phoenixgrl asked:


growing up i pretty much ate anything. however, after decreasing my meat (especially red meat) intake and increasing my vegetable intake for a prolonged period, my body started to change seemingly for the worse. i stopped having my period and lost my bowel movements. also i felt less energized. in the beginning, i felt better (went to the bathroom better and my metabolism seemed to speed up) but after a prolonged period of continuing this way, my body changed for the worse. i started incorporating more meat in my diet but now it doesn’t seem to digest as well as it used to. can not eating a lot of meat for a long time cause discomfort if you start eating it again?
i forgot to mention that when i decreased my meat intake, i started eating more soy protein like tofu, beans, and soy mild.

Nathaniel

Matt H asked:


Whenever another vegetarian or Vegan says anything the lest bit controversial such as meat eating is immoral, how can you stand to eat meat, or god forbid, I support the ALF, Some Vegetarian apologist is ready and waiting to right that person off for stating their beliefs.
Are some of you that insecure in the direction of our movement, if you can even call it a movement, that you feel the need to cater to the sensibilities of the masses and not offend anyone? I mean no one any disrespect, meat eater or vegetarian, but to discuss this issue means that some meat eaters and vegetarians might get their feathers ruffled a bit. Disagreements in ideology or tactics are fine, hell even desired. However, to have some Vegetarian apologist undermining others is frankly really annoying. Thoughts?
I think some of you are missing the point. I’m not talking about how militant someone is about the cause and whether you agree or disagree with that. You’re welcomed to hold and state whatever your feelings are on that subject. What I’m talking about is the people who marginalize others in their same group for having views that are more radical, or less, than their own. People who try and create the illision that the entire Vegetarian and Vegan movement is against this persons ideas instead if disagreeing with it yourself. That’s what I’m talking about.
@ greenghost: I have no idea what provoked that rant of yours. I’ll say two things and you can take them how you wish:

1. I’m not sure were you get your ideas about what the Animal Rights movement is about, but whether you like it or not, animal rights is a part of it. not just promoting a diet that causes less suffering.

2. No social justice movement in history has ever succeeded without a radical element. Ever. I intentionally try to stir up the pot about the ALF and groups like them because I believe Americans and most of the western world are afraid to be labeled as extreme, or support ideas viewed by many to be extreme. This is dangerous. The voice of moderation is important, but moderation is not a voice people hear. Moderation does not get things done, it keeps a balance. An important job to be sure, but it does not do the real work. It does not get people to open their eyes.
@ GreenGhost:

“Matt, my ‘rant’ is because you have a history here of claiming that those groups are pro-vegetarian and help spread the word about the benefits of vegetarianism! ”
 
-First of all who are “these groups?” I only mentioned one, the ALF, and I was not specifically talking about their contribution or lack thereof to the movement. I only mentioned them as a group that people feel the need to make excuses for wheather they support them or not.
 
“They do nothing of the sort and *hurt* the reputation of real organizations that understand that a positive message and positive actions are the way to sway general public opinion to our side!”
 
- Which organizations are we talking about here?
 
 ”Alf is a terror group plain and simple!”
 
- That’s your opinion, and your entitled to it. I don’t desire to go off track and talk about the inaccuracies of labeling the ALF a terrorist group in this question.
 
“At a bare minimum they have killed one person,”
 
- No they haven’t. Your grouping organizations that have no ties to each other. The federal government does not even claim the ALF has killed anyone.
 
 ”…injured several others and killed hundreds of animals through their campaign of arson…”
 
- While I don’t particularly agree with the tactic of arson in every case, every possible precaution is taken to make sure no animals are harmed when a building is burned down. Obviously this is imposable as spiders or mice, rats, or other creatures living in the building that were not captives could very well be injured. This is a problem, I agree.
 
 ..bombings and targeted assassination!”
 
- The “bombing was a lit Molotov cocktail sat on someone’s back porch, without being thrown at someone or something, this is about a dangerous as a lit tiki torch. Hardly a bombing. Again, they have never killed anyone, there has been no assignation.
 
