Let's Discuss Veganism and Why It's Retarded

[Lily]

Uninformed blanket statements about veganism much?!!! Master Phrost I expected better from you and I'm a few months late to the thread.

Lacto vegetarian for 18 years now (with 4 years as a vegan) and I'm not scrawny or anaemic. Each to their own though and I don't waste time ragging on people for what they eat (unless they're obese).

[erezb]

There this annoying youtube "lecture" that will "change your life" by this fanatic vegan, saying that people eat meat for 4 reasons, and instead of nutrition value he said
"tradition", trying to make eating meat unnatural to humans. Basically lying to people with no shame. The real problem is that there are too many people in this world, not what we eat.

[Mr. Machette]

Lacto vegetarian for 18 years now (with 4 years as a vegan) and I'm not scrawny or anaemic. Each to their own though and I don't waste time ragging on people for what they eat (unless they're obese).

What do you eat to provide yourself with balanced nutrition?

Serious question. While I am myself a voracious meat eater, I do enjoy veggies and even catch myself making food that qualifies vegan a lot of the time wihtout thinking about it.

Couple examples:

Wole grain crackers: Flour (assorted types), water, salt. No animal product. (Though I often use animal products on them...)

Chayote bean salad: Chayote, beans, tomatoes, onions, corn, chilli powder, olive oil, vinnegar, herbs.

Greens: Assorted greens (mustard, collard, kale, chard, whatever's cheap and available) onions, garlic, squash / zuchinni, olive oil salt and pepper.

Vegan beans and rice: Beans, rice, onions, garlic, red pepper, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, bourbon.

I almost always have an animal protein on the side of these dishes though, or else I become terribly hungry and feel anemic after a day or two.

What do you eat to get your protein fix?

[Lily]

I'll agree with you about feeling anaemic as my dad who grew up on a farm and did alot of physical work was also a voracious meat eater. However as he's approaching 70 he's cut that down significantly and says he feels weaker. So maybe it's just what we allow our bodies to get used to and I wouldn't advocate anyone giving up whole food groups cold turkey for this reason.

I become vegetarian around 14 so I guess my body is used to working with certain amounts of carbs/proteins/fats/vitamins/minerals vs. the mix your body is used to. I get my protein from greens, mushrooms, tofu, nuts, soy milk and take my B12 supplements when I remember. I read a post on this thread about our bodies not being designed to be without meat and absolutely disagree. It depends on what you want out of your body and modern life/vegetarianism seem to work quite well. The noticeable downsides for me are that I'm never going to lift heavier weights and as I get older I wonder if it also impacts recovery times.

Don't hate the Chun, hate the chunner.

[Mr. Machette]

I get my protein from greens, mushrooms, tofu, nuts, soy milk and take my B12 supplements when I remember.

I'm down with the nuts, greens, and mushrooms. I can't get too crazy on the soy as it does hormonal things to a mans body. I love the stuff but I don't want it to be an every day staple.

As a veggie Aussie, you're probably already aware of this but it's news to me;

Marmite (vegemite? Promite?) is a good source of protein and vitamin B12. Pretty sure no animals are harmed in it's making. Except for the poor little yeasties of course. Oh sure, it's just breakfast to us, but to them it is the holocaust! ;)

[Liverblow]

I've never met any self-declared vegan at the gym or at my boxing club, but maybe it's more of a cultural thing, like, vegans aren't that macho so they tend not to speak up in a "macho" environment?

As far as I can see, vegans should be fine as long as they get all the amino acids needed to build proper proteins, which is what you need to build muscle. Right? Now, if you spend enough time and effort finding the right beans and pulses, I'm sure you'll be doing all right, even in a high-performance sports environment.

As for me, I do eat animals, but to be honest, it's mainly because I like the taste.

[Psycho Dad]

I thought a fat vegan was called dinner?

[Gezere]

I've never met any self-declared vegan at the gym or at my boxing club, but maybe it's more of a cultural thing, like, vegans aren't that macho so they tend not to speak up in a "macho" environment?

I actualy have met a quite a bit of self-proclaimed vegans in the gym (normal and Crossfit style ones). They weren't "scrawny" but were pretty weak in their lifts in comparison to the meat eaters.

As far as I can see, vegans should be fine as long as they get all the amino acids needed to build proper proteins, which is what you need to build muscle. Right? Now, if you spend enough time and effort finding the right beans and pulses, I'm sure you'll be doing all right, even in a high-performance sports environment. As for me, I do eat animals, but to be honest, it's mainly because I like the taste.

I do believe the vegan or veggie lifestyle is fucking stupid but I also think other things are too. My real problem with most, not all, vegans I meet and discuss nutrition hate when I bring up the fact that they can't meet ther full nutritional needs naturally (all have used supplements) to be fair I do tend to be a dick about it but its usually after some snarky holier than thou speech about harm and morals.

[Smackjack]

Just a heads up, wheat, and whole grains have been proven bad for you since its 'somewhat' used for weight loss and have been processed for so many years.

Yes, eating white over wheat is now healthier

Source: family in healthcare. My godfather is Michael debakey.

[ChuckWepner]

Just a heads up, wheat, and whole grains have been proven bad for you since its 'somewhat' used for weight loss and have been processed for so many years.

Yes, eating white over wheat is now healthier

Source: family in healthcare. My godfather is Michael debakey.

How about a more specific source? Dr. DeBakey passed away over 4 years ago. I'm sorry for your loss.

"Wheat" is not the same as "whole grain." There are lots of wheat flour products that aren't white but are still not whole grain. There are also now whole grain white breads. So your categories are confused.

From the American Heart Association website:

What Are Whole Grains and Why Should You Eat Them?

Whole grain contains all three parts of the natural grain: the bran, the germ and the endosperm. Examples of whole grains include whole-grain flours, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, popcorn, brown rice and bulgur. Because nothing is removed during processing, whole-grain foods contain more natural fiber, vitamins and minerals than their refined counterparts.

Refined grains have been stripped of their bran and germ, and along with them most of the B-vitamins, iron and dietary fiber left intact in whole grains. Examples of refined-grain foods are white rice and anything made with white flour.

Health Benefits

Whole grains are rich in B-vitamins and minerals, including iron to carry oxygen through the blood, magnesium to help build bones and muscle and selenium for a healthy immune system. Thanks to its intact fiber, whole-grain foods tend to be more sustaining than refined ones, keeping hunger at bay longer. They also aid your health in other ways, helping to regulate your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and to lower blood pressure.

...

Choosing Whole Grain

Whole grains cannot be identified by color. Bread, for example, can be brown because of molasses or other ingredients, not necessarily because it contains whole grains. That’s why it’s important to read the ingredient list on the food label. For many whole-grain products, you will see the words “whole” or “whole grain” before the grain’s name in the ingredient list. The whole grain should be the first ingredient listed.

Choose foods that contain one of the following ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list: whole wheat, graham flour, oatmeal, whole oats, brown rice, wild rice, whole-grain corn, popcorn, whole-grain barley, whole-wheat bulgur and whole rye. These are all whole grains.

An easy way to identify whole-grain products is to look for the American Heart Association Whole Grain heart-check mark on food labels.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Gettin...08_Article.jsp