Why should I go VEGAN??

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  • DogTrainingGal
    DogTrainingGal Posts: 8
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    I am vegetarian and have been most of my life. I was vegan for about a year, but broke down and had a glass of chocolate cow's milk one day and have stuck with the cow's milk every since (also cheese). I am slowly returning to a vegan food plan (currently substituting chocolate soy milk for chocolate cow's milk). I HIGHLY recommend the book "Skinny *****" if you want an in-your-face fun way to read about the how's and why's of switching to a vegan/organic diet. For a more medical/scientific approach on reasons to go vegan, I recommend the documentary "Forks Over Knives." If you want more information on the horrors of factory farming, visit PETA's website. If you want horror stories with happy endings, I recommend you look at Farm Sanctuary's website, which tells of animals saved from factory farms. I hope to completely phase out the dairy products in short order, although I must admit, they are darn addicting (especially ice cream!)
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    I don't have a problem with vegans. I have a problem with vegans who assume that because I eat meat (lots of it, like at least 2 lbs per day), I am ignorant about where it comes from or its nutritive properties or how the animals are treated. I grew up on a beef cattle ranch. I raised orphan calves, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, etc., throughout my childhood, so give it a rest. My diet is perfectly healthy. I guess I'm just not virtuous enough to care that an animal has to die so that I can eat what I want. I bought a crap ton of steak yesterday for a great price, and I feel awesome about it. Every day, I am proud not to be vegan. Or a hypocrite. You say you care about animals ... well, stop eating all their food.
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,677 Member
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    do you enjoy being made fun of by everyone, all the time?

    that's a good reason to go vegan.
  • TheRealPDouble
    TheRealPDouble Posts: 153
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    Why should I go VEGAN??

    Because you want to sacrifice your own personal needs so that people like me can eat more bacon...
  • Lecterman
    Lecterman Posts: 97 Member
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    the diet NEEDS to be supplemented and/ or fortified, which is against my food ethos.

    Please explain
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    I would go vegan for solely ethical reasons. I can garauntee without portion control and logging binges that I could still be an obese vegan.
  • healthysince2013
    healthysince2013 Posts: 30 Member
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    I get where you're coming from and I've thought about it myself.

    But those vegan substitutes are so processed, I'd rather eat chicken.
    Can the average person pronounce all of the ingredients in those fake meat crumbles or the fake cheese?
    Some of the additives are pretty bad...

    This is an agreeable statement.

    Also, the amount of soy in tofu, and other soy products is not healthy............Before someone starts in on edamame or the soy that Asians eat.............it is far different than what Westerners eat and the stuff that is in America, especially is NOT healthy for us.

    Also, there are ways of sourcing humanely treated animals for consumption and then you are supporting your local economy. Find a farm and visit.

    Yes but how animals are raised does not change how they are killed. Find a slaughter house and visit. Even if you could find truly "ethical meat" there is no way that sort of production is sustainable for the amount of current animal consumption. Also you may want to research soy a little more. All tofu is simply edamame that has been cooked, curdled with calcium or nigari, and pressed...EXACTLY like in Asian. It has 2-3 ingredients if you count water.

    Here's an example of a great product with "unpronounceable" ingredients. http://www.gardein.com/products.php?p=2 This one does have soy protein thought there are many that don't. I would love it if you could show us legitimate research (that has not been refuted) on why soy is not healthy for "us."

    I'm vegan because I really care about my health, humanity, the environment, and animals. I have done TONS of research to make this decision. I haven't regretted it for over four years.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    I don't have a problem with vegans. I have a problem with vegans who assume that because I eat meat (lots of it, like at least 2 lbs per day), I am ignorant about where it comes from or its nutritive properties or how the animals are treated. I grew up on a beef cattle ranch. I raised orphan calves, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, etc., throughout my childhood, so give it a rest. My diet is perfectly healthy. I guess I'm just not virtuous enough to care that an animal has to die so that I can eat what I want. I bought a crap ton of steak yesterday for a great price, and I feel awesome about it. Every day, I am proud not to be vegan. Or a hypocrite. You say you care about animals ... well, stop eating all their food.
    <3:flowerforyou:
  • olDave
    olDave Posts: 557 Member
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    Hmmmm...I don't recall anyplace in the Constitution that mentions "animal rights".
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I get where you're coming from and I've thought about it myself.

    But those vegan substitutes are so processed, I'd rather eat chicken.
    Can the average person pronounce all of the ingredients in those fake meat crumbles or the fake cheese?
    Some of the additives are pretty bad...

    You don't need the processed stuff to go vegan. In fact, it's best to stay away from any processed food and eat whole foods instead. The vegan meats and cheeses do make the transition a little easier for some, I think, because it is somewhat familiar and you don't want to bombard your taste buds with a lot of new flavors. Food and emotions go hand in hand and our minds can rebel if we present them with too much change at once.. Cutting out these animal foods slowly is the only way to make a successful transition for some people..

    I know whole foods is best, I think I do a pretty good job at avoiding the processed foods.
    But beans, tofu & PB can only get your protein levels so high before you've hit your calorie goal.
    What's a good protein source for someone who lifts weights but wants to be vegan?

    I sometimes have issues hitting my goal since I don't eat pork or red meat.
  • KBeener
    KBeener Posts: 16 Member
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    I used to be vegan after years of being a vegetarian. I began having a lot of issues with my health and during my pregnancy really craved meat, so I went back to eating meat and it helped me so much!

