WANTED: Opinions on vegetarian/vegan diet
dancefit2015
Posts: 236 Member
If anyone is considering being or already is vegetarian/vegan or is just curious why the heck someone would want to be, I highly recommend the documentary titled "What the Health". It's on Netflix and could be found elsewhere. I already don't eat much meat just because I don't like it, but I am considering being vegan again. I am curious as to what everyone's opinion are on this!
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What does it matter what other people think? If that's what you want to do, just do it. Just make sure you are hitting your macros: Fat, carbs, protein in a healthy way. You can make any diet work, as long it is a diet that YOU want to do. And by "diet", I mean "lifestyle". If it's something you can stick to, and make work, go for it!!!2
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My opinion: I have been vegan for ten years, one of the best decisions I have ever made. I wish the trend of documentaries trying to scare people into a plant-based diet would end.
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janejellyroll wrote: »My opinion: I have been vegan for ten years, one of the best decisions I have ever made. I wish the trend of documentaries trying to scare people into a plant-based diet would end.
If you are talking about the gory graphic videos of animals being slaughtered then I agree, but the one I recommended is all about the health and the misinformation surrounding diabetes, heart health, cancer, etc...0 -
@YvetteK2015 awesome advice and I completely agree! I have already decided I will be vegetarian, it's vegan that is hard. Last time I was vegan I was very unhealthy as there are many junk foods that are vegan *ahem* Oreos...
So if anyone has any delicious vegan recipes please share those here as well!0 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »My opinion: I have been vegan for ten years, one of the best decisions I have ever made. I wish the trend of documentaries trying to scare people into a plant-based diet would end.
If you are talking about the gory graphic videos of animals being slaughtered then I agree, but the one I recommended is all about the health and the misinformation surrounding diabetes, heart health, cancer, etc...
I think the scare tactics that meat etc are carcinogenic would be the ones to watch for...smh
That in itself makes me wonder what the deal is.
Vegetarian is one thing but full on vegan eh...
I don't understand the need to give up meat for health...ethics maybe but not health.3 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »My opinion: I have been vegan for ten years, one of the best decisions I have ever made. I wish the trend of documentaries trying to scare people into a plant-based diet would end.
If you are talking about the gory graphic videos of animals being slaughtered then I agree, but the one I recommended is all about the health and the misinformation surrounding diabetes, heart health, cancer, etc...
Isn't this the "documentary" that claims veganism will cure certain disease? As well as sensationalizes a number of other things?0 -
My opinion is that I like meat and will continue to eat it. It is also my opinion that that "Documentary" is far from factual.1
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I have been vegetarian for over a year. I would never go back to eating meat. I also eat clean and do Intermittent Fasting. I believe to each his own. If you want eat meat then that's your choice.1
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dancefit2015 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »My opinion: I have been vegan for ten years, one of the best decisions I have ever made. I wish the trend of documentaries trying to scare people into a plant-based diet would end.
If you are talking about the gory graphic videos of animals being slaughtered then I agree, but the one I recommended is all about the health and the misinformation surrounding diabetes, heart health, cancer, etc...
No, I'm not talking about those -- those depict things that are actually happening to animals used for food. Maybe they don't move some people, but they're based on reality.
I'm specifically referring to documentaries predicting all sorts of dire health consequences for people who don't eliminate animal products from their diet and speculating about "conspiracies" trying to keep the truth hidden.7 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »@YvetteK2015 awesome advice and I completely agree! I have already decided I will be vegetarian, it's vegan that is hard. Last time I was vegan I was very unhealthy as there are many junk foods that are vegan *ahem* Oreos...
So if anyone has any delicious vegan recipes please share those here as well!
I don't understand this. Oreos and foods like that aren't *more tempting* to vegans than non-vegans. If you have trouble moderating your consumption of treats as a vegan and it keeps you from meeting your nutritional needs, wouldn't you have the same issues as a non-vegan?2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »dancefit2015 wrote: »@YvetteK2015 awesome advice and I completely agree! I have already decided I will be vegetarian, it's vegan that is hard. Last time I was vegan I was very unhealthy as there are many junk foods that are vegan *ahem* Oreos...
So if anyone has any delicious vegan recipes please share those here as well!
I don't understand this. Oreos and foods like that aren't *more tempting* to vegans than non-vegans. If you have trouble moderating your consumption of treats as a vegan and it keeps you from meeting your nutritional needs, wouldn't you have the same issues as a non-vegan?
