Veg*n Meat & Health

Thanks for sharing!

Of course you are not "bad" either way; it all depends on what you believe is right. Personally, I think that it is not right for the animals to receive the horrible treatment they have now. However, as a rather new vegetarian (just about a month and a half) I feel that people just need to be informed about the truth, and accept it. After that , what they do is really up to them, no matter what I feel.

Sorry for getting off-topic there! I'm glad that you are getting some of the benefits.

Remember, every time you fix a vegetarian or vegan meal, you are making a difference. =)

I sure hope so! I hate the idea of what these por animals go through. I've thought about talking to my mom about more "animal-friendly", (i guess you could really say animal-free) meals. I think i might just look a little more into this. I figure, i already know that it's more healthy, i'm learning about what it does to the animals, and my best friend has been a vegetarian for 5 years now, why not just try it? I'm thinkin that i just might...

wow, changed my diet and a guinea pig's cage in one website! haha

Cool! I hope that you do look more into it. You're really lucky to have a friend that's veggie, because I don't have anyone that is. There is more info at www.goveg.com if you'd like it, and recipes at (broken link removed). There is also a free starter kit at (broken link removed) if you want one. =)

Thanks for the info! Yeah, she's great...she has never once like, told me to become veg. because she said you'll never stay with it unless you decide for yourself. and I already love soy milk because i'm lactose intolerance, so i drink it instead! haha...well, i'll check those sites out, and thanks for the support!
~~~Kelly

I hope they help you out! I agree that you should choose, but we can still help you all out. =) Good luck!

i am working on going vegetarian, but i am pretty much 100%, it is just hard because of my family, they just have slightly differnet views, it has been harder for my little brother to grasp the concept, so he is non-vegetarian, he just eats whatever he wants, but they are all really supportive, and they are going less-meat, net meat-free, but less meat, which is good

You're lucky then. My family isn't veggie at all, and don't really support the idea. It's hard.

if i was in that situation, i would seek support elsewhere, and try to go slow, they won't go vegetarian overnight, and by the way, how old are you, i am thirteen so i still really need them to support the idea, because at 2$/week, i can't just buy my own food

I went vegetarian overnight. I'm pretty dang stubborn, so I'll just try to make it on my own (like everything else.) They're not going vegetarian, I know that. I've talked it over with them. My mom can't because she needs twice the amount of iron, and my dad just is stupid and loves his dead rotting corpses. It makes me sick.

They buy me food, because they know I'm not eating meat again. If they didn't buy me any food, I wouldn't eat until they did.

I'm 15.

I just want to say good luck to all of you, and keep trying! If it is really important to you, then keep voicing your opinion. You might be surprised also, because in time, sometimes you influence people around you by just being vegetarian and not even saying anything about it. My boyfriend and I moved across the country, and we are still influencing his family. His dad has significantly decreased his consumption of meat and is eating more vegetables. We are not the kind of people to push our opinion on others (unless they ask, that is..) so we never really spoke much about being vegetarian. But, they saw how much Matt's health improved and how he lost weight by just changing his diet. He used to be a tad overweight but now he is at his proper body weight and he feels great. I never intended for him to change his diet when he met me, but he found out how great it is to be vegetarian.

Heabrook its good to hear from someone else who is informed and made good decisions. I enjoy reading your posts. However, I think you should try being more outspoken about it. For a while I just thought it was for me. Then I had some mormons show up, and jehovahs witnesses, and people trying to get me to vote. And I realized the only way to get the word out isn't just by practicing it, it's by preaching it, no matter what it is.

If Martin Luther King would have just kept preaching in his church to people who already believed in him, would the black community be any better off today?

If scientists kept their discoveries to themselves, would we have TV, the Net, electricity?

I think the biggest problem facing people who are already vegetarian/vegan is getting them to speak out about it to everyone. That's the first thing I say when I meet someone. It's almost like, "Hi, Im Chris, I don't eat meat." haha If nothing else you'll get a discussion. You just have to know your facts, stick to your ground. Wait for them to talk first. When you get a heavy meat eater that screams at you (and its happened) sit back and listen to all the misinformation they have. Wait till they are done. Then systematically shoot down every single thing they said in order with fact. If you listened to their whole barrage of idiocy. By the time you are done talking, they wont have any ammo left. And if nothing else, maybe they'll read about it to see if you were actually right. And maybe then we'll have another one on the green team. Dang I'm tired. I need sleep.

Night everyone

Chris

chrishall1979 said:

Then I had some mormons show up, and jehovahs witnesses, and people trying to get me to vote. And I realized the only way to get the word out isn't just by practicing it, it's by preaching it, no matter what it is.

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So which are you now - a Mormon or a Jehovah's Witness?!

Personally if it comes up, I'm always happy to discuss my reasons for being vegetarian, and answer any duff points that are made in defence of eating meat or the meat industry. But I'll never ram it down people's throats or bring it up with the intention of changing their minds. That kind of approach never works on me - certainly with things that people see as personal choices like eating meat, drinking and smoking. But we're all different - just as there are people who have only seen my side of things because I don't ever come across as pushing vegetarianism (and who would have run a mile if I had), I'm sure there are people who respond to a big nudge!

