Let's meat up again
Here we go again...
The Telegraph delivers a big "screw you" to vegetarians. Pointing out the celebrities who have gone from being proclaimed vegetarians to meat-eaters once again, the writer describes her own return to meat (accompanied by a disgusting photo of her enjoying beef noodles in Vietnam after being vegetarian for 30 years). It's like getting sandbagged.
Need I ask you to write the editors regarding this piece? Do what you can to not sound defensive or otherwise unpleasant, otherwise vegetarians won't come out looking any better than they do in this sandbagging job
Tags: lapsed vegetarian
Posted by Eric @ 11:29 AM | Permalink|
6 comments
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6 Comments:
"Meat is a natural food, free of damaging, man-made, hydrogenated fats and oil."
**
WTF?
ok I e-mailed:
I was shocked and somewhat baffled by this article, in which the author details her return to an omnivorous diet from a vegetarian diet.
I have been a vegetarian for four years, and a vegan for two, and I have never felt or looked better in my life. Before going vegetarian, I couldn't stay awake during my university lectures, and couldn't make it through an afternoon without falling asleep. I relied heavily on caffeine, and 9+ hours of sleep each night.
She presents a number of questionable arguments about nutrition, including the notion that a vegetarian diet is often high in transfats (hydrogenated oils). This is in fact the case with MANY people, especially omnivores, who do not pay attention to what goes into the things they eat. Vegetarians and vegans are generally much more vigilant about reading labels than their omnivorous counterparts, and many are more health conscious than omnivores, and avoid transfats. I count myself among these people. My diet is 100% transfat free, and based on healthy whole foods.
It's also 100% cholesterol-free, unlike the authors. She states that "Meat is a natural food, free of damaging, man-made, hydrogenated fats and oil. " Maybe so, but it's certainly not free of damaging properties. It's very high in unhealthy animal fats, cholesterol, and damaging types of protein. It also lacks complex carbohydrates, the building blocks of energy, and a vast array of vitamins and minerals.
She also states, " Incomplete proteins, which contain only some essential amino acids, are found in grains, legumes and green leafy vegetables, but the correct combination of these foods, such as rice and beans, is required to obtain complete forms of protein from vegetarian diets." Welcome to the 21st century, one where the ancient concept of "amino acid combining" has been discredited. As long as one's diet contains a good balance of healthy foods, they should have no trouble getting all the amino acids they need.
If the author wishes to consume meat, then that is her choice. However it's unfair to the legions of healthy vegetarians and vegans out there for her to attempt to discredit their diet/lifestyle (weakly, I might add) in an attempt to make herself feel better. I'd strongly recommend "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell to anyone interested in learning about the damaging effects of meat consumption on human health. Read a preview at http://www.thechinastudy.com/
I don't understand how people can be vegetarian for so many years and then not only drop it but turn against it. It worries me that it might happen to me someday. =(
Why would you worry about yourself? If you believe in your reasons for being veg, what would cause you to give it up and speak out against it?
I can't speak for you, but I can say with certainty that I will never give up vegetarianism, much less veganism. I can't say that I'll never end up with an animal product in my food by accident (it happens), or that I may have problems traveling and will eat the least offensive thing I can find in order to maintain my health, but that doesn't mean I will ever turn my back on it, write an article praising meat for a major publication, and sell out the movement. Ever. Hold me to my words.
But let's just say I did give it up. I'd be too embarrassed and feel like too much of a jerk to do what this writer did. I'd just keep my mouth shut about it and live in ignominy if my change of heart were ever to be discovered.
Pamela, I like you clear, rational response (the second one ;-)). Have you sent it to the Telegraph? They may publish it on the letters page.
Oh yes, I sent it to them complete with my phone number and address (as they require that to consider publishing letters). :)
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