Today's Poll: Are you a vegetarian (even some of the time)?
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Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Mar 10, 2009 5:32:18 PM
Wavedeva, while I don't agree with your statement regarding B12 and iron absorption, I appreciate your response. Exercise, I believe, is just as important as diet, so I'm with you there.
Posted by: wavedeva | Feb 25, 2009 4:34:08 AM
Dear Dan Wetmore:
When you read my "sob" story you missed the point that I need B12+heme iron to absorb iron efficiently. Therefore lentils just won't do it for me. But don't concern yourself, I'm not eating that much meat. I have no need for your advice since I'm doing quite well now, thank you. In fact I completed a triathlon after I changed my diet!
I do agree with you though that this website is great for planning meals. Bye bye!
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Feb 13, 2009 10:54:33 AM
I know I haven't written here in a while, but that sob story from Wavedeva needs a little help-and schooling. She clams that "grass fed beef" pretty much cured all of her health problems because it was loaded with iron and B vitamins. Clearly she should look view the very site she posted on because she'd find that lentils, for example, have four times the daily value of iron as opposed to beef and with the exception of B12 it contains significant amounts of B vitamins. Additionally it's NOT meat, so it won't rot in your stomach, it's not filled with cholesterol and saturated fat, and has plant based protein that won't force the elimination of minerals. There are very many examples of this; all you need to do is USE THIS WEBSITE! That's right, everyone loves to argue here, but the facts exist on this very site. A quick search reveals so may options for plant based nutritional needs.
Additionally! Dear Wavedeva, I have a plethora of friends and acquaintances who have been vegan or vegetarian for well over twenty years. Some of them are in their late sixties. They are not anemic in any way, and they thrive in their diet and lifestyle. You feel that you have cured your ills with beef. That is a wonderful lie for you to live around. If a vegetarian diet is properly used, it's more than easy to keep optimal health. I'd like to know exactly what you were eating. Perhaps I could shed more light, but as far as iron and B vitamins go, you're just fooling yourself. As for it being a better source? Hardy. Perhaps if you're hunting for cancer and a heart attack. Hope you're exercising!
Posted by: wavedeva | Nov 4, 2008 8:42:11 PM
Liz: if you want to be a vegan/vegetarian fine. I was a vegetarian and I became extremely anemic. I had heart palpations, vision and concentration problems, and was physically weak (i.e., could not climb one flight of stairs).
People's bodies are not the same (we do not have the exact genetic makeup) and bodies change as they age. It is well known in the medical community that some diseases and medical conditions are more prevalent among certain ethnic and age groups than others. I'm African-American. African-American women tend to have more uterine fibroids than women of other ethnic groups. Fibroids cause heavy bleeding (among other symptoms) during monthly periods. This causes a huge monthly loss of iron. I personally cannot make up my extreme iron deficit with a vegetarian diet.
Moreover, I cannot build my iron stores by just taking any old iron supplement. I once switched my iron supplement from Vitron C (ferrous fumerate and Vitamin C) to a generic brand (ferrous sulphate) and my iron stores declined so drastically my doctor actually called me at home to ask what I was doing differently! In sum, to maintain my iron stores so that my brain functions well (i.e., I can think and speak in a foreign language, write without multiple spelling errors, memorize lessons, etc.), I need supplements of B-vitamins (which older people absorb less well), ferrous fumerate, and vitamin C. In addition to the supplements I need to eat meat at least times a week. Meat has the optimal combination of B-vitamins and heme iron. Heme iron is the most absorbable form of iron. When I was a vegetarian, my iron stores became so low that I had to take a multitude of medical tests to make sure I wasn't bleeding internally! My eye doctor was concerned that I was developing glaucoma and mandated quarterly vision tests.
The bottom line for me is that grass-fed beef is what's for dinner at my home at least three times a week because I do not have a death wish. I hope this helps explain why all individuals cannot be vegetarians/vegan. Human bodies do not function 100% in the same way--that's why some people survive diseases that kill other individuals. In fact, this is why diversity is good--it helps insure the survival of the human species!
Posted by: Globetrotter | Nov 4, 2008 8:20:54 PM
Hi Dan,
Impressive diet choices. I do a considerable amount of international traveling. Primarily in Asia and South America and generally for at least 3 week periods. Do you have much of an international lifestyle and how do you manage?
Posted by: Liz | Nov 4, 2008 9:30:59 AM
I became a vegetarian 14 years ago and a vegan 3 years ago. I have to say, I didn't notice any significant changes in my health in either transition. I don't eat as well as the diet Dan describes, but I'm not a total junk-food vegan, either.
