Vegetarians, a quick question or 3...

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Ok, I'm sure amongst us all there would be at least a couple of vegetarians. I was just curious, for those of you who have chosen a diet without meat, how strict are you (just no red meat, no meat at all, no animal products - milk, eggs, etc, or what) and what made you choose this diet?

[LuvinmyEB]

I can imagine it now, walking into the kebab shop, "I'll have one kebab please, no meat, no garlic sauce, does your bread contain eggs or milk?"

As much as I love vegetables I couldn't live without meat, especially lamb and chicken.

[shane3]

Originally Posted by The MaDDeSTMaN

Ok, I'm sure amongst us all there would be at least a couple of vegetarians. I was just curious, for those of you who have chosen a diet without meat, how strict are you (just no red meat, no meat at all, no animal products - milk, eggs, etc, or what) and what made you choose this diet?

Well my wife is a vegetarian due to not being able to process the protein in meat and that makes her sick, but is also lactose intolerant, so she doesn't eat any meat, eggs, butter, milk, certain breads, oyster sauce, and a lot of soups have chicken and beef extract in then, But she will have the odd bit of chocolate now and then.
We go to a place called the Veggie bar and you see all the vegetarians/"vegans" come in with there sheep skin jackets, leather jackets, leather shoes/boots, leather hand bags/purses, and all the other stuff thinking its okay to wear the animal but not eat it, :
Me I'm the biggest meat eater known and love hunting small fuzzy animals.

[Kapn_Kiwi]

Originally Posted by shane3

Me I'm the biggest meat eater known and love hunting small fuzzy animals.

Like possums?
I know more than a few people who have been vegetarians, and most of them were/are pretty strict. Myself, I don't get it.

[Twisted]

I have a personal rule..."If I'm gonna eat something has to die". Its a little guideline I live by. I love meat. Nothing better than a steak, cooked blue, brown on the surface, pink inside and red in the middle with the juices flowing. Only way to eat it!

[Rodp]

Aren't there two main types? One where they just won't eat meat and the other that won't eat meat or products from animals (milk, eggs, etc) called Vegans?

I'd say the majority make the concious decision that they don't want to eat something that lived. I respect that choice and do sympathise with them which is why I made a concious decision to eat only corn fed slab of cow wherever possible. :P

[paul7v7]

during the fast for greek easter i tae the opportunity to cleanse the body for those 40 or so days. In other words VEGAN all the way. The first year i did it i struggled really badly. You don't realise how much milk products are in other products. I am not a big vege or fruit eater but had to change my ways. I think doing that has made me move from being a junk food eater to someone who eats a wider variety of foods. It really does cleanse the body too. Doesn't mean i don't kill a cow or two for a good feat though hehe

[Psycho Chicken]

I figure we have the teeth to chew meat, so I'm gonna use the bastards.

[Walkinshaw]

I rate my meal on how many animals had to die for it.

My late night sandwich last night sacraficed 3 animals.

RE: Vegetarians, most vegies i know are that way due more to medical reasons rather than a moral stand.

[rodderz]

If I was made to be a vegetarian...i would of been dead long ago. Who could live without meat!

Generally I find the healthier the food the worse the taste!

[AUSGTI]

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

I figure we have the teeth to chew meat, so I'm gonna use the bastards.

Damn RIGHT!!!!

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

I didn't intend for this thread to turn into a "I love meat" thread, I was just curious how strict any vegetarians here are and why they are vegetarian.

I doubt I could become a vegetarian myself, being diabetic means I've already got a limited diet, I wouldn't want it restricted any more, however I respect anyone who chooses to become vegetarian by choice.

I'm also curious what foods vegetarians eat for protein?

[Walkinshaw]

Originally Posted by The MaDDeSTMaN

I'm also curious what foods vegetarians eat for protein?

Mushies & leafy greens.

[MO]

And soy products or tofu.

[bindi]

Originally Posted by Rodp

Aren't there two main types? One where they just won't eat meat and the other that won't eat meat or products from animals (milk, eggs, etc) called Vegans?

I'd say the majority make the concious decision that they don't want to eat something that lived. I respect that choice and do sympathise with them which is why I made a concious decision to eat only corn fed slab of cow wherever possible. :P

I am veggo... yes, there are two types. Vegetarians don't eat any meat at all, but will eat eggs and milk products. Vegans are more hardcore, not eating anything that is related to an animal (including not wearing leather, sheepskin etc). So they eat no eggs or any milk products etc.

I hate the way when I'm offered meat and I say "oh I'm a vegetarian", ppl will ask me "so you eat chicken or fish, right?". Ppl who say their veggos but still eat chicken or fish are NOT veggos, simple. Vegetarians don't eat any meat. I will still eat products (at this stage) that have a bit of animal fat in them, although only to be polite and not to appear too unsociable.