“Thanks to alf’s record being blamed as veggie extremism you will find that it’s extremely difficult for scientists that happen to be veggie to be allowed anywhere near a lab.”
 
- What would any self respecting Vegetarian or Vegan scientist be doing in a lab experimenting on animals anyways?
 
“Vegginess is now considered a security risk! Media doesn’t just say alf blew up a research lab, they say things like “Vegetarian animal rights protesters bombed a facility that was working on a cure for the terrible human scourge of Lupus”.”
 
- The media distorts many things, We should work with them to any extent possible to make sure actions are reported properly. Indeed the ALF use to do this, but has quit for some reason. It needs to be a priority again.
 
“I (and other veggies in the region) caught a lot of flak when peta refused to help feed snowbound cattle in Colorado! Veggies in this region caught a LOT of flak over that since *most* Americans automatically think peta (who won’t support no-kill animal shelters) represents the mind set of ANYONE that supports veggies or animal welfare!”
 
- I’m no PETA supporter, However why should PETA waste their money to help feed cattle that will end up slaughtered anyways and help line the farmers pockets? I’m glad they did not help them. The farmers need to take responsibility for their own inaction. They knew the storm was coming. Those animals were going to die anyways, whether PETA helped or not.
 
 
“You claim that no social justice movement ever succeeded with a violent fringe element (yeah, I did twist your words). Was it Bobby Seale or M.L.King along with Rosa Parks that won civil rights?”
 
- Did the Black Panthers, and Malcolm X play no important role? 
 
 
“Did the Underground Railroad save slaves lives; or burn plantations down and kill the slaves?”
 
- Actually their were groups that burned down plantations after slaves were freed. Keep in mind that what the Underground Railroad did was illegal and unpopular. The media condemned those actions then as they condemn the actions of animal liberators now.
 
“We all know M.K. Gandhi won freedom for India by blowing up British barracks and slaughtering all Indians that supported the Brit’s, right? Get my drift yet!”
 
- Wrong, talk to many Indians and they will tell you Gandhi got many innocent people killed unnecessarily. He is not quite as popular in his homeland as he is here.

“Right here in the Food>V&V section haven’t you seen folks slamming ALL vegetarians because of the stupid actions of alf and peta members? ”
 
- They slam us because of their lack of understanding of the issues their own insecurities or the media’s twisting of stories.
 
“Moderation is EXACTLY what gets things changed!”
 
- I would say not, and I don’t think anyone who has studied history seriously would disagree.
 
“I’ve been veggie longer than you’ve been on this planet (if I recall correctly you’re mid-20s).”
 
- Unfortunately that is no indication of comprehension of the topics, and is blatantly ageist.
 
 ”Myself and others like me that were ‘quietly’ veggie are what caused the surge of veggies in the ’70s. As folks became veggie they automatically began to care more about the condition of animals. It’s just a normal by-product of a ‘gentler’ form of life! Patience is a virtue and we all need that as we break cycles that have been ingrained in human conciousness for thousands of years.”
 
- So what do you suggest that we wait another thousand years until people wake up? The sixties and seventies are over, we don’t have time for all that hippie stuff now. Animals are dieing. It’s too late to let people come to vegetarianism on their own terms. We need to bring it to them.
 
 ”Your too young to remeber the days when it was considered ‘normal and no big deal’ to drown excess dogs and cats as one small example of how conditions have improved. How about bull and **** fights? No big deal when I was young but now the vast majority of people are disgusted with the situation!”
 
- That’s wonderful but now instead of drowning, dogs and cats are euthanized or sold to class B dealers who sell the animals into medical research. That’s hardly a victory for the animals.
 
 ”Aren’t you in Chicago where they’re banning Fois gras?”
 
- I am.
 
“Even though ineffective (and misguided) look at all the folks who shun factory animals and seek free-range “foods”. As they are slowly made to realize the truth of ‘free-range’ it’ll be veggies like me that will be there to switch them to analogs (fake meats) and away from animals; not peta and/or alf!”
 
