I'm currently studing Life science at university and nutrition is a large part of the course, or seems to be involed in everything.
Having read some answers in this section there seems to be lots of answers that don't agree with what I'm being taught. (for example someone stated that the Vegan diet is the most healthy which is completely opposite what it says in my textbooks).
I'm curious about the reasons people changed diet and what they believe the advantages are for these diets. I'm currently studying Dietetics (nutrition) at a university, so i'm a bit confused when you say that your textbooks say that veganism is the opposite of the being the most healthy diet. While I can't claim veganism to be the healthiest diet ever, it has many perks to it. The major problem is a vegan diet that isn't properly maintained (w/o supplementation) can be particularly devastating. Though a well maintained vegan diet has many particular advantages over other diets, mainly this because vegans consume many vegetables and proteins and more often consume the raw varieties of these. This saying almost any diet, properly maintained can be beneficial. The main reason you hear many people praising the vegan diet has a lot to do with properly maintained vegan diets include many types and varieties of vegetables and fruits. This increased consumtion of vegetables and proteins include increased consumtion of phytochemicals and phytonutrients, as well as antioxidants and so forth. Also there is an arguable opinion, that these forms of food are much easier on your stomach to digest then complex animal products, which tend to dwell in your stomach longer. As well nearly all health dietary guildlines (minus calcium intake) are covered quite exponentially in a vegan diet. Typically, people who eat vegan more frequently "pick and eat" all day long as oppose to having heavy meals (not in all cases though), this tends to be much of an ease on the digestive system. As well, not all but many people whom adopt a vegan diet are much more health conscious therefore they focus on what they do and don't put in their body, therefore it can be concluded, well assumed that a majority of people on vegan diets, tend to already be health conscoius, Therefore many people praise the healthiness of the vegan diet. though any diet can be fine for the body when properly regulated.
I read a lot of books concerning animal's wellbeing and personal health, this was what converted me to veganism. Also my education in the field of nutrition helped me reconfirm this choice as a permanent one.
Personal advantages I'mve noticed. My acne appeared to disappear. My body felt much cleanier, which was noticed by less unfamiliar odors. (When I ate a food, my body odors tended to resemble those foods). A lower amount of noxious body odors (I no longer needed deoderant - i know i sound like a dirty hippie now). I felt much more cleansed on a spirtiual level. Though I recognize many of these can't be substantiated much more than on a personal level, I feel that is probably what you are looking for. I also noticed an increase in energy, though that may be contributed to moving from a junkfood diet to a more health conscious way of living. I also noticed an increase in my GPA at school and more understanding/empathetic mindset.
Goodluck in your school work I was vegan for about a year.
The advantage is it kept my weight down, for the most part
Problem is, when you eliminate all meat and dairy, you still have to get B12...if you don't, there can be serious repercussions.
I abandoned this diet because for me, there wasn't enough variety, and many of the products (aside from fresh veggies and fruits) were just too expensive.
I am 56 yrs old and will be running my second marathon March 2 in L.A........
I have never been healthier.
Low cholesterol, low blood pressure..never colds or flu!
There are more than 10 billion animals killed in veggie production..moles, voles, birds, frogs, squirrels, rabbits
The BLOOD is on everyones hands!--meat eater OR NOT!
Ethical vegans attempt to claim a morally higher ground while ignoring the deaths of all the field animals.
Thus, for me, (and for medications that are developed with animals as models..that most of use in our life time) saying someone is an ethical vegan is an oxymoron, if not completely dishonest and hypocritical. Veganism and vegetarianism are not a diet. They are a lifestyle and it can be healthy or unhealthy depending on how well you pick your foods. You can't really label veganism or vegetarianism as being healthy or unhealthy. You can have two vegetarians--one eating healthy vegetables and proteins throughout the day and one shoving cookies down their throat. They're both vegetarians but you can't say both are healthy or unhealthy. Ultimately, my point is that it 100% depends on the person.
