Vegan?

[Smilla]

I would like to get a discussion going about non-meat diets.

Please be respectful of others choices in this thread, I know this topic can cause tempers to flair.

Disclosure: I eat meat but feel very guilty about it, especially because the meat and dairy I do consume is probably sourced from factory farms.
And no matter how hard I try I cannot for the life of me not crave meat, seafood, cheese, etc.

Oops: I forgot to add vegan for all the above so please select the primary reason you became vegan.

 

[NumbItAll]

Carnivore for pragmatic reasons but admire people who can be vegan/vegetarian and think they get way too much crap from people who are unwilling to acknowledge the problems with eating meat.

 

[JustAboutDone]

Good question!
I am vegetarian; mostly as I don't like the way animals are treated. However, I am a bit of a hypocrite as I would like to be vegan for that reason but I cannot resist real proper cheese on a pizza.
I will eat meat if I'm at someone's house as a guest and they don't know I don't eat meat.

So, yes, part vegetarian part hypocrite

 

[Johnnythefox]

I think we are meat eaters by evolution, we certainly wouldn't have the teeth we have if we had evolved to be herbivores.

 

[MsM3talGamer]

I eat meat but I'm only allowed poultry like chicken or turkey. If I don't have animal protein I lose condition quickly due to my illness. I don't eat any red meat though. I fill up on veggies too and the protein from nuts and seeds. I'm a chocoholic but try to go easy on the sugary stuff. I generally try to avoid any processed foods cause they make me feel strange. I never touch soft drinks because of all the chemicals in them. I drink loads of water.

 

[Smilla]

I think we are meat eaters by evolution, we certainly wouldn't have the teeth we have if we had evolved to be herbivores.

I agree with you. My main problem is the factor farming issue which is necessary because of overpopulation.

 

[sif]

I think you missed one option actually, I don't wish to be vegetarian/vegan but I'm not a "carnivore without apology". I'd be happy to live on a farm or something and do it all myself. I don't believe eating animals in itself is an evil thing but the way the industries work of course is sickening.

Honestly I hate that simply existing we are faced with moral questions such as these, it's just another thing I never asked for. Let me live, let me be comfortable, let me be happy without hurting anybody else and without worrying. Of course, that's not possible.

 

[Smilla]

I think you missed one option actually, I don't wish to be vegetarian/vegan but I'm not a "carnivore without apology". I'd be happy to live on a farm or something and do it all myself. I don't believe eating animals in itself is an evil thing but the way the industries work of course is sickening.

Honestly I hate that simply existing we are faced with moral questions such as these, it's just another thing I never asked for. Let me live, let me be comfortable, let me be happy without hurting anybody else and without worrying. Of course, that's not possible.

Sorry, it wasn't a well thought out poll.

Wish we could change/edit polls :(

 

[Johnnythefox]

I agree with you. My main problem is the factor farming issue which is necessary because of overpopulation.

I agree, unfortunately that's the way it is and is likely to remain for the foreseeable future.
Did you know that cabbage have about 50% human DNA? As do many other fruits and vegetables.
The smell of fresh cut grass is also a distress signal.

 

[15dec]

I've been vegetarian in the past but I've always been met with a lot of opposition and belittling from my family due to it so it's easier not to be, sadly

 

[Johnnythefox]

Sorry, it wasn't a well thought out poll.

Wish we could change/edit polls :(

I thought you could within a certain time frame.

 

[Smilla]

I agree, unfortunately that's the way it is and is likely to remain for the foreseeable future.
Did you know that cabbage have about 50% human DNA? As do many other fruits and vegetables.
The smell of fresh cut grass is also a distress signal.

The smell of fresh cut grass I heard is an aphrodisiac to women—it somehow mimics the scent of sperm.

 

[JustAboutDone]

Might be irrelevant to some people but the cost of living is so damn high - rent, bills, etc for many it doesn't leave a lot left for food so even if they morally would like to choose high welfare meat options they literally don't have a choice

 

[Johnnythefox]

The smell of fresh cut grass I heard is an aphrodisiac to women—it somehow mimics the scent of sperm.

I'll have to try that instead of expensive aftershave.

 

[Smilla]

Might be irrelevant to some people but the cost of living is so damn high - rent, bills, etc for many it doesn't leave a lot left for food so even if they morally would like to choose high welfare meat options they literally don't have a choice

Totally true. My turkey for Christmas was free range but a kind friend purchased it for me.

