Eat More Plants & Fewer Animals (Lessons From Finland)

[HappyMartin]

The best thing anyone can do for the world and your own health is to cut out/cut down on meat.

 

I was a vegetarian for a shade over 20 years. I have been eating meat now for 4 months. I'm not convinced by your statement.

[igknot]

To everyone that raises anecdotes as evidence.

 

Your sample group is too small.

[Mojoman]

I was a vegetarian for a shade over 20 years. I have been eating meat now for 4 months. I'm not convinced by your statement.

So why did you stop?

['Dale]

Remember the title says LESS, not NO meat...

 

['Dale]

Whatever is easier on the gut (digestive system) is healthier

 

Edited April 10, 2014 by ' Dale

[HappyMartin]

 

So why did you stop?

 

I was a vege from 1983 to 1995. In 1995 I cycled from Israel to South Africa. 4 months into the trip I was starting to break down and wasn't finding enough to eat. For survival I began eating meat. Try riding 200km in one day with a fully loaded touring MTB bike in the heat of Tanzania and then eating a single bread roll for dinner. Get up the next day and on a light breakfast of biscuits do another 140km. I did that. It was not so easy as it sounds.

 

I ate meat for a few years after returning to SA and then reverted to vegetarianism about 11 years ago.

 

I have been trying to race in the vets groups. I'm no pro but I do my best. Get shelled and have my butt handed to me. Still I try. I noticed the same symptoms of my body breaking down as I had when cycling Africa. I spent a lot of money and a lot of time doing research and using various supplements and eating a variety of vege super foods. Still I struggled with recovery and wasn't putting out the power I hoped. I got professional coaching and everything. Lost a lot of weight. Did a lot of riding.

 

End of last year on a whim I bought meat. I liked it. I added it to my diet. I have put on weight. My recovery is better. I am putting out 10% more power even though I am currently not at all fit. People are telling me I look better. I feel better.

 

I have done a lot of reading and research on vegetarian and vegan diets. I am not convinced they are good for people. I don't profess to know what the meat vege balance should be. I am not saying my experiences are proof. I know that the collective noun for anecdotal evidence is not data. But I know how I feel

['Dale]

 

I reckon being an endurance athlete like most folk here makes a vegetarian lifestyle tricky. Some PROs do though.

The nutritional demands must be carefully managed.

 

Edited April 10, 2014 by ' Dale

[sometime]

I haven't read the article so I may be missing something here but the post here describes a campaign of reducing saturated animal fat content AND smoking which resulted in significant reductions in heart disease and cancers. The obvious question then is to what extent did each of the reduction in smoking and fat content contribute to this?

 

The post says "When the cause of the dramatic improvements in health were analyzed, the drop in animal saturated fat was the most powerful factor."

 

To make the post and the article of any relevance we should see the formal studies supporting this analysis and how they reached the conclusion that animal saturated fat was the most powerful factor.

 

If these are not available then this article is no better than the LCHF propoganda we're constantly being bombarded with.

[Warren911]

Off topic but for those wondering about vegan ultra endurance..maybe he is a just afreak but Check out Scott Jurek, vegan ultramarathoner, I have read his book and it is pretty interesting.

http://scottjurek.com/

Scott Gordon Jurek (born October 26, 1973)^[1] is an American ultramarathoner. Throughout Jurek's career he has been one of the most dominant ultramarathon runners in the world, winning many of the sport's most prestigious races multiple times, including the Hardrock Hundred (2007), the Badwater Ultramarathon (2005, 2006), the Spartathlon (2006, 2007, 2008), and the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (1999-2005). In 2010, at the 24-Hour World Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, Jurek won a silver medal behind Ryōichi Sekiya and set a new US record for distance run in 24 hours with 165.7 miles.^[2] Jurek has been meat free since 1997 and vegan since 1999.^[3][4]

Edited April 10, 2014 by Warren911

[Warren911]

I do agree, and as mentioned smoking was also an issue.

