Vegan - what is the attraction?

[NAKID]

try finding citrus fruits in a remote african village... it ain't happening.

What about bell peppers? Red and green are a great source of C...

[hoyden]

it seems to me that most of the vegans that i have ever met (honestly not a huge number) are unable to balance their diets properly, which can result in a variety of health issues.

I'd like to ask how many Non-vegans do you know that "balance their diets property...." ?
I know far too many people who have poor health partially because of their diets - vegan, non-vegan, and all shades in-between.

and  oooh and  oh my

[oldschoollion]

could be a disorder or extreme lack of diversity in food.  reasons are religion, evironment, health and emotional (it has a face!).  im far from vegan, but its crazy watching those who jump into it for health without looking into how a healthy diet is put together. its not going to be healthy if you base it off how you eat now if you currently eat like crap or are afraid of expanding your dietary horizon.   a lot of foods are incomplete proteins so combinations have to be made to achieve amino acid profiles so your body can do more with what it is given in the digestive process.   some foods are better raw, some cooked, and others fermented.   it sounds more complicated than it is, once a base of understanding about how to make good meals is learned one can take off no matter if your vegan or omnivore.

soy is over relied on by many as a meat substitute and is crap next to all the other things you can eat for protein like beans, nuts, legumes, quinoa,  rice, seeds and the fruits and veg you eat them with.  soy needs to be fermented and is a side or snack, not the main.  and by not eating those things as as often as should be, you are not getting as much good fats and you could box yourself into a nutrition deficit.  there is also the issue of food senstitivity.  for me  if i do have bread in must be sprouted and have to avoid most soy products, wheat flour products are an irritant and some types of soy drain my energy levels.  food sensitivity can inflame the digestive track, lowering nutrient absorption making a bad nutrient situation worse. 

just to add more sources of info for research:

if she is able to take a little info and take off
http://www.mikemahler.com/articles/vegan_diet.html
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/ep-ryan-andrews


if she needs a plan and someone to answer q's as she goes, berardi is no vegan but he did walk the vegetarian path before having a plant based section of the product he puts out.   there is at least one vegan on staff (ryan andrews, very active on the forum) and q's are answered in the forum that come with the plan.  i use this and it expanded my diet greatly.  ive eaten foods i never would have otherwise. (im not affiliated or employed by them, i paid like most everyone else)
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/jb-goes-vegetarian
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/products/system

[Adamm0621]

I'm attracted to vegan's because they're usually skinnier 

[somegirl]

What about bell peppers? Red and green are a great source of C...

In addition, potatoes, sweet potatoes, strawberries, cantaloupe, broccoli, vegetables in the cabbage family, leafy greens, tomatoes, papayas, and mangos are all good sources of vitamin C.

[OwnyTony]

May be a troll post but i challenge the intent (and quite frankly have a low opinion) of any vegan who is that way because they dont want kill cuddly animals.  If you do it for health reasons but have no problem killing animals for meat......you have my utmost respect.   I didnt read the whole thread so i do not state this to jab at any particular member.  Just stating my opinion.

[oldschoollion]

forgot to add that any diet that is healthy is low or devoid in processed food stuffs.  the whiter it is (but is not in nature) the worse it is and the less nutrition you are taking in per volume.  it is more important for a vegan to be on a whole food approach.


explains very well the obesity issue. 
Sugar: The Bitter Truth

[Mad Duc]

I don't think that word means what they think it means:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/228720

Some very confused people in this world.  

[ducpainter]

May be a troll post but i challenge the intent (and quite frankly have a low opinion) of any vegan who is that way because they dont want kill cuddly animals.  If you do it for health reasons but have no problem killing animals for meat......you have my utmost respect.   I didnt read the whole thread so i do not state this to jab at any particular member.  Just stating my opinion.

WTF?

Who are you to think less of a person that doesn't want to eat another creature?

Seriously.

