Perks of becoming a vegetarian?
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soccerstar21097
Posts: 20 Member
What are the health benefits of being a vegetarian?
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Replies
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The perks are for the animals.23
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Not many.
Just eat whole foods with a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Lean protein at every meal.5 -
It can be beneficial for your body as well as the animals, but it doesn't guarantee weight loss or a lifetime of fitness.
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Not much....3
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You have to give up meat. That's the ultimate anti-perk.11
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It depends why you're doing it. Are you doing it for the animals or for your health? Some benefits are you get to eat whole fruits and veggies which gives you more energy, studies show you have less of a risk of breast cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other illnesses etc. And, protein's and omega 3 fatty-acids are not a problem as some will try to tell you. Proteins and omega 3's are in things like eggs, dairy, tofu (tofu is not gross, it has no flavor. You need to add seasonings for it to have flavor), almond milk, sunflower oil etc. Plus in the meat industry the animals sometimes expel fecal matter and urine and they usually just hose it off before proceeding to prep for slicing and packaging. There is also a myth that meat stays in the system for days on end rotting, but that is not true. Overall it's your decision if you want to convert or not. I know it's not something for everyone, but it depends why you're doing it and if you're committed to doing it. Make your own choices in decisions and don't let other's tell you what's right and wrong for you. You can cut back on meat and gradually convert into vegetarianism would probably be the easiest way to do the change, but if you can't stop eating meat then that's ok too. Again it's not for everyone and you really have to make your own choices and decide what's best for you. Best of luck!
http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian
http://foodsafety.news21.com/2011/safety/inspection/feces/
http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/articles/2007/april/fact-or-fiction-meat-rots-in-your-gut8 -
You get really, really good at keeping a straight face when someone who obviously doesn't give a dang about macros asks you "But where do you get your protein?"
Seriously though, be prepared for that question.
Vegetarianism is a great lifestyle! Give it a try.
That Harvard Health link that the poster above has shared is well worth a look. 7 -
No mad cow disease worries? I mean, I am one, but I don't see a vegetarian diet as categorically better than a diet that includes meat. It's just the diet I choose (and by diet, I mean intake, not like a going-on-a-diet diet).3
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I agree the main perk is for the animals.
Maybe less food poisoning? Otherwise, i have no idea.
You can still eat all sorts of high-calorie and "unhealthy" foods while being vegetarian. Just because it doesn't have meat doesn't mean it's healthy or fits into your diet.4 -
rainbowbow wrote: »I agree the main perk is for the animals.
Maybe less food poisoning? Otherwise, i have no idea.
You can still eat all sorts of high-calorie and "unhealthy" foods while being vegetarian. Just because it doesn't have meat doesn't mean it's healthy or fits into your diet.
I totally agree with all of this! But just wanted to say that to my knowledge (and personal experience), food poisoning from unwashed fruit and veg is not exactly uncommon
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kathrynjean_ wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »I agree the main perk is for the animals.
Maybe less food poisoning? Otherwise, i have no idea.
You can still eat all sorts of high-calorie and "unhealthy" foods while being vegetarian. Just because it doesn't have meat doesn't mean it's healthy or fits into your diet.
I totally agree with all of this! But just wanted to say that to my knowledge (and personal experience), food poisoning from unwashed fruit and veg is not exactly uncommon
Oh, i've had it two or three times in my life (i've been a vegetarian since i was born). But my family and loved ones seem to have it far more often as a result of undercooked meats or contaminated meats. That's not to say i trust anyone to handle food properly and cook everything to temperature.
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Here is a good article on health benefits. If you have any questions on going veggie, feel free to message me.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/vegetarian-foods-powerful-for-health1 -
Benefits are for the animals. Anyone who says that you'll automatically lost weight on a veggie diet has never heard of cheese! Or nuts. Or chips. Or Oreos. Or cream. Or butter. Or coconut, or... you get my meaning
Seriously, I went vegan back in... March, or so? And I thought I wouldn't have to pay attention to what I was eating or worry about gaining weight on a totally plant based diet. WELL. Turned out that eating cashews and sunflower seeds and almond butter and coconut all day without paying attention to quantities is NOT a good weight loss plan
On the other hand, going veggie can be a great opportunity to learn more healthy eating habits and get more whole foods into your diet. But so can any big change of eating habits 8 -
You get to act morally superior to those of us with more muscle mass, more B vitamins, more complete proteins and more Iron in their diets.
