# Eating meat is awesome



## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

You're here because I want to share a video with you. It's been around for a while yet I've never had the nerve to watch it and tonight I did and my heart broke into a million pieces. 

This is the first time watching this video and I can't stop crying. I'm going full vegan. I have noticed I lose weight easier eating lentils and veggies and small amounts of fruit. I don't even really need meat any more. The sound of a baby pig's skull being slammed against a metal floor is echoing in my head still. All of it, this is for my health.






I'm here to unite with the vegans and animal activists. I'm on my knees asking for forgiveness of eating what was once tortured to death, and what once had a vibrant, beautiful life, stolen away. I feel like such a horrible person. 

I've tried to go vegan for so long and I kept getting sick, but if I keep sticking to eating enough on a hypoglycemic diet, then I can do it. Not sure why I made this post, I guess it's to have some help with this journey. I need advice on how to avoid eating meat again, because my husband eats it and I cook for him. Will this cause distance between us if I stop cooking it for him? I especially would like advice from those who have made the transition from eating nothing but meat to not. How do you get vitamin b12? I'm so sad  I have a special place in my heart for critters, and I wonder, if I don't eat cats and dogs, then why would I eat other animals?


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## Cetanu (Jan 20, 2012)

Video is invalid. I don't buy meat that has been caged and tortured.

Talk to your local farmer. Build a relationship.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Cetanu said:


> Video is invalid. I don't buy meat that has been caged and tortured.
> 
> Talk to your local farmer. Build a relationship.



How is the video invalid? If you have safe mode on, then it won't play, if that's what you mean.

I don't want to eat meat anymore, so I reject your suggestion.


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## Cetanu (Jan 20, 2012)

chip said:


> How is the video invalid? If you have safe mode on, then it won't play, if that's what you mean.
> 
> I don't want to eat meat anymore, so I reject your suggestion.


I can see the video.

If you don't want to, that's fine.

You should at the very minimum look into Kefir (fermented yoghurt), Organic eggs or a regular supply of Mackerel (fish) - these are all good sources of B12 which you won't find on a Vegan diet.

or take synthetic B12 supplements derived from bacteria... but guess where that bacteria is found?


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## platorepublic (Dec 27, 2012)

It's a choice one has to make. I personally eat very little meat, and in a perfect world, only fresh seafood in the ocean.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

Cetanu said:


> I can see the video.
> 
> If you don't want to, that's fine.
> 
> ...


"Vitamin B12 is needed for cell division and blood formation. Neither plants nor animals make vitamin B12. Bacteria are responsible for producing vitamin B12. Animals get their vitamin B12 from eating foods contaminated with vitamin B12 and then the animal becomes a source of vitamin B12. Plant foods do not contain vitamin B12 except when they are contaminated by microorganisms or have vitamin B12 added to them. Thus, vegans need to look to fortified foods or supplements to get vitamin B12 in their diet. Although recommendations for vitamin B12 are very small, a vitamin B12 deficiency is a very serious problem leading ultimately to irreversible nerve damage. Prudent vegans will include sources of vitamin B12 in their diets. Vitamin B12 is especially important in pregnancy and lactation and for infants and children.
A number of reliable vegan food sources for vitamin B12 are known. One brand of nutritional yeast, Red Star T-6635+, has been tested and shown to contain active vitamin B12. This brand of yeast is often labeled as Vegetarian Support Formula with or without T-6635+ in parentheses following this name. It is a reliable source of vitamin B12. Nutritional yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is a food yeast, grown on a molasses solution, which comes as yellow flakes or powder. It has a cheesy taste. Nutritional yeast is different from brewer’s yeast or torula yeast. Those sensitive to other yeasts can often use it.


Other sources of vitamin B12 are vitamin B12 fortified soy milk, vitamin B12 fortified meat analogues (food made from wheat gluten or soybeans to resemble meat, poultry, or fish), vitamin B12-fortified energy bars, and vitamin B12 supplements. There are vitamin supplements that do not contain animal products. We recommend checking the label of your favorite product since manufacturers have been known to stop including vitamin B12."

 Modern agricultural techniques have stripped soil of b12.

Not going to eat what you suggest. Allergic to eggs and dairy anyway.


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## chip (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm not here to debate this, I'm done with meat of all kinds.


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## Cetanu (Jan 20, 2012)

Fair enough. I was just pointing out an important issue for vegans, which is Vit B12. I know nothing about nutritional yeast but I guess it's better than nothing/pills.

B12 is most commonly found as a bacteria on meat (not inside it) or on feces. It's retarded that we require it to live properly.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

http://personalitycafe.com/health-fitness/104545-ask-vegan.html


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## I destroy life (Apr 7, 2013)

Going vegetarian because of animal cruelty shouldn't be a reason. Just by being alive you're killing millions of cells and micro-organisms everyday. You are doing that without even thinking about it. By being a consumer of various products you are actively destroying the environment of our planet. Inflicting pain to species that live or lived in those environments. So being vegetarian shouldn't make you not feeling horrible because every humans are horrible.

But its nice to try, at least if most humans begin to eat more harvest it will be much easier to feed everybody. We will still have to control wildlife population but it's alright if we eat meat really irregularly just for that.

