About two years ago, I read a book on non-human-animal emotions, and became a vegan on the same day. I was violently ill for two weeks--I know that I really screwed up there, and for the next two years, I've been on/off vegan (sometimes I eat eggs now, and I've decided to reincorporate fish into my diet, but I make sure that it's always wild-caught fish--never farm-raised). Honestly though, I've been forced to wonder if younger people (let's say those between the ages of 12 and 20--those still going through the "developmental stages") should completely stave off of animal proteins and dairy enzymes and all of that happy stuff that's become a staple of the human diet. I get into heated debates with my grandmother on this point, and I can't really defend veganism here...but I'd like to, I suppose...I'm just wondering, what's a good plan of action here...from experienced vegans...
I went vegan when I was 17, and I am 19 now. I've pretty closely monitored my diet, and ever since I went vegan, I have not had a single point in my life where I have not been much healthier. Even when I was sick with the flu, I was healthier than I would normally have been with the flu (I was still healthy enough to go to class, and I didn't throw up or have a high fever, etc. I only felt weak and slept a lot, and the flu lasted for half as long as it used to last before I was vegan.) I didn't start taking multivitamins until recently, and I haven't been taking them lately (usually only when I start to feel a little less than my best). I just eat a varied diet. Animal proteins are not as good as vegetable proteins. They are incomplete, compared to vegetable protein. Dairy enzymes can also be manufactured by the body, if you get the correct amino acids. Soymilk, for example, contains all of the essential amino acids necessary to do this (in addition to complete proteins, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids). Because of these two factors, and the fact that I eat a relatively varied diet, I am never lacking as far as nutrition goes. Anything I don't get enough of, my body can manufacture. As far as animal protein and dairy enzymes being staples of human diet ... they're only staples of the modern human diet. Hundreds of thousands to millions of years ago, humans (and their ancestors) were nomadic herbivores, possibly only eating certain insects at times (not as a staple or anything even close). And we have only been drinking cow's milk for the past ten thousand years. When humans began eating meat, it was because humans are opportunivores; eating meat, despite the fact that it (a) is harder to digest, (b) contains incomplete proteins, and (c) often contains large amounts of LDL cholesterol, is because by working together and using tools to kill other animals, humans found a way to get food even if there weren't berries, fruits, and nuts around to eat. This increased the chances for survival (if there was no other food, you could always kill another creature and eat it instead). Edit: And, it turns out meat is tasty too, so why not throw ethics away and keep eating it? Or at least that is the mentality. And back when humans first drank milk, it was a relatively healthy drink (except for cholesterol levels). Today, the milk that is mass-produced is of such a horrible quality that it's not even fit for human consumption anymore. Also, I have a friend/roommate who went vegan at 18 (the same summer that I went vegan), and he has also been just as healthy. His sister went vegan probably sometime around when she was 14, and she has also been much, much healthier. Come to think of it, I don't even know any vegans that aren't healthier than they used to be as omnivores. Edit: It's my opinion that the developmental stages ... the early years, are the BEST times to go vegan, before your body becomes so accustomed to eating meat and drinking milk that it can't handle not having them. And also, why would health not be important during these stages?
Hahah, I'll cut and paste this onto the next dinner table conversation. Oh, no! Health is a very important thing, of course! Especially when you're still in school. But veganism still didn't seem to be that much more healthy... I do know the problems with modern meats and dairy products, the chemicals, hormones, et cetera (that was contributing factor to the decision)...but I find it hard to believe that it is exactly a healthier way of life to completely eliminate something from your diet that your ancestors have been eating for several hundred thousand years, as demonstrated by the withdrawel symptoms... I only have my doubts because I have in fact gotten less healthy in the time elapsed. To be fair however, like I said, I was reckless, and I do keep fluctuating between vegan and veggie. Also, genetics, blood type, that stuff probably figures into everything as well. so, hmm...best course of action: stick with it, be faithful, and protest non-human-animal enslavement at every given chance...hahahah. Thank you!
This was taken as an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on veganism, which can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan#Health. I'm sorry to hear that you have become less healthy, but perhaps you should look into keeping a stricter monitor on your diet. As in the quote above, only a *well-planned* diet will be significantly healthier. And any diet that is not planned at all (perhaps especially vegan diets) is going to be less than healthy. That's understandable, but consider it to this: If your father does heroin, and his father did heroin before him, and you do heroin ... and then you stop ... are the withdrawal symptoms a bad thing? Withdrawal symptoms generally indicate that your body is relying too much on something. And that's all the more reason to get rid of it. Sorry for the bad analogy with heroin, lol ...
chemicals and artificial hormones are the last thing you need in those "developmental stages" did you ever think about why young kids (under 10 even) are getting fatter and fatter, even obese. or why girls are getting their periods even earlier - the average is about 12 years now, as opposed to 14 yrs. around 1900.
