Anyone turned their back on vegetarianism?

facepollution

I've not eaten meat or fish in 13 years, but lately I've been re-evaluating my reasons as to why I don't eat meat. I don't really miss meat, but I read this: http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/vegetarian.html and it kind of made me think about things. I have no idea if I could even bring myself to eat meat again though.....

So, any thoughts from people who have gone back to eating meat? Or any pros and cons from people - I'm all ears.

GraySaturday

I went from all meat eater to - only white meat/fish to - veggies

and then back to only white meat/fish...

I didn't feel well doing vegetarian. I started to feel really bloated and lacking in energy/muscle. I think I started to add a lot of carbs in my diet when I cut out meat, and it didn't really go over like I envisioned it. Plus, I love chicken. I feel like I crave chicken. I really missed sushi and chicken, and I added it back in slowly. I only did veggie for like 9 months, but adding the white meat back in took a little while because it made my tummy upset. I personally feel much better eating protein from meat. But I know a lot of people have it all down pact and don't get carb happy.

Jearlpam0925

Just had a Five Guys Burger for lunch....yeah....right...I'm givin that up.

rival.

Jearlpam0925 wrote:

Just had a Five Guys Burger for lunch....yeah....right...I'm givin that up.

last night i had ribs at outback. not giving that up for anyone.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

The major reason to eat meat is because it's a complete protein. Many vegetarians are deficient in one or more essential amino acids. Animal protein is complete...the protein found in grains/veggies/etc isn't. You can be completely healthy by staying a vegetarian, but you really have to take great care to make sure you're getting the right combination of protein sources that will be equivalent to meat (unless you want to have eggs & milk all the time).

So that's one pro-meat argument. I'm not really sure I can think of any pro-vegetarian arguments...maybe the fact that you can avoid the growth hormones & other crap they put in farm animals, but that really doesn't count because you can easily find products where growth hormones were not used.

chime

I know a couple of people who have done it ... think it has to be done slowly to get your system used to it again.

I've been veggie for 17 years (wow didn't realise it was that long) ... and have thought about going back ... I know I could never eat fish ... and then once I was accidently given chicken .. and my first reaction without even thinking about it was to spit out ... very demure and ladylike in a restaurant ... and made me realise I have more conviction about being vegetarian than I thought I had. I'm not political about it and don't care what anyone else does but realised I probably will always be veggie.

Best of luck with whatever you choose.

pearljamjen

I don't like these vegetarian threads, because in the past they get ugly, and there are people on here who claim that all vegetarians act like they are better/more superior than meat eaters. Which is NOT true. Maybe some people do, but then you always have those types of people whether it is vegetarianism/religion/etc.

I'm vegetarian and I NEVER push my beliefs on anyone. I think it is a personal choice. I've been a veggie for almost 11 years now and am pretty happy with it. I can't really see myself going back to eating meat.

But as Gray Saturday shows it isn't for everybody. You have to make sure you get the right balance of nutrients, as you would with any "diet" (by diet I mean way of life not diet as in trying to lose weight.)

I know meat eaters who are VERY healthy. I have some family members who are marathon runners and do triathalons and teach fitness classes. They eat meat but are very healthy (no fast food and a good balance of food). Likewise, I know of vegetarians who eat unhealthy, easy processed food ALL the time. Some people have the misconception that just because you are veggie, you are healthier. But that's clearly not true.

Again, I think it is a VERY personal choice and you should do what feels right for you. And what feels right for your body.

facepollution

Saturnal wrote:

The major reason to eat meat is because it's a complete protein. Many vegetarians are deficient in one or more essential amino acids. Animal protein is complete...the protein found in grains/veggies/etc isn't. You can be completely healthy by staying a vegetarian, but you really have to take great care to make sure you're getting the right combination of protein sources that will be equivalent to meat (unless you want to have eggs & milk all the time).

So that's one pro-meat argument. I'm not really sure I can think of any pro-vegetarian arguments...maybe the fact that you can avoid the growth hormones & other crap they put in farm animals, but that really doesn't count because you can easily find products where growth hormones were not used.

Yeah the protein thing is kind of an issue. I eat a pretty well balanced diet and always make sure I'm getting some form of protein, but, I've been working out on and off for a fair few years, and getting the extra protein required for growth is pretty difficult. I just end up relying on whey protein supplements, which whilst helpful, aren't necessarily practical.

facepollution

pearljamjen wrote:

I don't like these vegetarian threads, because in the past they get ugly, and there are people on here who claim that all vegetarians act like they are better/more superior than meat eaters. Which is NOT true. Maybe some people do, but then you always have those types of people whether it is vegetarianism/religion/etc.