Gl and if you were thinking about eating fish. Well don't do it, try to find documentary on those. If we continue like that we will soon deplete all our oceans of fishes.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

We evolved to eat meat. We need some meat\animal products in our environment. The Standard American Diet has an overkill on meat consumption but the fact is, we need meat. In order to get vitamin B12 and other things from meat without eating meat requires you to eat artificially processed stuff (aka "enriched") foods. Eat natural foods and eat some meat. I don't agree with factory farming and can see where you are coming from there but there are other alternatives that don't involved factory farming.


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## Shahada (Apr 26, 2010)

I destroy life said:


> Going vegetarian because of animal cruelty shouldn't be a reason. Just by being alive you're killing millions of cells and micro-organisms everyday. You are doing that without even thinking about it. By being a consumer of various products you are actively destroying the environment of our planet.


Not to mention buying products made by slaves in sweatshops. I can understand why some people feel strongly about animals because its easy to have a strong emotional reaction to seeing animals industrially slaughtered (I don't like watching it either), but when people say they won't eat meat because of animal cruelty but then are wearing clothes made in China and Bangladesh its hard for me not to kinda shake my head. I don't really care as much though if someone just admits its a personal preference or if its a religious belief or something.


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

chip said:


> You're here because I want to share a video with you. It's been around for a while yet I've never had the nerve to watch it and tonight I did and my heart broke into a million pieces.
> 
> This is the first time watching this video and I can't stop crying. I'm going full vegan. I have noticed I lose weight easier eating lentils and veggies and small amounts of fruit. I don't even really need meat any more. The sound of a baby pig's skull being slammed against a metal floor is echoing in my head still. All of it, this is for my health.
> 
> ...


I can see both sides. I went Vegan for a time, and have been on and off a Vegetarian diet.

Health-wise, we are omnivores, which means we can _live_ off of pretty much anything. But subsisting is different than thriving.

B12 is a definite issue, but most vegans don't find out it's an issue until about 10 years after becoming vegans. B12 stores in the system for a long time, you see. Even so, it's definitely important to maintain a regular intake. The side effects of Vitamin B12 deficiency are pretty frightening.

The way I see it-- Do what you can to minimize damage and advocate sustainability, but don't do it at the expense of your own health. There are ways to eat more sustainably and/or less 'cruelly', although killing is killing, even if the cow is 'happy'. 

Ask a Vegan is a good thread, as already posted.

If you're going vegan, I strongly suggest a very wide variety of beans and lentils, and _a lot _of vegetables and leafy greens. Supplements are also good. 

Even those who eat meat should probably supplement, as it's difficult to get all of the vitamins and nutrients our bodies need without eating the right amount of fruits and veggies.

Also, check out: The Vegan RD | Thoughts On Being Vegan: A Dietitian's Viewpoint

It has good dietary tips and more links. What is particularly of use is to know to get _chewable _B12 tablets.


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## MsBossyPants (Oct 5, 2011)

Word Dispenser said:


> I can see both sides. I went Vegan for a time, and have been on and off a Vegetarian diet.
> 
> Health-wise, we are omnivores, which means we can _live_ off of pretty much anything. But subsisting is different than thriving.
> 
> ...


 @Word Dispenser,

Hope you don't mind if I jump in here and add something:

The link you posted is to Virginia Messina's site. She is the co-author of the book shown on the home page: Vegan for Life. The other author is Jack Norris, also a registered dietitian. Great information on his site, also:

Vegan Health Home Page


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

MsBossyPants said:


> @_Word Dispenser_,
> 
> Hope you don't mind if I jump in here and add something:
> 
> ...


I was too lazy to add the bit about Jack Norris, who is also very respected. It's what I meant when I said 'More links'. Lols.

Thanks Bossy lady. <3


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## Caged Within (Aug 9, 2013)

chip said:


> I'm not here to debate this, I'm done with meat of all kinds.


How do you feel about people that hunt their food?


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

Caged Within said:


> How do you feel about people that hunt their food?


They don't _need _to hunt for food. Most of them do it for the glory and/or trophies.

The governments are systematically churning out meat on conveyer belts like production lines. It's ridiculous. 

It's not sustainable. 

Last point was not necessarily connected to hunting, but with all of the animals being domesticated just to be eaten, or used for their excretions... 

Going after wild animals just seems like a way of justifying being able to eat meat when, no matter how you look at it, the way civilization is going with population increases and what not... 

There's not even going to be enough to _hunt_. It may not be an issue _now, _but we should all start trying to think 'sustainable', and 'long term'. 

If we did, maybe we could start addressing poverty problems in the world today.

It's all connected.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Kill it and grill it


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## Death Persuades (Feb 17, 2012)

Okay.


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## HandiAce (Nov 27, 2009)

@chip Don't listen to the haters telling you to eat meat.

There is plenty evidence suggested by doctors such as Caldwell Esselstyn and Joel Fuhrman that a plant-based diet is very healthy and decreases your risk of heart disease and other illnesses. Here is a video of a doctor lecturing about potential pitfalls of a vegan diet (why some vegans suffer from illnesses) and how to get around them:


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