Vegetarian?

[Shollia]

Who said vegetarians develop mentally slower? That's a load of bull. I had a friend in HS that was a vegetarian and she was the smartest people I had ever had the pleasure of knowing.

But.. to add some fuel to the flame.. just b/c heh....


I read a news article where a Vegan woman was pregnant again with a child. Now this wouldn't be news really, but come to find out.. she had a child before and the poor kid died of malnutrition b/c of the strict vegan diet she had him/her on.

Also.. on an episode of Dr. Phil... these obsessed parents (wanting their child to be the best at everything) had their daughter (think she was 2) on a vegetarian diet and the girl was underweight. Now I can't remember if they said it wasn't good for her or not but still.. being underweight b/c of the diet at that age can't be good.

Sooo yeah heh... food for thought!

(((and is there a debate board? if so.. sign me up! and forgive all the bad spelling.. shouldn't be a surprise coming from me heh)))

[Qanda]

Part of it is because I am a Christian.

Where in Christianity was eating meat or killing animals banned? In fact, sacrifices of animals to God were the norm in old testament times.

Sorry but I am a bit tired of people misinterpreting Christianity for what it isn't. If anyone wishes to take this issue further, you may do so via PM since I believe religious debates are not allowed here.

There is a lot in the Bible about not eating animal flesh in both testaments. Cruelity to animals is wrong and that is also stated.

Could you quote specific passages for me? I've read the bible, and I've yet to see anything like that.
I have seen this though:

Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."

Exactly, that's why I was tired of people citing Christianity as a reason for being vegetarian. Sure, you can have any reasons for being vegan, but don't bring Christianity into it. It is a gross misinterpretation of the Bible.

I must observe that being a vegeterian is a quite troublesome and costly route to take. You must take supplements and also plan out each meal to make sure that the contents are sufficient for your nutrition.

[Drake Redcrest]

doctors don't preach

Yes. Yes they do.

What I meant was that they don't preach in the sense of how I'd be "preaching" if I told someone my views on eating meat. They do it for the good of your own health. I should've worded that better, my apologies.

[pictish]

I must observe that being a vegeterian is a quite troublesome and costly route to take. You must take supplements and also plan out each meal to make sure that the contents are sufficient for your nutrition.

I am THE least organised person I'm aware of, a vegetarian, and 6 foot 3 at the young and beautiful age of 16.

Vegetarianism takes no effort (or never has for me) past 'No thanks, I'm a vegetarian'

[Istanbullfrog]

I must observe that being a vegeterian is a quite troublesome and costly route to take. You must take supplements and also plan out each meal to make sure that the contents are sufficient for your nutrition.

I am THE least organised person I'm aware of, a vegetarian, and 6 foot 3 at the young and beautiful age of 16.

Vegetarianism takes no effort (or never has for me) past 'No thanks, I'm a vegetarian'

Except for watching which shoes or boots you wear, and which products you use (shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, shoe polish) on a daily basis, etc, etc, there's more to being a vegetarian than just not eating a slab of beef. The jello stuff got alot of my 'vegetarian' friends by surprise.

[Sock]

I must observe that being a vegeterian is a quite troublesome and costly route to take. You must take supplements and also plan out each meal to make sure that the contents are sufficient for your nutrition.

I am THE least organised person I'm aware of, a vegetarian, and 6 foot 3 at the young and beautiful age of 16.

Vegetarianism takes no effort (or never has for me) past 'No thanks, I'm a vegetarian'

Except for watching which shoes or boots you wear, and which products you use (shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, shoe polish) on a daily basis, etc, etc, there's more to being a vegetarian than just not eating a slab of beef. The jello stuff got alot of my 'vegetarian' friends by surprise.

Bleh. Gelatin. That is in way too much stuff. Altoids, marshmallows, candy, film...

Being a vegan has not been difficult at all for me. I have trouble in resturants, though, but I can usually modify things and ask a lot of questions. ('Can you take the cheese off this? Does this have butter in it? Can you check if the bread has this or this in it?')

A vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore's diet could be equally unhealthy or equally healthy depending on how you eat. Parents who raise their children omnivorous could have their child be underweight just as easily as parents who raise their children vegan if they do not feed them right. I mean, after nearly two years of no meat and probably two months of no dairy or eggs, I have lost weight...but because I've been *trying* to.

