Why Americans Need To Adopt A Vegetarian Asian Diet

[W31rd0]

1. Tea

In East Asian countries, people often drink unsweetened tea. Tea is not insanely bitter like coffee, so I think tea would probably be more popular than coffee for that reason. If tea is not available, then you can substitute tea with warm water. It's just a warm beverage to go with the meal - a lot better than the sugary fruit juice or soda.

2. Rice as Staple Food

Do you hate to cook? Try the Indian and East Asian diet then! Cooking rice is completely brainless, if you have a rice cooker. Even if you don't have a rice cooker, you just need to know that cooking rice requires a 1:2 rice-to-water ratio. If you have rice in your pantry, then you'll know that you always have something to eat! That's why it's called staple food. The main purpose of the staple food is to form the basis of your diet, so that you don't starve yourself.

3. Fruits as Desserts

Why settle for ice cream sundae, which is loaded with sugar, or chocolate cake, still a lot of sugar, when you can have something sugary and nutritious at the same time? Have a piece of fruit for dessert!

4. No Dairy Products

While Indians do have their paneer cheese, East Asians traditionally don't have any dairy products in the diet. If you have a milk allergy or are lactose-tolerant, then adopting an East Asian diet is the way to go. If you don't have a milk allergy or lactose intolerance, then you may find cheese-making kind of tricky and slow; and you aren't willing to buy store-bought cheese because store-bought cheese is not cheap or loaded with salt; and store-bought yogurt and ice cream may be loaded with sugar. You might as well just drop dairy products altogether, unless you own a lactating cow or goat and don't have any other food to eat.

5. Versatile Use of Soybeans

I think most Americans know of soymilk and soy sauce. What's not sold in mainstream American supermarkets is the soy pulp (the solid residue from the soymilk production) and the soybean curd (the thin film that floats on top of the boiling soymilk). Both are edible and sold in hyphenated American supermarkets. It is also possible to make soymilk at home and consume every bit of the soy. Sadly, this English-speaking tutorial on how to make soymilk suggests that you should discard the pulp, if you have no use for it, and the tofu skin. Please do not discard them! Those are perfectly edible! If you eat them, then you'll realize that soybeans are much more versatile than, say, milk, where the whey liquid is discarded in the process of cheese-making.

6. Large Farmed Animals Are Not Efficient

Raising large farm animals for meat is not efficient at supplying food, if you consider the size of the human population. Animals at the top of the food chain should have fewer numbers than animals at the bottom; otherwise, the whole ecosystem will collapse because the numerous superpredators (humans) are gobbling up everybody else. Humans must lower themselves in the food chain and eat like chickens, having a diet rich in plants and bugs. Although bugs are seriously considered for future food security, for the sake of this myTake, I am going to remove bugs, because of the cultural taboo that readers may have of entomophagy and because of the tricky issue of classifying bugs as "meat" or not. Eating a vegetarian diet would spare the lives of these large animals - the chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs, and cattle. Including fish and seafood in the definition of meat, a vegetarian diet would spare the lives of the creatures of the sea and recover populations.

7. Being Top Predator Is Not A Good Idea

Being a top predator is not a very good idea, when you consider the fact that mercury-contaminated water will just travel up the food chain and ultimately reach humans. Since humans eat fish because they think they will get omega-3 fatty acids, in reality only wild-caught fish have omega-3 fatty acids because they eat the algae that makes omega-3 fatty acids. Now, the world's oceans are already depleting, and wild-caught fish are always on the expensive end. So, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids is a head of romaine lettuce. Eat a lot of romaine lettuces. Eat them like a rabbit, and they will allow you to breed like one, because you have reduced your status in the food chain from a tertiary or secondary consumer to a primary consumer.

[Phoenix98]

Haha yeah this could not be more wrong The only Asian country that isn't a third world or second world country is Japan. And their diet consists of eggs, dairy (tempura), lots and lots of seafood because it's cheap. And they also consume a lot of noodles. As well as beef. By the way their life expectancy is one of the highest in the world.

And you do know that some of the finest beef and beef companies in the world come from Asia right? Like Kobe for instance.

Also no not going do that or recommend it that, as a fitness and nutrition professional I know better.

Also you forgot to mention the fact that minimal amounts or total absence of many micronutrients would create a nutritional deficiency if your diet consisted largely of rice. Since rice itself has very few nutrients in it. and that eating too much rice may adversely affect glucose metabolism and insulin production in your body.

