Thoughts on Vegetarians/vegans

[tyger]

that doesn't count as meat

[alphacat]

The findings on soy are still controversial and highly varied: those subsidizing the studies have agendas.

I do know, however, that natto miso (fermented soy) is the end-all be-all anti-radiation food. Supposedly there were studies done on irradiation of peoples living around Nagasaki & Hiroshima and they kept finding that the Buddhist monks had significantly lower levels; the lowest common denominator was their diet - they ate almost nothing but miso soup (google: Shinichiro Akizuki.) The mechanism is not clearly understood but it's effective enough that Chernobyl & Fukushima survivors were also told to eat a lot of miso...

I have heard that soy is hard for the body to digest and that all of those soy protein products involve a lot of chemicals?

Fermented soy is something else. Miso is a regular part of my diet.

That's one of the contentious points. Some suggest that populations who've assimilated it into their diet historically have less problems digesting it; some folks on the other end (paleo diet pplz) say that anything that requires processing of some sort to eat - including bread, cheese, beer, wine, etc. - are supposedly 'unnaturally' hard to digest. The ultimate symptoms of this problem are usually just gassiness, but for folks with potential issues along the Crohn's/IBS continuum might get irritated by it (never mind fried meat nuggets.) Google: trypsin & oligosaccharides. Worst case scenario is usually that someone who's susceptible to it will start to have issues with nutrient uptake; usually the symptoms will let you know something's not right, though.

Unfortunately, a lot of the big soy faux-meat companies (esp. Boca, who have a terrible ecological record, and Morningstar Farms, who are a giant agri-biz conglomerate creation) do use a lot of chemmy preservatives and whatnot.

Not all of 'em do though, thankfully - I've been especially keen on Quorn and Gardein products lately, their ingredients don't require a chemistry degree to read. Quorn is soy-free too btw, but not vegan, and they make a delicious stuffed chicken fillet with cranberries & goat cheese and another with gruyere cheese.

[Brewce]

Ive been vegetarian for about a year now, don't really plan on eating meat again. I do it for the moral reasons, although i usually just tell people its for my health so ppl don't think im the stereotypical arrogant vegetarian asshole. Im considering starting to eat fish again, I hate to kill anything thats living but I understand that most animals aren't self aware/don't have feelings. One thing i will absolutely never do is eat pork after finding out they are smarter and more self aware than dogs.... and us americans go ape shit when we hear about asian countries cooking dogs-.-

[Phigure]

most animals aren't self aware/don't have feelings.

theres a difference between feelings and being sentient though. you dont have to be self aware to suffer and feel pain

[parson]

what do y'all think of mycoproteins from quorn

[parson]

i think they are delicious and havent felt allergic i dont think

[Brewce]

most animals aren't self aware/don't have feelings.

theres a difference between feelings and being sentient though. you dont have to be self aware to suffer and feel pain

yea you're right, exactly why i still don't eat animals.

[garethom]

most animals aren't self aware/don't have feelings.

theres a difference between feelings and being sentient though. you dont have to be self aware to suffer and feel pain

Dude, did you not hear? It's okay to eat fish cuuuuuuuuz they don't have any feeeeeeeeeelings.

[nowaysj]

i think they are delicious and havent felt allergic i dont think

Any specific linkage to the deliciousness?

[alphacat]

Love me some Quorn!

@Nowaysj - www.quorn.com

[wub]

"Why can't you people just go to Tesco for water? It's very cheap at about 79p for a 2l bottle, and tastes much better than the stuff that comes out of the tap!"

I fucking love Guardian readers

[magma]

moral reasons...I understand that most animals aren't self aware/don't have feelings.

You seem rather confused. Surely it'd only be for moral reasons if you thought animals were self aware and had feelings?

Also, I can't think of many animals we eat that aren't self aware or don't have feelings. Having "feelings" is pretty much a pre-requisite for life.

I think you'd probably better stay vegetarian, at least until you've read some biology.

It's okay to eat fish cuuuuuuuuz they don't have any feeeeeeeeeelings.

Underrated reply.

[bright maroon]

I haven't really met an animal or bug that isn't incredibly intelligent...

They have humans beat 2000xs over when it comes to surviving in nature...


and spiders...

they will kill us if they get big enough...seriously they don't play.

[Terpit]

They have humans beat 2000xs over when it comes to surviving in nature...

Yeah?

[tyger]

and spiders...

they will kill us if they get big enough...seriously they don't play.

if they got too big, they'd cook in their own exoskeletons.

just don't nobody tell them about air conditioning ...

[nowaysj]

Or the AK-47.

[nowaysj]

Love me some Quorn!

@Nowaysj - http://www.quorn.com

Store locator says I'm a little fucked. Already going to three different grocery stores... a trip to a forth and my fucking head will explode!!!!!!!

Perhaps I'll just bring a cooler, and buy fifty pounds of the stuff, and stock my freezer (for the week).

[bright maroon]

YYEEEEEWWHOOOOOO SMACK 'EM & YAK'UM

[alphacat]

Locator might be off - lately you can find this stuff all over the place - in Safeway, Ho' Foods, you name it. Might wanna give those stores a call and ask if they stock it. There's a sale on 'em at Ho' Foods in SF right now - I already done stocked up.

==============

I thought the limiting factor to arthropod size was oxygen content in the air since they breathe through pores in their exoskeletons?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20265185/ns ... ant-sized/

[bright maroon]

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