Yeah I usually try to stay out of them cause they do get pretty heated. But this is becoming a bit of a dilemma for me, and I really could do with some sort of advice or opinions.

polaris

my friend who's been vegetarian for 25+ years just started eating game and free range poultry ... she just couldn't get the nutrients she needed in her diet (i think her body makeup has something to do with that) ... she's not liking venison much but moose is a big hit ... ... we're on a canoe trip this weekend and i'm gonna introduce her to bison ...

pearljamjen

facepollution wrote:

Yeah I usually try to stay out of them cause they do get pretty heated. But this is becoming a bit of a dilemma for me, and I really could do with some sort of advice or opinions.

Well if you are happy and healthy, then that's great. If not, maybe make some changes.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

facepollution wrote:

Yeah the protein thing is kind of an issue. I eat a pretty well balanced diet and always make sure I'm getting some form of protein, but, I've been working out on and off for a fair few years, and getting the extra protein required for growth is pretty difficult. I just end up relying on whey protein supplements, which whilst helpful, aren't necessarily practical.

Yeah, I think you should treat supplements like supplements...don't make them staples. I used to take a crapload of whey, but now I only have it post-workout (twice a week) and 1/2 scoop in the morning with some oj before my actual breakfast. It's definitely a good supp, but the more calories you get from solid, fibrous foods, the better imo. I feel 100 times better now that my diet is almost completely solid. I'm a meat-eater, but I eat lots of veggies too...best of both worlds :P

facepollution

Saturnal wrote:

Yeah, I think you should treat supplements like supplements...don't make them staples. I used to take a crapload of whey, but now I only have it post-workout (twice a week) and 1/2 scoop in the morning with some oj before my actual breakfast. It's definitely a good supp, but the more calories you get from solid, fibrous foods, the better imo. I feel 100 times better now that my diet is almost completely solid. I'm a meat-eater, but I eat lots of veggies too...best of both worlds :P

Yeah I totally know what you're saying. I've also been looking at it an a bit more of a philosophical way - in that my being a vegetarian is only practical through modern conveniences and living in a vaguely privileged area of the world. Some people have no choice but to eat meat.

Jearlpam0925

There's nothing better than the taste of a freshly killed animal, not to mention the taste of the juices - i.e. it's blood. Yay to meat!

facepollution

Jearlpam0925 wrote:

There's nothing better than the taste of a freshly killed animal, not to mention the taste of the juices - i.e. it's blood. Yay to meat!

Well that's good to know, I guess :rolleyes:

nick1977

Saturnal wrote:

The major reason to eat meat is because it's a complete protein. Many vegetarians are deficient in one or more essential amino acids. Animal protein is complete...the protein found in grains/veggies/etc isn't. You can be completely healthy by staying a vegetarian, but you really have to take great care to make sure you're getting the right combination of protein sources that will be equivalent to meat (unless you want to have eggs & milk all the time).

So that's one pro-meat argument. I'm not really sure I can think of any pro-vegetarian arguments...maybe the fact that you can avoid the growth hormones & other crap they put in farm animals, but that really doesn't count because you can easily find products where growth hormones were not used.

This is not true. If done correctly, one can get all the protein he or she needs from a vegetarian diet. The key is to eat plenty of whole grains, beans, lentils, etc. Vegans have a tougher time because they do not eat eggs or dairy, but vegetarians can. I recently read an article about a guy that runs ultra-marathons (100 mile races) and he is vegan. It was about how he got all of the nutrients he needed. It can be done, but the problem is many people do now know how to eat a vegetarian diet properly and miss nutrients as a result.

I eat primarily vegetarian, but waiver on occastion. I'm not too strict, but I'd say I eat meat about once or twice a month or so.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

nick1977 wrote:

This is not true. If done correctly, one can get all the protein he or she needs from a vegetarian diet....It can be done, but the problem is many people do now know how to eat a vegetarian diet properly and miss nutrients as a result.

lol, that's exactly what I just said only in different words. Read my post again

nick1977

Saturnal wrote:

lol, that's exactly what I just said only in different words. Read my post again

lol. Misunderstanding.

chime

facepollution wrote:

Yeah I totally know what you're saying. I've also been looking at it an a bit more of a philosophical way - in that my being a vegetarian is only practical through modern conveniences and living in a vaguely privileged area of the world. Some people have no choice but to eat meat.

Although there are large parts of the Indian sub-continent that are definitely not privileged but eat vegetarian.

Snake

Well, that article isnt totally true. Let me start

Humans are not built like meat eaters. Scientists have studied the human body, and it bares more resemblance to fruit eating animals, not vegetable eating, not meat eating.

