Digest Number 708

[Guest guest]

In einer eMail vom 16.01.2004 20:41:38 Westeuropäische Normalzeit schreibt

:

 

> Hello everyone,

>

> my name is Marko, I am 21 year old student of Computer science from

> Serbia, and I am a new member to this list.

>

> I am not a vegetarian, and I have never been one, but I have been

> thinking for a long time now to abandon meat, for moral and ethical

> reasons, off course. But, I wouldn't do that at all cost, so, I would

> like to ask you few questions, just to be sure if I am doing the right

> thing.

>

> I would like to know if there would be any negative side effects to my

> activities, both intellectual and physical, if I changed my diet in

> such radical way. Since I am a student, concentration is vital to me,

> and also I am an active hiker and cyclist. Even though I feel

> compassion for animals, I wouldn't like to cripple my own abilities.

>

> Is there any advantage in eating meat? I have read about many

> disadvantages, but, is there any reason why I shouldn't stop eating

> meat? What about milk and dairy products, eggs, fish and sea food?

>

> I am really new to all this, and I will not be able to contribute much,

> but I would sure like to ask many more questions. I hope that won't be

> a problem.

>

> I am looking forward to learning from you.

>

> --

> Best regards,

> Marko

>

 

Hi Marko

 

I don't think that there is any danger in losing concentration due to turning

vegetarian. Physical side-effects might include thing like lower cholesterol

levels, lower overall body-fat, etc. I WILL caution you about beans, which

is a vital source of protein for vegetarians. Get used to them slowly and MY

suggestion is to avoid dried beans. No mater how much I boil, pre-soak dried

beans, we'll get gas so bad that we have to air out the room on an hourly basis

(sure as hell don't want to light a match during those times :-)))

 

Seriously, I'm glad to hear that someone is interested in turning vegetarian.

When my wife and I turned vegetarian a number of years ago it was because of

the BSE scare that was going on in the UK (we were living there at the time).

We never ate much meat to begin with, but then we stopped beef because of

BSE, then fish, then chicken went, then we just switched completely. As I have

gotten further from carnivorous behavior, it began to dawn on me that as a

mammal eating another mammal, I was participating in a form of cannibalism. Now

I realize that some people will think that's a load of BS, but that's what

started to go through MY head. Soon, I not only lost all desire to even eat

meat, the sight of watching someone eat meat now puts me totally off my food...I

do

n't eat out much because I just can't stand the sight of that.

 

As far as the moral implications go, I think vegetarianism is much better.

If you've ever been to a slaughter house and watched animals being put to death

and then butchered right there...watch the other animals waiting in line.

They see what's going on and although they can't reason like humans reason, they

are aware that someone very wrong is happening. You can see it in their eyes

that they know what's about to happen.

 

Just writing about it makes me feel creepy. Fish and seafood is still meat,

though. I know that sucks because I really do miss lobster at times, but when

I stop to think that they are boiled alive....shudder.

 

What I did notice about switching is that my blood pressure lowered. That's

a pretty big thing for us guys to consider, even while we're young because

things do have a cumulative effect. What you eat, drink, etc.. today will

dictate your health tomorrow.

 

Plus you'll find how much lighter you feel without having that average 8

pounds of undigested meat plugging up your plumbing.

 

Considering that doctors are always saying to limit red-meat consumption

because of the fat content, I think it's a healthier life-style. I don't know

of

any advantages to eating meat. Something I seem to remember from a high

school biology class (this was years ago) was that humans aren't really designed

for meat eating. Something about the way our teeth are shaped. They are shaped

more for vegetarianism, we don't have sharp teeth further back in the mouth.

 

Phoenix

 

1sound.com/phoenix