Are you really going to compare the physiology of a different species to that of a human? It is easy to be fit and lean on a vegan diet.
Are you really going to compare the physiology of a different species to that of a human? It is easy to be fit and lean on a vegan diet.
Shannon Hays wrote:
The fattest, slowest animals on earth are strict vegetarians as one can see with elephants, pigs, hippoes , and cows. The leanest, fastest animals on earth are carnivores with cheetahs, leopards, tigers, etc. Which one would you rather be? If a farmer wants to fatten up his animals he feeds them grains and vegetables.
Um, ever hear of the Pronghorn?
KBXC wrote:
You are arguing that humanely raised meat (in reference to grass fed, free range, or organic animals?) is not harmful to the environment. I completely agree that it is superior to factory farming, but it is far from reasonable or sustainable. If every one wanted to eat that way, it would be impossible. There just simply isn't enough land or resources to supply the demand. Even if we tried to reduce our animal product consumption to moderate amounts as you recommend, the rest of the world is catching on to the Western lifestyle. The amount of animal that the world would be able to eat would be minuscule compared to the current demand. Only the elite would be able to consume larger amounts of animal products, while the rest of the world would essentially (not completely though) be vegan. I would not be opposed to a world like this as it would be far better off than what it is now, but what you see as ideal for the world is incredibly close to a completely vegan diet (and that's awesome!). Please correct me if I am wrong though (this is serious/not meant to be sarcastic)
You obviously didn't read what I wrote.
Wether humans eat meat or vegetables we are still destroying the planet at he same rate. WE are the problem not our diet. So if you truly want to help the planet you'll end your life and encourage others to do the same.
hey all, OP here.
i didn't expect this many responses or this awesome of a discussion.
honestly these problems are really hard to address, obviously, and the mass murder of animals or the right diet or lack of protein or whatever are all problems. i know a lot of people have benefited from veganism and some havent, but i just want it to not hurt my performance. ive already decided i want to do this not for health benefits but for ethical reasons (HOWEVER, i do hear quite a bit of improvement from people who have switched). i would love to hear about peoples personal experience with it: did it improve your performance or hurt it? did you lose a lot of weight? (because i cant afford to lose more than 10 pounds max). are you more tired? i just want to make sure my times won't suffer, i'm not really looking for an improvement, i eat a well balanced diet but i just want to cut out animal products for ethical reasons. i am just curious, are there any professional studies done that compare like heart rate, performance, and overall health on a vegan diet vs. meat eater?
again, thanks!
LOMC - you need a new way of thinking. Your thoughts are all based on only one idea - humans are bad.
Okay, let's paradigm shift - humans are good - now start thinking.
Humans can allow the planet to last much longer, we have that ability.
Ignorant and apathetic humans cause it to come to an end quicker.
Okay, one last thing. Eating meat definitely accelerates end of planet exponentially. Read on plankton changes, which help provide 50% of our oxygen. This is largely due to increase in temps from animal agriculture.
Carnivores are fast and lean because they have to be in order to survive. AKA catch dinner.Ever hear of darwinism?!?!
Shannon Hays wrote:
The fattest, slowest animals on earth are strict vegetarians as one can see with elephants, pigs, hippoes , and cows. The leanest, fastest animals on earth are carnivores with cheetahs, leopards, tigers, etc. Which one would you rather be? If a farmer wants to fatten up his animals he feeds them grains and vegetables.
I have been vegan for over 20 years. I ran a 3:11 marathon as a 50 year old (lifetime PR 2:32). after being vegan for 5 years. I believe vegan is the best dietary choice for anyone. Athletes need not worry. A vegan diet will satisfy all a runners dietary needs. Run, succeed and everyone will learn.
Glenn
Shannon Hays wrote:If a farmer wants to fatten up his animals he feeds them grains and vegetables.
If a farmer wants to fatten up his animals he also may feed or inject them with growth hormones.
KBXC wrote:
Are you really going to compare the physiology of a different species to that of a human? It is easy to be fit and lean on a vegan diet.
I am lean and I am fit. I also have osteoporosis. I've taken some nasty falls in xc and on the ice without ever breaking a bone. However, MRIs show compression fractures in my spine. They call it a silent disease, most people don't know they've developed it until they start breaking bones. If the OP was my daughter, I'd recommend vegetarian but not vegan.
bump
But I would be lying to myself. We are destroying our planet. 8 billion environmentally concious vegans and 7 billion meat eaters will still be destroying the planet at the same rate.
That's our reality and i accept it, we are pushing forward even if it kills us. We are programmed, that's why we're different from animals.
And if you really wanted the be a environmentally concious vegan you would stop exercising because more exercise mean more calories burned which will require more food, and you'll also have to take more showers, and you'll have to do more laundry. See what I'm saying? Where do you draw the line? Religious vegans take the moral high road but in reality they are no better than an average meat eater, just like other religious folks.