I grew up vegetarian, I have gotten all the protein I need, I grew up strong and very healthy.

Meat has protein, but It is a very poor quality protein. The animal tissue is dead, and the protein is also "dead" or dying so to say. Its hard for the body to digest and absorb.

And the bible example it showed was also just misleading. In the beginning God said "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food."


Regarding B12. I have been reading and thinking about that alot lately. So far my opinion is that the human is meant to eat fish. Not particularly any of the other animals, but fish specifically.


SO my reasons for being vegetarian are totally grounded, and not naive
I think that article is meant to enforce a certain point of view, therefore they used only specific information, not the whole view, to strengthen what they were saying.

Peace

Snake

hartamh wrote:

This makes sense to me Hi Snake !!

Hey!

JaneNY

nick1977 wrote:

This is not true. If done correctly, one can get all the protein he or she needs from a vegetarian diet. The key is to eat plenty of whole grains, beans, lentils, etc. Vegans have a tougher time because they do not eat eggs or dairy, but vegetarians can. I recently read an article about a guy that runs ultra-marathons (100 mile races) and he is vegan. It was about how he got all of the nutrients he needed. It can be done, but the problem is many people do now know how to eat a vegetarian diet properly and miss nutrients as a result.

Yes that is true - if someone chooses veganism or vegetarianism, they should educate themselves on proper nutrition. I'm a vegan, and a fitness instructor who teaches 12 aerobic classes a week. I feel fine and have experienced no detrimental effects. In fact, my skin is the clearest its ever been, after I gave up dairy and I can eat whatever I want and maintain my weight where I like it, including vegan ice cream (soy)milkshakes. Some complete proteins that vegans can eat are soy products and quinoa. So yeah, I guess you could say I turned my back on vegetarianism, when I became a vegan

Snake

I can get into the spiritual side of Veg to if anybody really cares

iamica

You should make the choice that's right for you. I don't know anyone who went back to eating meat after years of vegetarianism, but I can tell you that I've been a vegetarian for 8 years, and I think if I ate any meat now I'd be sick for days. I just don't think my body could process it well anymore.
You can get sufficient protein and amino acids from a vegetarian or vegan diet, if you plan it out. I once had a friend who was convinced I was going to become anemic because I didn't eat meat. Years later, she's anemic, and I've had at least 2 blood tests since she said that, and I'm not.
So yeah, maybe you should try to figure out alternative ways to get more protein/amino acids/vitamins before going back to meat, but if you have to, go easy at first. Maybe only eat it twice a week or something, just to get your body used to it again.
Good luck, with whatever you decide.

facepollution

Snake wrote:

Well, that article isnt totally true. Let me start

Humans are not built like meat eaters. Scientists have studied the human body, and it bares more resemblance to fruit eating animals, not vegetable eating, not meat eating.

I grew up vegetarian, I have gotten all the protein I need, I grew up strong and very healthy.

Meat has protein, but It is a very poor quality protein. The animal tissue is dead, and the protein is also "dead" or dying so to say. Its hard for the body to digest and absorb.

And the bible example it showed was also just misleading. In the beginning God said "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food."


Regarding B12. I have been reading and thinking about that alot lately. So far my opinion is that the human is meant to eat fish. Not particularly any of the other animals, but fish specifically.


SO my reasons for being vegetarian are totally grounded, and not naive
I think that article is meant to enforce a certain point of view, therefore they used only specific information, not the whole view, to strengthen what they were saying.

Peace

To be honest, from what I've read else where, pretty much everything points towards humans being designed to eat meat. Trust me, I'm coming at it from a 'I'm not really sure I want to' approach, like I said, I don't know I could even bring myself to. I'm not saying the things you have said aren't true, but I would really like to see some links if you've got any? I also think the argument that 'it wouldn't be possible for everyone in the world to go vegetarian', is pretty convincing. Also, it points out that a lot of plant forms of protein are not as bioavailable for humans.

Chime wrote:

Although there are large parts of the Indian sub-continent that are definitely not privileged but eat vegetarian.

Yeah but apparently according to studies, they suffer higher rates of coronary heart disease too. I've read an awful lot of stuff lately that points towards carbohydrates being the main thing making people fat, and not fat itself. If anyone is interested I would highly recommend watching this lecture from Gary Taubes about how we get fat, it pretty much blew my mind: http://webcast.berkeley.edu/event_details.php?webcastid=21216

My other issue, is the inescapable fact, that animals die in the process of producing the eggs and dairy products I eat. Plus all the animals that are killed when crops are harvested - that kind of seems hard to reconcile.