My number one reason for vegetarianism is because of animal cruelty issues. Some may argue with me on that, but I believe in what I believe. Another reason is that I know that I can lead a much healthier lifestyle without meat, poultry, of seafood in it. Another reason is that this is a step closer to becoming a vegan. Literally, I just started a "lacto-vegetarian" style of eating. I read a book I bought from a Thrift Store for .50 cents about Nutrition, and in it, the author stated that most people on some type of primary vegetarian diet were 33 pounds less than the average person who ate meat as part of their diet. I took note of this, because I have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a heart condition caused by the flu virus, in my case, and I am concerned about my weight gain the last 2 years. I had been in relatively good physical shape, lifted weights since a teen, and did eat a lot of meat. It never occured to me to try and eliminate some things. Now, I have been "forced" to try and do something different. Within the last 16 days, I have literally lost 12 pounds. I drink primarily water, some fruit juice occasionally, as well as soy milk, sports drinks, but no soda pop. I have not eaten ANY meat; no red meat, no poultry, not even fish. I have some good alternatives, surprisingly, such as "meatless" ground beef, vegetable burgers made out of mushrooms and brown rice, whey protein products, etc. I like most fruits, and most vegetables, and do eat a lot of them. I just checked out a book from the library called "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" and will read it once I am done here. I haven't really exercised much the last 16 days, and, again, have already dropped over 10 pounds. I do year for meat a little bit, but I can manage, as I also can eat dairy products such as cottage cheese, cheese, and even eggs. Once I lose a significant amount more weight, I may add some meat to my diet, but nowhere near what I ate before. Oh, I also eat more beans, grains, and higher fiber foods. Again, there are a lot of ways to do it, and I am surprised by the results thus far. A lot of people (and your textbook as well) oversimplify.
The vegan diet is not the most healthy nor the most unhealthy- it's all a matter of how a person eats within their particular range of foods. For example, a meat eater :-( who also eats a lot of vegetables is probably going to be healthier than a vegan who eats only potato chips and Tofutti Cuties.
I do however believe that the majority of vegans tend to be more thoughtful conscientious eaters and are on average healthier than much of the population.
I became a vegetarian (and then a vegan) simply for ethical reasons. To me it seemed wrong to kill something just because it tastes good, so I stopped eating meat, and later stopped eating by-products that support the meat-industry (milk etc.).
The health benefits only came as a bonus, but I'm not the uber-conscious healthy type of vegan. I'm more the type of person that used to love comfort food- now I still do, only it doesn't involve killing anything (intentionally) except for plants.
The advantages?
鈥?No guilty conscience, except for when I overindulge in a Tofutti banana split with chocolate syrup and peanuts. :-P
鈥?I can't eat most store bought candy bars. Or desserts. This is actually a good thing.
鈥?Obviously there are some health advantages such as less cholesterol, saturated fats, more fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals etc. Assuming a person isn't a Junk Food Vegetarian, which does happen.
鈥?Environmentally speaking, a vegetarian diet is better. There are some issues that have come up recently with soy however, so it's not a cure-all.
Here is a great page listing some advantages, take a look and see if you can find something useful:
http://www.vivavegie.org/vv101/101reas20...
It's one of the best decisions I've ever made- if I were forced to change 95% of my life, that is one thing I would never ever want to change. Why? Because killing something to eat it feels selfish, and cruel, and more like a problem than a solution. My conscious is pretty darn happy about being veg. I became vegetarian a long time ago, by accident. I guess my mother never used meat very much (for financial reasons).
For a number of years I was eating no meat but my diet wasn't particularly healthy. Now my diet is, I'd say, obsessively healthy (I have multiple sclerosis). I'm heading towards veganism. E.T.A: a couple of years.
I discovered a love of all kinds of animal life only quite recently and now I cannot even step on a woodlouse (they're fascinating to watch trundling across the carpet!)
I don't mind other people eating or wearing dead animals. It's just not something I'd do unless I had to. I'll probably diverge all over the place, but first of all, textbooks are written either by or for the government. The government which is totally controlled by corporations. Totally biased. First research who wrote your book, why, how, funded by who, etc. You must do this for everything you read -- unfortunately. Few do this because it is often very difficult and time consuming. Never believe statistics, because they are very easily manipulated -- it has become an art form.
