Vegetarians

[veggies]

I'm a vegetarian who doesn't normally preach unless someone asks so here goes;

The easiest way for me to explain it is that if I step on my dog's tail/paw ect. she yelps because it hurts, and I feel bad for doing it. I would imagine that if I slaughtered her to eat, it would probably hurt her as well. I love my dog and would hate to hurt her, she's a great dog. How could I possibly be directly responsible for the death of another living creature, simply because I don't have an emotional connection to it. It just doesn't seem fair that I can decide whether or not something else that feels pain should die, just so that I can have a nice meal, when I can just eat something else.

That may have been a bit of a childish explanation, but it is the most basic way I think I can say it. Having said all that, I can't stand peta. How do you expect to convert anyone when all you do is act like a complete confrontational ass?

As for the food thing, I eat eggs and dairy because nothing had to die for me to get those things. I still eat plenty of crap like fries and pizza and stuff but I make sure to eat whole grains such as brown rice instead of white, whole wheat bread instead of white whenever possible and a large variety of vegetables and I don't have to worry about getting enough of any protiens ect.

Since I became a vegetarian almost 3 years ago, I have gotten sick about half as much as I used to, and I am so regular you could use me to tell time.

I hope this wasn't too hard to understand I'm half asleep and half drunk, I may have to edit this tommorow.

oh and I am a guy who loved steak, bacon ect. and I had no problems becoming vegetarian. All it takes is a little research and a little more time reading lables at the super market.

[daveT]

I have no problems with vegetarians, and they have not problem with me. Although I told one about my condition (oral allergy syndrome), he insisted that I would not have it any more if I was to become vegetarian. But, whatever, just being vegetarian doesn't make you ignorant.

I did have a problem with enrawists. These people total jerks. A vegetarian was telling me that he started talking to one and the enrawist talked to him like he was an unhealthy dog. LOL.

An enrawist is someone who will not eat any cooked food and is also vegetarian. Sounds like a very dangerous diet to me.

[Ron Burgundy]

I've never heard the term enrawist. I've just heard them called raw-foodists or raw vegans. A google search came up with exactly one entry for the word: you're post.

I don't see why you would have a problem with all of them just because the ones you met were jerks.

I also don't understand what's "dangerous" about it. All the same nutritional principles apply to a raw diet.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
woopee, it still tastes like urine.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's well into the ridiculous. Butter is practically as foundational as salt to a lot of good cooking.

FWIW, olive oil can often be very bland.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Since I became a vegetarian almost 3 years ago, I have gotten sick about half as much as I used to, and I am so regular you could use me to tell time.


[/ QUOTE ]

Eating lots of fruit and vegetables helps me enormously when it comes to being regular, too. If I cut back on them, I start getting bloated and not feeling well. I love meat, but too much of it, red meat especially, often clogs me up severely.

[ QUOTE ]
oh and I am a guy who loved steak, bacon ect. and I had no problems becoming vegetarian. All it takes is a little research and a little more time reading lables at the super market.

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too, as far as loving steak etc. When I've gone into a vegetarian period, it has been a little tempting to go back for a bit at the start, but to me it's a lot like getting rid of sugar in your diet, but easier. Sugar is very, very hard to tone down on. Give me a cookie and I would usually be very happy with 10 more. Give me some cake today and I will want some tomorrow, or a second slice 20 minutes later or even right away. It creates its own craving; the more you eat it, the more you want it. Very strong urge. Meat is like that but on a much lesser scale. After a while of not having it, you rarely want it or even think about it.

If there's anything I miss about meat when I go into a vegetarian period, it's the texture really. The texture is very satisfying and irreplaceable. I haven't come across anything vegetarian that is chewy, rich, and saturated with flavor all at once quite like well-cooked meat is.

[veggies]

One thing that I found than you can't really tell its not chicken is made by sneiders? spelling? its called "Oh Natural" but I'm sure its full of chemicals and crap, but they make fake chicken burgers and fake nuggets that we have served to meat eaters who couldn't tell the difference. I eat them from time to time when I need a decent burger or something. They sell them in the frozen meat section at the grocery store here in Canada.

[Blarg]

I find it hard to get myself to try stuff like that because it has turned out so badly in the past. Past raves I've been given about products that turned out to be sometimes not just disappointing but very unappetizing has made me very reluctant to try anything like that new. I admit I'm very suspicious of your claim on the texture.

Maybe there's a market in that, actually. Some vegetarian based frozen or refrigerated snacks, not full meals, that could let people try stuff like that out in small portions and conveniently. Maybe even sampler packs. Right now buying a burger's worth or more of something I can see myself most likely spitting out or only swallowing reluctantly seems like a bad bargain.

[daveT]

Every meat knock-off item I ever tried was pretty bad. Most of these items are tofu based, which taste terrible. I don't understand that if you are a vegetarian, why would you want to eat something that resembles meat?

There several Vegan Restaurants here in CA. I once ordered a smoothie that was based on Soy Milk, it was terrible. I don't understand why certain people believe it is criminal to just enjoy food.

I would think that a raw food diet is bad for you because you are severely limiting your intake. Also, certain nutrients are activated, and certain toxins eliminated when you cook food.

Soya Bean may not be so healthy after all:

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/soya.html

Then again, maybe the soy is curing and preventing cancer:

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/may2006_aas_01.htm

Or it is giving Africans more cancer:

http://rheumatic.org/soy.htm

--The Chinese, did not eat the soybean as they did other pulses (legumes) such as the lentil, because the soybean contains large quantities of a number of harmful a substances. First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors which block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion.--

The Japanese have isolated soybean hypocotyl which seems to reverse liver cancer in mice. This substance is based in the grain, and accounts for 2% of it's weight:

http://scientific.thomson.com/media/.../99049694e.pdf

[Ron Burgundy]

[ QUOTE ]
I haven't come across anything vegetarian that is chewy, rich, and saturated with flavor all at once quite like well-cooked meat is.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have.

[Ron Burgundy]

I agree that soy milk is terrible. I'm actually slightly allergic to unfermented soy.

I make smoothies with almond or coconut milk.

[ QUOTE ]
I would think that a raw food diet is bad for you because you are severely limiting your intake.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not really. You'd be surprised at how many things you can eat raw, many of which taste better raw.

[ QUOTE ]
Also, certain nutrients are activated, and certain toxins eliminated when you cook food.


[/ QUOTE ]

Such as?