One thing that has always puzzled me is that I often read comments on the internet from people who said they tried to be vegetarian or vegan but they had some health problem or deficiency and had to give it up. They then conclude that every body works differently and not everyone can be veggie.
That simply doesn't make any sense to me. How can I make the switch with no problems at all, while others can't? Is there really that much variation in how human bodies function? It seems to me that on the whole, human bodies should all work in the same way. Now of course, some bodies are different, but generally when a body doesn't function the way other bodies do, we say that the body has a disorder. There may are some people out there who have disorders that would make it hard or impossible for them to be veggie. But that's not quite the same thing as saying 'every body works differently' as if there were all these normal variations in how the human body functions.
When people's experiences going veggie differ, I would first look at the differences in diet rather than assuming it's the bodies that vary, as the former is much more likely to vary than is the latter. There are veg sources of any nutrient you need, so if you have a deficiency, you can find a way to address it without eating animal products. (I mean if you don't have some kind of disorder that interferes with your ability to process them.)
Posted by: Linus T. | Nov 4, 2008 6:04:59 AM
I've been a vegan for a couple of years now and haven't seen any need or craving for dead flesh, in me or on me. And I'm doing fine health wise thank you very much. :)
Posted by: GaUMe | Nov 3, 2008 7:30:15 PM
No meat for me! and no fish or other corpses and carcasses! Animals need their bodies more than I. And no eggs, gelatin, dairies, leather, etc...
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Nov 2, 2008 6:01:09 PM
Elalt, I eat cereal now and then, but not frequently. If I do, it's always an all natural product that's low in sugar and additives. Cereal has gone up in price lately, so I haven't even bothered. Making your own granola is an option. Oats cost hardly anything in bulk. Store bought granola is usually terrible for you. Tons of fat and sugar. Another reason I eat few cereals is because they have a tendency to block calcium absorption and they're high in gluten. I'm certainly not on that stupid gluten free trend, but I do believe the benefits in reducing intake.
Okay, as for the satiety issue. There are plenty of great foods that will satisfy you. You don't need to eat a salad for every meal. There are so many things you can try. Making various chilies, soups, stews, anything really. It's your creativity that will make the difference. It's quite simple to make satisfying curries and chilies without adding what typically makes them unhealthy. The possibilities are really endless.
Now as for really satisfying your stomach's emptiness quickly, you can always go for various nut butters. Eat them alone or incorporate them into meals. Tahini is one of my personal favorites. In general, nuts and legumes are going to fill you up quickly.
Posted by: Elalt | Nov 2, 2008 3:24:21 PM
Thank you Dan. You don't mention cereals. Do you eat them? More or less this diet is the one I was trying to follow, but it was not satifying enough. I remained hungry all the time. Any advise on that?
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Nov 2, 2008 2:24:37 PM
Elalt, the guidelines for my diet are very simple. I eat no meat or animal products. I consume no cooking oils, no refined, heavily processed foods and I eat organic and local as much as reasonably possible. My diet is based around vegetables, sprouts, nuts, legumes and fruit. About 50% of my diet is entirely raw, but I do enjoy cooked foods. My grocery bills are incredibly small because unprocessed, unpackaged foods are relatively cheap. Those who say eating healthfully is expensive clearly buy the wrong things.
The results of this diet? I feel absolutely wonderful. I am very rarely sick or tired. I have no excess fat and I'm very happy with how I look. I never get heart burn, I'm never constipated, I'm never drowsy. Though it's not a direct result, I'm pleased with who I am as an individual and my diet compliments that.
Posted by: Elalt | Nov 1, 2008 1:43:02 PM
I appreciate mostly the comments of the people that say what they it and HOW THEY FEEL with it. No doubt there are different types of bodies and needs, and then it all comes to finding the best for yourself, but the experiences of others my help as a guideline.
Does anybody has noticed the emotional influence in digestion and well being? Personally I am very concerned about my health, and recently I started being more strict (less sweets, flours and animal products) but I was not feeling very good. I relaxed a bit and I am feeling better, do not perfect.
Dan, could you tell me a little bit more about your guidelines and results? You seem to be well informed and quite reasonable.
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 31, 2008 9:12:29 PM
Dear Kelsey, some vegetarians are naive, that's very true, but the diet you just described doesn't justify the name calling. Please do a tiny bit of ignorance free research. You will find that you are much more naive.
Do you really eat that way? Please explain to me the health benefits of your diet. I'm looking for a good laugh.
