Is anyone here a vegan?

[Laura1995]

If so, why did you do it?
I did it for two reasons:
A) It saddens me what the poor animals have to go through
B) Meat is gross anyways. I've been living without it just fine.

[Kiwedin]

I just finally made the connection between what I was eating and the animal who was murdered for the sake of my taste buds. I always considered myself a lover of animals and the earth, until I realized how hypocritical it was of me to eat meat and dairy. A true environmentalist and animal lover would align their actions with their values, and that's what I did. I've been vegan for about a year now, and there's absolutely no going back. I used to be a major carnivore too lol and I'm Native American, so I've been hunting since I was a little girl. Once you make the connection that animals want to live and deserve to live just as much as humans do, it's hard to see them as food anymore.

[Laura1995]

Awww that's so touching!! ^_^
At eight, I realized the same thing. I just can't imagine myself eating meat anymore. Animals have lives too, and I don't think they should be taken away.
I cry every time I see pigs getting slaughtered :/

[bubble_tea]

should we kill all sharks because they eat other fishes that deserve to live? or lions because they eat zebras?

[Kiwedin]

Lmao, no, because that would be ridiculous. Those animals are carnivores and are physiologically required to eat meat, humans are not, we can live a cruelty-free life if we choose and can be perfectly health doing so. @bubble_tea

[bubble_tea]

if humans didn't physiologically need the nutrients that come from animal consumption, long-term vegans wouldn't need to swallow pills to get those nutrients.

[Kiwedin]

Except they don't have to swallow pills lol. If we're being totally honest though, vegans who have been vegan into their old age and have to take a vitamin everyday (they don't, but hypothetically) still have to take less pills than someone who was an omnivore their entire life. The truth of the matter is that a vegan who eats a balanced diet is healthier than an omnivore, and will therefore have a healthier old age. Just look at Betty White, she's vegan, and she's so much healthier than she should be at that age :).

[bubble_tea]

just curious. how long have you been on your vegan diet?

[Kiwedin]

A little over a year, I think. I never really saved the date lol.

[bubble_tea]

No, because that diet doesn't suit my genetics. Some people are meant to eat meat or they will be ill from being malnutritioned. Not everyone has the money to swallows expensive pills to combate the malnutritions when a less costly solution is to simply eat a little meat.

[Kiwedin]

Actually, a recent study proved that omnivores are more deficient of more vitamins and nutrients than vegans are. Also, being vegan doesn't require you to take any pills.

[bubble_tea]

@Kiwedin because most don't eat enough vegetables and fruits, not because they consume meat. long term vegans need to supplement b12

[Kiwedin]

No, we don't. I get my B12 from other sources, like nutritional yeast, spirulina, algae, or fortified vegan foods. Even if someone decides to take a supplement, is that really worse than killing another living creature with just as much desire to live as you or me?

[bubble_tea]

@Kiwedin fortified means artificially adding nutrients to food that doesn't normally have it, doesn't it?
it's not about worse or not worse. it would just refute the idea vegans believes.. that humans aren't omnivores and we just chose to be. if we didn't need it, vegans wouldn't need to supplement b12 (a vitamin only found in animal products).

"A common myth amongst vegetarians and vegans is that it’s possible to get B12 from plant sources like seaweed, fermented soy, spirulina and brewers yeast. But plant foods said to contain B12 actually contain B12 analogs called cobamides that block intake of and increase the need for true B12."
chriskresser.com/b12-deficiency-a-silent-epidemic-with-serious-consequences
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10552882

[Kiwedin]

It's not really supplementing, I'm just drinking almond milk lol They're all fortified. To be quite honest, there is a lot of contradicting information about B12. I've read things like this article, to other articles saying that B12 really isn't that important and as long as you get all your other vitamins, you'll be fine. Some people never experience B12 deficiency symptoms (like me) and others do. Cobalt comes from the dirt and is converted into B12 in the intestine. So yeah, I can get cobalt from a vegan source and then convert it into B12 in my own intestine rather than eating someone else's body to get it.

[bubble_tea]

@Kiwedin it's always important to find out 'who' conducted and 'who' sponsored those studies. independent sources or not. anyway.. even if you have those bacteria in your intestines, can you be absolutely sure that they can produce enough B12 to meet your daily nutritional needs? this is why most ex-vegans tell they felt very good during the first year up to 3 years, but their health got worse the longer they were vegan (if they didn't take supplements). it takes some time to notice the side effects of those deficiencies.

my main point is no diet is best for everyone. it depends on your genetics. I'm anemic and going vegan would be rather suboptimal because I'd have to cut out the easiest way to get enough iron. I'd rather not sacrifice my health for animals that were only raised to get eaten. there is no real reason for pigs to exist otherwise. they won't survive in the wilderness unlike boars.

[Kiwedin]

Actually, vegans have the same amount or higher of iron. There are tons of plant-based ways to get your iron and absorb it more efficiently (since your body won't be so acidic anymore) and in many cases, cure your anemia as well. Veganism can suit everyone, it just takes adjusting your intake of certain fruit, veggies, beans, lentils, and nuts to suit your personal needs. Not everyone can be a fruitarian, some people like you would have to eat much more beans and lentils. It's really not complicated.

[bubble_tea]

@Kiwedin and walk around each day with a bloated almost exploding stomach from all the beans and lentils and fart as much as cows? thanks, I'll pass.

[Kiwedin]

That doesn't happen once your body is used to fibre. Most omnivores are deficient in fibre, so once you finally get it, it just goes right through you. It happened to me when I went vegan, but it passes once your body adjusts to all that fibre and nutrients.

[bubble_tea]

@Kiwedin I guess I could try it when I plan on living in isolation for months till I adjust.
I'm curious, do vegans also say no to medication and make up products that were tested on animals?

