SD on 25/6/2011 at 19:14
Well, that takes me back. I guess the medication is working :D
Aerothorn on 26/6/2011 at 02:18
Oh yeah, I remember that. I'd like to think that linking to a very clearly described video within the context of this discussion would pass GBM's test, but I'm admittedly fuzzy on the details.
That said, I'm not convinced the shock-tactic videos are effective. I think people need to make a thoughtful, informed decision about their eating habits; I think as often as not scaring them just causes them to ignore/block it out more, or reduce cognitive dissonance by finding increased justification for supporting factory farming.
I hate to sound all militant about this (I'm nice to omnivores, really).
Shug on 26/6/2011 at 02:31
Quote Posted by SD
I could post some scientific studies demonstrating that vegetarianism is healthier, but I gotta go sharpen my flint tools first.
Vegetarianism compared to what, the average diet of western society? I hardly think that's a shock.
Vasquez on 26/6/2011 at 07:45
Quote Posted by SD
The honest and boring truth is that you can happily eat a balanced diet with or without meat in it.
I can't, my Hb drops without heme iron. Mind you, I eat free-range/organic whenever it's available, and fortunately around here it's in most basic market selections.
But I also know a person who literally gets ill if she eats meat - her digestion hates it for whatever reason, but also her systems seems to work happily with only plant iron sources. Another friend is a vegan, she has to take B12 in pill form, so that's how "natural" all-veg diet really is.
You can pick a study that shows vegetaniarism is healthy, and just as easily you can find another study saying the opposite. That's because there are big individual differences in what sort of diet works best for our bodies, just like we're different in many other things. "Listening to your body" sounds like a horrible cliche, but it is one of the big truths.
CCCToad on 27/6/2011 at 03:05
Either way, the quantity of the foods you eat and the healthiness of those foods is probably going to matter more than "vegetarian" or "not vegetarian".
Vasquez on 27/6/2011 at 05:53
^ Yep, combined with how much you exercise, how stressful your life is etc.
However, on topic, I'm in the "It's natural to eat meat" -camp anyway. I just would like to see more natural and animal-friendly ways to produce it (or maybe more scifi, like growing steaks straight from stem cells). In Finland things are going the right way, fortunately, and it seems that generally people tend to vote with their wallets for the more humane conditions of animals.
Renzatic on 27/6/2011 at 06:21
I'm in the moderation camp. Alot of vegetables, a little bit of meat, all equaling out to a good, balanced diet. Shame I only rarely ever practice what I preach (big ole damn hamburgers).
Quote Posted by Vasquez
I just would like to see more natural and animal-friendly ways to produce it (or maybe more scifi, like growing steaks straight from stem cells).
I think strides have been made towards just that. I can only vaguely recall the article, but the first steps have been made towards being able to produce artificial meat in a laboratory. If I remember correctly, they have the taste down, as well as the general composition. Unfortunately, they still have a ways to go before they can reproduce the texture of a real slice of meat. What they're currently growing has the consistency of...I dunno...something disgusting. I wanna say snot for some reason.
Still, it's being attempted.
Vasquez on 27/6/2011 at 06:51
Quote Posted by Renzatic
Still, it's being attempted.
Yeah, I read about it some years back. I'm sure it's only a matter of time :)
I'm for the less meat and more vegs, too, as opposed to huge slab of meat and a spoonful of mashed potatoes on the side to pose as a "vegetable". But, yes, those hamburgers are sometimes too tempting... :o
CCCToad on 27/6/2011 at 13:06
Quote Posted by Vasquez
^ Yep, combined with how much you exercise, how stressful your life is etc.
However, on topic, I'm in the "It's natural to eat meat" -camp anyway. I just would like to see more natural and animal-friendly ways to produce it (or maybe more scifi, like growing steaks straight from stem cells). In Finland things are going the right way, fortunately, and it seems that generally people tend to vote with their wallets for the more humane conditions of animals.
There's a growing trend towards that in the US, as "cage free" eggs and other more humane foods are becoming popular to the point that you see them in low end supermarkets like Kroger and Wal-mart. However, this trend may be arrested due to an emerging pattern of the FDA launching armed raids targeted against natural food producers.