Posted by: Kelsey | Oct 31, 2008 5:14:03 PM
To the person who said that wild game is only 10% fat, you need to do your research dude! Deer meat can be up to 50% fat. Look things up before you spout off shit you know nothing about. Bear and other large game is also quite fatty, and so is most water fowl. Also, you're forgetting about the visceral fat which is inside the animals abdominal cavity between their organs. The organs themselves are ALSO very fatty, and full of cholesterol. This is what man has been subsisting on throughout our evolution as a species. The closer you stick to this type of diet the healthier you will become. Wake up you naive vegetarians.
Posted by: mlcondiff | Oct 31, 2008 1:11:57 PM
i eat about a pound or two of fatty beef a day with butter; this is all I eat the whole day. I am never hungry because my body now runs on fat. zero carb for the win.
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 28, 2008 9:54:28 PM
What do I consider a small amount of meat? Well for me, it's whatever I accidently inhale unknowingly, but perhaps one serving of meat per week is a good start. I would also hope that it's organic meat due to the incredibly high concentration of toxins found in conventional fare.
Vegetarians can potentially be a very unhealthy group. Most junk food is vegetarian, many eat dairy, cook with oils, and over-consume empty calories in general. Not eating meat is a good start, but one needs to know the body's nutritional needs. An avoidance (or at least strict limit) of fried, overcooked, and highly processed food is absolutely necessary. Consumption of a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouts, nuts and legumes is key.
By saying "Vegetarianism is certainly not a health guarantee. It takes a little knowledge and willpower," I'm simply stating that merely eliminating meat does not ensure an ideal diet. Though pop tarts and waffles are vegetarian, they are not a healthy breakfast.
Posted by: Beenthere | Oct 28, 2008 12:50:48 PM
Dear Dan: What do You consider to be a "small amount of meat"? And please clarify your last statement, "Vegetarianism is certainly not a health guarantee. It takes a little knowledge and willpower."
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 28, 2008 10:23:35 AM
Dear Jane, I check this page a couple times throughout the day, but it takes me about two minutes for each post so it's really not that much of a time waster. I just enjoy these debates, but no one has been back to refute me, just new people.
And yes, of course people will eat what they want to, so be it. I'm just trying to get those who consume meat to stop justifying their ignorance. There hasn't been one good claim in defense of meat here. Just people saying "I like meat, I eat it alot!" And as I said, ignorance is bliss, but you all knew that...
Posted by: jane | Oct 28, 2008 10:11:09 AM
Wow. some of you have a lot of time on your hands to be posted comments more then once on a website....people are gonna eat what they want to eat. so go cook some steaks or some tofurkey for you friends and quit making internet enemies.
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 27, 2008 11:33:39 PM
Dear "been there done that," first off, eating small amounts of meat isn't going to effect your health in an incredibly adverse way. Same with anything really. A cigarette twice a week wouldn't do much either. And clearly, judging by your gastrointestinal condition (unless it's the result of some terrible accident), you were not a very healthy vegetarian. Vegetarianism is certainly not a health guarantee. It takes a little knowledge and will-power.
And Tara, congrats to you!
Posted by: Tara | Oct 27, 2008 5:50:38 PM
I eat a lot of meat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everyone around me is either a BBQ caterer or just a all meat eater. I couldn't live without it!
Posted by: Beenthere | Oct 27, 2008 4:15:37 PM
I was a STRICT vegetarian for 14 years. No Chicken, No Fish, Nothing that Bled!! Three years after marrying a "carnivore", I gave it up because, on occasion, I liked to cook HIM a meal that wasn't void of meat, but I was unable to sample the recipe. I re-introduced meat into my diet 12 years ago and Absolutely NOTHING has changed with respect to my health. I have a gastro intestinal condition that has neither benefited nor worsened by the change in diet. Vegetarianism, in my view, is not about health. It is a moral choice.
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 27, 2008 12:20:31 AM
First off, that's very impressive eating meat at every meal! You're quite a guy!
Paleolithic man certainly was an omnivore. He hunted and gathered food, but man has evolved. Whereas at one time it may have been necessary to consume animals for survival, we now have the means and knowledge to do otherwise.
Theoretically, one could survive on fast food, but why would you if there was a choice? It's a fact that man has eaten meat in the past. That does not mean it is ideal for our health.
Posted by: kobayashi | Oct 26, 2008 12:54:32 PM
I eat meat at every meal (beef, chicken, pork, fish, crab, shrimp, etc.). The paleolithic man was an omnivore, not a vegetarian. We're not rabbits, so why eat vegetables all day long?
