First, a vegetarian diet CAN be healthier than a non-vegetarian diet. And most vegetarians DO have a healthier diet than most non-vegetarians. As a vegetarian I do have to watch certain things like ensuring I have enough protein, but equally important is checking that I have enough iron in my diet. Vegans have to watch their B-12.
For 19 of those 20 years I had a pasta, pizza, pastries and peanut butter based diet. It is quite possible to have a horribly bad diet and be vegetarian. People thought it was impossible to be a 340 pound vegetarian.. trust me, it's easy. Ice cream is good. So vegetarian doesn't automatically equal healthier. But in general, if you are eating more fruits and vegetables and yes Azure, avoiding carbs, the better your diet will be.
My reasons for being vegetarian had NOTHING to do with health reasons. First reason was environmental. Animal agriculture is incredibly energy intensive. And worse, it needs a lot of land to be cleared because not only do you need to clear land for the animals, but also for the feed. And if you remember the energy pyramid, if you feed corn to a pig, you automatically lose 50% of the energy of that corn... so you need to grow twice as much. Growing that much feed means more fertilizers in our streams and rivers. And then there is all the animal waste! Ever smell a pig farm? They usually have giant lagoons of waste with a smell that will make you sick. Sometimes those lagoons fail and that waste ends up in the water supply. Farm waste was what caused the water contamination in Walkerton.
Secondly, I read all these threads about a woman throwing a cat in a bin or someone drowning puppies. And we condemn those things as the people are killing good animals. How horrible. But don't all animals have the ability to suffer? And many have shown various degrees of self awareness. From dogs, to dolphins, to elephants - studies have shown that they will sometimes act on more than instinct, meaning they may well have emotions. I think the conditions on the factory farms are deplorable and should be viewed as torture. But I wouldn't even consider buying from a free-range farmer as I don't believe in taking the life of a living breathing animal unless my health will suffer for it.
Now, way back when, I was at Elizabeth May's house for a joint conference of environmentalists and aboriginals. We environmentalists decided to have the conference with a vegetarian menu for the points above. However, the Micmacs were not happy with this and they present their reasonings... the traditional Micmac diet was primarily meat based. Now that I think about it, it seemed very much like Atkins. Very low carb. Very high protein. Lots of greens - either grown or gathered. Given their need for meat, we agreed that they could bring in meat for the conference so long as it was not factory farmed. So they brought deer steaks and rabbit. So if you need it, I see no problem with doing what you need to live. I on the other hand am leading a very happy life without needing meat.
In any case, very long story short, there are valid reasons for being vegetarian... but the article posted by the OP is way out to lunch.
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An interesting point that one vegetarian rancher/environmental lawyer made was about land use and how not all land should be diverted for food crops. Grazing animals can graze in areas where you can't grow food crops because it's too dry, the topography, etc. (basically not good/efficient farm land). So instead of intensively watering and farming these areas, these animals can eat the natural vegetation and make this inefficient land useful by becoming our food.
I have been vegetarian for 33 years. My better half (an avid meat eater) spent six months last year, in every spare moment he had, re-wiring the 100 year old barn at RASTA in De Winton for free. RASTA is a rescue for farm animals. While he was there he fell deeply in love (yep, really) with one of the pigs - called Rocky. He came home one night and said he could not (note could not and not would not) eat pork/bacon any more. Pigs are just too darn cute and intelligent. And one year on he is still sticking to his vow. I am very proud of him for his resolve. He has always enjoyed my vegetarian meals as well.
My main reason for being vegetarian is the terrible abuses - not just factory farmed animals but the desperate, terrible abuse of transport and final slaughter. I am very surprised here in Canada at the lack of welfare. I can't believe how many battery eggs are still sold. The two best supermarkets in the UK (M&S and Waitrose) no longer stock battery eggs or use them in any of their produce. I really think that if you want to eat meat you should kill and gut it yourself. At least you may appreciate the life you have taken a bit more - rather than the plastic wrapped sanitised version at the supermarket.
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I find it funny that Fad diets are more socially acceptable than being a Veggie or Pesci.
As Devils Advocate mentioned above you can be a bad Veggie, but Id say in comparison to carnivores or omnivores that % is very slim.
When you stop eating animals, the first thing you notice is that everyone (often including yourself) gets suddenly worried about your protein intake.
It is a myth that the only protein, or the "best" protein comes from animal flesh. There are plenty of studies out there that suggest that plant protein that allows our bodies to slowly digest or synthesize is the healthiest type of protein.
Ive had zero problems or issues as a Veggie, Im probably 90% Vegan, due to a strong love for Cheese.
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As people have said before, being vegetarian doesn't automatically equal being healthy.
I love me some meat, and I eat quite healthy. It's easy; stick with lean or white meats, eat red meat as an occasional treat and load up on grains and fruits/veggies.
My main reason for being vegetarian is the terrible abuses - not just factory farmed animals but the desperate, terrible abuse of transport and final slaughter.
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I really think that if you want to eat meat you should kill and gut it yourself. At least you may appreciate the life you have taken a bit more - rather than the plastic wrapped sanitised version at the supermarket.