I think it was just the place I was in when I tried being vegan. I hung out with people who didn't care about nutrition and at that period in time I wasn't too concerned either. Also there are less food options for vegans so I think it was just me compensating or something, honestly idk what I was doing back then. Now I eat much healthier, so I think it would be better and more nutrition based.
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Also @janejellyroll I would eat many vegan food substitutes and just make these weird mock foods that just weren't healthy. It was my first go at it and I didn't have the right guidance0
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »My opinion is that I like meat and will continue to eat it. It is also my opinion that that "Documentary" is far from factual.
Why do you say that?0 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »Also @janejellyroll I would eat many vegan food substitutes and just make these weird mock foods that just weren't healthy. It was my first go at it and I didn't have the right guidance
Yeah, whether you are vegan or non-vegan, you'll want to eat in a way that meets your nutritional needs. That can include vegan foods substitutes (foods like plant milks, seitan, and nut cheeses all have a lot of nutrients) or not, depending on your preferences.1 -
I don't think you should label yourself as one thing or another. Just be aware of what you are putting in your body and the way it affects you. Just care about yourself.1
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jhildebrandt73 wrote: »I don't think you should label yourself as one thing or another. Just be aware of what you are putting in your body and the way it affects you. Just care about yourself.
"Just care about yourself" seems like a potentially empty way to go through life. What if I also want to care about other individuals and the impact I have on them?1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »jhildebrandt73 wrote: »I don't think you should label yourself as one thing or another. Just be aware of what you are putting in your body and the way it affects you. Just care about yourself.
"Just care about yourself" seems like a potentially empty way to go through life. What if I also want to care about other individuals and the impact I have on them?
You mistook my meaning. By no means only care about yourself. But if you have a child, and you love them, you want the best for them. You care about them. Why would you not do the same for yourself. We all need to love each other more.0 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »I think it was just the place I was in when I tried being vegan. I hung out with people who didn't care about nutrition and at that period in time I wasn't too concerned either. Also there are less food options for vegans so I think it was just me compensating or something, honestly idk what I was doing back then. Now I eat much healthier, so I think it would be better and more nutrition based.
Yeah, I've been vegan for 20 years now and I don't regret it at all.
However, when I was in my teens I tried to go vegan once and failed at it, and it was because I was not eating for health at all. It wasn't that bad foods were more tempting to me as a vegan, but more that if I was hanging out with friends there often weren't really vegan options so what I'd eat would usually not be very nutritious. Oreos actually weren't vegan back then, but I ended up eating a lot of the same stuff all the time--steamed broccoli and rice, spaghetti marinara, and lots and lots of bread--if you notice a pattern there I was eating mostly refined carbs and no real protein.
I didn't have much guidance from others actually, but when I tried again, and this time I stuck with it, I made a real effort to eat a very balanced, whole foods based diet. Back then I mostly cooked everything I ate as there were not so many vegan "convenience foods." I'd have my friends over and I'd cook--most weren't vegan but were happy to eat something I'd cooked most of the time. And I was incredibly active then too, honestly.
However, now, it's just too easy for me to over-eat, even on so-called "healthy foods." For example, there are Amy's frozen dinners that are pretty decent and have good foods in the ingredients, but I still have to worry about the total calories I'm consuming. Now there are vegan desserts everywhere honestly. It's easy for a few extra calories here and there to add up over time.
However, now, since I've recommitted to being healthy I am eating more whole foods and salads (light on the dressing) and I'm doing a lot better. It was easy for me to fool myself that I could eat all the beans and rice I wanted because "it's healthy." In truth, for me to keep a healthy weight, I just cannot do that.
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jhildebrandt73 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »jhildebrandt73 wrote: »I don't think you should label yourself as one thing or another. Just be aware of what you are putting in your body and the way it affects you. Just care about yourself.
"Just care about yourself" seems like a potentially empty way to go through life. What if I also want to care about other individuals and the impact I have on them?
You mistook my meaning. By no means only care about yourself. But if you have a child, and you love them, you want the best for them. You care about them. Why would you not do the same for yourself. We all need to love each other more.
Apologies for misunderstanding you.
As someone who claims the label "vegan," I do it because I think it's important to have a word that describes opposition to unnecessary animal exploitation. When it comes to movements for political, ideological, or social change, having terms to describe different positions can be useful.