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 25, 2008 2:47:31 AM
Jack, I'm very sorry you feel that way. Clearly, your convictions don't leave you with a very open mind. There have been many cultures that have practiced near vegan or vegetarianism for centuries with incredibly high life spans; lives far more impressive and longer than those on westernized diets. Do a simple google search and you will find that there are Indian, Asian and even African cultures that use little to no animal products living for well over the sixty-five years you stated.
But really, I'm very proud of you for being a big boy and eating meat including mammals, no less!
And I'm not promoting fear, as you say. I'm simply trying to clear up the terrible and unfounded "facts" that are ingrained in ignorant and mislead minds.
Posted by: Jack | Oct 24, 2008 11:49:31 PM
I lol @ everyone who's fear-mongering against meat eaters. "Optimun health is achieved with... absolutely no animal products."
Yeah right. If that statement were true, then please explain to me why it is there has never been a succesful human vegan civilization, or a vegetarian civilization with an average line span over 65.
I eat meat every day, including mammals, poultry, and fish.
Posted by: Claire | Oct 24, 2008 3:41:28 PM
I'm a personal trainer and I've been vegan for years and i feel great. I recently started analyzing my daily protein intake on this site, and it turns out I'm getting 20g MORE than the recommended amount for an athlete of my size. So there (for those who don't think vegans can get enough protein)
Posted by: Jim | Oct 24, 2008 6:39:03 AM
Nearly any wild animal living in anything resembling a natural environment will have a fat content of less than 10% in it's muscle tissue, as well as a rich array of nutrients from it's natural diet.
The factory produced "meat" people commonly consume, has levels of artery-clogging fat that range as high as 50% and even higher in some cases, as well as being completely devoid of any valuable nutrition (compared to a healthy wild counterpart). Instead of beneficial nutrients, you get steroids, growth hormones, antibiotics, dioxins, bovine leukemia viruses (present in nearly all herds), and a slew of additional garbage that should not be there but is.
If today's "meat" were a vegetable, it would be poison ivy. You can look, but don't touch. And, absolutely do not eat!
Even getting "free-range" or "organic" meat from an animal off a farm really is not a solution since it will still live a sedentary inactive life, keeping it's muscle mass far below-average and fat content far above-average.
If any meat is healthy, it is NOT the kind we have easy access to today.
Posted by: Stephanie McKee | Oct 23, 2008 6:30:01 PM
I am a vegan and I love it, I would not eat any other way..Since being vegan (5 yrs) I feel healthier, more energetic, more spiritual and my conscience is clear. I love animals and do not believe in eating them or submitting them to harm for human feed. Saying that, everyone is entitled to their opinion and will do what is right for them. For me, Veganism is the best way of life in every way possible.. Peace
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 22, 2008 4:58:51 PM
For all of the upset meat eaters who believe that vegetarianism for health is a "fallacy," think what you like, it is entirely up to you. It is certainly true that eating some meat won't kill you.
Carnivores are meant to eat meat. We are not carnivores. Just because we can eat meat, digest it and not feel negative effects in the short term, does not mean meat is healthy.
As I read these comments, I'm saddened by how many people still believe myths and are simply uneducated on the subject. Meat tastes good, ignorance is truly bliss!
Posted by: carrie | Oct 22, 2008 12:37:28 PM
To Vicomte13, I would like to highlight the fact that vegetarian foods such as tempeh(fermented soybean cakes) as well as miso and other fermented soybean products do contain some levels Vitamin B12. Furthermore, our bodies do not need too much of B12 vitamins as it is stored and reused many times over without being destroyed. Taking in too many Vitamin B12 supplements may even interfere with proper absorbtion of natural sources of the Vitamin B12.
Posted by: Myia | Oct 22, 2008 9:36:29 AM
There is truth to everything that has been said. If you are happy, healthy whether you eat meat or not. Keep doing what you are doing and let everyone else keep doing what they are doing.Vegetarians can be healthy and so can meat eaters it's not like eating either way is making you superhuman or anything.
Posted by: sl4vik | Oct 22, 2008 12:50:49 AM
"Even if animal products were completely devoid of chemicals, it still wouldn't change the fact that meat literally rots in our digestive system and robs us of vital minerals due to its acidity and high protein content. Optimum health is achieved with very little, or better yet, absolutely no animal products."
What a load of crap! I bet you also think Lions, Tigers, Dogs, Wolves benefit from a no meat diet.
Posted by: sl4vik | Oct 22, 2008 12:48:07 AM
I eat meat everyday. A steak, 2 chicken breasts, can of tuna, 3 raw eggs is a daily part of my meals.
