Are you on a vegetarian or low-meat diet? Can you share details and why you've

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   RJ Schwartzposted 6 years ago

   Are you on a vegetarian or low-meat diet?  Can you share details and why you've chosen that path?
   
   A recent study found that 18% of Millennials state they are eating a meat-free of low-meat lifestyle.  The general population figures are closer to 11%.  Can you share your thoughts on your dietary choices and long-term expectations?  Other studies are at odds on whether a meat-free lifestyle prolongs or shortens lifespan and many cite the susceptibility of more chronic disease for vegetarians.  I'm not looking to make a judgement on anyone's lifestyle, or choices; only seeking to understand different points of view.
   
   

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   lisavollrathposted 6 years ago

   I switched to a plant-based diet in 2008, and by 2010, was fully vegan. I initially did it for health reasons, to get my eating habits under control, and cut my cholesterol.
   
   Now, I'm vegan not only for health, but because not causing animal suffering is more in line with the way I'd like the world to be. Not consuming animal products is better for the planet. And honestly, if I wouldn't kill my dog, split him in two, and toss him on the grill, why on earth would I do it to a cow?
   
   As for the health benefits, well, my doctor was thrilled when I told her I was vegan, and recommends a plant-based diet to her patients. My test results always come back in the normal range, which is amazing for someone my age, and my size.
   
   This is probably anecdotal, but most vegans I know don't get sick very often. Eating whole foods really does give the immune system a boost. A number of vegans initially make the switch to get their chronic conditions, such as Crohn's disease, under control. I have one friend who tried to get pregnant for years, and was told she should have a hysterectomy, who now has three lovely boys, all conceived after she switched to a plant-based diet, which solved her inflammatory problems. I've never heard of anyone who ate a proper, balanced plant-based diet, and pointed to it as a cause for any health problems. Mostly, problems come from not taking the time to learn how to eat a healthy diet without animal products.
   
   I don't think a plant-based diet is for everyone. Some people really struggle. I was vegetarian for two years, and absolutely miserable, but dropping dairy, in particular, was a real game changer for me, and made my life much easier. I think it's easier for people who love to cook to make the switch, and maybe not so easy for people who rely on eating out, or prepared foods.
   
   Mostly, I think people have to listen to their bodies, and learn what works for them.

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      Ken Burgessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      How on earth did this post get hidden due to negative feedback?
      Seriously SMH ...

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      lisavollrathposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for getting me out of the basement, Ken. It looks like I have trolls following me around the site, down voting everything I post. Some people really need to get better hobbies...

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      fpherj48posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Lisa, they need actual LIVES before taking up hobbies.  They're everywhere & nowhere simultaneously.

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      RJ Schwartzposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      I am so seriously sick of the whole "down vote" thing AND how some authors refuse to let comments that disagree with their narrative be shown.

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      Ken Burgessposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Glad to see you (literally) are not hidden anymore.  Sad if what you say is true.  Sad that in today's world, there is no allowance for expression and debate, conform to "our" viewpoints or be censored & stifled, its happening everywhere these da

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   Jackie Lynnleyposted 6 years ago

   I am on low meat headed to Vegetarian eventually. I don't think it is wrong to eat meat, I think it is the cycle of things and how over-populated would all these things we eat be if no one ate them? God has given His permission and they are His. I personally just do not trust eating meat, not that I trust eating anything too much! I mean why do our chickens have to be sent to China (who has tried repeatedly to poison us with lead) to have it shipped back to us? We cannot trust FDA for anything. So anyway, I am sort of feeling my way around all those bad things and hoping it will make a difference in long life and no cancer or other bad things. I mean forget about seafood and what all they may have in them, right?

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      RJ Schwartzposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts Jackie - many people might not be aware of the China/Chicken business.

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   Spanish Foodposted 6 years ago

   I choose not to eat meat daily, and avoid beef altogether except for special occasions. My primary reason is that meat (specifically beef) production is a large contributor to climate change, and changing one's diet seems like pretty low-hanging fruit in terms of eco-friendly lifestyle. The meat I do eat is local and free-range, which has also been shown to be much healthier for you, anyway!