Chris,


I agree with you. I think that we have the responsibility to educate others about vegetarianism. I find that people just don’t stop and think about it. I have so many people tell me “I have never looked at it that way…” after I explain to them what it is that they are doing by eating meat. They are so busy going about their lives and through their daily routines that they are oblivious. The meat and dairy industries encourage people to consume meat, and they believe it is right to do so. I have been treated rudely because I am a vegetarian. People make sly comments and ask prying questions. I have been asked “how do you get protein? … is it healthy to be a vegetarian? …” and the all to familiar “do you take vitamins?” I got to the point where I had to suppress laughter. The finger should be pointed at them, not me. I am not the one who has high cholesterol and clogged arteries.


...that was a bit of a tirade, sorry about that.

My point is… you are right. I am already becoming more outspoken about it, and I plan to be more so. I just won’t stoop to their level, I am always nice about it. I just don’t believe that it is right to persecute someone because of their life choices. Maybe they need a slap in the face…but I usually pick wisely, and choose only the ones who have hope to change. I know there are some people out there that are just too stubborn and too close minded.

Those who are stubborn and close minded I slap harder. Haha. Seriously hunters are the first ones at bars to start gloating about their most recent kill. I just like to politely remind them that if it were legal, I'd hunt them and systematically eat them to see if they enjoyed my gloating. I'm kind of a blunt person as most of you can tell.

Being a sales person for a long time made me realize you never know where the sale is coming from. You may see a rich guy walk in and want a lot of info and never buy anything. Then you may see a guy who looks homeless by all accounts walk in and drop 2 grand in cash. So I use that approach for everything. There is hope for even the hopeless.

I feel when someones "life choices" cause pain or hurt or death to someone or something else they are poor choices and I have every right to inform them how stupid and naive they really are.

My favorite question is..."So why do you eat meat? Whats your excuse?" The most common answer is..."I like it!" So my reply is to them. So since you enjoy something, it makes it more reasonable?" A: "yes" Well suppose I liked married women (or something to that effect, you can't use that on a single guy. But there's always something you can relate it to) Since I like them, it's ok to try and pick them up. They get the point pretty quick, and you might wanna have a baseball bat in the car.

If you wouldn't like it done to you, don't do it to others. Do unto others (if you are religious) Since when did others limit itself to the human race? Or to certain situations?

I'm not Mormon or a Witness. But I respect the fact that they get out there and at least try. It's a good practice!

Anyway Save a Cow, Eat a Person!

Chris

"Always Save a Cow, Eat a Person!" That would make an excellent bumper sticker.

But, you know.. another issue, Why is it ok for animal testing to be legal? We test all of our drugs and other products on animals, just for our sake. Ha... our sake... The logical thing to do, in my opinion, is to test it on a human. But, what human would risk their life and be subjected to pain? None. Neither would an animal, if it was given a choice. What makes that right?

I always tell people that I am anti-human. They laugh... but it's not a joke. I am. I see something in animals that humans have lost a long the way, and I'm afraid we will never get it back.


Heather

That thing we see in animals is innocence. It's the same thing you see in a young child before the ugly ugly world gets ahold of them and twists everything up. I also worried it's something humanity as a whole won't get back. But I think some people can keep it if they try hard enough. Having a 1 1/2 year old little girl and another boy/girl on the way let's you see what you've lost.

I know I act different since she's come along. It's just something in the way you look at the world. Sure you still have all these horrible images in your mind and regrets etc...as an adult. But if you make a conscious effort to make the world a better place to live in for everyone. I think you can regain most of it.

Always hold out hope that eventually the true good thats in almost everyone will surface. It would be a beautiful place to live in. Until then just be happy with what we do have. Go deep into the woods where humans have yet to devour. I think you'll find that innocence, and see what was lost and find yourself again. Or if you have one handy, spend a day with a 1 year old. It'll really open your eyes.

Chris

Side question: How did pregnancy go as a vegetarian? I've always wondered how much the diet influenced the baby's well-being. And finally I can ask someone who has the experience.

Yes you are right, the thing we see in animals is innocence. But we also see love and compassion for all, animals have the ability to love others without discriminating because of someone's race, gender, species, or social status.

Our society is run by greed and the need for power. This society has lost all of its morals and values and has replaced them with selfish ones. But I know people like us make a difference and just because we can't change the world, we can help make it better for animals and some worthy humans.

I know the pregnancy question was not directed at me, but I can answer the question to a certain degree. I, myself, have not yet had a child. But, I do know some vegetarian/vegan friends of mine who have. Their babies were born without complication, and were extremely healthy. They were just absolutely beautiful.. their skin complexion was amazing. I have been told that it is all around better for the baby and the mother, especially concerning the bounce-back time of the mothers.