You honestly think that having people kill and gut their own meat would be a good idea? Is your reasoning that they would not want to eat the meat after that? As someone who worked 12 years of my life in a meat packing plant, there is virtually no one who works there who is a vegetarian because of what they see and do on a daily basis.
If you had people killing their own cattle, you would have a huge amount more waste. Every part of the cows that are slaughtered at most plants is used to its fullest potential.
Do you wear makeup? Many types use cow parts. Eat McDonalds Fries? Again, made using the tallow from a cow. How about film? Many brands, including Kodak, is made from the spinal cord of a cow. Then there is one of the largest byproduct of the beef industry, pet food.
All of those things, and many more would be totally wasted if people slaughtered their own beef. Not to mention the fact that these abuses of factory farms and slaughter houses are far more humane than anything an average person would do in their garage. Then you need to take into account that all beef production is closely monitored by Ag-Can (or whatever they are called now) to ensure that the process is far cleaner and safer for human consumption than anything you would be able to provide on a small scale.
I have stood there and watched the knocker put a bolt into a cows head, and do it a second time if they don't die. I watched one guy scramble the brains with an air gun just to make sure. Is this horrific? Probably, but what are the other options? Can you think of a quicker way to die than being alive, then in at most 8 seconds be deader than a doornail? Do you somehow think that letting a cow bleed out would be more humane? and that those people who you say should be doing this for themselves would be capable of that?
I have seen pretty much every angle of the beef production process from when the truck pulls into the lot to when the box ships out the back end.
I realize you are horrified by what you know, or think you know, about the beef production industry. I have seen those terrible videos on YouTube as well, and they sicken me. That isn't how it is, in 99.9%of the cases, in real life though.
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Perhaps Suzles was saying that, if you can't slaughter your own cow and come face to face with the reality of killing, you shouldn't eat meat.
I am the only person I know who became a vegetarian partially because of what I saw in my family's meat packing plant and slaughterhouse. There is a lot more to it than that and i don't have the time or energy to debate it.
When someone tells me he/she is a vegan, I am very tempted to ask them to qualify that. You may be a vegan in terms of what you eat, but as a complete lifestyle it is impossible unless you go live out in the woods or something. As you mentioned Rathji so many unlikely things contain slaughterhouse by-products.
My brother's in-laws are big deer hunters, unlike the men in our family. He took it up and enjoys it.
My family is apalled by that, and often discusses it while eating steak.
I think that's what Suzles is saying.
I would say the deer my brother kills probably have it easier than the cows, but I've never hunted and don't know. But it seems like hunters just want to get it over with really quick.
Haha, growing animals for consumption is torture hahaha. Up next from the silver spoon mouths of children who grew up with everyone only to rebel against those things which they had in abundance.
The only time I faked being vegetarian was for 2 months for a woman, the physical aspect of the relationship was great but it was mental torture have to listen to her say that tofu was a great meat substitute make me sick. When all you have to do to break up with a woman is order a streak medium rare then she or any others like her arent worth it - easiest breakup ever, and most satisfying.
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Perhaps Suzles was saying that, if you can't slaughter your own cow and come face to face with the reality of killing, you shouldn't eat meat.
I am the only person I know who became a vegetarian partially because of what I saw in my family's meat packing plant and slaughterhouse. There is a lot more to it than that and i don't have the time or energy to debate it.
When someone tells me he/she is a vegan, I am very tempted to ask them to qualify that. You may be a vegan in terms of what you eat, but as a complete lifestyle it is impossible unless you go live out in the woods or something. As you mentioned Rathji so many unlikely things contain slaughterhouse by-products.
My brother's in-laws are big deer hunters, unlike the men in our family. He took it up and enjoys it.
My family is apalled by that, and often discusses it while eating steak.
I think that's what Suzles is saying.
I would say the deer my brother kills probably have it easier than the cows, but I've never hunted and don't know. But it seems like hunters just want to get it over with really quick.
And you shouldn't use a computer unless you build it, and you shouldn't drive a car unless you can put one together.
In a consumption based society its silly to expect that there has to be a moral high ground that in order to appreciate or not appreciate eating something you must witness the processing this.
I'm sure that plants are similarly distressed when they have their seed packs ripped off of their branches, or they are pulled out of the ground. Maybe vegetarians should be forced to listen to simulated screams as we harvest.
Personally I don't get too upset or think about lulu the cow when I'm eating my steak. Its part of the benefit of being a carnavour and at the top of the food chain. I can eat animal flesh with zero guilt whatsoever.
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Cars and computers aren't living things (maybe?) but I see your point.
Vegetables don't run away.
Seriously though, that'swhy I don't have the energy to debate this. You make your decision, I make mine. There are likely deeper issues here than just what we choose to eat. So we would go around in circles forever.
By the way, I gave up eating Captain Crunch too!! It's too damned sweet
I was a vegetarian for about 6 months. I was also working out every morning and training for a marathon. At first it wasn't too bad. I felt good, but I ate a ton of food. As my mileage started going up, I couldn't get enough protein. I started to lose muscle mass, which resulted in getting weaker, and then I started to get injuries. I can't stand tofu anymore, and eating beans/lentils constantly ended up being pretty disgusting.
My wife was also vegetarian. When she got pregnant, the first and only craving she had was steak. We went to the Keg, and damn, it was awesome.
