HomeHealthHow to Eat? Vegan? Vegetarian? Omnivore?

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How to Eat? Vegan? Vegetarian? Omnivore? — 3 Comments

  1. hi Amy!
    Happy new year!!
    Here is what I think about eating plant based ( aka veganism)…
    Right on about the water! Unfortunately many municipal water systems allow a scary amount of toxic substances to persist in the final product. Buying water in plastic is expensive and leads to horrifying increases in land fill. South Florida, where we are now, was recently taken to task by the EPA for using too much chlorine to kill the E. coli and so substituted ammonia! Also fluoride is only in use now in North America as it is considered to be as dangerous to humans as lead.
    So, what to do? Water is precious and necessary to human life. Our solution is to install a whole house filter system here. But not reasonable for many. Maybe just a simple system under the kitchen sink?

    Vegan is a new word in the language, created around WWII, and is simply vegetarian shortened. Unfortunately, the word has been very politicized over time. So I use “plant-based” eating instead.

    All humans, eating whatever diet, suffer a decline in B-12 absorption over time. Humans over 50 are advised to supplement their diets with OTC B-12 pills. Makers of almond milk are adding B-12 now. I personally take B-12 daily, at the age of 60.

    I never eat soy. I don’t like it and turns out, soy is heavily processed along with being heavily GMO. Many alternates.

    No question that eating a different way requires teaching and learning. It took me a couple of years to unlearn all that I had been taught about omnivore cooking and eating. Once we know, it is as easy, perhaps easier, and certainly cheaper, to eat plant based. Children and pregnant women are the future of the human race. I wouldn’t want to mess with that. However, it is because of their importance that I would plead that we have to think differently. Protein and its primacy is only a concept about 150 years old. The word protein comes from “proteus” and means first. The word came into use after being invented by a British scientist in the mid 1800s. Certainly the flesh of animals is a prime source of protein. But I would ask two things: what do the strongest animals in the world eat? Secondly, how much protein is the “right” amount? Like most things, more is not necessarily better.

    Your reader is exhausted by the many conflicting claims in the diet world. As was I. But after several years eating plant-based I now feel settled and comforted. I no longer feel guilt associated with the eating of another’s body or eggs. I am educated about a balanced diet that excludes meat, dairy, fish and eggs. I am healthy and energetic. I feel that my choices are congruent with my other beliefs.

    Good luck and good eating!

    See Forks Over Knives. Books, cookbooks, recipe app, video, FB, web sites
    See NutritionFacts.org. Daily references to studies about health.

    • Thanks Elizabeth! (A good friend of mine, to my readers…)

      Like I said, people can make plant-based diets work… but it’s difficult for many. I must admit, I’m also dubious that people didn’t eat much meat, eggs, and dairy until 150 years ago… Well, I’m sure we’re eating more meat now (because it’s so cheap and easy to get), but certainly people ate a lot of eggs and dairy. Isn’t that the image we always have of rural life — of the milk maid, the egg ladies? Anyway, lots of good info, thanks Elizabeth!!

      As far as water — in my family we use a solid carbon block filter (reverse osmosis unfortunately gets rid of needed minerals), but unfortunately I don’t believe it removes flouride — a dangerous scourge to be sure. To think people were giving their kids added flouride drops (I remember our pediatrician recommending this!) or dental flouride treatments of teeth (pushed by dentists). Any earnest exploration of this topic will reveal that flouridation is a dangerous sham.

      Right now my family is experimenting with a somewhat esoteric water structuring device. I’m not sure what I think, but I do think it revitalizes vegetables and the water tastes better than even the filtered water.

  2. I have some personal experience to add to this topic. I am 53 and have been a vegan since 1986. It was very difficult at first as I did not know how to cook and there were very few health food markets back then. I forced myself to learn to cook and began going to farmers markets for fresh produce and then began to grow my own. Over time it became easier and easier. Now I don’t really give it a thought, it is just how things are. I have two teenage boys who have been raised vegetarian. Amy is correct in that it can be a challenge to get kids to eat well but with persistence it can happen. Both boys are incredible strong and healthy. They also were not vaccinated so that is a factor as well I am sure. If someone wants to raise a vegetarian kid it can be done!

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