That one test was conducted on African schoolchildren who had a HORRIBLE diet. No one is saying that veganism is the healthy way to go if you live in a 3rd world country and eat beans and corn, or whatever it was that their diet consisted of. If I see significant evidence that American children on a *healthy* vegan diet still are not getting enough nutrients, then I'll believe it.

Generally I've felt a lot better about myself and a lot healthier without these products, and I guess I'm still technically a child. I went vegetarian when I was eleven, nearly twelve, and vegan at thirteen. My diet as a vegetarian wasn't very healthy because of the ammout of chocolate, etc., that I've consumed my entire life, and I was overweight or very close to being overweight for a long time. (Something like a BMI of 24.9 when a BMI over 25 was considered overewight.) I've eaten a LOT less since going vegan simply because so much of it isn't available to me, and that has definetly been an improvement on my diet. (Although my friends still make fun of me for immeadietly locating what of my favorite sweets were vegan. Lol.)

B12 is, as far as I can remember, the ONLY vitamin that vegans cannot get through a diet without supplements and fortified food, but there are plenty of fortified soy milks, cereals, etc.

[JellyFish72]

I'm essentially lacto, but I do eat products with eggs in them... I'm allergic to eggs though, if I eat them by themselves... I'm also mildly lactose-intolerent, but I eat cheese and ice cream... I just can't drink milk... My body's wierd...

I've been like this for about 9 months... But I may have to stop, because my parents don't like it... Now they're threatening to put me in the hospital because "human beings are designed to eat meat, and we have carnivorous teeth for a reason"...

[snippet]

I have not taken any supplements or vitamins and there is not need to. I spend equal to and less then some people I know that eat animal products.
I have never planned a meal more then 30 minutes before making it. And even that far ahead is rare.
JellyFish72- I am the same way with eggs and milk. I cannot eat either by themselves. I am slowly kicking both out of my diet. "human beings are designed to eat meat, and we have carnivorous teeth for a reason"... Those quotes make me laugh and show how nonunderstandable humans are to anyone that maybe "different." It is sad if your parents actually take you to the doctors for that.

[SpiraLethe]

I don't see what's wrong with going to the doctor's if you're about to make a drastic change in your diet, especially if you're still growing.

[Cassi]

Nothing wrong with going to the doctor's, but there is something wrong with your parents forcing you to go to the hospital because they don't agree with your choice.

[SpiraLethe]

I just read that bit.

I don't think they can, can they? If you're not suffering from some sort of major disease/distorder/etc, I doubt any doctor would hospitalise you.

[snippet]

If a doctor would hospitalise someone because they want to be a vegetarian then I do not think the doctor should be a doctor.

I do not see vegetarianism as a drastic change.
It is better to see a dietitian then a doctor. Doctors do not take any classes in nutrition or dieting

[ahoteinrun]

I do not see vegetarianism as a drastic change.
It is better to see a dietitian then a doctor. Doctors do not take any classes in nutrition or dieting

Umm... I don't know what docotrs you see? Or what doctors you know... but thats a load of hooey.
They do too know quite a bit about nutrition. My cardiologist (as of my appointment yesterday) had just gotten back from a whole bloody conference on diet with reguards to people with heart problems.

And humans did evolve to eat meat.
Monkeys hunt, did you know that? Chimps will hunt for smaller monkeys and birds and mammals and will eat meat if they get the chance. Our teeth are those teeth of omnivores, and our eyes are placed on our heads much like a carnivores.
Ontop of this, our digestive track is that of an omnivores, not nearly long enough for a herbivores, and not short enough to be that of a carnivores.
As well, if we hadn't evolved to eat meat, why would we heard cattle and sheep, and chickens and pigs? Why would we eat something we DIDN"T evolve to eat?
It's your choice whether you do or don't, and it SHOULDN"T have harmful effects if you choose not to eat it if you do it right. However, there are people who don't become a vegetarian properly, and they do get sick.

[SpiraLethe]

I do not see vegetarianism as a drastic change.
It is better to see a dietitian then a doctor. Doctors do not take any classes in nutrition or dieting

I guess that's you.

Like Sandra said, doctors get a lot of training in wide field. If they have no clue about diet, then I doubt they'd be doctors.

[Urthdigger]

I like meat, and don't have any ethical problems with it, but I slightly vegetarian due to health reasons. I'm fine with a little bit of meat, like a steak, but more tends to give me problems.