Posted by: Bashir Inuwa | Oct 21, 2008 7:02:12 AM
i enjoyed eating alot of meat,both chicken and beef.
Posted by: Roni-Sydney | Oct 20, 2008 9:20:56 PM
My diet consists of fresh fruit, raw vegetables, seeds and nuts. Also, some meat and eggs. I am 5'7" and 61 kg. Any constructive criticsm of my food choices?
Posted by: cory | Oct 20, 2008 3:59:29 PM
sometimes I devourer small fetus', but that's only when my mother doesn't bring home the hard boiled eggs. I often enjoy also, flame broiled bratworst over shrimp, but I only eat that on even number days.
Posted by: Vicomte13 | Oct 20, 2008 3:38:37 PM
To get adequate protein without meat, fish, dairy or eggs requires eating a variety of grains and legumes such as soy, pea, and rice. These are all field or paddy crops, the cultivation of which destroys about 100 mammals and birds per acre, generally in terrible ways. To be a strict vegan is not really diminishing animal suffering at all. It is shifting it to different species.
The hard reality of life is that whether we eat them or not, we kill animals in order to eat, to house ourselves and to clothe ourselves. Not eating them will not reduce animal suffering. If the whole world went vegan, animal suffering might well increase given the large numbers of animals destroyed by field crops.
It is possible to get full, good nutrition from a vegetarian diet without supplementation, but you do have to be very careful.
To get it as a vegan requires taking supplements, as there is no usable plant-kingdom source of vitamin B-12.
Posted by: wavedeva | Oct 20, 2008 12:36:54 AM
I was a "semi-vegetarian" (eating only chicken and fish). I became so anemic I had no iron stores in my body, developed heart palpitations, and my eyesight and concentration worsened. The bottom line is that meat is one of the best forms of heme iron--the type which is best absorbed by the body. After my illness was finally diagnosed, it took me a year to get back to normal (red blood cells regenerate every three months). I wish people would stop trying to make everyone a vegetarian. A lot of people need to eat red meat (though I agree it should be in moderation). What everyone should do is get copies of their blood tests to keep track of their blood levels throughout their lives. This is important because I discovered a lot of doctors don't take anemia seriously.
Posted by: Marcos | Oct 18, 2008 10:55:15 AM
Huh? Our bodies are biologically equipped (and even optimized) to consume and process both meat and vegetables; there isn't any scientific or anthropological research that supports otherwise.
I eat plenty of meat. I also eat plenty of vegetables, beans, whole grains, etc. Our bodies need a wide variety of compounds to work and grow properly and neither an exclusively carnivorous nor vegetarian diet can provide that full range.
If you pursue vegetarianism for moral or religious reasons, so be it. But please stop spreading the "healthy lifestyle" fallacies, it just isn't true.
Posted by: Dan Wetmrore | Oct 17, 2008 5:49:39 PM
The lower one eats on the food chain, the fewer chemicals one ingests. Fish are not low on the food chain. And yeah, fish contain no superior nutrition over plant derived options.
Thanks for the mention, Tammy!
Posted by: Tammy | Oct 17, 2008 1:25:15 PM
Why does everyone seem sto think that fish is a better option? It's still loaded with chemicals from farming techniques, it's still cruel, and high in heavy metals. And as Dan Wetmore says "Optimun health is achieved with... absolutely no animal products." Check out vegsource.com for more info.
Posted by: Dan Wetmore | Oct 17, 2008 4:04:14 AM
Even if animal products were completely devoid of chemicals, it still wouldn't change the fact that meat literally rots in our digestive system and robs us of vital minerals due to its acidity and high protein content. Optimum health is achieved with very little, or better yet, absolutely no animal products.
Posted by: C.S. | Oct 3, 2008 9:35:06 PM
I upped my fatty meat intake (I'm on a low-carb diet) and I found that I feel a lot better than prior. My blood levels prove it, too. I switch from meat to meat (fish to beef to chicken, etc) so that I don't get bored. I guess each persons body's different.
Posted by: Mira | Oct 3, 2008 2:36:32 PM
My partner and I are pescatarians. Lots of fish, absolutely no mammals or avians.
Posted by: William | Oct 2, 2008 11:40:41 PM
I very seldom eat meat. When I do it will usually be baked chicken.
Posted by: Shalea | Oct 2, 2008 8:42:14 PM
The last time I ate meat was Sept 15th and I don't even miss it, I feel great actually, so I've been loosly calling myself a vegetarian however I had fish for dinner tonight and still eat cheese so I guess whatever you call someone who doesn't eat the flesh of animals with legs-that's me!