 

I haven't read the article so I may be missing something here but the post here describes a campaign of reducing saturated animal fat content AND smoking which resulted in significant reductions in heart disease and cancers. The obvious question then is to what extent did each of the reduction in smoking and fat content contribute to this?

 

The post says "When the cause of the dramatic improvements in health were analyzed, the drop in animal saturated fat was the most powerful factor."

 

To make the post and the article of any relevance we should see the formal studies supporting this analysis and how they reached the conclusion that animal saturated fat was the most powerful factor.

 

If these are not available then this article is no better than the LCHF propoganda we're constantly being bombarded with.

[MTBeer]

Approx 150 billion animals a year are slaughtered, that should be enough to make you think about how you can adapt and change your diet....for the better, for you and for your children's future....As someone pointed out they eat what their mom taught them to eat...

 

http://www.adaptt.org/killcounter.html

 

And if you think you are tough enough have a watch of the Earthlings video...

http://earthlings.com/

 

Although I think very few on this forum, regardless of how 'tough' they think they are, could watch it!

 

What is interesting for me (and extremely depressing at the same time) is my dad is in the stages of alzeheimers, his diet over the years has included lots of meat and a lot of processed meat (was on the road a lot so take aways etc were commonplace) After doing some reading it looks like the processed stuff is particularly bad (viennas, russians, polony, bacon etc etc) and not only causes cancers but can also have a link to alzeimhers....something I hope to avoid.

where did I question the ethics of eating meat? I asked for an explanation regarding his claims about the health effects.

[SwissVan]

I use plants to make fire, to eat more animals.

 

it's a symbiotic relationship

 

Ditto, I try eat meat that comes from animals that ate plants

[Mojoman]

I was a vege from 1983 to 1995. In 1995 I cycled from Israel to South Africa. 4 months into the trip I was starting to break down and wasn't finding enough to eat. For survival I began eating meat. Try riding 200km in one day with a fully loaded touring MTB bike in the heat of Tanzania and then eating a single bread roll for dinner. Get up the next day and on a light breakfast of biscuits do another 140km. I did that. It was not so easy as it sounds.

 

I ate meat for a few years after returning to SA and then reverted to vegetarianism about 11 years ago.

 

I have been trying to race in the vets groups. I'm no pro but I do my best. Get shelled and have my butt handed to me. Still I try. I noticed the same symptoms of my body breaking down as I had when cycling Africa. I spent a lot of money and a lot of time doing research and using various supplements and eating a variety of vege super foods. Still I struggled with recovery and wasn't putting out the power I hoped. I got professional coaching and everything. Lost a lot of weight. Did a lot of riding.

 

End of last year on a whim I bought meat. I liked it. I added it to my diet. I have put on weight. My recovery is better. I am putting out 10% more power even though I am currently not at all fit. People are telling me I look better. I feel better.

 

 

 

I have done a lot of reading and research on vegetarian and vegan diets. I am not convinced they are good for people. I don't profess to know what the meat vege balance should be. I am not saying my experiences are proof. I know that the collective noun for anecdotal evidence is not data. But I know how I feel

I watched that Scots guy who cycled the Americas (cant remember his name) on TV a while back, I think he was/is a vegetarian but also had to change his diet to include to be able to get through his trek.

[Mojoman]

where did I question the ethics of eating meat? I asked for an explanation regarding his claims about the health effects.

Apologies, I read that as a bit of a joke asking why you cant eat meat 3 x times a day!

[Warren911]

Mark Beaumont

I watched that Scots guy who cycled the Americas (cant remember his name) on TV a while back, I think he was/is a vegetarian but also had to change his diet to include to be able to get through his trek.

[Godzilla]

Hey Nick

 

apologies if i was slightly cryptic.

What i meant was ''she now craps everyday''.

Ask a few of your guy and girl friends about their bowel movements and see which gender generally craps EVERYDAY !

the answer wont be the girls !

Pooh 101 dismissed..