Why are vegetarians so evangelical in their zeal to rid the world of meateaters. Okay, so I paint with very broad brush. There might be a vegetarian out there who does not assume an air of moral superiority when speaking to a meateater – maybe.
Why am I ranting on this?
Will Brink, a respectable iron guru, did a short video on vegetarians recently and the comments it has generated has been most entertaining. You can go to this link to watch the video and read all the comments.
http://www.brinkzone.com/nutritional-science/vegetarian-eating-for-athletes-the-facts/
By the way, Will runs a great, informative site called “BrinkZone.com,” check it out, and as always – plEaSe ComE BaCk!!! As an aside, I think a great practice is to visit and read a number of different bodybuilding/health websites to get a range of diverse opinions. The Brinkzone.com is good, as well as Lyle McDonald’s Body Recomposition and Scooby’s. For those of you who happen to stumble here; part of what I want to do is point you to the real guru’s (and hopefully give you some decent info, too)
Back to Veg-O-matics:
I saw a comment that stated to effect that we are not meant to be meateaters which is “obvious” when you look at our teeth and digestive system. I responded tongue in check about how well my teeth can cut into a medium-rare, dry aged ribeye and that my 29′ intestines seem fine with it too.
This guy responded by pointing out a book by a rancher who got cancer from “maybe” eating beef and that I was too young to feel the “ill effects YET (his caps).”
First, I’m 50 – so how long do I need to wait before I feel the ill effects of eating meat – 75?
Second, it’s the “be good or you’re go to hell” argument. And’s what irritates me. It seems to me that most vegheads ultimate default to:
- Meat eating is bad for you
- Meat eating is bad for environment
- “Man” is a parasite, and evil to boot
Oh yeah, this article at FitMole is pretty funny, “4 Reasons Why Becoming A Vegetarian Is A Fucking Stupid Idea.” The author is Keith Lai, a young guy who really writes well and like I said, funny. Pretty good website – better than mine.
Thing is, I don’t like arguing the negative. If a vegetarian diet is a great thing, then that’s the argument. The argument shouldn’t have anything to do with the shape and length of our teeth nor the length and makeup of our intestinal tracts.
To argue that we should eat vegetarians because we are not designed to be meat eaters is absurd both on surface and upon deeper reflection.
To argue that we should eat vegetarians because it’s kinder to animals and the environment is well answered in Keith’s article:
“Fruits, vegetables, and grains are a staple among vegetarian diets, but did you know that millions of animals die just so you can enjoy that piece of bread? Eating foods like grains means destroying ecosystems and all of its inhabitants. It means killing all the little animals, birds, bugs, and microorganisms that live among the fields.”
Perhaps a touch extreme.
To argue that we should eat vegetarians for the good that it will do us…ah, now we’re talking. You want to make a case, then make it case for the good, because there is good in eating a plant based diet.
Is it healthier? Is it better? I don’t know. But for purely unscientific reasons, I think a diet of diverse veggies, fruits, and nuts (maybe some grains) is a good thing. Frankly, my diet is mostly just that. I would say that it’s 90% plant based with some eggs, milk, and not much meat. Now I do love a juicy ribeye or Korean Kabli (marinated beef shortribs) but those are really far and few between.
Throw in an occasional Big Mac, and I think most are closer to a plant based diet than not.
The difference is that most of us don’t think of it as a mostly vegetarian diet, most of us think of it as being a balanced diet.
But man, I do not need an evangelical vegetarian railing on about how morally corrupt I am for forcing money hunger corporations and evil ranchers to inhumanely slaughter animals, and blah, blah, blah so I can have my juicy, dry aged ribeye. And the chances of guilt tripping me into dropping the bacon – not going to happen.
That’s probably true of most people.
So to all vegetarians preaching to convert – give it a rest
What’s the saying – live and let live
A healthy balanced life – a healthy balanced diet – I can live that and that’s my sermon.
