Any other vegetarians?

[BlueStar]

For years I felt uneasy about the fact I was eating meat, but I kept doing it anyway just because it just seemed easier....surely becoming a vegetarian would be a lot of hassle?

Well, at the start of this year I decided to act on that little voice of conscience and I stopped eating meat products.

Numerous things brought me to that decision: principally the horrendous suffering that is inflicted upon animals just so we can eat something we don't even need to eat, the fact that vegetarian diets are healthier and significantly reduce the likelihood of developing cancer and also the significant benefits to the environment. Also, it was in part motivated by spiritual leanings, and I was advised that spiritual advancement is aided by a light vegetarian diet. One of the final kicks I needed was seeing the comment that people who claim to love animals and yet eat them and thus participate in their enslavement, suffering and slaughter are hypocrites of the worst kind.

That hit home...big time. And like Leonardo da Vinci, the ultimate renaissance man said, feeding on animal flesh is feeding on death and making your body into little more than a tomb.

I can't do that any more.

Becoming vegetarian was surprisingly easy and I didn't miss meat products AT ALL. In fact, there is an abundance of meat-free products such as Quorn that are not only better for you (and the environment) but which are absolutely delicious. I can eat with a clean conscience. The very thought to consuming animal flesh is now quite repellent to me. I also feel healthier and lighter overall...I can definitely attest to the benefits of a meat free diet.

Although I am a fierce advocate of vegetarianism and will do what I can to promote the cause, I respect other people's rights to make their own moral and ethical choices. I just wish people would actually think a little bit more about what they are putting into their bodies however and the COST of doing so...many people are quite unconscious about what they eat and the suffering that animals have to endure just so they can habitually eat what they've always eaten without having to think about the consquences. I would invite people to spend the day at a slaughterhouse and see then if they are still happy knowing that animals have suffered horrifically (yes, even in our supposedly highly-regulated industries) just so they could stuff their bellies with their corpses when there is a abundance of healthier and blood-free alternatives to choose from.

I don't mean to offend anyone, merely inform. I also don't want to go into debate. I don't do debating. I just state my cause and let it be and I let it go. Once expressed, there is no point in trying to win arguments. This is just, um, food for thought...

If there are any other vegetarians here I would love to hear your stories and chat about foods, recipes and meat free alternatives

[planetlove]

I am a veggie....

What type of vegetarian are you ?

A vegan diet is a form of vegetarianism which excludes all animal products from the diet, such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs and honey
Fruitarianism is a diet of only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant.

Lacto-vegetarianism includes dairy products but excludes eggs

Ovo-vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy

lacto-ovo-vegetarianism includes both eggs and dairy products.

Semi-vegetarianism consists of a diet largely of vegetarian foods, but may include fish and sometimes even poultry, as well as dairy products and eggs

pescetarianism (also called pesco-vegetarianism and described as a "vegetarian" diet that includes fish

vegetarianism originating in Buddhism, excludes all animal products as well as the fetid vegetables: onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, or shallots.

Macrobiotic diet is a diet of mostly whole grains and beans. Not all macrobiotics are vegetarians, as some consume fish.

Raw veganism is a diet of fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.

Dietary veganism: whereas vegans do not use animal products of any kind, dietary vegans restrict their veganism to their diet.



I am a lacto ovo vegeterian....
a few yrs ago my body told me what it needed...
I got very sensitive to meat and eggs.....
now i eat eggs again....

In canada its very easy to be a vegetarian most restaurants cater for veggies...
I Found it very hard to get a away from eggs in most products....

Why am I a vegeterian ? This has nothing to do with the killing of animals like some ...."I think that the wrong way to think" ......

I do it for its health benifits and also because it's makes me feel healthy...mind body and spirit...

I am not saying that i will never eat meat again but , for now this is what my body wants and needs....

[BlueStar]

I occasionally eat tuna or salmon but apart from that no meat (and I'm soon gonna cut those out too as I feel guilty about it!). I still eat dairy products but try to ensure that they are free range and/or organic. There was an expose done on battery farming here in the UK earlier this year which was more than eye-opening. The suffering these animals endure is horrific so I try very hard to ensure I eat free range dairy products.

Soooo.....this will be my first veggie Christmas, so what alternatives do you recommend to turkey? Quorn roast is a possibility, or nut roast or something.

[Rana]

i have a sister who has been a vegetarian for most her life ..and occasionally it crossed my mind over the years but nothing really stuck to where i knew to do it.. but recently ive been thinking alot about this ,being a vegetarian especially as i get older ..i think we are meant to go off meat when we get older ..so ill be exploring the idea over the next few years ..definately why not ..

[Lion Spirit Walker]

I didn't realize there were so many classifications of being a vegetarian.
I would probably fall under the category of 'semivegetarianism, in that I rarely eat fish and fowl and cosume dairy.
As I became more ill with AIDS, my body made it loud and clear to me that I Needed more fruits, vegetables, and nuts than anything else. I actually crave more fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Meat consumption makes me very ill, so I avoid it.
My body and mind are healthier as a result.
I recieve what amino acids my body requires through Whey protein. I supplement my diet with a multi-vitamin/mineral.
I can easily stop eating fish and fowl.
Thank You Lucid. I think I will.