- I sure hope so. Although I fear that the blinders of the free range label may take quite a bit of work to remove for many people.
 
 
“Finally(almost), you didn’t like me getting in your face did you?? See how it works? You immediatly shut out what I said, didn’t you?”
 
-Absolutely not. I took in what you said, however I disagree with it. I like a good debate. No hard feelings here, this is what it’s all about.
 
 ”That’s how people react to peta and alf!”
 
- That’s because PETA’s acts are mainly adventurism and ineffective, and the ALF gets nothing but bad press as of recently.
 
“That’s why if you *really* want to help veggies (and the natural flow to improved conditions for animals) you shoud be supporting the groups that that quietly put the whisper in the doctors ear that vegginess is healthy, that run no-kill shelters, that send letters of concern to regulators.”

- Welfarism is not my goal, Abolition is. Wile I would never argue that a longer chain and fewer beatings for a slave would be better then doing nothing to improve his or her condition, I would hardly be content to stop there. I feel the same for animals, they are not ours to use and exploit.
 
“Lastly; you might find it interesting to know that I was a ‘charter’ member of peta and left somewhere in the mid/late ’80s. I left them after they decided that irritating people was a good way to get massive press coverage; without paying attention to what bad press did to the cause!”
 
- As you might find it interesting to know that I really don’t like PETA or their methods all that much. The fact that they hire celebritys to appear in their ads and then turn around and kill animals they have rescued due to lack of funds is reason enough to not support them for me.

(Whew, thats long! Happy reading!)
Hi GreenGhost, I have posted my reponce on a diffrent yahoo site becuase this was getting hard to read, the full text of the debate, including my last responce can be found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/veggiefacts/message/44

PM me to respond,or you can just post it here if you would like.

Maureen

Musik Chick asked:


I found this article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/161559/page/1
I’ve added my thoughts and opinions into the article so when you see UPPERCASE words in (parenthesis), thats me talking.
Post your comments about the article

For the last 15 years, Dawn Jackson Blatner has been what’s now called a “flexitarian” or “almost vegetarian.” (CAN YOU SAY OXYMORON?) She eats lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, barbecued tempeh and veggie burgers with guacamole. But she sometimes indulges in a pork chop or her grandma’s pot roast.

It might seem like being a vegetarian of convenience isn’t particularly inspiring, but a growing number of experts and even some famous foodies are fans. They say that cutting back on meat, rather than abstaining completely, may be a practical compromise that benefits our bodies and our environment.

“It gives you the health benefits of a vegetarian diet without having to follow the strict rules,” (WHY IS IT CONCIDERED STRICKED? YOU CAN EAT JUST BOUT EVERYTHING YOU WANT. EVER HEARD OF MEATLESS MEATS PPL!?!?!) says Blatner, a registered dietitian and author of “The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life” (McGraw-Hill, October 2008). “We know that people live longer and live healthier when they eat vegetarian, but it’s just too darn hard to do it 100 percent of the time.”

Even gourmet food writers, used to nightly courses of filets and pates, are advocating the eat-less-meat movement. In January, Mark Bittman, author of “How to Cook Everything” (Wiley, 1998), is coming out with new book called “Food Matters,” (Simon & Schuster) about how our diet affects global warming and “globesity” (global obesity). Bittman has been very critical of what he calls America’s “meat guzzling” tendencies. “I am an advocate of what I like to think of as a much saner diet—a largely plant-based diet,” he says. A meat-based diet is, he says, “not even close to sustainable.” Last year, Bittman published “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian,” (Wiley, 2007), though he is not a vegetarian himself.

Bittman notes that Americans eat about 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish a year—twice as much as the global average (YUCK!). He argues that not only is a heavily vegetable diet healthier for us physically, but that it’s also true that the industrial production and processing of grain-fed livestock consumes a huge amount energy and has a negative impact on the environment (NEGATIVE IMPACT!!!).