Take a look back at older text books. Not too old, let's say from 1990. That's when I started reading about health, nutrition, digestion etc. and these medical books I was reading at the library were full of so much propaganda bullsh*t. Not surprising since I also found that all that nutrition information they teach us in school was published by the meat and dairy industry!
At one time I went into every textbook and looked in the index under every aspect of my diet (there was no term 'vegan' then, but instead 'Strict Vegetarian') and under "vegetarian" they had a whole list of problems, scare tactics, and nonsense that basically concluded that the more one moves away from a meat/dairy/egg centred diet, the more they will have problems, the more they will need supplements, vitamins, tests, be careful of what they eat, etc. etc. Totally contradictory to actual living proof.
I'd meet some life long vegan who was in his/her 80s or 90s and they'd never thought about vitamins or whatever and never taken and supplement in their whole life. Their minds were totally clear, they were not all that old or frail looking at all. In fact, I met one of these such people on the job -- in his 80s, still working -- free of heath problems. To compare, I just have to look at the old people of the general population... deaf, half blind, hunched over, all sorts of diseases and illnesses, walk very slowly, brittle bones, wandering mind, etc. You don't need to study a text book to see that humans are most suited to being on an animal free diet. It stands to reason. Common sense can figure it out just by observing the basic differences between humans, and other animals. There's the
I have met lifelong 'vegans' (personally I hate that term) from places like India, and they tell me that in India is seen as a whole diet. Nothing extra is needed, hence they do not take vitamins, etc. because there simply is no need. They should know, they've been living such a way for thousands of years. All that dairy, oil, hot spices, etc. in the Indian diet is very new.
In my research I have come to the conclusion that the easiest food for humans digest is fruit. Fruit really is perfectly suited to humans. I would think that if I were in ancient times, I'd much rather relax and eat fruit, berries, leaves, vegetables, roots, or whatever than running around like an idiot trying to catch and eat some animal; something that I'm not naturally suited to do. I live very far away from where fruit grows, so in the winter, things such as apples or imported fruits are only available (not good).
It's not just being 'vegan' that is important, but the whole lifestyle. From natural soap, to no vaccinations. From exercising to relaxation. Getting outdoors, hiking, sunshine, fresh air, growing some or all of your own food... just living naturally.
The initial reason I changed my diet (took out animal products) was for athletics. Seeing a vast improvement in my stamina etc. plus my acne disappearing, I decided to look into it even more -- led me on a never ending exploration of all sorts of offshoot subjects -- food, how it's made, how it's grown, processed, stored, additives, farming methods, seeds, GMO, natural birth, vaccinations, midwifery... just goes on and on... because the evil people are all over the place with their misinformation, their propaganda, their big money, their influences,... they want to divide people. Living naturally is basically free and makes no money for anyone -- everyone is equal. To be rich and above everyone else, you must divide people -- to create circumstances where some are above and most are below. Nothing can be free anymore. No one can be allow to just live off the land. Everyone must be forced to use currency, pay taxes, pay fees, go to school... school is just a government tool used to develop a complacent society of workers -- slaves for the rich. See, you cannot just look at *diet* and see it as not being connected too everything else. You cannot just isolate one aspect of life and study it in this regard -- everything is connected. Please read more about the political reasons, why meat companies push meat diets!
For me:
1)My own ethics - my health. The last time i got flu/cold was in 1994! I do not remember the last time i took med's!
2) the health of other creatures on this earth. killing 10 billion animals in slaughter house surely can not to kind!
3) the health of the earth, 1/3 of all livable land is used to raise livestock, pollution in our sea is from factory farming, etc...
I am getting ready for my fourth marathon, - 26 miles - I have been a healthy veggie all my life 31 years, and now going vegan.
I am an Indian woman that loves food, and i have never missed out on taste!
My husband eats meat and I see his poor health! erm,, it is sad!
to the above response,
1)yes animals are killed in crop growing. Much of the crop is also feed to livestock too! - one time kill.
2) My actions have less impact, and maybe me trying to lessen it is better then me never trying to stop cruelty!
3) I am glad you are healthy 56 year old. I am happy that your previous choice to be a veggie helped you! good for you to have taken care of your health!
4) Sorry you did not know enough about food to make it cheap and have favourfull! -
good luck with your running! |
