Vegetarian or Vegan? Religious or health reason?

[wil]

When I first started (early 80s) on the quit eating meat thang...vegetarian was synonymous with today's vegan....to me vegan came about when there pecame varieties of vegetarians...pescatarians, lacto, ovo etc.

I am weird (need I tell you?) I quit eating store-bought meats....capitalist farm raised meats where profits ruled. I saw cows put on weight at feedlots prior to slaughter, watched cows freak as they saw the cows in front of them killed and swung away to be butchered. I saw chicken leg bones that were fractured under the weight of a growing chickens with more breast meat faster than the legs could sustain them.

I was a hunter when I quit buying storebought. I still ate what got in front of my gun. I still ate what a friend raised, or I petted, or knew it's name.

In a few years time I quit hunting...and quit eating meat on a weekly/monthly basis. But occasionally...when in rome....I did not pass up trying gator or roo in Australia, or a five critter chili in Colorado. When folks were oooing and ahhing about some great steak last year around a fire...I tried a bite...prolly my last bite of cow.

It ain't religious or animal welfare for me really....it is health. I had to bosses who had to quit eating meat due to heart issue, and a brain disease (looking back I think mad cow, wasting disease, prions) both were in their 60s for both it was absolute hell to change their diets after 6 decades of habits.

I told my doc I was considering it. I told him the above reasons why. And what he said cemented the deal. He responded, "Why? You are still healthy." I said, "You are an idiot, and you are fired" and I quit eating meat.

When my aorta blew up, they checked my heart, and despite being over 60 and overweight they could not believe how clean my arteries are.

 

[muhammad_isa]

I try to eat less meat, primarily because I have arthritis.
I do, however, think that eating too much meat is not good for us spiritually, too.

 

[wil]

I try to eat less meat, primarily because I have arthritis.
I do, however, think that eating too much meat is not good for us spiritually, too.

Primarily? Why?

Foods and Beverages to Avoid with Arthritis

Several foods and drinks can worsen symptoms of inflammatory arthritis. Here are 12 foods and beverages you may wish to avoid if you have arthritis.

www.healthline.com

 

[JustGeorge]

I went vegetarian at 12. It was strictly ethical; I could no longer bring myself to kill to eat when it wasn't necessary.

I'd spent all of childhood sobbing over it. I always faced that I would eat meat, or be punished. After 12, I could handle it anymore, and my parents and I played 'chicken' with being grounded, to see who would cave first. They gave up. Its been 26 years since. Dad's 90% vegetarian himself now(health reasons on his end). I'm healthy, and my family is healthy(2/3 kids are vegetarian, husband is as well).

Health is a benefit, but it was never a motivator.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I've been lacto-ovo vegetarian collectively for about 10 or so years now, but only eat eggs (or more accurately, food containing egg) sporadically.

I decided quite some time ago that if I'm unwilling to take the life of an animal, I have no business eating store-bought meat. To me, it felt hypocritical, as if I was paying someone else to do the dirty work.

I live by a principle of ahimsa (Sanskrit for non-injury), which is not exclusive to animals, but to any living being, including plants.

 

[Snoopy]

Not the religion option. The Buddha apparently ate whatever was put in his bowl. I'd need to have a stern word with him on that one.

 

[Faithfulservant]

I have friends that are pescatarian. They made the choice after watching a documentary on slaughter houses. They are very healthy. Their choice was moral but they reap the benefits of it health wise. I'm yearning for the day that we don't need to kill to eat and our food isn't poisoned for the sake of profit.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I'm yearning for the day that we don't need to kill to eat...

That day is here. One only needs to make the conscious effort.

 

[wil]

When it comes to fish...odds are within many young folks lifetime wild caught will be only for the wealthy, there will only be farmed fish for the masses.

I live by a principle of ahimsa (Sanskrit for non-injury), which is not exclusive to animals, but to any living being, including plants

Jain?

it felt hypocritical, as if I was paying someone else to do the dirty work.

