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H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist
Diets: Vegetarian, Vegan, Marcobiotic, raw foods, etc.
- Thread starter PriestTheyCalledHim
- Start date
Foreigner
Bluelighter
I was a vegetarian for 8 years and it nearly destroyed me. I did everything right but it didn't make a difference. I require animal protein - not a lot, but I still do - and that's that.
Now that I'm in a holistic medical field, I have seen a lot of patients to help with their nutrition. Aside from people eating too much junk food and saturated fat, the people with the biggest problems are raw foodies. They're always deficient no matter how good they think they're doing.
My opinion at this point is that for the majority of the population, short term veganism or vegetarianism is a good thing. It cleans out the body and reduces digestive burden so that regenerative processes can kick in. In the long-term it's not healthy and leads to all sorts of degeneration.
Most of the raw food movement actually came from warmer places like California where the body does not need more protein and fat to get through colder periods. People in Northern climates in all practicality cannot be vegetarian long-term. The ones who can sustain themselves are among the privileged class of society who have access to (either by locality or by having a lot of money) the specialty foods that can fuel their vegetarian diets. In a non-globalized economy these people would be meat eaters, or dead. The amount of resource going into getting an avacado to a northern nation where it doesn't naturally grow is enormous. These people are burning the earth with their non-local diets.
Most of the marketing and support for vegan diets is done by and for young people. They are the ones who will not show signs of degeneration for a long time because their body's systems are still youthful. It's just like how younger people can eat junk food or get high all the time and recover fast, thinking they're immoral, until they hit 35 and notice the consequences of what they've done. Older people (45+) are seldom vegan and if they are they look like a train wreck.
Sorry to sound harsh about this, but I think a lot of popular diets need some truth spoken about them. There are definitely people out there who are built for vegetarianism, but they are a minority. I mostly recommend vegetarian, vegan, or raw diets to people in specific cases where I feel it would be of benefit. As a diet for the masses, it would not be good. Most of North America eats way too much animal protein, but the opposite, which is eating none at all, is not necessarily better.
Scientifically speaking, a Paleo-diet has more nutritional value for longevity, and a pescatarian diet more closely resembles this, which is why pescatarians as a group live longer than vegetarians and vegans (in that order).
Now that I'm in a holistic medical field, I have seen a lot of patients to help with their nutrition. Aside from people eating too much junk food and saturated fat, the people with the biggest problems are raw foodies. They're always deficient no matter how good they think they're doing.
My opinion at this point is that for the majority of the population, short term veganism or vegetarianism is a good thing. It cleans out the body and reduces digestive burden so that regenerative processes can kick in. In the long-term it's not healthy and leads to all sorts of degeneration.
Most of the raw food movement actually came from warmer places like California where the body does not need more protein and fat to get through colder periods. People in Northern climates in all practicality cannot be vegetarian long-term. The ones who can sustain themselves are among the privileged class of society who have access to (either by locality or by having a lot of money) the specialty foods that can fuel their vegetarian diets. In a non-globalized economy these people would be meat eaters, or dead. The amount of resource going into getting an avacado to a northern nation where it doesn't naturally grow is enormous. These people are burning the earth with their non-local diets.
Most of the marketing and support for vegan diets is done by and for young people. They are the ones who will not show signs of degeneration for a long time because their body's systems are still youthful. It's just like how younger people can eat junk food or get high all the time and recover fast, thinking they're immoral, until they hit 35 and notice the consequences of what they've done. Older people (45+) are seldom vegan and if they are they look like a train wreck.
Sorry to sound harsh about this, but I think a lot of popular diets need some truth spoken about them. There are definitely people out there who are built for vegetarianism, but they are a minority. I mostly recommend vegetarian, vegan, or raw diets to people in specific cases where I feel it would be of benefit. As a diet for the masses, it would not be good. Most of North America eats way too much animal protein, but the opposite, which is eating none at all, is not necessarily better.
Scientifically speaking, a Paleo-diet has more nutritional value for longevity, and a pescatarian diet more closely resembles this, which is why pescatarians as a group live longer than vegetarians and vegans (in that order).
modern buddha
Bluelighter
Finally. Thank you. I'm glad you're feeling better. And ifsay on missing out on your active sex drive, missy!
Sincerely, I'm very happy you're feeling better.
As for my story:
I "went" vegetarian in high school after watching "meet your meat", produced by Peta. I lost a crap ton of weight, mostly because I only ate the side dishes my mom served instead of the whole meal. So I lost weight, had more self confidence, the whole nine yards. I learned how to cook vegetarian friendly foods and I loved it and was vegetarian for a total of five years. I also tried veganism for a while, but noticed a very dramatic decrease in energy levels and strength.
I returned to eating meat and soon found a book called The Primal Blueprint, which opened my eyes to the flaws of conventional wisdom which aims to a very high carbohydrate diet. At this point, my energy levels had returned to "normal", which I was glad for. I read TPB and started following the advice of the book. I felt sick for a while, craving carbohydrates, grains and sugary foods. However, now, after following this style of eating for a solid three months (over the road trucker here), I can honestly say it's given me consistent energy where I can either eat a very large meal and not feel lethargic, or I can simply not eat at all for an entire day and not feel negative side-effects other than a slight tinge of hunger.
