Vegan - what is the attraction?

[superjohn]

Humans = mammals - absolutely and verifiably true. Verifying this can be sort of fun.

Humans = omnivores - probably mostly correct from a biological and evolutionary standpoint, but given the existence of human vegetarians and the historical reliance of polar peoples on completely carnivorous diets, verifiably untrue if applied to all humans.

mammals = omnivores - utter and complete nonsense. Many mammalian species are non-carnivorous, and mammalian omnivores are relatively uncommon.

Humans, by and large, are pretty adaptable. We're the only species on the planet that thrives in all climates.

From an anthropological point of view, I am personally curious about the diets of indigenous peoples who only subsist on on locally available ingredients. Of those cultures, I am interested in the mix of dietary intake between plant and animal sources as compared to environment the culture evolved in and the availability of those dietary sources.

I'm curious if there is a naturally occurring vegetarian culture that has ample access to animal/livestock or vice versa?

[Popeye the Sailor]

mammals = omnivores - utter and complete nonsense. Many mammalian species are non-carnivorous, and mammalian omnivores are relatively uncommon.

My pet dolphin loves grapefruit.

[ducpainter]

My pet dolphin loves grapefruit.

that's just so...

sad

[cyrus buelton]

cyrus = spoken bullshit.

That's why I gave my worthless two cents.

I am well aware that mammals do not need to be carnivores to survive.

Last I checked, I have never seen a cow eating a chicken or a pig.

[Bun-bun]

Thanks, Brix.
I don't have a lot of pull when it comes to this girls life, so there's not much that I'm able to accomplish other than passing on some of the materials provided earlier in this thread.

Last I checked, I have never seen a cow eating a chicken or a pig.

SO much opportunity for a cheap joke here.


Nah, I'll leave it to someone else.

[ducpainter]

That's why I gave my worthless two cents.

I am well aware that mammals do not need to be carnivores to survive.

Last I checked, I have never seen a cow eating a chicken or a pig.

True...which is why vegetrianism and veganism are possible. There is no need.

It also proves that both of those species are smarter, or more prone to survival than humans.

A chicken a pig and a cow will eat just about anything...

if their well being is dependent on it.

We over think everything.

[redxblack]

cows and pigs are routinely fed animal parts in industrial feed lots.

I'm vegetarian and nearly vegan. I have been for almost 20 years. I made that choice primarily for ethical reasons (animal welfare and ecological health). I'm a bit overweight right now thanks to working full-time and going to grad school full time (I sit and read a lot without time to do much else). Outside of that, I'm in great health. It's a byproduct of paying attention to what I eat, not a reason for my choices.

And Food, Inc is a great documentary. I really liked it. I buy a lot of organic and local food whenever possible. Monsanto is a great illustration of a corporation with far too much political clout. My wife is also vegetarian. She was shocked by Food, Inc. She knew a lot of the meat industry stuff, but was surprised by the politics of corn and soy.

[somegirl]

Humans = mammals = omnivores.

Actually humans = mammals = breast milk consumers

[somegirl]

I don't have a lot of pull when it comes to this girls life, so there's not much that I'm able to accomplish other than passing on some of the materials provided earlier in this thread.

Here's another one to pass on to her...I know some young people have short attention spans, so this might be more "digestable" for her.

Vegetarian Starter Kit - available as a pamphlet or PDF as well - has a good summary of nutritional and cooking information as well as some simple recipes.

[Speedbag]

SO much opportunity for a cheap joke here.

Nah, I'll leave it to someone else.

Not so much a joke as a silly memory.....

A decade or two ago, when Taco John's had just started offering chicken as an option as an alternative to beef, they included an opinion card with your chicken order featuring various rating scales and questions for you to answer.

One question was, "How do you like to eat chicken?"

To which I replied, "With one leg over each ear."

I wish I could have been there when the evaluator was reading the cards.

[Travman]

Earlier in this thread I saw rice listed as a source for protein.  Is this true?

[ducatiz]

Not so much a joke as a silly memory.....

A decade or two ago, when Taco John's had just started offering chicken as an option as an alternative to beef, they included an opinion card with your chicken order featuring various rating scales and questions for you to answer.

One question was, "How do you like to eat chicken?"

To which I replied, "With one leg over each ear."

I wish I could have been there when the evaluator was reading the cards.

 

[cduarte]

Earlier in this thread I saw rice listed as a source for protein.  Is this true?

that was an old theory which evidently has since been disproven.

check this out for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_combining

[mstevens]

Earlier in this thread I saw rice listed as a source for protein.  Is this true?

You're thinking "rice is a starch" or equate it with carbs.

There's no life without protein. Every cell is packed with it, whether it's a bacterium, a plant cell, or an animal cell. Even viruses, which aren't technically alive, are mostly protein. Muscle tissue is packed with it, and is "complete" protein in the sense that it contains all the amino acids required by us. Plant cells, even if they contain lots of carbohydrates, still contain quite a lot of protein. Thus, ones "daily bread" (or rice, or maize, or beans) can be used to support life. As noted above, most plants have "incomplete" protein in that they lack one or more essential amino acids (ones your body can't make from scratch or out of other aminio acids).

Combining foods to create "complete" proteins at the same meal is unnecessary. However, if you have absolutely no dietary source of, say, lysine you're screwed. As it turns out, practically nobody eats rice and nothing else so this isn't really an issue. Millions of people subsist on very little apart from rice and for those people rice is their only significant source of protein. It's not ideal, but it definitely supports life.

One way to look at it is that you can eat absolutely nothing but fish (or seal, or caribou, etc.), ever, and survive. You can't do that with rice. Populations have certainly done the former in "real life" but never the latter.

[nicrosato]

Actually humans = mammals = breast milk consumers

So, does this means a strict vegan doesn't breast feed? I'm confused...