What do I do for protein and iron? I eat a bit of tofu or tempeh but not as much as I should cos I am not a big fan. I eat eggs, cheese, milk, and I also eat lentils and some types of beans. I take an iron supplement to ensure I get enough iron, otherwise I keel over by 4pm. I also take vitamin supplements such as Vitamin B12, which is only found in meat.

Kebabs are simple - falafels (YUUUMY)

I eat alot of cashews/almonds/pumpkin seeds etc. But when I don't take care to eat well then I notice it, my health is really affected.

I suppose most veggos will tell you it just makes you super aware of your diet and what you put in your mouth. Once the meat leaves your system I was surprised at how good I felt! So much lighter, so much more energy.

On the odd occasion (maybe every 6 months or so) I might decide that I really want to eat a hamburger or a small piece of chicken, so I do. I am not feral and extreme about it.

I just wish sugar and sugar related products were animal by-products so I wouldn't eat them :nutsycuck

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Thank you for your response bindi, over the years I've known quite a few vegetarians, and I always find it interesting to find out how strict their diet is and what their reason for removing meat (and sometimes animal products) from their life is.

Originally Posted by bindi

I suppose most veggos will tell you it just makes you super aware of your diet and what you put in your mouth. Once the meat leaves your system I was surprised at how good I felt! So much lighter, so much more energy.

On the odd occasion (maybe every 6 months or so) I might decide that I really want to eat a hamburger or a small piece of chicken, so I do. I am not feral and extreme about it.

I just wish sugar and sugar related products were animal by-products so I wouldn't eat them :nutsycuck

Hehehe, being diabetic also makes you ultra aware of your diet and what you put in your mouth, particularly when it comes to carbohydrates (simple and complex), sugar (and other simple carbos such as lactose) and how quickly foods are processed and used by your body (the GI Index).

If you want to try the diabetic diet, I'm sure you'd find that it is extremely healthy, and after a short while, you no longer crave sweet things - your tastes change and you find yourself actually going for savory things instead of sweet things, even if the sweet things are ok to eat, such as sugar free chocolate.

Anyway, what made you decide to become vegetarian bindi?

Back in my Uni days I shared a house with a girl who was vegetarian. She did not eat meat or dairy.
Her reasoning was something like this I believe:

MEAT: The human digestive system is not designed to consume meat. Humans have miles and miles of intestines which are designed to digest fruit and vegetables. Animals that eat meat, a dog for example has a short (4ft) intestine. The human body does not produce the correct enzymes to digest meat properly. Human teeth are designed to eat plants - big front teeth like a rabbit and molars at the back for grinding.

DAIRY: Humans are the only animal on the planet that consume milk beyond infancy. Cows milk is for animals that have four stomachs and can extract the nutritional goodness from milk - the human digestive system cannot! Milk produces mucus - a waste product like urine, sweat and faeces. Humans cannot absorb the calcium in cow's milk - despite what the dairy association tells us, (they just want to sell more milk and cheese, a bit like Kelloggs telling us breakfast is the most important meal of the day in order to sell more Corn Flakes).

There you go, I don't know how factual all this is, I'm not a doctor, (mainly because I spent most of my days at Uni hanging around the Student Union).
My housemate seemed to have a good arguement at the time but then again she was pretty as all hell and anything she said was okay by me!

[LuvinmyEB]

Originally Posted by The MaDDeSTMaN

If you want to try the diabetic diet, I'm sure you'd find that it is extremely healthy, and after a short while, you no longer crave sweet things - your tastes change and you find yourself actually going for savory things instead of sweet things, even if the sweet things are ok to eat, such as sugar free chocolate.

That is so true about being a diabetic. Your palette definetly changes and when you do have to have something sweet due to falling or low blood sugars, you're almost gagging because your left with a sickly and very unpleasant taste in the back of your throat. Having to eat chocolate or drink something like lemonade is no longer a pleasant experience.

Your body becomes very aware of what you're putting into it. You can feel the changes in your body depending on what you eat. For example if I were to sit down and eat a sandwich using white bread I would be able to feel my blood sugars elevating rather quickly (I would also be able to tell when my body had finished breaking the sugar down and my blood sugar levels had peaked). However if I ate a sandwich made out of wholemeal bread I wont feel anything as it is a more complex carbohydrate and it takes a fair while for your body to break it down into sugar, thus it doesn't start elevating your blood sugar levels straight away.

I guess it's not something you become aware of unless you are a diabetic and it's very hard to explain how you feel aware of these changes.

Anyway back to the topic, any other Vegetarians and/or Vegans and why so?

[Racecraft]

we as a species have been munchin' meat since the neanderthals. If it was physically detrimental or we were not genetically capable the 50000 years of evolution should of maybe forced some changes in our dietary habbits.. It hasn't and I'm not going to be the first to start

[bindi]

Originally Posted by The MaDDeSTMaN

Anyway, what made you decide to become vegetarian bindi?

