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Vegetarian Club Anyone?

#322
i just caught a bit of talk of the nation on NPR. my mind was more on a recent identity crisis in my blues band, but they were talking about the meat industry. here are some brief highlites:

hamburger grinders get trimmings from many carcasses from many packing plants so hundreds if not thousands of cows could be in any burger.

those cows are being processed too quickly for the inspectors to check them all for fecal matter.

the grinding plants don't test for e coli, they let the packing plants do it (cause the repercussions would be too much to deal with cause so many packing plants supply a grinding facility).

in other words, eating beef = eating $#!*

very nice. i mean, i don't mind eating a little local soil on my local veggies, but i am not too into eating cow crap.
 
#323
EBodious said:
i just caught a bit of talk of the nation on NPR. my mind was more on a recent identity crisis in my blues band, but they were talking about the meat industry. here are some brief highlites:

hamburger grinders get trimmings from many carcasses from many packing plants so hundreds if not thousands of cows could be in any burger.

those cows are being processed too quickly for the inspectors to check them all for fecal matter.

the grinding plants don't test for e coli, they let the packing plants do it (cause the repercussions would be too much to deal with cause so many packing plants supply a grinding facility).

in other words, eating beef = eating $#!*

very nice. i mean, i don't mind eating a little local soil on my local veggies, but i am not too into eating cow crap.
Click to expand...


That's just the tip of the iceberg. It still gets me when people hear things like this, then shrug and say "I still need to eat/crave a good burger now and again."

oy.
 
#324
Well, I made the switch to soy milk last night. I have tried this before and it really is not bad at all. After reading more about cows milk I thought I would give it a go. My only concern at this point is that soy does not have as much Calcium as Cows milk, but I guess I could use supplements.:hmm:
 
#325
Fire-Starter said:
Well, I made the switch to soy milk last night. I have tried this before and it really is not bad at all. After reading more about cows milk I thought I would give it a go. My only concern at this point is that soy does not have as much Calcium as Cows milk, but I guess I could use supplements.:hmm:
Click to expand...

Don't worry about calcium. On paper the quantity of calcium in cow's milk is higher, but the human body has a tougher time digesting the calcium in cow's milk, so much of it passes through you unused. You'll find plant based sources of calcium get better used by your body, so you won't be going without calcium if you eat the right veggies.

I recommend you try almond milk sometime too. Many people have problems with soy in their diets, you may find almond milk agrees with you more than soy milk.
 
#326
"Sources of well-absorbed calcium for vegans include calcium-fortified soy milk and juice, calcium-set tofu, soybeans and soynuts, bok choy, broccoli, collards, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, and okra."

Also plant derived calcium is generally absorbed better than animal based (and excessive animal protein intake causes bone calcium loss in many people), so it isn't as difficult as it seems. Obviously, vitamin D and exercise are important for bone health as well.
 
#327
yes, i believe if you are gonna drink fortified alt-milks you want it to have magnesium, calcium, and vita D in concert.

i really like unsweetened almond milk. be aware that the alt-milks often have added sugar. in case that is a concern.

embracing broccoli and leafy greens is a great way to deal with calcium. last nite i stir-fried garlic, ginger, baby onions, red peppers, broc, and chard with a little soy sauce. 5 minutes total in a hot wok.

yum.
 
#328
EBodious said:
.
embracing broccoli and leafy greens is a great way to deal with calcium. last nite i stir-fried garlic, ginger, baby onions, red peppers, broc, and chard with a little soy sauce. 5 minutes total in a hot wok.

yum.
Click to expand...

this is great and all, but since i was a little child i could never deal with onions/any type of pepper. I know peppers and onions throw in some awesome flavourings into food (which i thoroughly embrace:D), but i can't get em down if they're physically there! Cooking-wise, any alternatives to supplement the lack of peppers?

I've been living healthily as a vegetarian, but i'm looking to actually start living a 'healthy' life, as opposed to the acceptable level of health that our modern world has come to embrace..
 
#329
one thought is to cook the onions peppers in oil then remove the chunks of food leaving the flavorful oil and going on from there. otherwise, i would just eat other veggies. i don't like to mix carrots and red peppers, so i would say if no peppers add carrots. i also think summer squashes when cut thick can get a nice cooked outside chewy inside, sort of like a pepper.

and a big +1 to being healthy. i don't think "vegetarian" equals healthy. i do think that usually vegetarians are thinking more about their choices, and that is the first step to healthy. but living healthy is about lots of conscious choices. like fresh, local, minimally processed food!
 