It’s unclear how many people are official “flexitarian” converts, but nutritionists believe there are a growing number of people who are simply eating fewer meat entrees whether it’s for health, or economic reasons or because there are more good meatless dishes on offer. Think how many Americans regularly eat peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, pasta, bean burritos and cheese pizzas as their main courses, says Blatner. “I do feel like that is a shocking thing, when you think about how much vegetarian food we eat without even trying.” (THIS IS THE SAME GUY WHO SAID VEGETARIANISM WAS STRICT?!?!)
And while only 2 to 3 percent of Americans are traditional vegetarians, who shun anything that ever had a face, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group, vegetarian foods have become increasingly popular among non-vegetarians. “If you look around at every regular, mainstream grocery store, you have soy milk right next to regular milk, you have veggie burgers in the frozen section, and tubs of tofu sitting there in the produce section,” says Blatner. She suggests that many of those who buy these products may be flextitarians and not even realize it. Even dedicated vegetarians say they are somewhat flexible. A 2003 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that two out of three vegetarians say they can’t stick to a pure veggie diet all the time (DO YOU THINK THIS IS TRUE?).

Some vegetarian advocates hope that a movement that begins with eating less meat might lead to more people embracing a no-meat, no-fish and no-fowl lifestyle. Vegetarian Resource Group co-director Charles Stahler, calls it a “step in the right direction.” It should also inspire even more restaurants to create veggie options, and more people to realize that it’s “easy to be a vegetarian,” he says. In fact, it already has become a bit easier for gourmet food lovers to find good meatless entrees. Last year a National Restaurant Association survey found that more than 50 percent of chefs rate vegetarian entries among their top 10 trendiest menu items (I THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING).

Still, not everyone agrees that it’s a great idea to be mostly vegetarian instead of going whole hog—so to speak. “Given the environmental, cruelty and health impact of a meat-based diet, going vegan is best, going vegetarian is good, and being a flexitarian is like smoking two packs of cigarettes instead of ten, beating one pig down the slaughter ramp instead of two, and pouring a p
If you don’t care about the article, then I don’t bout your response. Grow up and get a life other than leaving comments that waste ppls time! Report you for being an a$$!
haha i know its a ridiculous term, but that was the name of the article, i had nothing to do with it
i see where your going with it, but once again, NOT MY ARTICLE, i did not write it, i found it on msn.com, I just posted it to see what ppl thought, so stop thinking its mine, k?

Keith

Kindred asked:


I have recently opted for a healthier lifestyle for my baby and I, He is 10 months. I have took him off formula and switched to almond milk. i just wanted some advice on it.

should i still be giving him formula or switch completely?

hes bowel movements are not as regular, should i be worried?

what are the pros and cons?

i would like answers from parents who have actually switched their babies to almond milk, not random people who are quick to point out “becareful about nut allergies blah blah blah….” i have done research, so i am aware of what i am doing!!!

thanks in advance

wtf is wrong with breast milk? nothing but he has four teeth and bites me, do you have kids????
Many females in the U.S.are becoming health conscious and learning about the importance of breastfeeding (which is really a natural function for the majority of females, if not all females), which is a very good thing and I applaud every last one of these women.

Breastfeeding is the natural way a baby derives nutrition and bonding (emotional, etheric, psychological, physical, etc.) from its mother. The nipples do not just allow milk to be obtained, but energy as well, as both nipples have chakras. These nipple chakras store all the information a mother has for her baby. Chakras are diskettes of information so a baby receives maternal information from the nipples of the breast as well as nutrition in the form of milk.

It is for this reason synthetic milk (derived from animal milk) should not be given to any child, especially the child of a conscious parent. Mother’s breast milk has EVERY single nutrient a newborn needs.
and requires and no other milk comes close (except for the alternative milks described later on in this article).

It is errant to give a human baby cow’s milk. The first thing that physically develops in a human baby is the brain, whereas the first thing to physically develop in a baby cow is the skeletal structure and system. So why give a human baby cow’s milk? Do you see how crazy and errant this is? Why are you giving your baby milk that is conducive to skeletal development as a biological first priority when your human baby requires milk that is conducive to neurological development as a biological first priority?

