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Vegatarianism

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by kizza111, May 5, 2010.

?

Are you a vegetarian?

  1. Yep.

    22 vote(s)
    26.5%
  2. Nope.

    39 vote(s)
    47.0%
  3. Yes, with exceptions.

    12 vote(s)
    14.5%
  4. No, with exceptions.

    10 vote(s)
    12.0%
  1. kizza111

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    I've been thinking about becoming a vegatarian for a while but i'm still not sure, do you get the nutrients, like protein, that you need? And does stuff like Tofu, Quorn, Tempeh, Seitan actually taste any good?

    Plus i'm not sure if i'd be able to, i love meat, and i'll really miss BBQ's and indian food etc, if anyone else had this meat-loving obstacle please help (*hug*)
     
  2. kizza111

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    p.s i added a pole simply because i never have before and felt it was nessescary :grin:
     
  3. British Lad

    British Lad Guest

    Why being a Vegaturn sucks(in my oppion) because it limits what you can eat. I will never no Veg because I am to much of carnavor and I love meat to much and i will be willing to try any meat.
     
  4. Jim1454

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    Why are you considering being a vegetarian then?!?

    I'm not. I eat pretty much everything (which is my problem!). The goal is to eat it in moderation.
     
  5. kizza111

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    Lots of reasons really... they're often treated badly and it can lead to health problems like obesity, and generally just thinking its wrong...
     
  6. Jim1454

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    "they" being the animals? Fair enough.

    But eating meat doesn't make people obese. Eating too much meat makes people obese. As does eating too much cake, bread, pasta, fruit and cola - all of which would be allowed on a vegetarian diet.
     
  7. Black Cat

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    I for one don't believe in limiting my diet, but if you are interested in going vegetarian then good for you. :thumbsup:

    I know of people who live full vegan (I know it's different from vegetarianism, but stick with me here) lifestyles and they get more nutrients than people who eat anything that isn't bolted down. So yes, you can get the nutrients, vitamins, and protein that your body needs. You just get them from other sources rather than animal flesh (which, when put that way, makes me want to go vegetarian myself).

    I would suggest going to a health food store and talking to someone who works there, or maybe talking to your doctor about it first. Better yet I'd seek out a registered dietician for some advice on the subject. Or perhaps you have some vegetarian friends who could give you a crash course on going vegetarian?
     
  8. Ben

    Ben
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    I'm surrounded by the food I eat seeing as I live among farms and I don't feel guilty about it. Actually I think it's good to understand what you're eating. So I don't tend to eat meat which isn't local and definitely everything has to be free range.
    I do have an issue with the methods of slaughter, though.

    But my family are mostly vegetarians and have all tuned veggie at one point of another. And I have to say that I wouldn't miss life without meat or even animal produce (brother's girlfriend was vegan).
    There are plenty of very healthy and delicious vegetarian and vegan options out there. Tofu kicks posterior. I could eat the stuff all day and night.
     
  9. Chandra

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    It's very easy to get all of the nutrients you need on a vegetarian diet, as long as you include lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes. Contrary to popular belief, people don't need huge amounts of protein in their diet. Here is a fairly thorough article on vegetarianism and protein, if you're interested.

    Well, this of course entirely depends on the individual, and on the quality of the product. Personally, I like tofu, some soy-based "meat" products, and tempeh (although tempeh is really an acquired taste!). On the other hand, there are soy products out there that make me think I'd prefer to chew on a piece of plastic. I've heard that Quorn isn't very good. I've never tried seitan.

    The main thing that meat-lovers find hard to adjust to with soy products is the texture. There isn't anything out there that really mimics the texture of meat, and soy products tend to be sort of chewier and less dense.

    If your main motivation for becoming vegetarian is ethical, yet you still love meat, you will probably find this challenging. However, it doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing deal. I have a good friend who is 99% vegan, yet she will eat meat on occasion if the animal it came from was ethically raised and/or legally hunted. You could maybe limit yourself to one or two meat dishes per week, and insist on only eating free-range, organic, ethically-farmed meats. It's more expensive, but if you're eating less of it that won't matter so much.
     
  10. kizza111

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    Thank you all for the help :grin:

    My parents want me to eat all the meat stuff in the house before i start, so i will start this next week :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: hopefully i'll be able to last.... I guess i can make the most of eating meat for the next week before i quit it :slight_smile:
     
  11. x2x2x2x2y2

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    Good luck!!

    I've recently became one(it's only been almost two weeks) and it's not too hard, atleast for me. I LOVE burgers and chicken strips and fish, but not eating it hasn't killed me yet.