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

I tried going vegan for the first time last month. I lasted 5 days but then I started crashing because I wasn't getting enough protein. I also found it difficult to get used to the taste of vegan alternatives and had a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction after every meal. This is probably my own fault though, because I likely didn't put enough effort into meal planning. I wanted to give it a shot due to health concerns/inflammation in my body first and foremost, but I figured the no animal cruelty thing was a nice bonus. I might give it another try in the future.

 

[Johnnythefox]

An interesting article on the relationship of DNA.
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_564f5a50e4b0258edb3145dc?guccounter=1

 

[Smilla]

An interesting article on the relationship of DNA.
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_564f5a50e4b0258edb3145dc?guccounter=1

We share 50 percent of DNA with bananas! Pretty cool. Wish I was a banana not a human.

 

[15dec]

An interesting article on the relationship of DNA.
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_564f5a50e4b0258edb3145dc?guccounter=1

Wow, we share more DNA with bananas than bees? Didn't expect that.

The first human ancestor was this little guy, called Purgatorius. Pretty fascinating to see stuff like this imo

 

[stellabelle]

Unapologetic carnivore here. I often see livestock at the auctions nearby, and while they are living creatures, it's just a part of life.

 

[Johnnythefox]

I like to watch science, educational TV,
on BBC 2 + 4.
I would say that's a later development in evolution, if you go back further our ancestors resembled more of a giant fat worm that crawled out of the primordial soup.

 

[Johnnythefox]

I'll stick with science.

 

[stellabelle]

It's a choice humans make. Rationalizing it away as "just how it is" is dishonest. This is my biggest frustration with "unapologetic carnivores"...the lack of honesty that it's their choice because they like it...not some required or unchangeable thing. I am not attacking you as a person, I have made the same rationalizations in the past. But I just cannot anymore. I believe we should always make efforts to minimize suffering and even just cutting back meat does this in a big way. Being "unapologetic" just seems cruel and unneeded. I personally cannot understand how anyone would want empathy and compassion for themselves, but refuse it toward animals.

There's no lack of honesty. Plenty of animals in the wild hunt for prey and are not herbivores. Should they be apologetic for their meal? Absolutely not.

 

[Pegasus]

It's a choice humans make. Rationalizing it away as "just how it is" is dishonest. This is my biggest frustration with "unapologetic carnivores"...the lack of honesty that it's their choice because they like it...not some required or unchangeable thing. I am not attacking you as a person, I have made the same rationalizations in the past. But I just cannot anymore. I believe we should always make efforts to minimize suffering and even just cutting back meat does this in a big way. Being "unapologetic" just seems cruel and unneeded. I personally cannot understand how anyone would want empathy and compassion for themselves, but refuse it toward animals. Given how much all of us here suffer I would have expected a lot different poll outcome...a lot less "unapologetic" answers and more "prefer" at least.

It is how nature is. Even humans are part of the food chain.

 

[stellabelle]

It is how nature is. Even humans are part of the food chain.

Exactly. If a bear decides I'm it's next meal, that's just life. Should it feel empathy? Nope.

 

[Pegasus]

Those animals are not humans with a choice...they are eating what they can when they can to survive. Most wild carnivores are obligate carnivores as well. We do not need meat...and we DO have a choice.

In Africa many people have no choice but to eat meat. This veganism movement is promoted by rich Westerners with unlimited food in their bellies.

 

[15dec]

I like to watch science, educational TV,
on BBC 2 + 4.
I would say that's a later development in evolution, if you go back further our ancestors resembled more of a giant fat worm that crawled out of the primordial soup.

Same here, I usually go for history, evolution stuff and crime documentaries.

And yeah, go back a little further and we were just extremophiles in deep sea vents.

Something else I find interesting is that every human can trace their lineage back to a single woman who lived 200,000 years ago, known as mitochondrial eve

 

[RainAndSadness]

I eat meat but I wish I had the willpower to be vegan or vegetarian. I don't eat very healthy and I'm too depressed to cook proper food, sadly. So all I do is eat junk food all day. You know, simple meals you can put into the oven or microwave, that are done in 5 minutes. I think I could maybe pull of a vegetarian diet if I was more mentally stable. But right now, that's not an option for me.

 

[Johnnythefox]

It is how nature is. Even humans are part of the food chain.

Unfortunately it's either kill or be killed, survival of the fittest etc....

 

[Pegasus]

Unfortunately it's either kill or be killed, survival of the fittest etc....

Yeah, Darwinism.