Vegetarians - why?

[kaveradeo]

woops double post.

 

[Dags90]

Why don't you eat insects?

Different tastes, different backgrounds, different diets. 'Tis that simple.

I eat skittles all the time though...

One of my professors generally avoids meat (though not strictly vegetarian) because she can't help but be reminded of anatomy when eating it.

 

[Hairetos]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've definitely considered it.

Better question, why is eating meat something to be proud of? I hear that all the time, even in this very thread, as if it's some sort of trial of masculinity. But you didn't kill it or do anything impressive. What's so impressive about going to the store, buying something, and lighting it on fire?

 

[jackpipsam]

because some people forget that we are hunters, always have been always will be.

 

[Hader]

Have you never eaten green food (or fruits)? Just about anything in the produce aisle other than artichokes can be bitten into right there. If might not taste great, but nor would raw meat (which also must be cooked by the way to avoid disease and taste good.)

It doesn't matter what was history though, it matters what is now. Our bodies CAN survive on vegetables alone (assuming you ensure you get your protein), and can't survive well on only meat (you miss out on too many vitamins and minerals).

Oh I eat my fair share of everything. Especially having worked in a grocery store

I suppose ease of preparation and consumption is a point to be made, but to me that's still just a lazy way to put it. What I want to understand is what principles people do it on, if any, since that seems to be more prevalent.

 

[loc978]

Some people think it's healthier for them. They have a point, but they ostracize the wrong foods (FYI: excessive grains in a diet paired with little exercise tends to be what makes people fat). Some people do it because they think animals shouldn't be killed for food. To those people I say "Well then, carrot juice constitutes murder [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmK0bZl4ILM]".
Or maybe they don't like the taste of meat. Hard to imagine for me... but I guess I can relate a little... I like my steaks well done.

 

[Hader]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've definitely considered it.

Better question, why is eating meat something to be proud of? I hear that all the time, even in this very thread, as if it's some sort of trial of masculinity. But you didn't kill it or do anything impressive. What's so impressive about going to the store, buying something, and lighting it on fire?

I never said anything to support that though. It's not that I am proud to eat meat, but I like meat and I will eat it if I want to. Vegetables cannot realistically substitute a buffalo burger in terms of taste.

 

[tobuji]

i'm not a vegitarian, but i'm sure the most common reasons are that they dont think it's right to kill animals and then eat then, or that they dont like meat.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

My ex is a vegetarian. She didn't force it on other people though, so it was never an issue. Shit she made the best chicken parmigiana I've ever tasted.

I would never be a vegetarian though. That just sounds awful.

 

[Flare Phoenix]

I only have a problem with people who claim they're vegetarian, but then believe eating things like fish is acceptable. If someone wants to be a vegetarian good for them, but it doesn't make you a better person than anyone else and can actually be quite unhealthy.

 

[Liudeius]

Well principles alone there seem to be five types.

Religion: My religion decrees I must not eat meat (or specific animals)

Health: Vegetables are much healthier.

Environment: Meat is quite destructive as I said.

Taste: They just don't like it.

Psycho serial-killer maniacs (PETA and "raw foods" fanatics): MEAT IS REDRUM! But I'm going to go kill all these plants so I can live and if I see you eating meat you're dead too. ButItsOkIfAnimalsDoIt.
(Note this is said jokingly. No need to go crazy over it.)

 

[Rayne870]

no idea, but i didnt climb the top of the food chain to eat rabbit food

Bears, sharks, and many more animals can easily kill and eat humans. I don't think we're at the top of the food chain

OT: I don't eat meat and it started with cows, because I can't help but think of cows as huge animals that eat grass all day and remain fat. With that thought, it doesn't make sense for me to put it in my body.

We eat all of the above and hunt them quite effectively.

**quoted for truth and given a double bacon cheese burger**

Thanks now lets go eat some animals!

 

[The Gnome King]

This is something that I have never been able to fully understand; the reasons some people have for being vegetarians.

So I would just like to ask, to any vegetarian escapists here, why? What are your reasons for it?

I don't necessarily have a problem with it - though I do kinda hate to see people give up meat for the sole reason of animal cruelty and that pandora's box (so please don't open it unless you feel it's much more relevant, this is more for me to explore people's opinions rather than debate).

I go one step further; I'm a vegan. Don't eat any dairy products, either.

Why? Because adopting a vegan diet has my cholesterol level at about 125 with equally matched HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. I challenge any non-vegan to make that claim. With heart disease as the #1 killer in the US and with virtually NO heart disease at cholesterol levels under 150 it seems like a no-brainer to eat a plant based diet.

For me it's more about health reasons than it is animal rights. I think animals are fine to eat as a food source... I just don't think they're the healthiest food source for us. In an era where we can eat a plant based diet and take some supplemental B12 to fill in the gaps eating animal protein with all its accompanying saturated fat and cholesterol doesn't make sense.

It also keeps my wife and I slender. I dropped about 20lbs without trying when I adopted a vegan diet. It's important to eat a *healthy* vegan diet, mind you. Dr. Fuhrman, Dr. McDougall, and Dr. Dean Ornish (all can be Google'd) all have variations on a vegan diet that I find very healthful.

 

[Chased]

Yes, but a lot of what humans can eat is simply due to the fact that we take time to cook our food. We really couldn't eat many greens otherwise. Our bodies aren't built for it as a main/only source of nutrition (raw of course).

It's really only detrimental nowadays though, because we have to mass produce it, and that is costly and dirty. Seeing it from say, an old fashioned hunter-gatherer society, and things change quite a bit there.

Human's aren't biologically designed to eat meat. Our saliva has been evolving over time to become more acidic to break down meat but it is nowhere nearly as effective as the saliva that carnivore's have. Our intestines are also the same as herbivores and considerably much larger than a normal carnivores. Also our so called "canine teeth" are also the same teeth shared by plant eaters such as primates. We do not have the same sharp teeth that a carnivore would have, such as the frontal teeth of a lion or wolf.

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html

 

[THAC0]

I am a vegetarian, have been for years, because i do not believe in hurting something if you have the option not to do so.

So, if i have to kill because i am being attacked or will starve to death if i do not, then i will kill and not think twice about it. but i happen to live in a place where it is just as simple for me to not eat meat, so i have no reason to let an animal die because i want to eat it.

I have a buddy who is so dirt poor he doesn't have the option to go to the store and buy the things that I eat, so he hunts turkeys. I don't have any problem what so ever with his hunting and eating those birds. If he was just hunting for sport or because he happened to like turkey meat, then i would have a problem with it.

 

[Hader]

This is something that I have never been able to fully understand; the reasons some people have for being vegetarians.

So I would just like to ask, to any vegetarian escapists here, why? What are your reasons for it?

I don't necessarily have a problem with it - though I do kinda hate to see people give up meat for the sole reason of animal cruelty and that pandora's box (so please don't open it unless you feel it's much more relevant, this is more for me to explore people's opinions rather than debate).

I go one step further; I'm a vegan. Don't eat any dairy products, either.

Why? Because adopting a vegan diet has my cholesterol level at about 125 with equally matched HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. I challenge any non-vegan to make that claim. With heart disease as the #1 killer in the US and with virtually NO heart disease at cholesterol levels under 150 it seems like a no-brainer to eat a plant based diet.

For me it's more about health reasons than it is animal rights. I think animals are fine to eat as a food source... I just don't think they're the healthiest food source for us. In an era where we can eat a plant based diet and take some supplemental B12 to fill in the gaps eating animal protein with all its accompanying saturated fat and cholesterol doesn't make sense.

It also keeps my wife and I slender. I dropped about 20lbs without trying when I adopted a vegan diet. It's important to eat a *healthy* vegan diet, mind you. Dr. Fuhrman, Dr. McDougall, and Dr. Dean Ornish (all can be Google'd) all have variations on a vegan diet that I find very healthful.

Easily understandable. I eat plenty of the fruits and veggies myself, definitely more so than meat. But I still would like to have like, a monthly buffalo burger or just some well cooked chicken. I definitely eat meat for the taste more than I do any nutritional value (as my old hockey instructor got me off of meat as a main source of protein, more or less).

 

[Hader]

Yes, but a lot of what humans can eat is simply due to the fact that we take time to cook our food. We really couldn't eat many greens otherwise. Our bodies aren't built for it as a main/only source of nutrition (raw of course).

It's really only detrimental nowadays though, because we have to mass produce it, and that is costly and dirty. Seeing it from say, an old fashioned hunter-gatherer society, and things change quite a bit there.

Human's aren't biologically designed to eat meat. Our saliva has been evolving over time to become more acidic to break down meat but it is nowhere nearly as effective as the saliva that carnivore's have. Our intestines are also the same as herbivores and considerably much larger than a normal carnivores. Also our so called "canine teeth" are also the same teeth shared by plant eaters such as primates. We do not have the same sharp teeth that a carnivore would have, such as the frontal teeth of a lion or wolf.

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html

Which is why cooking our food is so helpful.

 

[Canid117]

I knew a guy who got sick when he ate meat once but other than that I don't have anything for "Why" other than some people just choose to. I love meat myself.

Human's aren't biologically designed to eat meat.

My canine teeth and biological need for large amounts of protein disagree with you.

 

[Vaughan Carlon]

im an animal person and when i see meat i cant help but think of where it came from

 

[squidtm]

We live longer.