[quote]Mr. Fister wrote:
Carnivores are fast and lean because they have to be in order to survive. AKA catch dinner.Ever hear of darwinism?!?!
[quote]Shannon
The cheetah has to run fast for it's next meal but that's not as much motivation as the gazelle who is running for its LIFE.
I would not strongly encourage an absolute vegan diet for an athletic teenage girl. Mostly because you're still growing and the body needs certain micro and macro nutrients found exclusively in animal products, or you'll have to add pills or other supplements along with a very detailed vegetable grocery list. Like others mentioned, preparing, proportioning, washing, cooking, keeping stock, counting calories, making sure you take enough, vegetables is alot more taxing than a vegetarian diet. Also, in most cases, a true vegan diet can get costly if one person in the household is doing it and your parents are not.
I'm not saying don't do it. What I will say is to make sure it's realistic to sustain given your position. Most people who go vegan often do on a whim and have no idea how to make it work long term. The human body stores minerals and nutrients and those from animal products that are not replaced will soon take a toll on your body over time which is why most people start to fall apart after several months.
So, make sure you do your research. Know what you need to eat to compensate for other products. Know everything there is to know about the diet and look up how others have been successful with this diet. It should be said that athletes need more calories than other people as well.
goodluck! wrote:
I would not strongly encourage an absolute vegan diet for an athletic teenage girl. Mostly because you're still growing and the body needs certain micro and macro nutrients found exclusively in animal products, or you'll have to add pills or other supplements along with a very detailed vegetable grocery list. Like others mentioned, preparing, proportioning, washing, cooking, keeping stock, counting calories, making sure you take enough, vegetables is alot more taxing than a vegetarian diet. Also, in most cases, a true vegan diet can get costly if one person in the household is doing it and your parents are not.
I'm not saying don't do it. What I will say is to make sure it's realistic to sustain given your position. Most people who go vegan often do on a whim and have no idea how to make it work long term. The human body stores minerals and nutrients and those from animal products that are not replaced will soon take a toll on your body over time which is why most people start to fall apart after several months.
So, make sure you do your research. Know what you need to eat to compensate for other products. Know everything there is to know about the diet and look up how others have been successful with this diet. It should be said that athletes need more calories than other people as well.
One other thing to add to the well thought out response above--eating out can be a hassle. If you are at a nicer restaurant, they'll generally work with you, fast food is a no go, BUT, if you eat at a family member's house, just be polite and eat whatever your grandmother/aunt/cousin brings you. No adult appreciates a lecture on food ethics from a precocious teenager.
When humans lived as hunter-gatherers omnivores eating animals regularly for a million years, the human population lived in balance with the ecosystems. Once humans hijacked the plant kingdom with grain-based agriculture, our population exploded and the threat to the planet began.
Eating animals is not the problem, it is the abundance of cheap energy from petroleum and grains. Getting back in balance is only possible by turning away from the abuse of the land promoted with government subsidies and corporate farming at all levels, coupled with serious population control. Going vegan can be a tiny step in this direction, but for many it is not a healthy option. 2/3 of the planet can provide human sustenance only through grazing. Better to put pressure on the means by which we get ANY food.
By the way, if you were a cow, would you prefer to graze comfortably on the range for a modest lifetime which ends more painlessly than any death experienced by any of your ancestors, or be denied any existence at all? And if you believe that farming produce and grains doesn't entail suffering and death among numerous small animals, you are ignorant of the reality.
Andro McNitro wrote:
When humans lived as hunter-gatherers omnivores eating animals regularly for a million years, the human population lived in balance with the ecosystems. Once humans hijacked the plant kingdom with grain-based agriculture, our population exploded and the threat to the planet began.
Eating animals is not the problem, it is the abundance of cheap energy from petroleum and grains. Getting back in balance is only possible by turning away from the abuse of the land promoted with government subsidies and corporate farming at all levels, coupled with serious population control. Going vegan can be a tiny step in this direction, but for many it is not a healthy option. 2/3 of the planet can provide human sustenance only through grazing. Better to put pressure on the means by which we get ANY food.
By the way, if you were a cow, would you prefer to graze comfortably on the range for a modest lifetime which ends more painlessly than any death experienced by any of your ancestors, or be denied any existence at all? And if you believe that farming produce and grains doesn't entail suffering and death among numerous small animals, you are ignorant of the reality.
Well said.
+1
CTFU...works long-term
Ive been vegan for over a year now im 14 completely healthy perfect blood tests. Eat plentiful watch freelee and durianrider for more advice those guys got me fitter than ive ever been.
KillerCheeks wrote:
Ive been vegan for over a year now im 14 completely healthy perfect blood tests. Eat plentiful watch freelee and durianrider for more advice those guys got me fitter than ive ever been.
0/10
Piano_Man87 wrote:
Pro's: You will lose weight, save money at the grocery store, feel better (initially), sleep better (somewhat).
What grocery store do you shop at? It's incredibly expensive to be vegan and eat well. Produce is not cheap.