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      RJ Schwartzposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for this interesting viewpoint - where I live, we eat a lot of wild game, which seems to follow a similar path as you have chosen.

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   Ken Burgessposted 6 years ago

   I'd say, see Lisa's comments, as they reflect to a large degree own experiences, and views, but uhmmm... somehow that got hidden.
   
   Watch Food Inc.  -- What the Health -- Bad Seed -- etc. there are a ton out there, just hit YouTube and check out all the info.
   
   Food Inc. is a documentary that informs how our food quality has dramatically decreased for the sake of corporate efficiency. 
   Some of the movies/videos out there are graphic, if you don't want to know how disgustingly inhumane they treat animals, and how they are injected with hormones, antibiotics, and fed various poisons I suggest you avoid them... once you see how abhorrent the process is, its not so easy to brush off.
   
   Eating meat, back in the day when the cow was raised on the local farm, went to the local market/butcher, etc. that I never had a problem with.  And the body could handle it just fine, in moderation, without any health issues.
   
   But that is not what you get today at the market, you get processed, poisoned, doused with hormones and antibiotics meat, which has been fed garbage... when you buy Salmon from Chile or Tilapia from China, you are getting 'farmed' fish that  has been exposed to many of the same things that are toxic to us.
   
   As for why I changed, I had plaque building up in my arteries, I had high blood pressure, and chest pains.  I went to the doctor, got their 2 cents after a variety of tests, did my own research, watched those movies I note above, and except for my cheating when I eat pizza, or have lasagna with cheese, and the occasional seafood, I have been meat and dairy free for months now.
   
   I no longer have chest pains, my blood pressure is down to normal levels (on the high side, but normal, exercise would improve that) and I feel better and have more energy.
   
   I pay attention to what I eat, I don't eat foods with cornsyrup, I don't eat processed foods with a litany of chemicals I can't pronounce, and I don't eat meat ... I stay far far away from those fast food restaurants and chains that feed you chemicalized processed preservatives in the form of foods.

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   fpherj48posted 6 years ago

   Ralph,  I have never made a separate issue about particular foods.  I do focus on whole foods, fresh foods, the variety in my diet and how I prepare them.  It's always important to me "when" I eat and especially my portion sizes.  I have an habitual tendency to "overeat," caused directly by my OTHER habit to wait until I am like a famished refugee to sit down and eat!  I do make the effort to keep this under control.
   I enjoy certain meats but don't include meat daily.  I don't think there is a vegetable I don't like, so I certainly get enough, especially salads.  I'll have fruit very seldom due solely to the sugar content, which is the same reason I don't drink fruit juices.
   In terms of my overall diet, I've always concerned myself more with what I will NOT eat.  This is fairly simple.  NO junk foods (snack-type, salty or sugar-laden prepared dishes (packaged foods to just pop in the oven!) NEVER do I buy at fast food joints & I shun anything deep-fried.  I actually DO read ingredient labels.  If more people did this, they'd find those labels read like horror stories of how to poison someone in less than 3 days! LOL   
   I take extra caution with KILLER sugar, it's by products & anything with sugar in it.  That is not at all easy but it is necessary.  (No, I'm not diabetic)  Realistically, because these are all personal choices & not medical necessities, when I'm at a Birthday party a couple times a year, I will have a small piece of cake.  I'm not obsessive about much of anything in my life (except Grandchildren!)  Like I said to begin, I don't make a big deal about my foods.  At this point, it's all just routine behavior.

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      RJ Schwartzposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Don't get me started on the whole sugar and additives topic - we try to eat as much organic, wild, or home grown food as possible in my house and avoid much of the junk

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      fpherj48posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, Ralph.  Fortunately, "Forewarned is forearmed."  those of us who have educated ourselves have the advantage.  Many simply refuse to take heed or just reject the hard core facts, to the detriment of their bodies and those of their families.

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      RJ Schwartzposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      We did a test years ago - switched to a really healthy diet (whole family) - within a year, our food spend was much higher, but our health care spend had plummeted - still seeing the same today.

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      Ramonsaysposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Paula, what do you think about seafood alternatives for meat?