Well it has always been in the back of my mind as a healthier lifestyle, and living in a very alternative and environmentally aware community helps too. It started about 2 years ago, when my hubby walked in from work and said "I'm going veggo". His very close friends are all veggos and had been discussing the diet with him and he decided to try it.

I said "well, that'd be fabulous, it's just the inspiration I need to go veggo as well, I'll join you" And I haven't looked back.

About 8 months ago, a book came into our possession which has basically ruined my life! It's called "Eat right for your type" and talks about the history behind our blood types and what we should be eating. It's all theory, and is a very very strict diet. Well through this book I found out I am supposed to be veggo (great!). But hubby found out he is supposed to eat meat, and lots of it, and also stop eating wheat and various other foods.

It has become a nightmare to be the cook (as I am the cook in the household) because I basically end up cooking 3 different meals every night (one for me, one for him and one for the kids).

Ok here's an example - spaghetti bolognaise. This is normally a very simple dish to make. Meat, toms, spices, pasta. Well for our family it comprises of me cooking a meat sauce, a meatless sauce, normal pasta, and rice pasta (wheat free). So I have four pots on the stove at once.

I told him I think the diet is a load of bollox, but it works for him (he's lost an enormous amount of weight and he feels healthier) so I can't convince him otherwise...

Also being veggo and being the cook is awful too, I have to buy, wrap, freeze, cut, handle and cook the meat.

Ol Barry , what that "pretty" uni friend said is true. We aren't meant to eat meat, it's not natural. Also milk is a biggie... I know that if I don't have any milk for a while then my constant sinusitis goes away Just wished soy products agreed with me...

[Twisted]

Originally Posted by bindi

About 8 months ago, a book came into our possession which has basically ruined my life! It's called "Eat right for your type" and talks about the history behind our blood types and what we should be eating. It's all theory, and is a very very strict diet. Well through this book I found out I am supposed to be veggo (great!). But hubby found out he is supposed to eat meat, and lots of it, and also stop eating wheat and various other foods.

That actually sounds really interesting! Whats the name of the book Bindi?

[Dez]

not meant to eat meat? lol, my body seems to digest it fine...so i'll keep eating it.

my teeth dont seem to struggle either

[MITCHAY]

I couldnt live without meat. It makes eating worthwhile. Big and strong. Did you say steak?

Why the **** would we eat meat if we werent meant to. Sounds like that chick had too much of the uni experimentation lol. Sounds like a dumbass thing to say in my opinion.

[Twisted]

If they dont want us to eat me then they should make animals out of vegetables!

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by BlueAU

If they dont want us to eat me then they should make animals out of vegetables!

Lol thats a good way to put it

[bindi]

Originally Posted by BlueAU

That actually sounds really interesting! Whats the name of the book Bindi?

It's called Eat Right for your Type, by Peter D'Adamo. My friend is a naturopath and said that it's the diet that most naturopaths recommend you try, and if you can stick to 80% of it, you will get alot of benefit from it. Here's the guy's website: http://www.dadamo.com

[LuvinmyEB]

Interesting site Bindi, I'm supposed to be a protein eating person apparently, yet I'm being tested every month to monitor the amount of protein my kidneys are putting out because it's a little high.

[bindi]

Originally Posted by LuvinmyEB

Interesting site Bindi, I'm supposed to be a protein eating person apparently, yet I'm being tested every month to monitor the amount of protein my kidneys are putting out because it's a little high.

Look, he has an interesting theory but it's just that, a THEORY. I hate the guy, he's ruined my cooking life! My husband is so convinced that this guy has it right that, as I said before, I have to cook many different meals each night to satisfy everyone's dietary requirements. I'm over it. My hubby was a veggo before this book, and I think he's ruining his health by eating so much meat now.

And the website has cashed in on his original book - this whole secretor/non-secretor stuff (just buy these strips and you can tailor your diet)... load of bollox. The diet's been debunked by doctors and health professionals the world over. In reality it's so strict that it's almost impossible to have a meal out anywhere.

My father did Atkins and he also tried this blood type diet and said that Atkins was much easier... _

I just posted the website for Blue AU's interest.

[The MaDDeSTMaN]

Wow, looks like I opened a bit of a can of worms, LOL!

I can't say I agree with what that "pretty" uni student said, but that's all I'm going to say.

Bindi, thanks for your posts in this thread, very interesting.

Originally Posted by bindi

living in a very alternative and environmentally aware community

Do you live in Nimbin? :hihi: Just joking

[PULLY6]

Originally Posted by BlueAU

Nothing better than a steak, cooked blue, brown on the surface, pink inside and red in the middle with the juices flowing. Only way to eat it!

*drool*