As a minor point of personal convenience, having a label to describe a lifestyle of avoiding animal products also makes it easier for me to purchase food, clothing, and personal care products. So I like it for that reason also.1 -
To everyone who has said they don't like these kinds of documentaries, can you please explain? This one it seemed that every statement made either came out of the mouth of a doctor or another highly qualified individual, or from the context of a scientific journal that was written based off of studies. Please don't just say it's wrong because you eat meat everyday and have perfect health... I would never bet my health on a study that involved one person. So what do you think is true about meat and health? Why? What are your sources? Evidence? Give me something real.0
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@nevadavis1 that's awesome!!! My goal is to be eating healthy Whole Foods as well, I have come a long way from the last time I tried to be vegan0
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Thank you, this is good advice. I never label myself politically, religiously, etc so I shouldn't here either.jhildebrandt73 wrote: »I don't think you should label yourself as one thing or another. Just be aware of what you are putting in your body and the way it affects you. Just care about yourself.
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janejellyroll wrote: »jhildebrandt73 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »jhildebrandt73 wrote: »I don't think you should label yourself as one thing or another. Just be aware of what you are putting in your body and the way it affects you. Just care about yourself.
"Just care about yourself" seems like a potentially empty way to go through life. What if I also want to care about other individuals and the impact I have on them?
You mistook my meaning. By no means only care about yourself. But if you have a child, and you love them, you want the best for them. You care about them. Why would you not do the same for yourself. We all need to love each other more.
Apologies for misunderstanding you.
As someone who claims the label "vegan," I do it because I think it's important to have a word that describes opposition to unnecessary animal exploitation. When it comes to movements for political, ideological, or social change, having terms to describe different positions can be useful.
As a minor point of personal convenience, having a label to describe a lifestyle of avoiding animal products also makes it easier for me to purchase food, clothing, and personal care products. So I like it for that reason also.
Good point. I just don't like labels as they are a way to segregate people. To put them in a box and stereotype the lot. But that is the way we are hardwired. Before you even get to know someone you have already labelled them. For instance I could tell you I'm a white, male, 3x divorcee, veteran, vegan, Jehovah's Witness and immediately you will subconsciously create a profile of me based on your previous experiences with any of those groups.1 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »To everyone who has said they don't like these kinds of documentaries, can you please explain? This one it seemed that every statement made either came out of the mouth of a doctor or another highly qualified individual, or from the context of a scientific journal that was written based off of studies. Please don't just say it's wrong because you eat meat everyday and have perfect health... I would never bet my health on a study that involved one person. So what do you think is true about meat and health? Why? What are your sources? Evidence? Give me something real.
Here is what we know is true from broad population evidence: the "blue zones," where people live longest, include populations that eat meat, dairy, and eggs. This makes it unlikely that these foods -- in and of themselves -- are harmful to people instead of it being some other factor. (There is one "blue zone" in Loma Linda, California that includes many vegetarians and vegans, which means that these foods probably aren't *required* for a long and healthy life either).
These documentaries tend to cherry-pick facts or make extrapolations that aren't supported by the studies they are citing.
They hurt veganism when people dig into the claims and find how shallow most of them are. This plants the impression that vegans are deceptive and it also dilutes the message of veganism, which is is about animal exploitation. Many of these documentaries promote additional restrictions on top of veganism (like no oil, no processed food, no sugar, etc), setting people up for failure or potential health problems from over-restriction.
What is true about meat and health? I don't think we know yet. We know that people (not just one person, but big populations of people) can live long and healthy lives while eating meat. I think it's certainly possible that too much meat could be harmful, but that's very different than what these films claim. From looking at general populations, it seems undeniable that there are healthy diet patterns that can include meat (or, if people prefer, healthy diet patterns that can leave it out -- it works both ways).9 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »@YvetteK2015 awesome advice and I completely agree! I have already decided I will be vegetarian, it's vegan that is hard. Last time I was vegan I was very unhealthy as there are many junk foods that are vegan *ahem* Oreos...
So if anyone has any delicious vegan recipes please share those here as well!
I watched a documentary on veganism before. Someone was just starting out the lifestyle. And this woman who had been a vegan for some time was taking this new girl around the supermarket showing her everything that was "vegan". I remember the first thing she showed her was Oreo cookies. Thinking back on it, she showed her a lot of what would be considered "junk food" when really she should have been showing her things like great sources of protein. However, I do remember her showing the girl soy yogurt. But for the most part, she was being shown treats, basically to say, I think, "look at all the yummy things you can have as a vegan".