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      fpherj48posted 6 years agoin reply to this

      Some vegans shun seafood same as "meat." 4 ones who don't, it is an alternative (protein) 2 meat.I'm a huge seafood-lover but include it sparingly per week, just as I do meat, 2 consume enough protein.Just B aware of sources of all seafoods.

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   peachpurpleposted 6 years ago

   I am following a low meat diet, can't live without meat for months. We had a few times living off meats for 2 weeks because didn't have time for grocery shopping. We lived on potatoes, eggs, pasta , well we get on with our lives as usual. Saved money but we did dine out for meats when we have the chance. Not living off meat on purpose

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   IdaKposted 6 years ago

   I stopped eating meat about a year ago, initially it was just to try out what it would feel like without having meat in my body. It turned out I felt much better. I felt lighter, I had more energy and I was much more focused in my day-to-day life. So I kept it up.
   
   Once I stopped it made sense for me to look into the environmental impacts of meat-consumption which really resonated with me and gave me another reason to not want to eat meat. Reading more about it, I really do agree that the present-day antibiotic and hormone treated animals are not healthy for the body and are likely a huge contributing factor to rise of cardiac related diseases and many hormonal problems around the world.
   
   To my surprise, it was not that difficult to make the shift to a plant-based diet, and I was trying whole new varieties of vegetables which I then proceeded to incorporate into my diet. After a few months, the smell of meet no longer appealed to me and I cannot imagine eating meat again, at least not anytime in the near future.

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   cleoaddamsposted 6 years ago

   I went vegetarian about a yr and 6 months ago. Before that I was raised in a plant-based household, so I only ate meat when I bought my lunch at school and maybe some lunch meat on an occasional Subway sandwich or something.
   
   When I got my driver's license I started to eat more fast food and thus more meat.
   
   Fast-forward to today. The company I work for pays us to do blood tests every yr that checks sugar and cholesterol levels. My levels were creeping up yr after yr. That's when I decided that I wanted to go back to the old way that I was eating when I was growing up, but I went full-vegetarian instead of just plant-based.
   
   Another thing that people don't think about is that meat contains a lot of calories. Just cutting it out and replacing it with all the fruits and veggies that you want will help you lose weight - if that's what one of your goals is. Plus, it's way healthier.
   
   I'm more scientific minded when it comes to the power of plants over eating meat, so I like to look at facts. There's a great documentary that will present many facts called, "Food Matters". I recommend it to anyone looking to go plant-based, vegetarian or vegan. I also made some videos on YouTube talking about my experiences going vegetarian under the username "cleoaddams".

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    ChadCrouchposted 6 years ago

    I won't say I am on a diet but my meals after 5 pm would usually consist of veggies and fish either tuna or hake. Low card meal for supper that contains very healthy nutrients.

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    lehcarposted 6 years ago

    veggies is very important in many aspects in our body to live longer. It help us cleanses our digestive system. Specially if our veggies are organic. happy eating!

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    cvanthulposted 6 years ago

    I wouldn't consider myself either as I eat meat almost daily. However, we do eat a lot of veggies, and my 13 year old devours fruit. I stopped buying anything boxed or canned several years ago so everything is prepared at home from scratch. We usually only eat meat at dinner. None of these decisions were ethically, morally, or environmentally based. We just feel better eating fresh food. Surprise, surprise! I also don't use any kind of chemicals in my yard and have found many of our native "weeds" are great edibles. The only foods I really don't consume much of are dairy and fruit because I just don't crave them. I figure if my body needs it, it'll tell me. For this same reason, I shop almost daily and pick up for dinner whatever my body says it wants, meatwise. The only other "whole" product I stay away from is wheat as I noticed my inflammation, particularly joints, decreased significantly when I cut wheat out.

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    Ramonsaysposted 6 years ago

    Ralph I will tell you that I have done what many others have. When doctors keep pumping you up with medication and it only masks the real issues, you start doing more research.
    I have been struggling for years with chronic digestive issues. I began watching many of the documentaries on YouTube about a pro-plant based diet. I have been following it for about 3 months. I can say I am still having acid reflux problems but im working on it.
    Still waiting for the miracle chemical balance in my body to occur. Here is a video I made of a meal I had today. If there are other vegetarians viewing this please offer me more tips and recipes https://youtu.be/kOwOgm5JOTo

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