Mother’s breast milk is loaded with nutrition: minerals, trace elements, essential fatty acids, amino acids (protein), so-called vitamins and B-vitamins, and most importantly of all: LOVE!

When a baby breastfeeds from day one, it receives COLOSTRUM that helps to boost and fortify the baby’s defense system or so-called “immune” system.
Actually, it is mother’s colostrum that activates the baby’s immune system. Mother’s breast milk has the activating code for the baby’s immune system.

Breastfeeding also helps to strengthen the baby’s aura. When a woman breastfeeds her baby, it strengthens her aura as well as the baby’s aura. In fact, when and while breastfeeding, mother and child actually share the same aura. This is why a woman must keep herself energetically or vibrationally clean and pure so as not to taint her baby’s aura or even her breast milk, as all thought and emotion is chemical and registers a chemical reaction So always keep calm and have positive thoughts and emotions while breastfeeding. Trust me, this is vitally important!
Many babies that breastfeed from a toxic mother can develop jaundice, hepatitis, or colitis predicated upon the emotions that result in these diseases. When a woman stores anger and rage, they will store in the liver (of mother and eventually the baby) and manifest in the baby as jaundice or hepatitis, diseases of the liver. The feeling of not being able to “stomach” something or being “tired of this s-h-i-t!” will store in the intestines of mother and baby and may manifest in the baby as colitis.

Truly, breastfeeding is an art, craft, and science!
Okay, so you have to go back to work or maybe you have breastfeeding problems that prevent you from breastfeeding. So what can you do?

Alternative Milks

You can make healthy and wholesome alternative milks for your baby from Nature’s fruits, seeds, nuts, and grains such as hemp, rice, almonds, oats, cashews, walnuts, banana, coconut, and dates to name a few. Sea moss (or seaweed) is added for nutritional content and a little maple syrup for sweetness.
i DO NOT BUY almond milk, i make my own from scratch
most doctors are not into natural health, they are into drugs/quick fixes
did your baby actually drink almond milk? the woman with the child with a nut allergy…..
i dont agree with cows milk, so my baby will not be drinking that.

i also buy organic almonds

i have chatted to my husband and we have both agreed that i am going to continue expressing my milk for my child for now!!!

Annie

Z asked:


It seems automatically assumed that if you favour animal rights, you must be a leftist, pacifist,etc, and in demonstrations, protests and politics in general the 2 always go together.
Why?
A lot of leftists deride animal rights and frequently oppose the movement as sentimental, classist or the preserve of the rich (”the poor can’t afford to be vegans,”etc.)
Given that humans generally have largely abused or neglected the animal kingdom, why would one who cares about animal rights also devote themselves to bettering humanity?
Words like “conservative” or “right wing” are also frequently usd as metaphors for the hard-hearted or uncaring. What are the exceptions to this rule, in the case of animal rights?

By “right wing,” I do not mean fascism, extremism or racism. And Hitler being or not being vegetarian is irrelvant.

Ruth

Axel asked:


What are some different options for a good and healthy dinner each night? I don’t eat much during the day, but I love my fulfilling, tasty dinners. What are some good meals for dinner. I try to avoid preservatives and weird chemicals as much as possible.
*P.S. If you love animals and are intersetd in the rights movement, you should check out the film, “Your Mommy Kills Animals”. It is interesting and a must for animal lovers and PETA investigaters.

Is a protein shake for breakfast every day before work healthy in your opinion? It has lots of carbs and protein and some weird chemicals I don’t trust, but it works good and I stay strong during the day.