I guess that's not completely bad, but I do remember thinking that I wish they showed more nutritious food as well.0 -
dancefit2015 wrote: »To everyone who has said they don't like these kinds of documentaries, can you please explain? This one it seemed that every statement made either came out of the mouth of a doctor or another highly qualified individual, or from the context of a scientific journal that was written based off of studies. Please don't just say it's wrong because you eat meat everyday and have perfect health... I would never bet my health on a study that involved one person. So what do you think is true about meat and health? Why? What are your sources? Evidence? Give me something real.
Most of these kind of documentaries cherry pick information that lines up with the agenda. Many, if not most studies out there are correlation studies and are a pretty mixed bag and generally fail to address other diet and lifestyle issues or variables...i.e someone who eats a lot of red meat and processed meat is more likely to not particularly care about their diet in general and is more likely to have a crappier overall diet than someone who is plant based...so a summary would suggest it's the meat rather than the actual overall diet and/or lack of exercise, etc.
Also, a lot of Dr.s and whatnot cherry pick...Dr. Campbell for example (China Study) cherry picked the results of his own study to sell a book that was in line with his agenda rather than accurately publishing the results of the actual study and he has been blasted by others within the scientific community, etc.
In general (not just this documentary) you have to be careful with documentaries...they usually have a huge agenda bias in regards to the subject matter.
There's nothing at all wrong with being vegan...but the fear mongering with these kinds of things is quite annoying. When can have a very healthy diet and lifestyle all the while eating fish, poultry, meat, etc.
@janejellyroll is one of the people who mentioned not liking these kind of documentaries, and she's a vegan...so it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it just being someone who eats meat.5 -
YvetteK2015 wrote: »dancefit2015 wrote: »@YvetteK2015 awesome advice and I completely agree! I have already decided I will be vegetarian, it's vegan that is hard. Last time I was vegan I was very unhealthy as there are many junk foods that are vegan *ahem* Oreos...
So if anyone has any delicious vegan recipes please share those here as well!
I watched a documentary on veganism before. Someone was just starting out the lifestyle. And this woman who had been a vegan for some time was taking this new girl around the supermarket showing her everything that was "vegan". I remember the first thing she showed her was Oreo cookies. Thinking back on it, she showed her a lot of what would be considered "junk food" when really she should have been showing her things like great sources of protein. However, I do remember her showing the girl soy yogurt. But for the most part, she was being shown treats, basically to say, I think, "look at all the yummy things you can have as a vegan".
I guess that's not completely bad, but I do remember thinking that I wish they showed more nutritious food as well.
Many people are under the impression that being vegan means giving up tasty foods, which is why you'll see this focus in some outreach materials. Not that meeting your nutritional needs isn't important (it is), but if I was eating cookies or chips as a non-vegan, showing me which cookies and chips I can eat as a vegan will be an important part of a successful transition.0 -
I think regardless of how meat affects our bodies, we have to look at how unsustainable the meat industry is becoming. Agriculture isn't doing much better with it's dependence on Corn and Soy. Something has to change.1
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janejellyroll wrote: »YvetteK2015 wrote: »dancefit2015 wrote: »@YvetteK2015 awesome advice and I completely agree! I have already decided I will be vegetarian, it's vegan that is hard. Last time I was vegan I was very unhealthy as there are many junk foods that are vegan *ahem* Oreos...
So if anyone has any delicious vegan recipes please share those here as well!
I watched a documentary on veganism before. Someone was just starting out the lifestyle. And this woman who had been a vegan for some time was taking this new girl around the supermarket showing her everything that was "vegan". I remember the first thing she showed her was Oreo cookies. Thinking back on it, she showed her a lot of what would be considered "junk food" when really she should have been showing her things like great sources of protein. However, I do remember her showing the girl soy yogurt. But for the most part, she was being shown treats, basically to say, I think, "look at all the yummy things you can have as a vegan".
I guess that's not completely bad, but I do remember thinking that I wish they showed more nutritious food as well.
Many people are under the impression that being vegan means giving up tasty foods, which is why you'll see this focus in some outreach materials. Not that meeting your nutritional needs isn't important (it is), but if I was eating cookies or chips as a non-vegan, showing me which cookies and chips I can eat as a vegan will be an important part of a successful transition.
I do agree with you 100% in what you just said. But being that this was a "documentary" showing a new person how to pick food for someone who is new to the lifestyle (I'm sure hoping people would watch this and also consider making the switch) it just occurred to me that focus was more on the treats, but where was the rest of the diet? lol
Like I said, they did show some things, but it definitely wasn't a 50-50 split. More like 80-20. But I guess there are other sources of info out there for just that reason.0 -
Thank you everyone for your responses, very insightful0
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