#330
One thing that troubles me is the questions/comments I get from people about this new lifestyle I have taken on. The two common questions are...

1: How much weight have you lost?

2: Do you feel weak?

To you who are Vegan/Vegetarian, have you gone through this in your initial stages and then you recovered? I have not lost any, nor do I feel weak, but for some reason, this seems to be a perception out there that this is what happens to one who goes Vegan/Vegetarian or in my case, pescetarians.

Finally my friends, how are you getting your Omega 3 acids for those who dont eat fish. Are you taking flaxseed oil or other supplements?

Thanks for your patients, as you can tell I am new to this but I certainly think it is worth it.:cool:
 
#331
1. Depends how many/few calories you eat. Most people do drop some lbs., as vegatables are lower calories and more filling(higher fiber) than what most people typically eat (pizza, hamburgers, etc.).
2. No, and I am dubious of people to say they have when switching to a veg diet. Again there are good and poor veg/vegan diets. It depends exactly what you eat.

The convential wisdom re: Omega 3/6 intake may not be as simple or linear as once thought. I've done the ground flax seed thing (I read that it is less process and lower cals/fat than the oil and you get the fiber, although it does have less Omega-3s) for awhile but didn't notice any perceived difference. My take is I wouldn't worry about it if you have a balanced diet. Vegans consistently have very, very good cholesterol levels.
 
#332
The myth that you'll feel weak or lose weight from being veg comes from people who don't know how to eat turning veg and not eating properly when they do. Eat a balanced diet and you won't need to worry about feeling weak (or losing weight, as i can attest :D).

I put flaxseed oil in my smoothies.
 
#333
Being a life-long Vegetarian, I have no basis for comparison. But Ive never been accused of being weak. Been athletic all my life, and even tho I have slowed down a bit-I'm 51-I still appear to be in my late 30's,early 40's and can keep up with my 17 year old son. Well, usually :-)

As for Omega acids, Ive never worried about it. I eat a lot of Olives, and nuts and you can get it from squash too. Soy is a good source also, and the fake meats I grew up on and still eat have soy in them.
 
#334
I get my omega 3s from "earth balance" margarine type spread. I also put an Omega oil blend on my popcorn instead of margarine. I also add nutritional yeast, which sounds gross but its actually quite good. Makes popcorn a healthy snack.

The think the thing that vegans/veg people have to worry about the most is iron. But if you eat a healthy well-balanced its no big deal.
 
#336
i have never thought about omega (or essential fatty acid) intake. i try to eat a thoughtful and balanced diet.

how would one know if they were not getting enough omegas?

or iron? i use cast iron a lot and have heard that tomatoes (or anything acidic) cooked in cast iron is a good source of iron! strange but true?

the drummer in my "rock" band has been vege a long time and her doc recently told her she was not getting enough iron. between you all and me, i don't think she was eating very healthily tho. i recently did the full over-40 physical. doc said i am doing fine.
 
#339
Fire-Starter said:
One thing that troubles me is the questions/comments I get from people about this new lifestyle I have taken on. The two common questions are...

1: How much weight have you lost?

2: Do you feel weak?

To you who are Vegan/Vegetarian, have you gone through this in your initial stages and then you recovered? I have not lost any, nor do I feel weak, but for some reason, this seems to be a perception out there that this is what happens to one who goes Vegan/Vegetarian or in my case, pescetarians.

Finally my friends, how are you getting your Omega 3 acids for those who dont eat fish. Are you taking flaxseed oil or other supplements?

Thanks for your patients, as you can tell I am new to this but I certainly think it is worth it.:cool:
Click to expand...

Since I turned vegan,that was 2 years ago,

I gained 10 kgs (~22 pounds).

I always had issues with being tired and lazy,there's no change at the lazyness dept.:p
But I feel lighter,I feel better than before but thats probably my conscious.

I have to admit there are times I feel old,I blamed it on turning vegan in the beginning,but its just psychoogical now I see.

I don't eat anything that was killed,I don't use products that were produced from the dead animals,like leather.
 

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