[Kiwedin]

Detox doesn't last weeks lol It's just a couple of days. No, we don't wear makeup if it was tested on animals. About medication, it varies from person to person. Some don't care, but a lot of us are vegan because we care about our health, feed our bodies the foods it needs, and let the sickness run its course. Honestly, I haven't gotten sick once since going vegan and I usually have really bad allergies, but I've been fine this whole year.

[kheserthorpe]

There's a guy who was on a question a day or two ago who said he was. So there are a few at least.

B) perhaps to you, to me meat is delicious.

A) While I have not chosen to take that step, I can certainly understand why someone would.

I hope it works well for you. I know some people who've thrived on it, and some whose health didn't agree with it.

[BertMacklinFBI]

im not but I eat vegan food. who would have thought vegans can make a meatball sub that taste better than a real meatball sub! fucking mind blowing man!

[Laura1995]

And healthier!! I love veggie burgers :)

[BertMacklinFBI]

omgee d00d! and those cupcakes! seriously like whaaaaat!

[Laura1995]

Yes!! So tasty ^_^

[M_A_X]

It's also REALLY been proven that it's not healthier to remove all meat from your diet and replace it with tofu and crap and I have studies for that one too if you want to see them. If you're not worried and okay with being a hypocrite, I understand

[Kiwedin]

It actually is though. A lot of doctors are beginning to prescribe a vegan diet to some patients now. You'd be surprised how many illness are caused by meat and dairy, and by removing them you can be healed. So it actually is healthier, otherwise people's health wouldn't be improving so much. It's been shown to cure type 2 diabetes in under a week, help manage type 1 diabetes, cure eczema, acne, certain types of cancers, candida, some allergies, migraines, irritable bowl syndrome, osteoperosis, high blood-pressure, high-cholesterol, metabolic imbalances, and so many more.

[BertMacklinFBI]

@M_A_X you can link it if you want. I eat both hahaa.

@Kiwedin wow! so many things already fixed by switching to a vegan diet holy shit!

[Anonymous]

I'm not, but I can really see why some people choose to be. I buy organic and free range etc. but I can still see lots of room for improvement on the animal welfare side of things. I'd probably eat vegan if I had a vegan gf, I'm too lazy to do it on my own.

[psychedelic_paprika]

Yooo, represent!

I just love animals too much. I don't have anything against non-vegans, but I feel really guilty eating meat and things with animal products in them.

[Anonymous]

Cage Free eggs, are hens that lay eggs out in the open. It's often how they treat the animal, yes, this is true but some animals are treated quite well before being cut up for our food and necessary food we need (protein) to survive. I know a couple of girls who tried to go vegan and or vegetarian but didn't last very long. You HAVE to have meat, even if you don't realize it

[Laura1995]

You know, there's other ways to get protein :)

[psychedelic_paprika]

Haha, you can get protein and still be a vegan ya'know.

[Opinion Owner]

Not necessarily but, suit yourself

[Kiwedin]

You actually don't need meat though lol Otherwise, us vegans would be dead and deficient, which we aren't. :)

[Opinion Owner]

You actually do. I can't prove it because I can't post links yet but yeah, you kind of do

[Kiwedin]

Trust me, you really don't.

[Opinion Owner]

You really do

[M_A_X]

@Laura1995 you had better stop eating plants then, because it's been proven that they have feelings too. Some trees even communicate with eachother. You're a heartless killer for eating that salad

[M_A_X]

Trees feel fear, and warn each other of danger. I'm actually not even lying. This is why it's impossible to be vegan without being a hypocrite. If a maple tree gets attacked by bugs, it releases pheramones into the air to let the other trees know to start producing chemicals to help fight the bugs before they get them too

www.scientificamerican.com/.../

[Kiwedin]

That's the best you can come up with? If it's bad to eat plants, then why do our bodies absolutely need them? Why do most plants only ripen after you pick them? Or why do they reproduce by being eaten and getting their seeds in the ground that way? Plants are biologically designed to be eaten, otherwise that wouldn't be their way of procreating.

[M_A_X]

Our bodies don't absolutely need plants. You can eat artificially created proteins and nutrients. You just can't afford them and they aren't readily available

Yeah, meat is artificially designed to be eaten too, that's why animals have different kinds of teeth. Don't even start coming at me with what's "natural" in a topic about vegans

[M_A_X]

I said artificially instead of biologically, but my point stands. Don't start talking about what's natural, when the teeth in your damn mouth flat out tell you that YOU ARE AN OMNIVORE

[Iron_Man]

When was the last time you had a good quality Steak? And did you like it back then or did you say Yuck and pushed the plate away?

[Laura1995]

The last time I had a steak was when I was eight. And no, I didn't like it >.<

[Iron_Man]

WOW thats been a long time. Well at least you won't ever be fat eating like you are

[Laura1995]

Yes, it has!! 11 years xD

[kangy]

No I am not. it is good u have compassion for animals.

[done-_-]

No I'm not vegan and i love meat so much...
U r missing a lot of fun u know !!! :D

[AdamThomas]

Save a plant, shoot a vegan.

[Anonymous]

We are on top of the food chain for a reason. We can eat anything we want and I choose lots of meat

[bwood96]

Sometimes I eat dick.. so no. ;)

[Klaatu51]

no i'm not but i could live without meat i believe

[Anonymous]

No but my friend is

[Laura1995]

Good for her!!
I'm not one of those vegans that force my beliefs down other people's throats ^_^ (just throwing that out there).

[douride2]

Sorry I love my steak. I could never go vegan.

[Pinkbeauty]

I'm not vegan but I eat organic foods

[Gabby21924]

I like meat too much

[Amylicious]

No I'm not vegan.