Sian-of-the-dead

I was vegetarian between the ages of 8 and 18. My parents were veggie and so we just ate what they ate.
The reason I stopped at 18 was pathetic really I was out on the piss most weekends and my friends would always stop on the way home for a burger... I caved and sunk my teeth into a quarter pounder.

I've eaten meat since, with a couple of bouts a few years ago of 'I'm gonna try to be veggie again' (for nothing more than a couple of weeks), but nothing solid. To be honest, the reason I got these bouts was because of the guilt of eating meat. I love animals and hate to think of them suffering to feed my hunger. Especially when I can, and have, survived well enough without it.

I now try to buy organic and locally sourced meat. I HATE buying supermarket meat because the animals have generally had a poor life, being forced growth hormones in little to no light with squaller surrounding them... That and it's pumped full of chemicals to make it look appealing to the general shopper.
I still eat a lot of vegetarian products (quorn, supermarket own brand meat free meat balls, mince etc) mainly because it's cheaper, a good alternative to avoid buying supermarket meat, I don't get as many bouts of guilt (:o) and it's better for me as i'm trying to lose weight. I also eat a lot of meals without any form of meat or substitute... Pasta or gnocchi in tomato sauce with roasted aubergine, courgette, pepper, mushrooms and red onion is a favourite

I do enjoy eating meat but only if I know it's been treated well. Hell, i'd eat cat and dog if I knew it had a good life and was killed quickly and cleanly. I believe that if we're going to eat animals we should treat them with respect and dignity.

facepollution

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I was vegetarian between the ages of 8 and 18. My parents were veggie and so we just ate what they ate.
The reason I stopped at 18 was pathetic really I was out on the piss most weekends and my friends would always stop on the way home for a burger... I caved and sunk my teeth into a quarter pounder.

I've eaten meat since, with a couple of bouts a few years ago of 'I'm gonna try to be veggie again' (for nothing more than a couple of weeks), but nothing solid. To be honest, the reason I got these bouts was because of the guilt of eating meat. I love animals and hate to think of them suffering to feed my hunger. Especially when I can, and have, survived well enough without it.

I now try to buy organic and locally sourced meat. I HATE buying supermarket meat because the animals have generally had a poor life, being forced growth hormones in little to no light with squaller surrounding them... That and it's pumped full of chemicals to make it look appealing to the general shopper.
I still eat a lot of vegetarian products (quorn, supermarket own brand meat free meat balls, mince etc) mainly because it's cheaper, a good alternative to avoid buying supermarket meat, I don't get as many bouts of guilt (:o) and it's better for me as i'm trying to lose weight. I also eat a lot of meals without any form of meat or substitute... Pasta or gnocchi in tomato sauce with roasted aubergine, courgette, pepper, mushrooms and red onion is a favourite

I do enjoy eating meat but only if I know it's been treated well. Hell, i'd eat cat and dog if I knew it had a good life and was killed quickly and cleanly. I believe that if we're going to eat animals we should treat them with respect and dignity.

Thank you for the response. I think you're right, there is a huge difference between the factory farmed shit that supermarkets sell, and organic, free-range meat - still not sure I could take the plunge though.

If you're looking to lose weight, you really should check out that link in my previous post - honestly, it absolutely floored me.

dunkman

i have incisors... ergo i eat meat.

Snake

facepollution wrote:

To be honest, from what I've read else where, pretty much everything points towards humans being designed to eat meat. Trust me, I'm coming at it from a 'I'm not really sure I want to' approach, like I said, I don't know I could even bring myself to. I'm not saying the things you have said aren't true, but I would really like to see some links if you've got any? I also think the argument that 'it wouldn't be possible for everyone in the world to go vegetarian', is pretty convincing. Also, it points out that a lot of plant forms of protein are not as bioavailable for humans.

Well I dont know where I read alot of it. It might have been on TV, and some of it was in books.

So I looked it up on google. I just typed in "human body vegetarian". Here are the first few links that werent to videos.

http://www.ourkarnataka.com/madhwakalyana/vegetarian.htm

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/omni.htm

http://www.bihartimes.com/newsbihar/2008/July/newsbihar29July8.html
(this one includes a table showing the comparisons of carnivorous and herbivorous and omnivorous bodies)

http://www.helium.com/items/981688-does-a-vegetarian-diet-provide-all-the-nutrients-needed-by-the-human-body

So some might say these arent strong evidence. I just skimmed through them myself, but its a general idea through different reasonings.

Myself, im coming to the conclusion that we were designed mainly to be like pescotarians, so the only meat we eat is fish. Just an opinion though.

Hope this helps :cool: