Veg.

Depends on how balanced your diet is, and how strict a vegetarian you are.

Vegetarians come in several varieties. Some eat eggs, some eat dairy products, some don't eat anything but vegetables and grains, and water.

There are also people who technically do not eat meat but get their calories from things like ice cream and cake. Of course they aren't any healthier than people who eat a lot of cake and ice cream and steak.

Do you have a specific level of vegetarianism in mind?

Vegetarianism eliminates much saturated fat from the diet, which is good. Howeve, it's still possible to overload on carbohydrates, which is bad, especially simple carbohydrates. Usually people who abstain from a meat and potato tend diet eat a greater variety of food. Getting adequate protein is more difficult with a vegetarian diet, but meat eaters usually eat way too much protein, which causes gout and bladder stones as well as other potential problems.

A balanced diet is probably the best diet. If you eat meat, eat it moderately, and only the leanest meat, along with a lot of vegetables.

Also, as you age you may find that you have to restrict certain foods that cause problems to individuals because of health concerns. For instance, I can't eat dairy food, except in small quantities, or I will get kidney stones.

Hi, thanx for the reply. I was thinking of the vegetarian diet that includes eggs and dairy product. Would egg contain the necessary proteins?

Eggs are a complete protein, so yes. However, be moderate with them if you have cholesterol problems.

Eggs and dairy products are excellent sources of protein, but as Cavfanicer says, use moderation. Dairy products contain a lot of saturated fats, but you can use the low fat or non-fat versions.

Ironically, when I became a vegetarian I got a bladder stone from eating too much protein as tofu. I was so obsessed about getting enough protein that I overdid it.

When you eat more protein than the body needs, it breaks down the protein for energy with nitrogen as the waste product. That's excreted as urea, and if the solution is supersaturated, the excess is precipitated as uric acid, and the stone forms in the bladder.

I think you'll find that when you're not filling up on meat you start to appreciate a greater variety of other foods, such as vegetables.

When I became a vegetarian in Jr. High (I'm now less strict, I eat poultry), my family got more into eating ethnic foods. It was the 70s - who knew about things like tabbouleh? Having a diet that is not meat-dependent gives you a chance to start experimenting - you kind of need to in order to get a good variety in your diet. It's all good.

No. Unfortunately, there are some things you can't get from a vegetarian diet. Even the best, most careful vegetarian (gets their protein from soy, beans, vitamins, etc.) won't get enough iron or a certain variant of the B vitamin. Kids can die on a vegan diet. It is also harder to absorb fat-soluble vitamins into the body.

Not that I'm encouraging being a carnivore - that is very unhealthy and can lead to indegestion, gout, scurvy, death... But the fact is, we humans are omniverous animals - that's how our bodies are set up - and we do best on an omniverous diet with occasional meats and a wide variety of foods.

If you want to be healthy, eat variety of vegetables/fruits, whole grains, and meats. Try to avoid saturated and not naturally occuring fats (ex: avocado and salmon good, crisco bad.) Exercise, and don't introduce too many toxins into yourself.

People have a tendency to hype up the benefits of vegetarianism because of ethical/ moral reasons. It's a good idea not to trust anyone's factual opinion if it's being manipulated to support an emotional issue (and especially if it's not backed by scientific studies.)

I've copied and pasted some information from the PETA website to help.

There's little doubt anymore that vegetarianism is going mainstream. In the United States alone, more than 12 million people are vegetarians, and 19,000 more make the switch to a meat-free diet every week. Many others have greatly reduced the amount of animal products they eat.(1)

Many people eliminate animal foods from their diet because of health concerns. According to Cornell University's Dr. T. Colin Campbell, director of the renowned "China Project" (a long-term study of the relationship between diet and health), "The vast majority, perhaps 80 percent to 90 percent, of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented, at least until very old age, simply by adopting a plant-based diet."(2) In study after study, the consumption of animal foods has been linked with heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and other illnesses. One reason may be because animals are routinely given growth hormones, antibiotics, and even pesticides, which remain in their flesh and are passed on to meat-eaters.

Have a look on PETA as they have tons of fact sheets adn really informative stuff.

http://www.peta.org.uk/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=116

Also this link

Portal Star, are you implying that avocados make better guacamole than Crisco?

Cav, I've never tried it with crisco, but I'd be willing to wager .




PETA is one of the worst information sources out there. They are responsible for backing many murders of scientists and animal workers plus burning down of scientific labs, and are extremely hypocritical. One of the heads of command lives only because she takes insulin shots (discovered with animal testing, made with cow.) They manipulate information at the very best.

Heck, they even "rescue" dogs from animal shelters with huge demonstrations(from being euthanized due to overpopulation) only to take them to their headquarters and kill them. (This is somehow better?)

They consider owning a pet "slavery."
They are a terrible organization.

If you really want to make a difference in the lives of animals, you need to protect their natural habitat.

Becoming a vegetarian is a choice that you should and do have total freedom to make, but make sure that you're getting accurate information.

Do you have any links where I can get some information on this? I don't doubt that there are flaws with PETA, and I don't profess to know everyhting there is to know about what they do.

I like to be very thorough in my information collection, so any help in finding out about this would be much appreciated.

Thanks for the honest response.

I've found one which I'm reading, www.peta-sucks.com and I don't mean to sound cuckoo, but I have done a lot of reading, and seen a lot of stuff, and some of the things on this website are very very untrue.

Also, these are another group of activists, no better than PETA, just with an opinion.

Everyone is entitled to this, but I think it is unfair to say it is wrong to have a compassion for animals.

I got a kick out of that site carrie, but it's pretty much a rant. There is nothing wrong with having compassion for animals, but PETA is full of crackpots. Take these articles as some evidence:

http://www.cnn.com/US/9609/06/fishy.name/
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Southwest/02/18/offbeat.veggieville.ap/

When an animal-rights groups spends their funding on trying to change town names, I'm out the door on considering them a viable organization.

Yeah, I know some of the statements they make are a little off the wall.

I've just looked at those sights, and yeah, I agree, these give animal rights groups a bad name. I really do think that forcing yourself on people can sometimes be going a little too far.

Free flow of information is all good, but trying to take on everything, all at once, instead of concentrating on the real issues, the important ones, is ridiculous.

I see your point, and also, why many people think all activists are nutters!

There is nothing wrong with pursuing a cause you believe in. It's just a bit sad that the squeaky wheels get the most oil, while the moderate practical people get ignored.

My favourite bit was the discussion of Fishkill, and the actual meaning of 'kill', which is 'creek'. Had PETA known that, i.e., actually doing some research before having a kneejerk reaction, perhaps they wouldn't have been so vehement in pursuing the name change.

Very true.

I'm quite objective in my views on things, so I am at the minute tending to take part in the areas I feel are important to me, writing letters and I am having my first meeting in an animal action group next week. All I want is increased understanding, free flow of information and definately no violence. No way.

Research is definately important, as you can't criticise others for being mis informed if you are just as mis informed, as PETA obviously are in some situations. You'd think they'd make sure they knew what they were doing, wouldn't you, as the last thing that's needed is creating enemies when they're trying to promote compassion adn understanding.

Cheers for this Cav

No problem carrie. Often one needs to sift through the silly to find the real cure.