    The reason I became one was for two reason: 1) I wanna test my will power. 2) I was bored. Lol

    You can get the protein and stuff from other things. One thing you gotta remember though is that you really should start eating more veggies and fruits(unless you already eat them). I don't like veggies much but I'm coming around to liking them. Don't substitute meat with junk food.
     
  12. Lexington

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    Oddly, I went with "no with exceptions". I've got no moral issues with meat. But when I'm trying to lose weight, I find going vegetarian is a great way to help. I stock up on the veggies and salads, and the weight comes off quicker. I do eat fish (and occasionally chicken) while on this plan, but it's pretty minimal. Once I'm where I want to be, I'll start eating meat again.

    Lex
     
  13. Katherine

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    I've been a vegetarian for four years and I can say that it's definitely possible to get all the nutrients you need on a vegetarian diet. :3 You just have to eat the right food combinations.

    I agree with Black Cat's advice. Talking to a dietician would probably be helpful if you want to know about exactly what foods you should eat. But I can say that there ARE lots of veggie products that are absolutely delicious. I don't know if you live in the US, but my personal favorite brand is Morningstar Farms--their veggie burgers and sausages and stuff are all so good. :grin:
     
  14. Phoenix

    Phoenix Guest

    I consider myself a pseudo-vegetarian. I'm extremely picky and a lot of food that most people love tastes really, really bad to me. Meat in particular and a lot of dark green vegetables taste horrible to my taste buds, so people often think (or ask) that I'm a vegetarian because of how well I mimic one.

    Now obviously I can't stand the flavor or texture of meat so not eating meat has never been a problem for me. And like Chandra said, if you like meat but still want to be a vegetarian it can be quite challenging but I'm sure you're not the first person with that mindset to make the switch so it's doable. You just have to really stick with it when you start doing it cause I've seen a lot of people try to go vegetarian and then just go back to their old eating habits because they really weren't making a conscious effort. Once you get used to it though you shouldn't have to try as hard as you would initially.
     
  15. kizza111

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    Again, thank you :slight_smile:

    But i don't think it helps that my mum is now tleling me i'll never manage :L Oh well i'll try to prove her wrong, but she DID go buy me some "bean burgers"?

    this may take some adjusting...:dry::help:
     
  16. Chandra

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    It's important not to worry to much if you slip up for the first little while - when I first went veggie, I felt hungry all the time and craved meat more than ever before. I'm pretty sure this was a psychological thing (telling myself I can't have something, so I want it more). After a couple of months, this feeling subsided and I only occasionally craved specific dishes that I used to eat. Now after seven years the idea of eating meat is repulsive to me.

    In my opinion, the fact that you're wanting to be conscious about how you eat and wanting to moderate your intake of meat is more important than strictly cutting out all meat forever. You're fairly young and probably mostly still dependent on your parents for food, but as you get older and more independent, this process should become easier for you.
     
    #16 Chandra, May 5, 2010
    Last edited: May 5, 2010
  17. vickykins

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    Hi kizza111,
    I think yuu shoud try it because it is a good thing to do. I have wanted to be a vegetarian for ages because meat smells and tastes so nice (in my opinion). Also i find quorn and other vegetarian stuff not very nice but other ppl have told me that they like it. Its going to be quite hard though because you like some meats and you may have to watch your family eat it in front of you but stick through it and should get easier.
     
    #17 vickykins, May 5, 2010
    Last edited: May 5, 2010
  18. kettleoffish

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    probably not a popular opinion on a site like this, but I think the entire concept of vegetarianism is fucking stupid. I believe in ethical treatment of animals, and I'm against inhumane treatment towards them, but we are still top of the food chain and have every right to eat them. That said, I would never buy eggs that weren't free range, and I try to eat meat that comes from livestock kept and slaughtered in humane conditions.
     
  19. malachite

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    When I'm dieting I'll eat only veggies and fruits and nuts but I love meat way too much to give it for good.

    If you've seen that pic of the triple paddy burger on Shevangle's profile, I'm all like :eusa_droo
     
    #19 malachite, May 5, 2010
    Last edited: May 5, 2010
  20. RainbowJay

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    Oh I just love Morningstar, they make the best meatless meat :grin:
    My second fave would have to be Boca!

    I'm a meat eater, but often I'll go for the taste of veggie burgers and whatnot. I don't know how they do it: it looks like meat, smells like meat, tastes like meat... but it isn't meat :lol: