Questions about vegetarian diets...
JimfromColumbia
Posts: 15 Member
Hey Guys, I saw a documentary last night that 1.) I recognized as very good propaganda and 2.) really got me thinking about a vegetarian approach to eating. Understand that what piqued my curiosity was not "save-the-planet-eating-animals-is-bad-sustainability...la la la" but rather the increased risk of health issues consuming meat/dairy as I age. I have a lot of family members with various cancers and diabetes so I gotta believe if there is a genetic component to it then I am probably per-disposed to it. I am a cancer survivor myself for that matter. The Documentary I saw was "What the Health" on Netflix. So... Are any of you vegetarians? Are there books you recommend? Pit falls? what would you have wanted to know when you started? Those of you familiar with the health argument in this propaganda (meats carry increased risk for cancer, etc), what am I missing? General thoughts on the subject?
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I am vegetarian. I have rolled in and out of vegetarianism for about 15 years...mostly in...currently all in.
Being vegetarian is a personal choice. It's a choice I have made. I might make a different choice next week. But, it's my current choice. The point is, I would never preach to anyone with regard to whether they should be vegetarian or not.
You asked for book recommendations. I will recommend two.
Reversing Heart Disease, Dr. Dean Ornish
https://www.amazon.com/Ornishs-Program-Reversing-Heart-Disease-ebook/dp/B0042JSNWC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500051666&sr=8-1&keywords=reversing+heart+disease+dean+ornish
Diet for a New America, John Robbins
https://www.amazon.com/Diet-New-America-John-Robbins/dp/0915811812/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500051853&sr=8-2&keywords=diet+for+a+new+america+by+john+robbins
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I'm not a vegetarian but I eat a lot of vegetarian meals. I don't eat red meat or pork. I do eat fish and poultry. I started doing it for health reasons and now because I like to eat that way.
It is hard to eat vegetarian when you are a guest at someone's house or when you go out to eat. Restaurants have gotten better but ...
For my two cents, it is easier to ease into it. If you like good spicy food, try the Thug cookbook. They have a lot of recipes available online. We also like the Dean Ornish cookbooks. Also try black bean tacos and stir fried tofu with peanut sauce, yum.
There is a recent study where they found that vegetarians lose about twice as much weight as omnivores with the same calories. You can probably google this to find more info.0 -
I grew up in a vegan household and enjoy both vegan and vegetarian dishes frequently even though I am no longer a vegetarian. I had a hard time with satiety when I was solely vegetarian and often ended up overeating carbohydrates (and gained 10lbs). However, for ethical reasons and for the health of the planet I do recommend incorporating more non-meat dishes into your repertoire.
That being said, I thought this particular documentary was mostly fear mongering. This youtube video sums up a lot of my feelings on it (warning: he swears a fair amount).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skIGCoopR-g
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I eat a fair number of vegetarian meals, a few vegan.
I'd say if you want to give it a shot a few days a week, sign up for one of the meal-delivery services like Purple Carrot, which delivers everything you need along with instructions. for 2-3 meals/week (adjustable by you).
I do it because I like the food, not really for health or save-the-world reasons. Its just another way to add variety & frankly the stuff doesn't spoil as quickly as meat, so I can keep beans on hand for any time, without worrying about "needing" to cook it up before it goes bad.
I don't get too wound up about the diet-cancer link after a biologist friend pointed out that the best way to avoid getting cancer is to die young.
Murple1
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