Anyone a vegetarian/vegan in here?

'According to scientific studies fish do not feel pain.
Don't know if this is true but it is a reason some vegetarians who are opposed to killing a mammal will eat fish since it doesn't feel pain and is not a mammal'

^ That's interesting. I suppose that makes sense.

 

Also, the reasoning that fish don't feel pain (which i'm not sure is true or not), is idiotic. Pain is not a predicate of life, therefore it indicates that the individual who eats fish is only concerned with the moral issue of causing pain through death. But i doubt that the same vegetarian would eat a cow if it were killed with carbon monoxide.

The other thing that i don't understand, is why alot of vegetarians wear leather. If you see killing something and eating it as wrong, then surely, killing it and draping it's skin over your body is just as wrong.


I've been a vegetarian since i was 5/6, and i can easily say that being a vegetarian does not impact your health. Sure, many individuals are skinny or short who are vegetarian, however, this is most probably a consequence of a genetic predisposition.

 

I agree with that, insofar that it is possible to have a healthy vegetarian diet, just like it's possible to have a healthy non-vegetarian diet. But from personal experience, I know that if you don't eat with nutrition in mind, it won't matter if you're not eating meat.

 

no, you don't... spinach has lots of iron in it, as do many other non-animal foods...

 

vegetarians are skinnier sometimes? Wow i might have to become one now!

Oh and, Kissingtheshadows, i'm sorry if any of my comments offended. I just thought this was a lively discussion on whether people were vegetarian or vegan.

 

all the vegeteranians I know are real thin......and can we please not discuss cows as things to eat in the future?

 

Okay I realize many of you who are vegetarian do not agree with arguing with non-vegetarians about the fact that they eat meat. But I don't care, I would argue down to the ground on a daily basis about this.

Health -Being a vegetarian doesn't make you any less healthy, infact on average vegetarians live up to 6 years longer than non-vegetarians. Also vegetarians *if they eat the correct foods* will have all the same vitimins/minerals as a meat eater, just less fat. Studies have showen a vegetarian diet to make you happier *although this is not fully proven* as for the "vegetarians are skinny" thing, they are not overly skinny, the reason mainly for this is that alot of vegetarians are health consious people who like to keep fit.

Fish - past studies suggested that fish felt no pain, however new up-to-date studies have showen that infact they do!


Humans have no right to treat animals the way they do, the majority of animals hitting the plate are kept in appauling conditions and will never see daylight or breath fresh air untill they are on their way to the slaughter house where they are often slaughtered incorrectly causing huge amounts of pain and distress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIjanhKqVC4

No-one has ever come up with a sound argument against vegetarianism that does not have a flaw. To be perfectly honest I think that alot of people do not become vegetarian because they don't have the will power and/or are just extremely selfish.

My fav vegetarian food is this: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Carries-Artichoke-and-Sun-dried-Tomato-Pasta/Detail.aspx to be fair we did alter it a bit, but thats the best thing about cooking

Kirsty x

 

Be careful with this people... If it turns into flaming (either way) I will lock this thread. It seems to be exciting some deep feelings, which is fine, but keep it civil.

 

I'm not sure why people are trying to talk each other out of being vegetarian/vegan or eating meat. They're two completely different and totally acceptable lifestyles.

My family eats meat, but we try to incorporate one or two vegetarian a week into our diet. There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, just as there is nothing wrong with eating meat. It's a completely personal decision that no one can make except for you.

 

I completely disagree with that, because you need the facts and evidence to make a informed decision ....

 

But most of the people, if not all, on this thread have already made an informed decision that works best for them. I am not going to change the way I eat because someone on an internet forum tells me all the inhumane things they do to animals - I already know this; I've seen the offensive videos. Yet I've still chosen to eat meat...does that make me a bad person? No. It just means that the way I've chosen to live my life is different from the way you've chosen to live your life.

I'm just trying to say that it's not worth starting an argument over

 

I'm going to have to agree with LibbyAnn. The fact that someones opinion differs from mine or yours does not make it wrong, the same that it does not make mine or yours wrong. Lifestyle is a personal thing, and whilst it is interesting to discuss, and to a degree to debate, it is still a personal thing, down to the individual.


And this is drifting decidedly off topic.

 

Thank you, LibbyAnn.

Please respect the fact that the members of this forum can make decisions for themselves, and don't label people selfish or uninformed because they have come to different conclusions than you have.

Remember that respect for the other members on the site is one of our most important rules.

 

I don't have anything against people who eat meat, and agree with you on your point. But, because to moral vegetarians/vegans, eating meat is morally wrong; some vegetarians will believe that it is wrong to eat meat.




