G'day all. Some thoughts on diet. I don't eat meat, because I feel better physically if I avoid it. I do, however, eat fish. I occasionally eat dairy products, but less and less as time goes on, and I'm thinking about phasing it out altogether - again, I feel better dairy-free. I don't eat eggs because they make me throw up (apologies!), but in small amounts in the mixture of something it's not a problem. That leaves me only a few steps from being vegan, but not for ethical reasons. I have ethical concerns with modern farming, but not with the killing of animals for food per se: hence, my primary reason for my diet is my own health. Is there anybody else here who is the same? I'd be interested to know, because I'm the only one I know. Peace, Bunbury.
I kind of share your ethical views. I am not against killing animals for food, I am against the way, and the numbers it's being done in, not to mention the horrible living circumstances of the animals at factory farms. My primary reason for being veggie is, that I when I was 16 had a real high colesterol (the bad one) value, and huge problems with my weight. The cholesterol problem is history, despite I eat a lot of cheese. The weight problem is reduced a lot.
a quick definition so that we don't have a zillion but you eat fish so you are not a veggie posts that never adress your question. if you eat fish, you are NOT a vegetarian. let alone a vegan, who is an ethical veg to the maximum. think of silk and wool. think of cochineal beetles. definitions are in the FAQ, since it's a frequently asked question. ok everybody, it's been said lets get on with newer discussion..... so to your question, the majority of vegetarians in the world are not veg for animal rights ethics reasons. Many are religious ethicals, but especially in the west the greatest percentage are veg for health reasons, like Kastenfroch. Since this forum is strongly AR, our view gets skewed. I can no longer say definitively what my strongest reason is. I joke that it's simply habit, which is no better and no worse than any other reason, and definitely as good (if not the same) as any omni's reasonings. My personal ethics are planet first then the occupants since without the earth we are all dead.
Amen to that Same here, I'm boycotting the meat industry rather than the product itself (though have always thought highly processed meat products are nasty). Though do avoid dairy for health reasons [milk makes me queasy]. Don't even have a particular problem with hunters. Would never do it myself; but if they are humane/respectful and only kill out of genuine need*... well then guess that's fair play. As you can imagine that goes down really well at the AR forum. Ultimatly it's just a 'lesser of two evils' thing. The hunted animal has had a good quality of life free in nature, and they've a chance to escape. As opposed to the poor souls in factory farms. Have more respect for hunters than hypocrits who 'love' animals but still eat them. *relative concept, suburban Americans don't 'need' fresh venison for survial but y'know.
I guess I'm the same as you... I'm vegetarian & nearly vegan, but it's not really for the animals. Certainly I do feel a little better knowing that I am not personally contributing to the awful practices of the meat industry now, but I have no problem with people who raise their own animals for food... or hunt for their food if it's done properly - I just find that I am healthier & have more energy when I don't eat it myself. love, mom
As I explained in other threads, I am not a veggie for 'ethical reasons'. How did I end up becoming a veggie? I travelled India and nepal and stuck to a veggie diet mainly because the safety and quality of meat is highly questionable. I ate meat there a few times and got sick so I just became veggie because it was easy and safer...After a few months I noticed I felt better physically and in some ways psyhologically for it. I came back home to the UK and started eating loads of meat again, but I really couldn't get used to it again. I found I felt quite nauseous after eating meat and also found the act of eating 'flesh' really off putting and I do more so as time goes on... This is why I have found it ridiculously easy avoiding meat, I dont even have to try. I dont understand why people struggle to avoid eating meat I mean if you are suffering because of it then I say go ahead and eat meat. Some people can't seem to be able to live on a veg diet and thats really no problem in my eyes. Even if you are a vegetarian or even a vegan other beings still suffer (directly and indirectly) and are killed in the process of creating and supplying your food. That said I do acknowledge the poor/appalling conditions for many animals and acknowledge being vegetarian does limit the suffering in a small way due to abstainance. "if you eat fish, you are NOT a vegetarian." I have to take cod liver oil capsules because i'm only 22 and already am suffering from arthritus. Does this also mean I would not be labelled a vegetarian?
Yup.... Thanks. I'm aware of the definitions. I didn't refer to myself as either vegan or vegetarian at any point - I described myself as "a few steps from being vegan". Peace, Bunbury.
I try to eat as veggie as possible. I do eat eggs sparingly (quality eggs, free range) love yogurt (natural no hormones etc..like Nancy's) cholesterol 170
Peterness, I'd say if there is NO option, then you do what you must, but I have veg version of glucosomine on order for my spinal arthritis. And as for "only 22," I wrote an article on a 4 y/o boy with still's diease, a form of rheumatoid. if it's EFAs you need look to hemp and flax, too. Can't imagine CLO caps smell pleasant, either!
I try to eat as vegan as possible, mostly because I think consuming milk, eggs and other animal by-products is sick and I want as little amounts in me.
Drummunmama... there's a veg glucosamine??? Could you please share the name? I would be very interested for myself & daughter. My husband & son are still okay, but us two girls are wracked with osteo as you know. I tried the prescription-strength knox brand stuff for her, but she got sick from her. Peterness... I am "only" 30 and have had osteo arthritis for 18 years. My daughter is 6 years old, and has had it since birth. We share a genetic joint disorder, so even if the arthritis were somehow cured, there will be no cure for our problems within our lifetime. Joint problems know no age boundaries. love, mom
well as for me i saw the suffering of animals and the love i'd had and still have for them and of course a little soul searching and probing why, why do we need meat? Well i came to the conclusion that if am an Inuit or a Tuareg in the middle of the sahara there's no way i could have the life of a vegetarian, but other than that i may as well be peaceful and unencumbered with the risk of diseases , hormone poisoning and so on. i would call myself a vegetarian but sometimes when am reall really stuck , desperate, and on the verge of collapsing from hunger and theres nothing else, necessity wold perhaps force me to have chocolate that has eggwhite. the thought of animal flesh or its constituents in my stomach nauseates me. i get convulsions after even a taste of meat... 3 years of healthy eating and living have left me absolutely healthy both physically and mentally. otherwise over the years i've interacted with vegetarians who are so because of their religious principles or something of the sort, and quite a number of them are pretentious and double sided, imagine an individual who wouldnt kill an ox but wont hesitate to snuff the life out of a child? and yes there are lots of violent vegetarians. personally i just do what pleases me and never condemn anyone for their eating habits, i mean its a free world where we all can have our space and live in it too. peace and love
i go back & forth. i was raised not eating red meat or pork, just birds and fish. no mammals. i've never even had a hot dog, probably for the better i stopped eating chicken in November, partly cause my boyfriend & his family are veggie and i'm usually at his house. the main reason was that it just kind of grosses me out, eating something dead. i used to be really into animal rights, and have tried several times to convert to vegetarian even as a child, but i keep lapsing back into eating chicken and seafood. anyway, after this bout, i wasn't eating very well, and i don't like to eat just straight vegetables, plus i missed a few dishes made with chicken. i started to eat it again a month ago, and it kind of lost taste for me. to me it's just really gross, i don't like foods with inconsistent textures, and if a find a vein... ugh, forget it. so, i'm on the fence right now. i think it's so much better for the earth and the people to be vegetarian. does anyone wish their ethicak backbone were stronger? i figure if i could stick to my guns more, and care just a little more, i would never eat meat, and come up with dietary solutions. but i can't see myself being militant about anything. it would really be an identity crisis!
Wow, and I thought I was the only one! I have to admit that one of the reasons why I became veggie is quite simply because I love the food! Edited to add, veg glucosamine? Oh please, where? I'm in so much pain each time the weather changes!