[Bun-bun]

May be a troll post but i challenge the intent (and quite frankly have a low opinion) of any vegan who is that way because they dont want kill cuddly animals.  If you do it for health reasons but have no problem killing animals for meat......you have my utmost respect.    I didnt read the whole thread so i do not state this to jab at any particular member.  Just stating my opinion.

This makes no sense. If you're eating a vegan diet you have no need to kill for meat.
Also, vegan (as I understand it) includes not consuming dairy or other animal products which don't involve the death of an animal. I think Tony is a little confused, or just wanted to start some shit.

[OwnyTony]

WTF?

Who are you to think less of a person that doesn't want to eat another creature?

Seriously.

On the other side of the token, who are vegans to think less of meat eaters for eating meat??

This makes no sense. If you're eating a vegan diet you have no need to kill for meat.
Also, vegan (as I understand it) includes not consuming dairy or other animal products which don't involve the death of an animal. I think Tony is a little confused, or just wanted to start some shit.

Yes, maybe im lumping vegetarian and vegan in the same boat.  Sorry.  My issue is having vegans give me shit for eating meat.  That is their choice not to hurt animals.  My choice is that I have to "hurt" them to eat them.

My issue is that SOME of the people i meet that are vegan for not wanting to kill other animals have an air of self importance about them that influence my opinion of others in the same boat.  Yes, i realize its unfair to stereotype like that.

My point was that there are some people who are vegan/vegetarian not for the reason that they do not want to kill cuddly creature but for health reasons as in .....their main reason for choosing to be vegan is for health reasons.  At the same time, they are not "condescending" at others for eating meat.  At the same time, some of the people who are vegan may not eat meat themselves but dont mind others eating meat and are not bothered that animals have to die for others to enjoy meat.

[brix821]

we serve a ton of vegan food @ my restaurant, and it can be very healthy and flavorful.  Many times vegans and vegetarians fall into a trap of eating shit food.  Lots of bread, chesse, french fries, processed meat subs(morningstar etc). I have done it myself, and maybe your family member is just eating poorly  
    My wife is vegan, myself and my son are vegetarian and I think we eat healthy, tasty, balanced meals without meat.
I also serve a lot of meat at my restaurant as well, and  I have always  considered it a personal choice that each person must make....  good luck bun-bun, if you ever make it up to richmond give me a shout, maybe you guys can come eat...and we could have  

[swampduc]

On the other side of the token, who are vegans to think less of meat eaters for eating meat??

did anyone here make such a statement? If so, I didn't see it, but the, I actually read the thread. Maybe you should do the same.
Interesting discussion, and I'm enjoying learning about some new food options, though I have no interest in being vegan myself.

[OwnyTony]

No, they did not so i made sure in my first post that i mentioned that i did not read the whole post and lead off with "this may be a troll post"

What people generally do is state their opinion (which is usually influenced by past experiences). The world is dynamic and people dont all have the same experiences.  That is the reason why you talk further and challenge the person to see how they come to the conclusion. 

I posted what i posted because i had issues with people imposing their beliefs on others(though i wouldnt say I am imposing mine but merely stating my position), particular my experiences with other vegans.  My assessment of vegans are that vegans are that way because they start off with the belief that they do not want to hurt animals in any way (a perfectly reasonable stance that I dont mind if you apply that to yourself) and from MY experience, "they" (not all) cross that line and try to make you feel bad for eating animals.  Yes, maybe no one previously on this thread did not do/mention this and i wouldnt know because i stated i didnt read the whole thing. 

With regards to the OP, what she mentioned about any psychological benefits, what i posted was a lead up in my attempt to be witty and my punchline is that their psychological benefit is smug.  They get to feel self important.   Sorry, may be it was a bad attempt of an elaborate "joke" that failed on my part.  I like to debate for the sake of debating and have a "strategy" of leading into questions or stating stuff in preparation of another point or answer i was preparing.....That answer (in regards to the OP) is that the psychological benefits of being vegan is a raised sense of self importance therfore increasing your self esteem.  My attempt at being sarcastic....Sorry if you didnt get it

[red baron]

It seems to be working quite well for Clint Eastwood.


That fukker's like 200 years old.