What are your favorite snack foods that are vegan?
edit:sorry somehow the Question got chopped in half and screwed up. ;(

Andre

Pajama Wars asked:


some liberals I know are so liberal I feel that they make liberal agendas seem ridiculous. I am a liberal, but not an extremist, meaning I try not to eat meat, I care about my environment and recycling and I think the government should take care of the sick and “teach a man to fish” policy toward helping the poor. However, I don’t save every napkin I use and I don’t throw a fit when things aren’t recycled, I’m not a vegan and I’m not making any attention grabbing environmentalist “statements” and I don’t believe in a welfare state. I’ve always felt that many liberals will never be satisfied and I have always felt that they are ruining the liberal movement in America. Do you agree with me or do you think extreme policy and social changes are more beneficial to society?
to beachbum: by the way, I don’t have any definitions confused. the definition of a liberal is somebody who is open to new ideas. womens rights, de-segregation, animal rights, environmentalism, public medical, etc…these are all new ideas that are beneficial to society and the world we live in. as for your definition of “constitutionalism”, those are not liberal ideas (but liberals don’t exclude all non-liberal ideas).
To: d3p3ch3mod3, my point is that the conservative extremists are alot more dangerous and that liberals need to set achievable goals that are beneficial o society rather than complain about problems we can never solve.

To: alwaysright, extremists are in control of both parties.

Jeffrey

richardatf asked:


In particular, the vegan movement within the church.

Does Whites assertions that we should abstain from eggs, milk, vinegar, and all flesh (including clean meats) constitute a divinely inspired message?

Please explain your reasoning in your answer.

Alicia

Amanda L asked:


First I’d like to let you that I am already vegetarian. Reasons: it’s really really cruel. Also, on the whole it’s healthier and helps the environment.

I researched a bit about veganism, and I totally see your point. But what if I get eggs and milk from little farms where the animals are in great conditions and they aren’t slaughtered the moment they’re not good enough? Do you think if you aren’t vegan, people won’t care where you get your food from, and it won’t help the movement to end needless animal cruelty?
So what do you think?
hey guise
What exactly is your point?
I have learned that you can actually stay really heatlhy while you’re a vegan.
I’m not asking about the health differences from eggs and dairy from little farms vs. factories. I’m asking about morality, humanity. Not being a cruel hypocrite.
However, I know for a fact that the stuff from the little farms is almost always healthier than the products from factories.
Did you mean that it sounded like I said that being vegetarian was cruel? Really sorry about the grammar thing…I meant killing animals needlessly is really really cruel. Vegetarian is good. In my opinion.
I’m not looking for a loophole.
I’m just not sure if it’s wrong. If I feel it is morally correct and more humane, then I really will try to become vegan. I’ve stood everyone making fun of me for being vegetarian.
You cannot KNOW that the farms my milk/eggs come from are like the other ones.
However, I will try to learn more about them.
One of you said that even if you stop eating them everyone else will keep doing it. I think that every person counts. If everyone said that they wouldn’t make a difference an didn’t go veg, then of course there wouldn’t make a difference, but if everyone said that they could try, then there would be lots of people like that and it would start movement toward veg.

Manuel

Melissa asked:


Okay so this has been going on for a month or so but I only have a bowel movement once a day and that is every morning, but I jsut seemed to realize that every morning I wake up to pains in my stomach, and then once I go to the bathroom I have loose/ thin shreddy stools and the pain is gone and I’m, good for the day.

I eat ONLY HEALTHY FOODS and I am a vegan and 95% organic. Here is an example of whats about I usually eat:

breakfast:
2 cups of fresh fruit(different fruits every morning)

Lunch:
3/4cup of nuts/seeds with some dried mango
or 2 whole grain pita with hummus
or 3/4cup whole grain granola
or whole grain crackers + nut butter of my choice(usually cashew)

Dinner:
whole grain home made macaroni soup + salad
or whole grain pasta with homemade tomato sauce + salad
or brown rice + salad
or homemade lentil soup + salad
or homemade baked french fries and corn + salad

These are typical meals for me so yah what’s wrong with me???? I know I dont eat that much but thats because Im really small and I get full easily.

I am 17 years old 5 feet 1 and I am 92 pounds.

WHATS WRONG WITH ME

Duane