i just couldn't keep it up.

i agree. i think we are evolved enough now to choose whether or not we want animals in our diet, however. i choose to eat meat. like kinky_ramona, my body didn't like the lifestyle. i know my body and i know what i need to survive.

 

i'm exactly on the same page as you...most hardcore vegetarians like to use the argument that killing for food is wrong, wrong, wrong, no matter what; sorry, kids, i don't agree. we're omnivorous by nature and by instinct. i choose to stay that way; you can hate me all you want for that, i don't care. i know in my heart that i care for the ethical treatment of animals, and i don't, i repeat DO NOT, support factory farming in any way, shape, or form. i think it's wrong, brutal, and barbaric. i also hate animal testing for science and for the cosmetic industry. i am not going to feel bad for buying chicken and eggs from a farm where the chickens get to run around all day on grass in the sunshine (and i know this for sure because i work for a co-op where i just happen to be a buyer, so i've PERSONALLY visited the farms where we get our meat), a farm where the chickens are not stuffed with hormones or antibiotics...i'm not going to feel bad about eating meat. i do not eat meat that comes from your supermarket isles.

 

i think you missed my point, kid. i don't support the mass meat industry. i hate factory farming and everything it stands for. i don't buy meat from the supermarket; i am a buyer for a health food co-op, and i've PERSONALLY visited the certified organic, free range, and generally very NICE, FAMILY-RUN (mostly by amish and menonite people who do things the old-fashioned way) farms where my store gets our meat. that's the only meat i buy; locally raised, free-range, antibiotic and hormone free. same with dairy.

you assume i'm so ill-informed (i guess that's my fault that i wasn't detailed enough in my original entry)! i'm aware of why vegetarians and vegans have the lifestyles they have; i've been around the block a few times. you insult my intelligence (and my integrity) by assuming that i don't care about where food comes from and that i should "ponder those points" because "it's not about food tasting good." i know this!

i know you're very passionate about your lifestyle and feel it's the right thing for everyone...i'm sorry, but vegetarianism isn't for everyone. it didn't work with my body, dear. i know my body and i know what i need to sustain it.

i'm not even going to answer back to any of your little scenarios there, because i understand why the vegan/veg movement exists, and i DO respect it, i really DO. i have MAD respect for people who can have that lifestyle. it's not just about taste, FYI. it's about sustaining my body. different people have different nutritional needs; i don't feel bad about being an omnivorous creature. in fact i pride myself on how healthy and balanced my diet is; i only eat meat about 3 days out of the week, and only one serving when i do. that's SO much less meat than most average people, and i think that's awesome. i only eat fish and fowl; no beef or pork. i also do not support meat that comes from any factory farm. i do not buy meat from the supermarket. i buy it from local farmers who raise the animals in a humane way. yes, the animals do die. if that bothers you, i'm sorry. i don't believe it's wrong to eat animals. i think it's wrong to treat them inhumanely, so i don't support factory farming. i suppose you could argue that killing in general is inhumane. so i'm an evil scumbag who's going to hell for eating meat. well, i guess i'm going to hell! i only buy organic, free range dairy products, and eggs. please don't assume that all people who eat meat are ignorant of the evils of the mainstream meat industry. please don't lump me in with the people who simply don't give a shit about animals. thank you.

 

phew! sorry, may have overreacted there...sorry if that came off as overly defensive.

 

I spent a few years being vegetarian, then started eating meat again. I still like tofu. Sometimes I eat no meat for a week, and often I cook chicken (my usual meat) and tofu together.

 

haha...this explains so much. i have a condition called hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland: affects the body's metabolism, hair/skin/nail growth, energy level, some aspects of blood sugar regulation, etc). while i love to eat a lot of soy products, i have recently came upon several studies that have shown a correllation between high consumption of soy products and the higher possibility of either developing hypothyroidism or worsening the condition. if true, it certainly would explain why i had no problems with my thyroid in high school until after i became a vegatarian and consumed a high level of soy protein. for the past few months i have stopped eating most soy foods (i still eat a high plant, low-meat diet -- i maybe eat meat 3 days a week at most these days) and i have noticed a bit of an improvement in my symptoms, AAAAAAAAAAAAND i LOST weight almost effortlessly, something which is very hard for someone with hypothyroidism to do. just a little something to chew on, pardon the pun...

 

I am almost a total carnivore who subsists primarily upon fatty meat and eggs, largely for problems related to blood glucose regulation. My body simply cannot tolerate carbohydrates in more than VERY small amounts, otherwise I get hypoglycemia, adrenaline rushes, mood destabilization, and a whole host of horrifying maladies.

I feel the pain. Society in general has so many false notions about nutrition, largely based upon faulty experiments done in the early 20th century. It is difficult to tell people about my condition because it contradicts the basic assumptions most people have about diet and nutrition. I have diabetes - but I function very well and healthfully, AS LONG AS I keep the carbs out. Layered on top, I am ALSO gluten intolerant, so even if it weren't for diabetes I'd still be somewhat hindered.

 

wow, and i thought i had trouble regulating my blood sugar...the only thing i'd be concerned about in your situation would be the fatty meats. the lining of your arteries must be clogged...have you ever tried integrating leaner meats into your diet (i.e. chicken, fish)? gluten intolerance sucks. i know a few people who are either allergic or sensitive to gluten.

part of hypothyroidism is, for many sufferers, symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). when i have meat in my diet, my hypoglycemia is way more manageable because i don't need to eat as many carbs to get the same energy.

given your situation, it sounds like you know your body well enough to know what you need to eat to function healthily. everyone is different. but what's crazy is i can name at least five vegans in my town who would want to argue with you, even if you explained your whole medical condition to them. they would still try to find a way to make their lifestyle sound the best, no matter what. shit, one of them tried to feed her damn CAT a vegan diet. to me that's going just a bit too far, as cats are hunters by nature and subsist mostly on meat with a little grass and vegetation here and there for roughage....as you may have gathered, her little vegan cat experiment failed and her cat is happily eating meat, as cats do and should.