Meat eaters vs. veg-heads

Apparently studies show that vegans & vegetarians live 8-15 years longer than meat eaters. This led many veg-heads to then claim meat is bad for you and thats why they lived longer. Why not use a bit of propaganda for the plant cause? Meat & Dairy pay TONS of money to spread their propaganda!

I don't think it's the lack of meat in the diet that make vegans live longer... I believe that it's the amount of vegetables in their diets.

The "complete proteins" and the "you need meat to build muscle" has been debunked for some time now, but both sides keep fighting.

Vegans and vegetarians are not going to change their diet- but from a former Eat meat till I sweat guy, I think the meat eaters here should STRONGLY consider limiting their meats and dairy - especially on workout days. Both meat and dairy is acid forming. Plant based meals are anti-inflammatory & have helped me heal up to 3 times faster after intense workouts.

So those of you who want to lose weight, and who want to live longer healthier lives- removing meat may not be in the cards for you, but loading up on veggies may be the best thing for you!


I have attached a video - and would love anyone to "debunk" what this guy says. I am not vegan, vegetarian, - just plant based... However I am finding it hard to find a healthier life choice- especially since all the crap in meat nowadays.

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

Please keep an open mind about this as I have done. Remember I'm not vegan, but the facts seem pretty dominantly one sided...

Replies

  • preservation666
    preservation666 Posts: 33 Member
    I dont eat alot of meats and would rather eat quorn, id be as well cutting out meat. Maybe eventually...after america holiday :). Going to rice milk as of tomoz
  • jenniferg83
    jenniferg83 Posts: 278 Member
    This is one of the many reasons I decided to eliminate meat and reduce dairy from my diet.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I think the meat eaters here should STRONGLY consider limiting their meats and dairy - especially on workout days. Both meat and dairy is acid forming.

    acid forming? Can you explain exactly what you mean by this, in terms of what's going on in the body? In your own words. (i.e. don't just quote an article at me).

    On workout days I eat fish/seafood, meat and whey protein. I limit red meat because it tends to be fatty and harder to fit in my macros, so the meat I eat is usually chicken. I have no trouble recovering after workouts, in fact I'm currently recovering from surgery and my doctor has commented about how well I'm recovering (also on a fish/seafood, dairy and chicken with occasional red meat and less whey protein than usual as I'm not currently allowed to exercise diet)

    ETA: I do agree that everyone should eat plenty of fruit and veg, and most people don't eat anywhere near enough of them, but other than beans/lentils (which not everyone can digest easily) I eat plant foods for the micronutrients rather than protein.
  • LaLouve_RK
    LaLouve_RK Posts: 899 Member
    It's not that meat is bad for us.... it's that we eat too much meat.
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
    It's not that meat is bad for us.... it's that we eat too much meat.

    this
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I love meat
    I love veggies

    Some nights I'll have a giant salad with lots of different veggies. Or a big bowl of mixed frozen veggies.

    Some nights I'll eat eat just a hunk of meat.

    Some nights I have a little bit of each.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    According to these studies I should be in agony right now since by far most of my calories come from meat and feta cheese and I eat few vegetables (nor did I when I was a vegetarian, I just ate processed veggie patties and junk).

    I actually have no back pain right now (shocking since I've been doing weights focused on my back muscles) or knee pain, or any other pain. If anything I'm healthier on a meat diet and I know I'm happier.

    So far. I've been on it since June, minus a month of trying to add back carbs and finding out all it made me do was pig out on everything in sight. Longterm, who knows? And I do for sure need to get more veggies into my diet regardless. I have never eaten enough unprocessed fruits and veggies because I have never really liked them.
  • atsteele
    atsteele Posts: 1,358 Member
    Maybe vegetarians/vegans make more of an effort to eat better than the run-of-the-mill omnivore?

    I'm just trying to justify why I'm religiously clinging to my bacon and steak.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    The video is showing as 16 min long. I will need to watch later at home where I can give it the attention it deserves.

    With regards to the Vegetarian/Vegan vs Omnivore debate.

    I am trying to move to a vegetarian diet. Since I started on MFP and lost a lot of weight. I have been looking at food in a different manner to how I did in my previous life (my "FAT" life). And, what I see across the spectrum of food is disturbing. On the meat side, I see horrible factory farming practices! Inhuman treatment, questionable drugs used to increase production and ongoing sanitary issues with processing and shipping. The simple truth is that the meat we buy in our local grocery stores is no long the same as what we used to get from the independent family farms of a generation ago. Today what we get is by all definitions "Fabricated". This bothers me at an emotional and physical level. And, has lead me down a path where I am weaning myself from meat based proteins.

