious accident and two close calls with deer). During a hard winter, they starve, suffer and die in droves.

If you eat meat, would you rather eat the meat of an animal that lived free and wild til it was quickly killed; or the meat of an animal that was pinned, filled with hormones and killed in a slaughter house? One should think about that before condemning hunting. (No, I don't actually hunt, but I have friends and relatives who do.)

This is not directed at anyone in particular.

[The Young Mermaid]

I agree, with the deer thing Alveric. There are WAY to many deer where I live too.

[Lotus]

Alveric, I'm with you 1000%.
We live near downtown Evergreen Colorado. There's an absolutely HUGE herd of elk that roam around our area- they frequently cause major traffic delays because they take their time crossing the roads. Luckily right where we are at, the roads are only two-lane with low speed limits and people respect them- so there aren't a lot of casualties related to car strikes. Pretty much everyone I live near hunts elk and/or deer and my husband also hunts pronghorn. Most of these people only eat what they hunt and don't buy meat from the supermarkets. We do the same, until it runs out. But I notice such a huge difference in taste that store-bought meat from feedlots tastes pretty nasty to me now. I do my best to go with free range or organic, or just forget it altogether. And the less of it I eat, the less I care if I have it.

[Alveric]

True, we are designed (or evolved) to eat meat, but only as an occasional treat, not the mainstay of our diet. I have to be honest and confess, however, that there are few things in the world I like better than a bacon-cheeseburger.:$

[Lotus]

And I love me some smoked BBQ pork.

[Aquatarian]

It just makes sense to me - We evolved to be omnivores, and for most of us our systems work best when given an omnivorous diet.
If you wanna be vegetarian or vegan, that's great - More delicious meat for me! ;) So long as you do it properly, and balance the missing parts of your diet with something to compensate.
And if for health reasons, or you don't like the taste - fine!

But if you're one of those people who won't touch meat because you think the animals are too cute - If you want me to respect that decision, then you better not be wearing any leather, or eating any gelatin based candy! :p
( joking )
( mostly )

It's true that humans have evolved the ability to survive off of meat products but it by no means suggest that eating meat is healthy for you. There is nothing you need to get from animals that you can't also find in plant foods.

And our bodies actually work at their most efficient on a diet that is very heavy in plant foods (or at best all plant based foods). If you have ever read or heard of The China Study (which is one of the largest, most detailed diet studies ever conducted) it states that plant based diets are best for optimum health. The research is very extensive and takes places over a very long point in time. It also looked at several different aspects of peoples diets. Among multiple other things, the study concluded that the higher rate of meat and animal products consumed, that higher are the rates of cancer and cardiovascular disease. And the same is true for the opposite, the lower the amount of meat and animal products consumed in turn cause low rates of cancer and low rates of cardiovascular disease.

Even now, parts of Asia (and other countries as well) are deviating from more traditional foods and are "Americanizing" their diets aka: eating more sweets, eating more meat to "get protein", eating more fast food compared to eating home cooked meals, and the results? Obesity rates are increasing, death via heart failure is on the rise, and cancer rates (although still fairly low compared to other countries) are on the rise.

Eating a plant based diet has even been known to stop cancer cells from growing and put cancer patients into remission:
Natural Cancer Cure: Woman Cures Cancer with Vegan Diet (http://voices.yahoo.com/natural-cancer-cure-woman-cures-breast-cancer-with-1386785.html?cat=70) - via Yahoo! Health
Can a Plant-Based Diet Cure Cancer (http://www.oprah.com/health/Can-a-Plant-Based-Diet-Cure-Cancer/1) -via Oprah

There are also many people out there who stop consuming one animal product or another and find that some health problem they had before, is no longer an issue. This can be true for of course cardiovascular disease and obesity, but it can also cure many skin diseases including acne such as the case with this girl who literally tried everything (over the counter and prescribed, expensive and cheap) to get rid of her acne. She talks about all the different treats she went through but you can skip ahead to about 4 mins in, where she starts talking about diet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0sKCTiacBw

Now am I saying that Veganism is some kind of cure-all magic bullet? No. But am I saying that it is very beneficial to your health? Yes. Veganism/Vegetarianism is not a guaranteed miracle that makes everything better but it makes a huge difference in your overall health.

And like it was mentioned above, you can call yourself vegan and eat nothing but tortilla chips and oreos. But to become a true vegan is to round out all parts of your diet, to consume an appropriate amount of grain, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and leafy greens. If done correctly, you don't need to consume supplements to "make up for nutrients in meat" because you will be getting all the appropriate nutrients from plants.

[Winged Mermaid]

I'm pretty well educated on how horrible a diet with a lot of animal products- dairy as well as meat- is for your health. Some things are not well known either, like how it causes osteoporosis. The science is there, the numbers back it up, but the dairy industry has been fueling the market with propaganda for decades.

With all that I still can't go vegetarian or vegan. I try, but becuase of my narcolepsy I need a lot of protien. The dietary treatment for narcolepsy is actually the Adkins diet, but I refuse to go that far with it. I've tried doing vegetarian protien but it does not work near as well as animal products. I don't know why, all I know is what works best for my body in particular. Also if I try and eat soy products like tofu in a meal I get MAJOR brain fog. Like, can't drive safely brain fog, for hours. I try and do more vegetarian meals a week than before, but cutting dairy and meat out completely has failed for me multiple times. My husband and family can totally tell from my mood and energy level if I didn't have eggs for breakfast, for example. Ah well.

Also quinoa is great, but the demand is making it so expensive that the people first cultivated the grain can't afford to eat it. For the people in the countries that grow it, it is now cheaper for them to eat imported junk food than to eat the quinoa growing in their own country.
http://www.alternet.org/food/can-healthy-food-eaters-stomach-uncomfortable-truth-about-quinoa

[Kanti]

Spot f**king on, Alveric.
I've actually gotten into hunting as of the past year or so because of just that. It always annoys me
whenever people are like OMG HUNTING IS SO CRUEL *takes bite of mcburger*, so I've repeated that
logic to people about a million times. Not to mention when animals DO die in the wild they're often killed
by other things that don't necessarily care if they're dead or not before they start eating, so really I'd think
getting hit by a bullet or an arrow that manages to kill after 20 steps isn't so bad.

I'm not sure if being a vegetarian is better for you or not. I don't necessarily trust "diet research" because it
always seems to change every other year. This years "healthy" always ends up being next years "OMG AVOID
OR ELSE!". Biologically speaking, plant matter is often very difficult to digest and even when you decide to
cook it, you sort of remove the majority of the vitamins/minerals and all that so unless you're making a soup
you're really selling yourself short of the nutritional value you could be getting.
I also REALLY hate how the phrase "bad for you" is overused in all these health articles. Milk and red meat are
not BAD for you, they have just as much potential to be good as they do to be bad, just like ANY other food.
If you sit on your butt all day then yea, you'd probably want to avoid those, but if you're relatively active or have
a fast metabolism, they can actually be pretty GOOD for you. If you're going to say something is bad actually
talk about something that's bad. Candy can be considered BAD because it really has no positive nutritional value
whatsoever. Grass is bad for people because we can't properly process it, so I'd say grass is probably an example
of something that's actually BAD. Certain mushrooms are also BAD because they're poisonous and may cause you
to vomit. Those are things that are BAD. Not dairy, unless you're lactose intolerant. Then that's your body clearly
telling you that it is, along with anything else that's allergy related.

I think every person is generally different so one person may benefit highly from being vegetarian/vegan while
another would probably need meat in their diet. When my cousin became a vegetarian a couple years ago she
began getting very tired no matter how much she ate. Her doctor suggested she take iron supplements and
increase the intake of protein. I remember she literally ate 6 helpings of beans, nuts and the like but it still
wasn't enough. She ended up having to drink protein shakes.. like the ones guys use to gain weight lol. I also
have another vegan friend who I have class with at 6am. She always gives me a talk about how I should stop
drinking milk but she's always exhausted when we get to class. She also goes to starbucks 4 times a day to get
a double shot of espresso. So I find it sort of weird that she's the one telling me I'm unhealthy.
So I guess I'm a bit biased because I've met around 13 vegetarians and they all just seem very condescending
about it. I don't exactly like the idea of someone telling me what I should be eating when they know nothing about
my regular diet, my cholesterol levels, my metabolism, blood sugar, and all that. I also find it strange that I tend
to be a lot more alert, aware and awake than many of them, when I don't even do much exercise.
</rant>

[SeaGlass Siren]

Amen Kanti !!

[AptaMer]

Hmmm. you guys might find this video interesting.



http://youtu.be/KLjgBLwH3Wc