I eat lots of (and please, I'm doing my best here):
- Canned meats, including kippers (holy mother of Hell, I eat a lot of these), solid albacore tuna (higher in fat), chicken, ham, turkey, other small and large fish. Most of these are not organic or humanely produced or wild, but trust me, I'll be finding better sources of all of these as I get used to the trucking world
- Canned and easily-preserved fresh vegetables and fruits. This means any fruits and vegetables that can stay outside of a fridge for a while, like apples, oranges, carrots, etc.
- Nuts and dried fruits
- Dark chocolate (70-72%) has become a best friend of mine
Sounds pretty boring, but you get some olive oil and spices and you've got yourself a meal.
I will also join in addip's choir: I don't regret any diet decisions I've made in the past, but am glad I've found a diet that works for me. I've noticed that my nails, skin and complexion are much better, I hold a tan much better, am happier and have consistent energy since switching. One specific change I've noticed since switching from conventional wisdom to eating minimal grains is my upper legs used to have lots of little red bumps on them, almost like pimples. They've since diminished to almost nothing.
In addition, I'm losing weight, but without feeling that I'm missing something in my life. If anyone would like more information, feel free to send me a message. I love talking about nutrition and while I have no degree to back up my statements, I can feel the difference. I think that speaks more than a degree in some cases.
Of course, we can always talk about mathematics if you're looking to talk about my degree. Hahaha.
slimvictor
Bluelight Crew
Interesting thread, with a fascinating variety of viewpoints / diets.
I appreciate the diversity here.
Diet is really a sticky issue, because it is
- social and cultural (the way people relate is often over food or even through discussing food, and also there is the social issue of you offering me some food, and me having to refuse, and you lose face; also, to get to know a new culture, one must get to know the food)
- personal (really it is an 100% personal choice about what each individual wants to eat)
- political (the food choices we make have sociopolitical ramifications)
- a health issue (obviously - but there is not always a consensus about what is healthiest, and it seems at least in part to depend on the individual)
all simultaneously.
It makes it difficult to judge someone else's diet.
Myself, I eat 95% vegan. No milk products or eggs since the late 1990s.
I eat fish or chicken in 2 basic types of situations.
a) Socially, it is very awkward not to eat it (I can handle a pretty good amount of awkwardness before I give up, though)- or I will not be able to eat anything at all (more physical reasons of being stuck in a place with meat in all the food).
b) When my inner animal calls out for flesh.
Sometimes, I can be 100% vegan for a few months at a time (and once, for years), but if/when I get the thirst for blood, I fry some free-range chicken (can't get anything better here, like free-range+bug-fed+organic) and eat it with my hands like a pirate, with juices running down my chin into my beard.
The next day, I usually feel satiated, and eat only vegan food again for days or weeks or more...
I do not eat cows or pigs, and I only eat free-range chicken and wild-caught fish.
My own choices. I don't expect anyone else to follow them - not even my own kids.
However, in order to explore cultures, I am willing to make exceptions (and I have eaten dog, snake, etc. while in Asia).
More than anything, I hate identifying with a label and forming an US-and-THEM type of situations.
So, I don't like to call myself a vegan, though I have much in common with pure vegans and could eat happily in a (healthy) pure vegan home around 350 days a year.
Some omnivores look down on vegans, and some vegans look down on omnivores, but I am not interested in playing these games.
I think it is essential to respect people's food choices, though we should be more devoted to spreading science-based information about foods and diet, and to allowing individuals to eat what they want without bias or an agenda.
I appreciate the diversity here.
Diet is really a sticky issue, because it is
- social and cultural (the way people relate is often over food or even through discussing food, and also there is the social issue of you offering me some food, and me having to refuse, and you lose face; also, to get to know a new culture, one must get to know the food)
- personal (really it is an 100% personal choice about what each individual wants to eat)
- political (the food choices we make have sociopolitical ramifications)
- a health issue (obviously - but there is not always a consensus about what is healthiest, and it seems at least in part to depend on the individual)
all simultaneously.
It makes it difficult to judge someone else's diet.
Myself, I eat 95% vegan. No milk products or eggs since the late 1990s.
I eat fish or chicken in 2 basic types of situations.
a) Socially, it is very awkward not to eat it (I can handle a pretty good amount of awkwardness before I give up, though)- or I will not be able to eat anything at all (more physical reasons of being stuck in a place with meat in all the food).
b) When my inner animal calls out for flesh.
Sometimes, I can be 100% vegan for a few months at a time (and once, for years), but if/when I get the thirst for blood, I fry some free-range chicken (can't get anything better here, like free-range+bug-fed+organic) and eat it with my hands like a pirate, with juices running down my chin into my beard.
The next day, I usually feel satiated, and eat only vegan food again for days or weeks or more...
I do not eat cows or pigs, and I only eat free-range chicken and wild-caught fish.
My own choices. I don't expect anyone else to follow them - not even my own kids.
However, in order to explore cultures, I am willing to make exceptions (and I have eaten dog, snake, etc. while in Asia).
More than anything, I hate identifying with a label and forming an US-and-THEM type of situations.
So, I don't like to call myself a vegan, though I have much in common with pure vegans and could eat happily in a (healthy) pure vegan home around 350 days a year.
Some omnivores look down on vegans, and some vegans look down on omnivores, but I am not interested in playing these games.
I think it is essential to respect people's food choices, though we should be more devoted to spreading science-based information about foods and diet, and to allowing individuals to eat what they want without bias or an agenda.
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CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT
Bluelighter
I like your approach, sv where you don't try to push your dietary choices on others. You're right - it's such an innately personal thing, it makes sense that we would all make our own decisions relating to our own individual influences. 
