The Meat Issue

I just read an article that got me thinking about what we eat. There is a huge debate / flame war going on out there and it's time I add my two cents worth regarding

OMNIVORES vs. VEGETARIANS vs. VEGANS

So lets get facts straight.

Omnivores eat everything. Veggies, starches, meat, fish and other animal products. I'm one of them. I thoroughly enjoy animal products.

Vegetarians fall in many categories. You have have the ones that will dairy products only , those that will eat fish only, those that will eat dairy and fish only.

And the Vegans, who will not eat ANY animal based product, or wear products made from animals (wool, leather, silk).

Then you have those on paleodo-diets who only eat veggies and meat. No grains. Apparently that's what our ancestors ate. I disagree. We certainly ate grains but only when in season, and veggies only in season and meat when we could catch it. The cave man did not have the best diet. Having done an Atkins diet (low carb high protein) once that viciously rebounded on me and messed up my entire metabolism, I can tell you Paleo is not the way to go.

So the whole debate people are having is that it's cruelty to animals to eat animals, bad for natural resources to do animal husbandry, bad for natural resources to destroy large tracts of land for mono-culture crops, that we have evolved to eat both vegetables and meat, that our digestive system is not geared to eat plant matter only etc. The list is endless.

So where do I, as an omnivore stand in all this? I do believe we are meant to eat animal protein. Our digestive system is not designed for pure vegetable diets. We haven't evolved that way. We digest meat-based iron better than plant based iron. And no, spinach is not very rich in iron. There are others plants that fare much better.

I'm not saying vegetarian diets are bad per say. Unfortunately many vegetarians don't quite consider what nutrients they need in order to be healthy and they get deficiencies and that's where the whole vegetarianism / veganism is bad for you argument comes from. I've known obese vegetarians because they predominantly ate starch. I've met on the verge of starvation vegetarians too. Not good. If you buy the correct books that tell you what plants have the right nutrients for you and how to balance your food, then you'll be a healthy vegetarian / vegan.

It's all about doing your research properly.

I think modern society consumes far too much meat. Fish is healthier, but you then have the dilemma of depleting the oceans resources and destroying marine ecosystems from poor fishing methods. Buy only from sustainable fishing practices. SASSI has a great booklet that will help you determine which fish you should buy.

The Meat-Free Monday is a good idea. But I recommend you extend it to every second day meat-free. There are many options to get protein: beans, chickpeas, soya (though soya monocultures are the reason for the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, so I say stay away from soya) and Quinoa.

It's all about balance. A bit of protein (the size of your palm), lots of veggies and fruit (the more colourful the better) and some starch. If you have a balanced diet you will not suffer from cholesterol, overweightness, heart disease...

Nuff said!

PS: Dear Vegans, let your babies have mother's milk. They need it more than your morals / ideals. Let them get mommy's antibodies, let them grow strong and healthy. Only when they are onto solids should you decide to go vegan on them. Don't forget the importance of omegas for their brain development too. Before you even think of bringing them up on vegan diet from day one go to your dietician and follow their advice. Seriously. It's for your baby's own good!