Going Vegetarian

[Deleted]

If someone switched from a diet consisting of processed food and GMO to a 100% organic diet they will feel a difference.

At least that's my experience, its anecdotal but there is plenty of evidence to support my claim.

No they won't. Processed food does not inherently imply that it's bad for you. It's been processed, olive oil is processed.

It depends on what you eat. Doesn't matter if it's organic or not.

[Orangetai420]

Do you know organic food still gets sprayed with pesticides?

Yea but not synthetic pesticides and it isn't genetically modified. Good enough for me.

[Windry]

It's certainly possible to compete at a high level of athletics and be vegetarian. Eggs are your best friend.

That being said, I don't recommend going straight vegetarian (and I've been vegetarian my whole life). Based on several nutrition books and classes I've read/taken, I believe a balanced/proper diet with meat is the healthiest way to go. You can just cut back a little on meat. You can also certainly go have vegetarian meals if you're trying to just support your friend.

[NineSpine]

Being vegetarian is not only a bad health choice.

It goes against nature. Things eat things, that's the way it is meant to be.

But if you so choose to be a vegetarian, don't be one of those vegetarians who thinks they are better than meat eaters.

Humans are "naturally" omnivores. That doesn't mean you HAVE to eat plants and animals. It means you CAN. Saying that cutting meat out of your diet is automatically unhealthy is like saying that cutting tomatoes out of your diet is automatically unhealthy. Humans are built to be opportunistic feeders, and that means we can fashion a very healthy diet fairly easily on almost whatever is available. It's one of the reasons we cover the planet.

[Deleted]

Yea but not synthetic pesticides and it isn't genetically modified. Good enough for me.

So you think that all pesticides are bad and all genetically modified food is bad?

You do realize that genetically modified food has literally saved, this is fact, 1 billion lives?

[Cracked]

But . . . but . . . bacon is not a vegetable

Second that.

Also to the guy saying GMO affects the taste/health.. facepalm.

[BLCalliente]

A proper diet is fathoms greater than straight veg. I am not saying Vegans are unhealthy but they can't achieve the same level of someone who balances their diet and watches what they eat without cutting out things.

Not all meat is the same. Etc. Etc.

What in the world does "can't achieve the same level of someone" mean?

You can get everything you need out of a vegetarian diet quite easily.

I'm not sure if you'll achieve the same level of someone though, whatever that means.

[Deleted]

It's certainly possible to compete at a high level of athletics and be vegetarian. Eggs are your best friend.

That being said, I don't recommend going straight vegetarian (and I've been vegetarian my whole life). Based on several nutrition books and classes I've read/taken, I believe a balanced/proper diet with meat is the healthiest way to go. You can just cut back a little on meat. You can also certainly go have vegetarian meals if you're trying to just support your friend.

People need to realize that fish and shellfish are meat too They're so good for you but people think meat means beef or pork, at a stretch chicken :/

[Elgefar]

Don't turn to the dark side... Eat meat and be happy instead!

[NineSpine]

Second that.

Also to the guy saying GMO affects the taste/health.. facepalm.

While it's not wise to scream the sky is falling over GMOs, the health consequences of them are far from well-understood, and could very well be disastrous. The thing is that we just don't know.

[BLCalliente]

There's no reason that switching from a meat inclusive diet to a non inclusive diet would make you feel better. Unless you're eating too much protein. Or they're allergic to something in the food they were previously eating.

The energy levels part is the biggest bullshit though. That's just a placebo. They think they're being healthier and thus they feel it.

There is no reason! Except for these reasons, and some others I'm not mentioning!

[Ravenshadows]

If you limit your intake on stuff you will be better off then if went straight veggie, did that for 6 months did not work so well but good luck

[BLCalliente]

Do you know organic food still gets sprayed with pesticides?

Do you know that's not always true?

[Gerrin]

I've never felt more sick and lethargic than when I went on a vegetarian diet for lent one year. I was not getting what I needed out of the diet, which isn't surprising since everyone's digestion and metabolism has some variation from the next person. A long as you're comfortable with a new diet, you've done your research to make sure you're getting everything you need out of the diet, and feel fine while playing sports then there is no problem.
What you should be sure of though is that your dietary choices are because YOU want to do it. Don't do it for a friend, don't do it for a significant other. Mostly don't do it due to the bullshit hype about 'chemicals and toxins' or the myth of 'organic foods and free range'.

[NineSpine]

So you think that all pesticides are bad and all genetically modified food is bad?

You do realize that genetically modified food has literally saved, this is fact, 1 billion lives?

No, that isn't fact. You are referring to the little trick Penn and Teller did in their episode I assume. They called cross-breeding of crops genetic modification. That isn't what GMO means. GMO refers to specific practices of moving DNA around between different species, and we have only been doing it seriously for about fifteen years.

[Orangetai420]

So you think that all pesticides are bad and all genetically modified food is bad?

You do realize that genetically modified food has literally saved, this is fact, 1 billion lives?

There isn't enough testing for me to trust it.

I'm not saying it should be banned, if it can feed third world countries I'm all for it.

And I never said all pesticides were bad, but I sure as hell don't want to ingest synthetic chemicals.

However, GMO foods are killing our honey bees. Without bees to pollinate flowers the eco system is in trouble.
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=25950

[Deleted]

While it's not wise to scream the sky is falling over GMOs, the health consequences of them are far from well-understood, and could very well be disastrous. The thing is that we just don't know.

There aren't any. Go find a single study indicating that a currently farmed GMO is a hazard.

[BLCalliente]

Being vegetarian is not only a bad health choice.

It goes against nature. Things eat things, that's the way it is meant to be.

But if you so choose to be a vegetarian, don't be one of those vegetarians who thinks they are better than meat eaters.

As opposed to one of those meat eaters who thinks they're better than vegetarians?

(Looking at you)

[NineSpine]

I've never felt more sick and lethargic than when I went on a vegetarian diet for lent one year. I was not getting what I needed out of the diet, which isn't surprising since everyone's digestion and metabolism has some variation from the next person. A long as you're comfortable with a new diet, you've done your research to make sure you're getting everything you need out of the diet, and feel fine while playing sports then there is no problem.
What you should be sure of though is that your dietary choices are because YOU want to do it. Don't do it for a friend, don't do it for a significant other. Mostly don't do it due to the bullshit hype about 'chemicals and toxins' or the myth of 'organic foods and free range'.

I've never radically altered my diet quickly and not felt like shit. Radical alternations take time.

[Orangetai420]

There aren't any. Go find a single study indicating that a currently farmed GMO is a hazard.

Read the link I posted. GMO is relatively new. I think it's rather ignorant to get up in arms saying its fine.

There just isn't enough testing, its too new. We may not see immediate health effects but there are adverse effects. (read my link on honey bees a few posts up)