Vegetarianism - would you try it?

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Mike Tyson is a vegan, as is Carl Lewis.

Mike Tyson? What was Evander Holyfield's ear made of? Cauliflower? Anyway I don't think he was a vegan at the peak of his boxing career.

As for Carl Lewis, he didn't need protein from meat to bulk-up. I think his success might be largely attributed to something a little stronger than vegetables

I tried bein a vegetarian
Then I got off the jax and had a chicken fillet burger

A good Indian is the best vegetarian cuisine known to mankind. You can't just take a meat and two veg style dinner and lose the meat.

I say fair play to anyone who can live without meat and make it work for them, although I'm not one of them. I make concessions to animal welfare, I won't buy cheap chicken and all my eggs are laid by chickens who are treated extremely well.

I'm not sure I can say much against vegetarians, they're probably, all other things being equal, better people than I am. But I have a blood lust that even some of my carnivorous friends find too much. I will sooner turn cannibal than cut out meat. Please forgive me.

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Well, that's just pure speculation on your part.

The point is, not all vegetarians and vegans are "weeds" as was said before.

Carl lewis was on the juice and mike tyson became one only very recently, the overwhelming majority of vegans are weak frail looking lads, each to their own though.

Vegetarianism..well seeing as its Steve-O...erm!

TheBoss! wrote: »

What makes you think he just "looks strong" as opposed to actually also being strong?

Because in the majority of athletic pursuits I could easily outperform a bodybuilder.

Bodybuilders train primarily for muscle mass, not necessarily strength. It's why you don't see Olympic weightlifters looking like bodybuilders.

TheBoss! wrote: »

Okay, how about a vegan UFC fight??

It's not impossible to be fit and strong as a vegan, just incredibly difficult. You're cutting most decent sources of protein from your diet and tend to need to eat a lot more calories to get the same intake. Fine if you've got the time (and money) to waste on expensive supplements and exotic flavour of the month beans

TheBoss! wrote: »

But "weedy" was the accusation and from watching that video, a lot of athleticism was demonstrated - did you even watch it?

Yes, and I don't count a few reps as an example of athleticism. He looked a bit awkward running and seemed to exhaust himself quickly

TheBoss! wrote: »

Nonsense. You don't need supplements to get more than adequate protein from a vegetarian diet - please don't tell me you believe in the "complete protein" nonsense do you?

What are you talking about? I said you need to eat more vegetables to get the equivalent level of protein as found in meat. Otherwise you take supplements. Funnily enough in that video you posted the bodybuilder was mixing himself something which looked suspiciously like a supplement drink. 29 seconds in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Zk6NUAieNsY#t=29s

In general I don't subscribe to the belief that any one diet is inherently healthier than another. Humans are pretty adaptable creatures, some cultures survive on high meat/fat (Eskimos) diets others on primarily vegetarian fare. What I do object to is the myth that vegetarianism or veganism is better for your health and better for the environment.

kowloon wrote: »

A good Indian is the best vegetarian cuisine known to mankind. You can't just take a meat and two veg style dinner and lose the meat.

I say fair play to anyone who can live without meat and make it work for them, although I'm not one of them. I make concessions to animal welfare, I won't buy cheap chicken and all my eggs are laid by chickens who are treated extremely well.

I'm not sure I can say much against vegetarians, they're probably, all other things being equal, better people than I am. But I have a blood lust that even some of my carnivorous friends find too much. I will sooner turn cannibal than cut out meat. Please forgive me.

I don't think being vegetarian is about being "a better person"... although there are a good few holier-than-thou people about who would have you believe that.
It's a personal choice, at the end of the day. I think the moral question should not be so much centred on eating animals - all animals die, same as humans. But in the wild, they are likely to die young, and not in a nice way. So keeping that in mind, their death - if fast and painless - is not necessarily "wrong".

What is wrong is how some of them are being kept. So people who decide to keep eating meat, but are careful about where it comes from are just as good in my book as people who decide not to eat meat.

Dravokivich wrote: »

I don't get the way this usually descends into an Us Vs Them. I can't stand the way some vegetarians have an agenda against meat either.

I can guarantee that for every one vegetarian you meet that has any interest in converting/preaching etc. you will meet 100 meat eaters who find the need to put our choice down just to reassure themselves on theirs.
Having to deal with shit like this

humbert wrote: »

there's a strong statistical correlation between being a vegetarian and being a dry self-righteous whingy bastard.

every single day gets some people's backs up.

Don't pick up on me wrong mind, I'm not saying meat eaters in general come up with stuff like that. It really just comes down to the percentages of meat eaters in the general population. If even 10% of meat eaters like to get in on a bit of veggie bashing that's still probably a greater number than there is vegetarians total.

I know myself I just want to be left well enough alone and have no interest if you eat meat or not, when the inevitable condescending question about being vegetarian comes up I usually just try to deflect it with something like "I don't love animals i just hate plants" to try and nip it in the bud :pac:

I love meat but the vegetarians do have some lovely dinnners, too.

I don't care what people's diet are but I don't like when people use videos like these highlight a general tar-with-one-brush "Farming is bad, look what all animals go through...." tone which lumps in Irish farms with those mega US & Asian farms, isn't accurate.

I was a pescatarian for a while as a teenager, but became anaemic because I didn't eat properly and basically lived off junk :P

I always though I would give it another go as I got older but really, I just wouldn't now. As much as I love veggie cuisine and am an avid animal lover, I enjoy eating meat. I don't eat a lot, but I wouldn't like to stop permanently. I am picky about it though - I only eat Irish produce and free range eggs. I try to be ethical where possible. I still eat quorn burgers a lot because they're lower in fat!

I respect people who adhere to being veggie and I think in general Irish restaurants are seriously lazy in catering for them - there are some fantastic dishes that don't involve meat.

seamus wrote: »

In terms of changing your diet, going veggie is about as dramatic as deciding that you won't eat white bread any more. Removing the meat is easy.

That's a very subjective statement. I love meat and love many meals that depend on it. I'd also have to reassess my nutrition if I cut out such a major component.

If I simply cut it out as I would with white bread, without compensating, I'd say my health would be affected.