And again forgot to mention that soy is actually really bad for men to eat and consume in large amounts because it causes a males hormones to go nuts and haywire, which slows facial hair grow, causes hair to fall out all over the body, sexual appetite and desire disappears also messes with the male mammary glands or gynecomastia as it's known it also decreases testosterone an can even cause gender-bending nightmares when consumed in large enough quantities.

On top of that when you eat soy, you’re actually courting the Mr. Hyde side of two natural drugs: genistein and daidzein. Both act so similarly to estrogen that they’re known as phytoestrogens (plant-produced estrogens).

So no thanks, keep your "Asian" diet.

[rjroy3]

Dude, I want some Kobe lol

[Phoenix98]

@rjroy3 Yeah some Koba beef sounds really good right about now /=

[W31rd0]

I should clarify that people should adopt a MOSTLY vegetarian Asian diet. My parents were raised in China. Meat was expensive, so rice and vegetables were the norm. They weren't vegetarians in the ethical sense; they were practical vegetarians for most days of the year, except the big holidays, like Chinese New Year. Meat that was preserved throughout the year would be eaten on the big holidays. Sometimes, meat would be eaten in very small amounts or be used as cooking oil throughout the year. China is getting richer now, and many people are consuming more meat, thanks to the global influence of McDonalds. Though, the Chinese government seems to want to reverse the trend by reducing meat consumption for the twofold reason of reverting back to a traditional, rural Chinese diet and slowing down global warming.

Tempura is not a dairy product.

As a fitness and nutrition professional, you should also know that everyone has preferences and needs.

[W31rd0]

People don't eat rice by itself. They eat rice with vegetables. The vegetables provide the nutrients and the dietary fiber. Also, you should understand how Chinese people eat food. The vegetables and rice are eaten at the same time.

[Phoenix98]

No they shouldn't and I just stated very good and valid reasons why.

Yeah and as a professional I know what the body actually requires to function on a daily basis and what your eating ain't it.

And yeah the Chinese also will show up and kidnap your child if you have more then the regulated amount and they also ban stuff like youtube and only allow their people to watch certain things so that free and outside thinking isn't introduced. It's easier to control the population that way.

[Phoenix98]

And as you can see people agree with me.

So again sorry but we're not going to eat your estrogen diet.

[W31rd0]

It is possible to consume protein in various sources. Many vegetables do contain protein, but the problem is, you have to eat various vegetables to get all the amino acids you need. That's why muscle meat is much more efficient in delivering all the amino acids in one bite. This does not mean you have to completely eat a primarily meat diet, as farm-raised meat is no different from eating grains (which are what the animals are fed) and thus lacking in micronutrients. The advantage of a primarily plant-based diet for most days of the year (except on big holidays) is that it's much cheaper to eat plants than animals, but meat can be used in small quantities.

One key disadvantage in plants is that they don't have much fat, unless you count in the avocado. That's why sometimes it's just easier to use animal fat as cooking oil and increase the calories in a meal. Did you know that when you stir-fry tofu, you can increase the fat composition?

[W31rd0]

You should not consume soy in large quantities then, but in small quantities, there is nothing with soy products. Besides, you can get your proteins from the other vegetables on the plate.

[W31rd0]

The fact that humans are omnivores proves that humans are flexible in diet. A plant-majority diet is very healthy. You don't have to eat steak all the time. It is possible to live off of plants and fungi and bugs and still have an adequate, balanced diet. What you need is to have some tolerance for the wide variation of a healthy diet. One big advantage of a plant-based diet is not necessarily health; it's the environment.

Having people agreeing with you does nothing. Like-minded people are people who share the same opinions, not necessarily the correct/wrong opinions.

[TheLuckyPizzaDog]

Lol. Meanwhile

https://images.wisegeek.com/roasted-duck.jpg

www.foodnut.com/.../...ina-Char-Siu-Roast-Pork.jpg

images.tastespotting.com/.../282890.jpg

[W31rd0]

Meanwhile, you are completely ignoring the vegetarian part. It's not just Asian, but also vegetarian.

[TheLuckyPizzaDog]

Yah. Exactly. You enjoy your vegetarian Asian diet.

[Toad-1]

Zomg i want them in mah belly!

[TheLuckyPizzaDog]

@Toad-1 Lol I had all that in my belly over the weekend. =D

[Hollywood-Glam]

While I do agree that a vegetarian diet is healthy and high in fiber, I think a pesceterian diet is even better. Pescetarianism is eating vegetables and no meat with the exception of seafood. It will work so well with Asian diet (esp. East Asian) because Asian cuisine includes a lot of fish. Having a non vegetarian diet can be healthy too, as long as you don't neglect all the vegetables, because vegetables are more beneficial than meat. The great thing about this kind of this kind of diet, is that it's heavy on vegetables just like vegetarian, and no meat, with the exception of the healthiest meat, fish, so you get the good sides of both diets, the richness in fiber and the richness in protein. Vegetarianism is good in a way since it decreases the chances of getting cholesterol, which could be the side effect of eating a lot of meat, mainly greasy red meat. Fish on the other hand, won't have this effect, it's the healthiest kind of meat, so why not opt for a 'vegetarian' diet along with seafood. Like I said, Asian cuisine and seafood go hand in hand. When I think of Asian food, I also think of seafood, so adopting a pescetarian Asian diet is ideal.

[oddwaffle]

You obviously haven't seen a fat monk before. If you grow fat then you grow fat. Also soybeans haven't had enough study to make sure that it is safe to consume in excess for long term.

Rice and it's cousin sticky rice also contribute heavily to diabetes. Avoid starch and sugar. Those are exceedingly common in Asian diet, esp, when you are going down the vegetarian roots.

Also avoid soy sauce, message and salt in Asian cuisine. The whole vegan diet in Asian culture is due to religion so they tend to make the meal more appealing by adding a lot of spice for flavor. Dying of a stroke can be common.

Also avoid the coconut milk. This thing is added to a lot of things in place of milk and butter. The coconut makes fat look down right friendly. In fact, cheese is actually good for you. Coconut milk? Not so much.

Lastly, avoid the fake meat. It's nothing bad. It just shows that you really really love meat but refuse to eat it. Makes you wonder what insanity...

[tatidrac]

I agree to some extent besides the coconut milk. Why is that unhealthy?

[oddwaffle]

@tatidrac
It has a lot of saturated fat. However, it smell sweet and are often used in pretty much every that called for milk and butter. This means almost anything in south asia would have some of it.

They also go really really well with sugar. It's an extremely potent combination for sweets. If you mix the right amount of salt, sugar, water and coconut cream (condensed version of milk) then you would have a very tasty sauce for sweets.

[John_Doesnt]

This could not be more wrong. The only Asian country that isn't a third world or second world country is Japan. And their diet consists of eggs, dairy (tempura), lots and lots of seafood because it's cheap. And they also consume a lot of noodles.
by the way their life expectancy is one of the highest in the world.

I've been to Japan and it's hard to find something that doesn't have egg, seafood or dairy in it.

[W31rd0]

That's why I mentioned VEGETARIAN. You, on the other hand, completely ignored it.

[John_Doesnt]

pork and shrimp are not vegetarian. They eat seafood (sushi).

[W31rd0]

Not necessarily. Sushi is Japanese in origin and requires skill to prepare. A person can find sushi in a restaurant, but probably doesn't want to pay the price unless he/she is wealthy!

Shrimp and other sea creatures are considered "fish", which, to Catholics, are "not meat". Non-Catholics do regard them as meat.

Pork may be popular in China, but it's the AMOUNT that matters. There is nothing wrong with eating meat, in my opinion; however, the consumption of meat needs to be moderated. Meat takes longer to grow, so it should be eaten sparingly, not every day.

[John_Doesnt]

You've never been to Japan. Sushi is the cheapest food in Japan along with other seafood. You can get seafood in a can from a vending machine over there.
You vegans and vegetarians are all the same.

[NogardaCurse]

But... steak... and... ice cream...
Honestly, if you want to be a vegetarian, but as a whole, humans are naturally and biologically omnivores. You can't escape it. It's in our physical make up. We were not made to eat only plant life. I prefer eating naturally, meat, plant matter, not a whole lot of soda, etc.

[W31rd0]

Yes, humans are omnivores. Just being "vegetarian" doesn't mean you don't eat animal-derived foods. The type of vegetarianism that I was going for in the myTake involves eating eggs and bugs, because eggs are cheap and abundant, and bugs are fast-reproducing, nutritious animals. :)

[NogardaCurse]

I mean, bugs are technically animals, but whatever. Also, eating insects and some arthropods isn't exactly part of the American culture, (although I actually do like them) and are really hard to find. Do you know where you would get such things? Besides catching them, and having them in lollipops and such?

[W31rd0]

Yes, they are animals. Vegetarianism is actually a subjective term. Some vegetarians eat fish, because they think that fish is "not meat". Some vegetarians eat eggs and milk, because they think that those animal-based foods are okay to consume and not considered meat. Bugs are animals, but they may or may not be classified as meat.

Also, even though something is not part of American culture now, it may be in the future, as people have to find new ways to meet the growing demand for meat, even if that means finding alternative, more sustainable animals. Bugs are the future to food security, as suggested by the World Health Organization.