    But, the picture is not so rosy on the other side of the street either! GMO farming of staple foods is way more prevalent than I think most consumers realize. And, just like the tobacco companies hid research and sued researchers in the past. The big global GMO corporations are doing their best to keep the amount of GMO produce in our groceries hidden and at the same time trying to defuse any research that shows that long term consumption of GMO produce has health hazards.

    So, where does that leave people like me? People who simply want to life a healthy and sustainable life. My situation falls into the "caveat emptor" category. Let the buyer beware! I read labels endlessly! Within my budget I buy as much fresh local produce as possible. I have cut down the amount of boxed, frozen and prepared foods my family consumed by a huge amount. My meat consumption has gone from a large portion of meat with every meal to a small portion of meat 2 - 3x per week. And, I try to avoid things like corn and soy where these are almost exclusively GMO farmed. The effort is not always easy and the choices not always apparent. But, I muddle through and try to make the best choices possible.

    Best of luck to us all.
  • I don't eat meat because of ethical and enviromental/sustainability reasons not because of what it does/does not do to my body.

    I don't like harping on at people who do eat meat as it makes them defensive. I hope more people reconsider not eating meat for ethical reasons but they have to come to this conclusion in their own time.
  • AshS1050
    AshS1050 Posts: 43 Member
    i totally agree!

    i've been eating mostly vegan for 4 weeks now (sometimes, when i'm out to eat, i can't escape having something w/ cheese or butter and i indulge in meat on special circumstances). Now that i don't eat all that meat and dairy i realize that i feel so much better. also, it is alot easier to stay under calorie limits if your diet consists of mainly fresh vegetables and fruits.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    Comparing vegetarians and vegans to SAD diet followers is a no brainer for improvement on any level simply because they've either initiated a healthier lifestyle or are in a healthier lifestyle . It's easy to compare any diet to the quartile that consume the most meat because that demographic also does pretty much everything else wrong as far as lifestyle is concerned, it's kinda a no brainer but good for further confirmation bias. Comparing a vegetarian demographic that does it for other reasons than lifestyle and wanting better health would be more telling. India for example, what is the overall health of that demographic.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,885 Member
    It's not that meat is bad for us.... it's that we eat too much meat.
    exactly what i was going to say.
  • Dawnhasajeep
    Dawnhasajeep Posts: 180 Member
    When I went to a plant base diet I never felt healthier. I also ran faster and got stronger.
  • twoaugustgirls
    twoaugustgirls Posts: 20 Member
    I have limited meat since starting on my fitness pal. I find it easier to stay at 1200 calories without meat and eating:ohwell: mostly vegetables. I am much healthier now because I am trying to get more vegetables and beans on my diet.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,885 Member
    When I went to a plant base diet I never felt healthier. I also ran faster and got stronger.
    same here, i quit running in september but could only run for 1/2 a mile and after 1 1/2 miles of run/walk intervals i was exhausted, since then i became vegetarian, and i desided to run monday for the first time since september, and i ran the first 1/2 a mile, but did running/walking intervals and did 4 miles easy, i never linked it to becoming a vegetarian til now though
  • mmddwechanged
    mmddwechanged Posts: 1,687 Member
    Thank you for Shari g the video:)
  • chocolate_barbell
    chocolate_barbell Posts: 19 Member
    I am a vegetarian, and have been for around 2 years now. Every time I ate meat previously, it would give me terrible stomach pain, so I decided to change the types of proteins that I eat. I found that my body can still tolerate cheeses and seafood/fish, which is good.

    I've never felt better. :)
  • I think the meat eaters here should STRONGLY consider limiting their meats and dairy - especially on workout days. Both meat and dairy is acid forming.

    acid forming? Can you explain exactly what you mean by this, in terms of what's going on in the body? In your own words. (i.e. don't just quote an article at me).

    On workout days I eat fish/seafood, meat and whey protein. I limit red meat because it tends to be fatty and harder to fit in my macros, so the meat I eat is usually chicken. I have no trouble recovering after workouts, in fact I'm currently recovering from surgery and my doctor has commented about how well I'm recovering (also on a fish/seafood, dairy and chicken with occasional red meat and less whey protein than usual as I'm not currently allowed to exercise diet)

    ETA: I do agree that everyone should eat plenty of fruit and veg, and most people don't eat anywhere near enough of them, but other than beans/lentils (which not everyone can digest easily) I eat plant foods for the micronutrients rather than protein.

    Meat will cause a build up of uric acid and gout in the body which is one the primary causes of arthritis
  • rocket_ace
    rocket_ace Posts: 380 Member
    I am a veg, but I only care about what I eat, not anyone else. One problem I see that is too redolent in society is that, for some reason, pro-meat people seem to want to go out of there way to get in your face about how stupid they think it is to be a veg. i mean they relish disparaging you. I mean, its hard enough trying to function in society as it is at restaurants etc w/o much in the way of veg choice. not sure why all the hate from them though? they are the overwhelming majority, so not sure why they seem to get so completely personally offended.

    just leave us alone and continue on with what you do - I don't respect meat eaters any less, so I don't see why it shouldn't be reciprocal.

    that is all.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,222 Member
    I think the meat eaters here should STRONGLY consider limiting their meats and dairy - especially on workout days. Both meat and dairy is acid forming.

    acid forming? Can you explain exactly what you mean by this, in terms of what's going on in the body? In your own words. (i.e. don't just quote an article at me).

    On workout days I eat fish/seafood, meat and whey protein. I limit red meat because it tends to be fatty and harder to fit in my macros, so the meat I eat is usually chicken. I have no trouble recovering after workouts, in fact I'm currently recovering from surgery and my doctor has commented about how well I'm recovering (also on a fish/seafood, dairy and chicken with occasional red meat and less whey protein than usual as I'm not currently allowed to exercise diet)

    ETA: I do agree that everyone should eat plenty of fruit and veg, and most people don't eat anywhere near enough of them, but other than beans/lentils (which not everyone can digest easily) I eat plant foods for the micronutrients rather than protein.

    Meat will cause a build up of uric acid and gout in the body which is one the primary causes of arthritis
    Too many refined carbs and sugar in the diet can create high blood glucose which results in insulin resistance, diabetes, MetS and cardiovascular disease.
  • joleenl
    joleenl Posts: 739 Member
    I quit dairy 3 weeks ago and had fantastic results. I still eat meat just a better quality meat. Like wild meats and organic/grass fed meats when possible. Since quiting dairy my acne has went away, my pms symptoms have disappeared, and all food cravings are gone. I do load up on the veggies. I only eat 1 maybe 2 small portions of meat each day.
  • I lost about 30lbs with no exercise and my period diminished significantly. i had regular bowel movements and no more bloating. That heavy, tired feeling that you feel when you're done eating a meal...that went away too. Im also stronger physically as well...even though im 30lns lighter. I used to struggle to run a mile on the treadmill, now I can keep going for another two laps until I start feeling the sweat and burn...thats with the same amount of physical activity.
  • linnaeus
    linnaeus Posts: 36 Member
    Of course, it's still fairly easy here to be an unhealthy vegan - like me, last year. I did lose 10 pounds just by switching from vegetarian to vegan, but still overweight.

    However, in the last 2 weeks that I've been eating very healthily and getting regular workouts, my mood has completely changed. Negative emotions like anger/depression don't last as long or feel as intense. I feel generally more positive and find it easier to feel compassion. It's pretty crazy what a change in diet/exercise can do to one's emotional state.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Since switching back to a vegan based (plant based) diet with a few junk food thrown in (pizza, burgers, chocolate etc) I've lost over 20 lb and the month isn't over yet...

    I feel much better, more energy. I haven't cut out all meat yet (as you can see from my chart) but by adding more veggies - I've seemed to feel full and the pounds keep falling off with no exercise.

    It's made a believer out of me.


    I followed this for 2 months with great results - the 3 weeks around xmas/new years I started eating meats again, and some processed foods - gained all my weight back. Soon as I switched back to plant based, things are looking up.

    Like I said - it might not be meat- but loading up on veggies IS the answer for many who are having a hard time feeling full & with other minor health problems
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Did this study control for other unhealthy variables such as smoking, alcohol consumption, job types, exercise levels?
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Did this study control for other unhealthy variables such as smoking, alcohol consumption, job types, exercise levels?

    I assume not. Like many stated - those who choose to remove meat & dairy from their diets most likely also make other healthier choices in life.

    That being said; even removing cancers associated with smoking- there is still type 2 diabetes complications, clogged arteries, etc that could all lead to death that is being removed when limiting/removing meat, dairy & other highly processed foods.

    Fred - did you watch the video though? I ask b/c they break it down to a biological makeup rather than a study which can be swayed or altered, or just not as controlled like you stated.