The reason you can ask this question is because we ate meat. Period.
Bigger jaws (gorillas, chimps) required bigger jaw muscles; because we had to crush hard roots, etc.
The switch to meat allowed that muscle to grow weaker*, which put less pressure on the brain case and skull.
This allowed the skull to grow and therefore the brain as well. It is simple anthropology.
Now your "bigger brain" is asking if you should give up meat... Wow.
Seriously, re-think it. My wife was a vegetarian, then her neurologist told her to at least eat fish.
I told her to for years, but I'm not her doctor...
She still had to have 3 blood transfusions this year to treat anemia. Women are low on Iron to begin with.
* ADDENDUM: also the amino profile of meats and sweetbreads promote brain growth and development to a degree which a vegetarian diet does not.
This is why some governments are moving to make it illegal to put developing children on vegetarian and vegan diets.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/11/italian-baby-fed-vegan-diet-hospitalized-for-malnutrition/
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gebeziseva wrote: »The perks are for the animals.
This.
Obviously you can eat a really healthy diet as a vegetarian and eat at a calorie deficit and lose weight, but that's not automatic from giving up meat. You can also gain weight and eat an unhealthy diet.
Similarly, you can gain or lose weight and eat healthfully or non-healthfully while eating meat.
I'm all for vegetarianism if someone feels ethically called to do it or prefers that diet for them, for whatever reason.2 -
There are benefits health-wise to cutting out red meat, but if you're doing it just to lose weight, you're going to struggle and be disappointed. Generally health or trend vegetarians just quit, while those of us who have been veggie or pesca since childhood or those who do it because they love animals or dislike meat don't struggle staying that way. It's effortless and natural. I'd suggest cutting out red meat first and moving eventually to poultry.2
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You get to act morally superior to those of us with more muscle mass, more B vitamins, more complete proteins and more Iron in their diets.
The reason you can ask this question is because we ate meat. Period.
Bigger jaws (gorillas, chimps) required bigger jaw muscles; because we had to crush hard roots, etc.
The switch to meat allowed that muscle to grow weaker, which put less pressure on the brain case and skull.
This allowed the skull to grow and therefore the brain as well. It is simple anthropology.
Now your "bigger brain" is asking if you should give up meat... Wow.
Seriously, re-think it. My wife was a vegetarian, then her neurologist told her to at least eat fish.
I told her to for years, but I'm not her doctor...
She still had to have 3 blood transfusions this year to treat anemia. Women are low on Iron to begin with.
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Seriously, re-think it. My wife was a vegetarian, then her neurologist told her to at least eat fish.
I told her to for years, but I'm not her doctor...
She still had to have 3 blood transfusions this year to treat anemia. Women are low on Iron to begin with.
I see your anecdote and raise you my own.
I've been vegan for more than 7 years now and my bloodwork is great. I consult with my physician regularly. I pay more attention to what I eat now and my iron is actually better than it was when I was occasionally eating meat.
Vegetarianism and veganism is not a magic bullet for health, and I'm not claiming that it is. But it's also not a death sentence for women as you make it sound.
It is possible to eat a veg diet and live a healthy life. It is possible to eat a diet with meat and eggs and dairy and live a healthy life. The end.
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rainbowbow wrote: »You get to act morally superior to those of us with more muscle mass, more B vitamins, more complete proteins and more Iron in their diets.
The reason you can ask this question is because we ate meat. Period.
Bigger jaws (gorillas, chimps) required bigger jaw muscles; because we had to crush hard roots, etc.
The switch to meat allowed that muscle to grow weaker, which put less pressure on the brain case and skull.
This allowed the skull to grow and therefore the brain as well. It is simple anthropology.
Now your "bigger brain" is asking if you should give up meat... Wow.
Seriously, re-think it. My wife was a vegetarian, then her neurologist told her to at least eat fish.
I told her to for years, but I'm not her doctor...
She still had to have 3 blood transfusions this year to treat anemia. Women are low on Iron to begin with.
I don't know what "giphy.gif" means, but if you are asking for "proof" because of a lack of familiarity with anatomy, biology or anthropology, then here you go:
See the hollow ridge behind the eye and below the orbital socket?
The jaw and jaw muscles go sort of "under and in" it.
If you don't know anything about human anatomy you can feel it on your own face.
Look at how large the gap is on the orang is, compared to your own face.
And that is an orangutan, not a gorilla.
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