You can keep a worm farm yourself and feed the worms organic waste. Every few months or so, the worms will double in size, generating a new supply of meat. Chickens may be too precious to eat, because they can de-pest the ground. But if too many chickens exist on your property, you can kill off the surplus chickens and eat them.

[Izumiblu]

You do realize that vegetarianism in east asia is hardly a thing and rarely a chosen option, right? In most cases it is carried out by monks who follow a devotional diet or its followed simply because a person dont have enough money for proteins. Vegetarianism in Japan is barely even a thing. I wouldn't look at east Asian as a model for vegetarianism as Americans generally do it far better when they actually do it.

[W31rd0]

Yes. You do realize that metabolic diseases and others are diseases of affluence, right?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_of_affluence

If we fix the diseases of affluence with the old way of life, but with some modern technology, then we may have the best of both worlds. :)

[W31rd0]

The truth is, meat is and has always been expensive to make, and that is implied in the old traditional, rural Chinese diet. Coincidentally, the old way of life just happens to be healthier, because of more fruits and vegetables and less industrial ingredients.

[W31rd0]

My parents were raised in China. They weren't vegetarian in the ethical sense; but practically, they ate like vegetarians. Sometimes, meat would be used in very minute quantities for flavor; often, meat would be eaten on big holidays. Obviously, people in developing countries suffered from parasites and filthy bugs due to lack of sanitation and plumbing. People in developed countries are too clean and may suffer from autoimmune diseases as a result, according to the hygiene hypothesis. So, it's "damn if you do, damn if you don't".

[Izumiblu]

I understand what you are saying, i think i misunderstood what you were trying to convey in your take. But no big deal, i understand what you are getting at.

[Notorisch_Arschloch]

As a guy who eats a gluten free ketogenic paleo diet with a TON of meat, I gotta say... I'd give up the meat and suffer tofu if it meant women in the US would stop being fucking heifers.

I heard a girl on here talking about weighing 200-210 which she referred to as being "not that big." Sweety, that's as big as me, and I'm a damn powerlifter.

Seriously, bring on the tofu if that means I can see a female that doesn't look like a couch bison or walmart scooter manatee.

[W31rd0]

I am normal-weight, and I eat tofu. Tofu is not harmful, if you eat it moderately and not go crazy with soy.

[W31rd0]

150 pounds, 5'6''

[Notorisch_Arschloch]

^^^ My point.

[Izumiblu]

Well, you made me laugh...

[martyfellow]

After living in China 6 years, I have come to see that the traditional diet there is quite healthy, and have adopted most of it. i still like coffee in the morning, but that's getting more popular in Asia now as well. And I use bread in place of rice to a large extent...

[rjroy3]

So rice a quick burning carb that acts like sugar in the body and leaves you feeling hungry shortly afterwards, fruits that actually are sugars that leave you feeling hungry shortly afterwards and soybeans which are a known food source that lowers testosterone and raises estrogen levels. But hey at least they don't leave you feeling hungry as well... I'll pass. lol

[mutedaisy]

Too much rice can cause diabetes, and soy beans have an abnormal amount of estrogen. They are not good for men or women to eat.

[akadatank44]

This^

[Iraqveteran666]

Might cure the obesity crisis. I would say that expecting a person or European ethnicy to adopt an Asian diet would be like asking Asians to adopt a diet of dairy and beef washed down with a pint of milk straight from the cow.

[Blonde401]

I'm not American... but tea is gross. And I'm lactose intolerant but still treat myself to dairy quite often 😂

[springocelot]

lol

it's really hard finding vegetarian east/southeast Asian dishes that aren't seasoned with some kind of seafood or fish sauce

[Dred1614returns]

Ha! Never.
www.kingsford.com/.../...Steak_4_0323-1024x621.jpg

[Anonymous]

Well i am Asian and rice is the biggest reason that Asians are getting bigger and bigger now a days. rice is not that good for your health. And Asians are reducing rice from their diet these days.

[Anonymous]

Soy is not healthy for men. It produces estrogen and while that's not a problem for women it can be very bad for men.

[mixinUP]

it depends... you should know that china has high obesity rates.

[W31rd0]

It is rising, because of the changing diet. The traditional, rural diet is predominately plant-based.

[Anonymous]

But I don't want to be all puny, so I will stick with my current diet with plenty of meat and dairy.

[PancakeFury]

Not eating a lot of meat doesn't make you puny, it just highers the chances of you getting heart disease.

[Xwtxx]

Soy is bad for men. I do not want b. t.

[Anonymous]

Already doing it! And agree, it is awesome.

[Maxemeister]

Lmao okay here's my answer:

NOPE