I used to say to carnivores who gave me grief about hunting... "I take part in the harvest, to me it is more honest than hiring assasins to put it on Styrofoam, wrap it in plastic and show off their kill selection in open refrigerated bins for folks to gawk at, fondle and select their favorite decaying cadaver."

 

[SalixIncendium]

Jain?

This is one of the main principles in Jainism, but it’s common in Hinduism as well.

I identify as the latter.

 

[TheLightWithin]

I went vegetarian at 12. It was strictly ethical; I could no longer bring myself to kill to eat when it wasn't necessary.

I'd spent all of childhood sobbing over it. I always faced that I would eat meat, or be punished. After 12, I could handle it anymore, and my parents and I played 'chicken' with being grounded, to see who would cave first. They gave up. Its been 26 years since. Dad's 90% vegetarian himself now(health reasons on his end). I'm healthy, and my family is healthy(2/3 kids are vegetarian, husband is as well).

Health is a benefit, but it was never a motivator.

Played chicken on who would be the first to make chicken?

 

[muhammad_isa]

Primarily? Why?

Meat is a "hot" food, which is very useful in a cold country.
..but you can have too much of a good thing.

Too much meat leads to a person being "out of balance" .. too much protein,
and not enough vitamins and minerals.

 

[Faithfulservant]

That day is here. One only needs to make the conscious effort.

In the US and specifically in the middle of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex that would be very difficult. We have GMOs and the food prices are astronomical.. you can't even trust organic anymore.. all fish is farmed all eggs are purchased from farms that mistreat their chickens. Our food is killing us.

 

[SalixIncendium]

In the US and specifically in the middle of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex that would be very difficult. We have GMOs and the food prices are astronomical.. you can't even trust organic anymore.. all fish is farmed all eggs are purchased from farms that mistreat their chickens. Our food is killing us.

Rice…beans…lentils…vegetables…spices… Are these expensive, too?

 

[JustGeorge]

Played chicken on who would be the first to make chicken?

Wasn't me!

Actually, it sometimes confuses people that I'm 38 and am an avid cook but have absolutely no idea how to prepare meat.

 

[JustGeorge]

Rice…beans…lentils…vegetables…spices… Are these expensive, too?

I never understand when people complain about the price. Vegetarianism is dirt cheap. I can feed a family of 5 for about 60 a week if I so choose.

The vegetarian specialty products can be pricy, but specialty products in general are pricy.

I do think part of the problem of expense is being unaware of ways of eating other than what a person is used to, or grew up with. Seeing new vegetarians, that seems to be one of the biggest problems for them when they're 'transitioning'. They are trying to recreate their typical meals without realizing there's a whole broad new world of culinary experience waiting for them.

 

[wil]

This is one of the main principles in Jainism, but it’s common in Hinduism as well.

I identify as the latter.

I had a Hindu friend, immigrant from India.

He would order pastrami sammiches at lunch. I confronted him on it. "This is American cow, not sacred cow!"

 

[Snoopy]

I do think part of the problem of expense is being unaware of ways of eating other than what a person is used to, or grew up with. Seeing new vegetarians, that seems to be one of the biggest problems for them when they're 'transitioning'. They are trying to recreate their typical meals without realizing there's a whole broad new world of culinary experience waiting for them.

This is a very good point.

 

[Snoopy]

Actually, it sometimes confuses people that I'm 38 and am an avid cook but have absolutely no idea how to prepare meat.

This is going to be fun in the school where I now work, specifically in the Food Technology class. I'm perfectly at home in the kitchen but when it comes to meat or fish preparation I'm going to be struggling to say the least!

 

[JustGeorge]

This is going to be fun in the school where I now work, specifically in the Food Technology class. I'm perfectly at home in the kitchen but when it comes to meat or fish preparation I'm going to be struggling to say the least!

Raw meat makes me nauseous to see... good luck to you.