^^ increased vit C is one casue: don't lay everything on meat. It was perfectly fine and served it evolutionary purpose. THank you and let's go forward.
Yes, I find nothing wrong with the eating of meat itself (I'm an O bloodtype, so meat was my best friend)--just the way the "meat product" is treated before it is slaughtered and packaged. I've heard that everything being in surplus, familial situations, and no societal boundaries within acceptable limits are the physiological causes of both obesity and unnatural menstruation (among other things)--rarely diet. Anyhoo...yeah, meat isn't very healthy anymore is it, anyway? With chemicals and preservatives and everything else wrong. It's like a sick caduceus, food and society and government all impairing healthy instead of augmenting it! OUTRAGEOUS!
That's the best way I've heard it put yet. Yes meat was an integral part of our evolution but it is time to move on... or we could mutate into beings that eat engineered, plastic foodstuff... wait that's what's happening right now .
Whether or not meat served us in evolution is completely irrelevant to this discussion. The ethical aspects regarding taking a life for a snack make animal products unacceptable. Regarding fish- fish and steak are the top two meat-based environmental offenders. 1 pound of shrimp results in 10 pounds of wasted (thrown out, killed) other marine life. (I know shrimp are not fish but many people who eat fish also eat shrimp) Farm raised or not, fish are capable of feeling. Our oceans have been raped for an unnecessary product. Cod fisherman in Canada are the big proponents of the seal hunt! All of this stuf ties in. Please read Erik Macrus's book "Meat Market". It outlines this after the main bulk of the book better than I can describe. Also, there is nothing that you need that you cannot get from plants or vitamins. Omega acids and whatnot can easily be found in flax and hemp. Protein, calcium, etc are obviously easy to find and the belief that the need to eat animal products to get these nutrients is irrefutably wrong. Dairy enzymes...hmm. I can leave that out. Dairy is responsible for multiple childhood ailments including ear infections. Our bodies do not need milk (except breast milk from a human) at any stage of our development. In fact many people (mostly non-white, Caucasians have an ability to digest it) are allergic or have adverse reactions to it. We shouldn't have to have Lactaid and pills that make you able to eat somethng. If it makes you sick without a pill, then you should NOT eat it! I am just so disgusted by the dairy industry (veal being a byproduct of it, also) because of the inherent cruelty and misinformation we have been force-fed since childhood about the "necessity" of animal products. The federally funded school lunch program pretty much teaches kids that we need meat and dairy. WIC is a program (started by the dairy industry) and makes it hard for people to get non-animal alternatives. (This in itself is racist to some of the recipients who are non-white and cannot properly even digest these foods!) A properly planned vegan diet meets all nutritional needs. As a vegan you have to get a reliable source of b-12, but that is easy. I am amazed at the things people ask me if they find out I am vegan. Apparently the vast majority of people don't even know there is protein in plants. (Not people on this forum, from real life absurd conversations with people who didn't know anything about vegetarianism/veganism telling me how tolive my life and that I would die w/o meat)
What about iron. Vegetables only contain non-heme iron which is not very well absorbed in the body. Supplements are not very good.
I would like to use my son as an example. He has been vegan since conception. He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz at birth. He was not weak and crinkly like most newborns but pink and smooth and strong. He continues to have exceptional health. He sat up at 4 months and at 5 began crawling. He wieghs nearly 20 lbs now at 5 1/2 months. We think this in part ties in with our veganism. I think humans in the past ate plant matter, some insects and perhaps an egg if they stumbled upon one. In most of the world, meat is used as a GARNISH! It makes me sad that people have to defend our lifestyle choice by throwing out "well planned" so often. I use common sense and variety, I don't sit down with a chart and plot it all out. Whenever a non-vegan says something with that phrase in it, I ask them how well THEY plan THEIR diets. Most of them shut right up because most people don't think one way or the other about food just whether it tastes good or is socially the norm. I think ANY diets success has to do with doing it right, not just vegan. I'd also like to point out that complications with veganism are much rarer than the complications meat eaters have from their diets!
My name is indeed James, sweetheart. That's great that you've named your son James, too! My mum's the only one that calls me Jim, haha.