[BlueStar]

i have a sister who has been a vego for most her life ..and occasionally it crossed my mind over the years but nothing really stuck to where i knew to do it.. but recently ive been thinking alot about this ,being a vegetarian especially as i get older ..i think we are meant to go off meat when we get older ..so ill be exploring the idea over the next few years ..definately why not ..

Hi Rana, I think it starts as almost a little inner calling. It was like that with me. I just felt more and more than being vegetarian was something I wanted - or in fact HAD - to do. I kept putting it off because I thought it would be so much hassle, but in fact it was easy as pie! I thought I'd miss certain things, but in reality I didn't miss them AT ALL. The moment you make the commitment and get over thoughts of 'it'll be so difficult', it's actually remarkably easy, it just takes some time to get used to changing your eating habits. There are so many delicious meat alternatives - I love the Quorn range of products. They are tasty, convenient and cheaper than meat! Plus so much better for you - and the animals, obviously. I recommend gradually phasing meat out; I stopped eating red meat first, then some months later stopped eating chicken and other white meat, then later I stopped eating fish. I think that was the easiest way for me. If you'd like any advice or anything, then I'd love to help, so just let me know and I'll try my best. Trust me, you won't regret giving up meat - not only do you feel lighter and healthier physically but it's also a huge weight off the conscience for animal lovers like us

I didn't realize there were so many classifications of being a vegetarian.
I would probably fall under the category of 'semivegetarianism, in that I rarely eat fish and fowl and cosume dairy.
As I became more ill with AIDS, my body made it loud and clear to me that I Needed more fruits, vegetables, and nuts than anything else. I actually crave more fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Meat consumption makes me very ill, so I avoid it.
My body and mind are healthier as a result.
I recieve what amino acids my body requires through Whey protein. I supplement my diet with a multi-vitamin/mineral.
I can easily stop eating fish and fowl.
Thank You Lucid. I think I will.

I'm glad you've found a diet that is helping , Michael. I think a lot of it comes down to listening to our body. I always found red meat was very heavy and I never felt very good after eating it. I also think it's not great for very sensitive people; the vibrations of the animals who spend their last moments in intense fear and distress carry into the food and then into us.

What kind of whey protein do you take? I mentioned that I love the quorn range, there's also tofu - bit of an acquired taste but i really like smoked tofu. There are actually so many alternatives on the market that we're spoilt for choice

[inutero]

For years I felt uneasy about the fact I was eating meat, but I kept doing it anyway just because it just seemed easier....surely becoming a vegetarian would be a lot of hassle?

Well, at the start of this year I decided to act on that little voice of conscience and I stopped eating meat products.

Numerous things brought me to that decision: principally the horrendous suffering that is inflicted upon animals just so we can eat something we don't even need to eat, the fact that vegetarian diets are healthier and significantly reduce the likelihood of developing cancer and also the significant benefits to the environment. Also, it was in part motivated by spiritual leanings, and I was advised that spiritual advancement is aided by a light vegetarian diet. One of the final kicks I needed was seeing the comment that people who claim to love animals and yet eat them and thus participate in their enslavement, suffering and slaughter are hypocrites of the worst kind.

That hit home...big time. And like Leonardo da Vinci, the ultimate renaissance man said, feeding on animal flesh is feeding on death and making your body into little more than a tomb.

I can't do that any more.

Becoming vegetarian was surprisingly easy and I didn't miss meat products AT ALL. In fact, there is an abundance of meat-free products such as Quorn that are not only better for you (and the environment) but which are absolutely delicious. I can eat with a clean conscience. The very thought to consuming animal flesh is now quite repellent to me. I also feel healthier and lighter overall...I can definitely attest to the benefits of a meat free diet.

Although I am a fierce advocate of vegetarianism and will do what I can to promote the cause, I respect other people's rights to make their own moral and ethical choices. I just wish people would actually think a little bit more about what they are putting into their bodies however and the COST of doing so...many people are quite unconscious about what they eat and the suffering that animals have to endure just so they can habitually eat what they've always eaten without having to think about the consquences. I would invite people to spend the day at a slaughterhouse and see then if they are still happy knowing that animals have suffered horrifically (yes, even in our supposedly highly-regulated industries) just so they could stuff their bellies with their corpses when there is a abundance of healthier and blood-free alternatives to choose from.

I don't mean to offend anyone, merely inform. I also don't want to go into debate. I don't do debating. I just state my cause and let it be and I let it go. Once expressed, there is no point in trying to win arguments. This is just, um, food for thought...

If there are any other vegetarians here I would love to hear your stories and chat about foods, recipes and meat free alternatives

Hey Lucid...What changes did your body and mind endure once you went to all vegge? I have been thinking about going all veggies for the duration of about a week, but more so as a cleansing.