Also, i can understand why some vegetarians may get frustrated when reading this thread.
Firstly, most vegetarians have a closer bond to their ideologies regarding vegetarianism/veganism that people who eat meat. To people who eat meat - the majority - they are representations of a societies accepted normality, it is a regular thing and society fulfills their needs. However, to a vegetarian/vegan, it is more of an active choice [as most vegetarians will be raised eating meat], and they must have chosen at a point to deviate from normality. Also, for a vegetarian, needs are not always met; bowling allies do not provide leather shoes, restaurants may have limited/no vegetarian or vegan options, shoe shopping is a horrid experience and reading the wrapper on the back of a chocolate bar (because some companies still can't be bothered to put a little green V) to ascertain whether it's suitable for vegetarians ... these are just a few things that remind vegetarians that they are vegetarian. Because of these, being a vegetarian is made prominent in the vegetarians mind, and it seems more to a vegetarian to be a vegetarian than it does to a non-vegetarian to be a non-vegetarian.
Secondly, many people take a light hearted view towards being a vegetarian (as we see in this thread), which may evoke some sense of offense in a vegetarian (who will probably take being a vegetarian very seriously).
Finally, we also see meat eaters 'justifying' (which is in inverted commas because i don't believe that anyone actually needs to justify their reasons on this topic to anyone, and also because these justifications have no right in this thread, as no slander has previously been made towards a non-vegetarian lifestyle) this random defense inevitably evokes a reaction, it creates the image that vegetarians are against people who eat meat and inevitably causes vegetarians to actively voice their (otherwise hidden) moralities regarding killing animals.
I believe that these things combined can easily lead to frustration in a vegetarian, which is why you may see statements which appear rash, or as an endless drive to promote their own ideologies to a state in which they are hegemonic.


That last paragraph was just my subjective experience of being a vegetarian, presented in the most objective way possible, so that people can understand why some people react as they do in this thread; things which may get at a vegetarian, which may not be instantly recognised by someone who is not a vegetarian.



Anyway, that took far too long to write, i'm ravaged by hay fever and sleeplessness, so please forgive me if some things i write conspire to no foreseeable end.

 

clearly, you don't know me!... pasta and potatoes, cheese and rice and bread and other vegetarian diet staples are not necessarily conducive to being underweight, as i am living proof, at 20 pounds over what would look/feel best to me... ;-(

 

Libby.....I definately agree with you...I had chicken until I was 5 or something....and my sis would regularly scarf down 1 chicken at least, till she was 10...my Mom has lots more...and my Dad started eating after my parents got married. Then I left cos I couldn't bear it-a personal opinion, I couldn't eat anything that had had a heart like me-then my sis left. And finally my Mom-Dad.........but only cs my Mom had a heart problem because of cholestrol.

So that's the only part I warn people about-the cholestrol-having too much meat can cause heart problems cos the fat is deposited around the heart most of the time. I expect anyone who's studied Bio knows this. And this is the only public problem I have with meat. And as for eating together- that's no problem. 5 of us 8 friends eat meat. But if someone gets non-veg chowmein, she has enough sense to get veg chow too.


And Mammamaia, you're a mother, and you are just about 5 kgs overweight...my Mo weighs 65 kgs.....at least 60 pounds over. But it's kk, cos you're mother-Mom's look cute chubby-it gives them maternal look-

 

I have high cholesterol at 22...and it has absolutely nothing to do with eating meat It has everything to do with the fact that my grandparents on both sides have it, my dad has it, and my mom has it. Genetically, I'm being bombarded with the predisposition to have high cholesterol on all sides!

I've been able to control it completely by diet. I haven't cut out meat, but I have reduced the amount of red meat I eat. Instead, we have a lot of fish, a lot of chicken, a little pork, and one or two vegetarian meals a week. I pretty much can't eat eggs (at least the yolk part) or shrimp because of the high cholesterol count. I also run like a crazy person (about 40-50 miles a week) and drink a ton of water, both of which are supposed to help reduce cholesterol. I know that in time, I'll probably have to go on medication. I'm trying to postpone that, though.

My general practitioner has said that even if I were to cut out all cholesterol from my diet (meat, dairy, eggs, etc.) I would probably still have high cholesterol.

 

I have a hillarious image now, of you running in the manner of a crazy person

 

I don't particulary care if you guys think I don't need to justify my opinion and that I assume people are miss informed etc etc. cause the truth is I can guarentee if you knew half the things I did... you wouldn't eat meat. end of.

 

Unfortunately, I would still eat meat. It's more or less a requirement of life for me, at least for the moment. I can't stand the taste/texture/etc. of most vegetables I've tried (though I love the ones I don't hate), and fruits just aren't filling for me. The rest of my family is only interested in the vegetables I hate, or meat. And since our income is not much more than passable, we don't have the kind of money required for me to go vegetarian without ticking off the rest of the family. That's the end of story for me.

 

btw, you misspelled "guarantee"

 

btw, I don't care.
I actually have **** spelling if no-one has ever noticed. Thanks for pointing it out though

 

I'm veggy and have been for five years and im perfectly healthy!

Just for the record.

 

Again, that is one opinion. Maybe everyone here who has chosen differently has just as many facts at their disposal as you do.

Assuming that you know more than everyone else here is not at all respectful.

Nobody is saying you cannot have your opinion. You do not, however, have the right to disparage those who do not share it.

 

Then I'm glad I don't know half the things you do


Banzai - that image probably isn't too far from the truth hehe