    Here is a blog post (the original is taken down) of another vegan gone back to meat-eating.

    http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1728051
  • Lecterman
    Lecterman Posts: 97 Member
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    Because it is a long term life choice that makes YOU happy and satisfied that you are not contributing the the direct death of animals for the sole purpose of eating them.
  • Lecterman
    Lecterman Posts: 97 Member
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    Hmmmm...I don't recall anyplace in the Constitution that mentions "animal rights".

    Not everyone needs a 200+ year old document as a basis for what they feel is the proper way to treat animals.

    The Constitution also doesn't dictate whether or not you have to eat meat. Does that affect your decision on whether or not to do it?
  • Lecterman
    Lecterman Posts: 97 Member
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    What's a good protein source for someone who lifts weights but wants to be vegan?

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mahler53.htm
  • marianamoon
    marianamoon Posts: 1
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    I think that it's okay to eat a reduced amount of meat and animal products as long as the animals are being treated humanely and fed with good foods, not using steroids to beef them up. Personally, I'm vegetarian because I decided I need to eat healthier and stop relying on meat for everything. I used to have just roasted or fried chicken for lunch with some bread and I came to the point where I felt I wasn't getting enough vitamins from just this. Since then, I'm eating so many varieties of food and I feel so much better, mood and I've even lost weight. The truth is, all meat really has is protein, and we can get protein from MANY other foods. I think people should try being vegetarian for at least a few weeks and see how they feel and if they like it. I have never tried those meat alternatives because I feel that they're too processed. I eat mostly whole foods. Besides, I'm an animal lover and I feel bad if I ever eat meat.
    Now, I think it'd be impossible for me to be vegan because I usually eat high protein Greek yogurt and sometimes eggs for breakfast. I don't like regular milk so I drink almond milk. I just don't get the point of those meat alternatives though. If you're going to be vegan/veg. why would you eat something that tastes like animals? Kind of defeats the purpose of converting to the lifestyle.
  • cheshirequeen
    cheshirequeen Posts: 1,324 Member
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    i went vegan for ethical reasons. to me i feel better, but again, i didnt do it for health reasons. i wont preach to anybody about my vegan diet. that reminds me of people who preach about anything, you can give your opinion about a subject without forcing your opinion down somebodys throat. skinny b**** was funny. i liked it. you can be an unhealthy vegan as well. i only get natural and organic foods so theres not all those preservatives in them. if you cant/dont want to go vegan, at least organic and natural meat is better. everybody has the right to live their lives the way the want, but always remember, if you dont want somebody to shove their opinion down your throat, dont do it to them. good luck with your choice. if you need any help feel free to friend me. ive been vegan for 8 years.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
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    the diet NEEDS to be supplemented and/ or fortified, which is against my food ethos.

    Please explain

    Selective editing has changed the sense of my post somewhat but IMO (from my POV working in lifestyle healthcare) any diet that needs to be fortified or supplemented to be healthy and balanced is overly restrictive and completely unnatural. Obviously sometimes that is impossible to avoid, for example in multiple allergies, but I would never actively choose nor actively recommend a diet that relies on pills or frankenfoods.

    Humans evolved to need nutrients that are only found or best absorbed or easiest sourced from animal products - vitamin B12, haem iron, vitamin D, calcium, long chain omega-3s. Trying to create an optimally nutritious diet that includes plenty of all the plant forms of these can tie you in knots, the most realistic option is to add in pills or frankenfoods.

    That is purely from a health and dietetics perspective, clearly people have ethical reasons for going vegetarian or vegan and I don't advise nutrition clients to eat meat!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    You can buy meat that has been raised without steroids or antibiotics. Why would buying vegetables and fruits that have been fertilized with the poo of animals raised on steroids and antibiotics and then sprayed with a chemical cocktail to prevent bugs from eating them be more or less healthy than meat?
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,594 Member
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    I don't have a problem with vegans. I have a problem with vegans who assume that because I eat meat (lots of it, like at least 2 lbs per day), I am ignorant about where it comes from or its nutritive properties or how the animals are treated. I grew up on a beef cattle ranch. I raised orphan calves, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, etc., throughout my childhood, so give it a rest. My diet is perfectly healthy. I guess I'm just not virtuous enough to care that an animal has to die so that I can eat what I want. I bought a crap ton of steak yesterday for a great price, and I feel awesome about it. Every day, I am proud not to be vegan. Or a hypocrite. You say you care about animals ... well, stop eating all their food.
    I fall for you more everyday.:flowerforyou:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I don't have a problem with vegans. I have a problem with vegans who assume that because I eat meat (lots of it, like at least 2 lbs per day), I am ignorant about where it comes from or its nutritive properties or how the animals are treated. I grew up on a beef cattle ranch. I raised orphan calves, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, etc., throughout my childhood, so give it a rest. My diet is perfectly healthy. I guess I'm just not virtuous enough to care that an animal has to die so that I can eat what I want. I bought a crap ton of steak yesterday for a great price, and I feel awesome about it. Every day, I am proud not to be vegan. Or a hypocrite. You say you care about animals ... well, stop eating all their food.
    I fall for you more everyday.:flowerforyou:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition


    hehehe..I loved that :flowerforyou:

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