Here is another area that can sometimes drive me batty: deciding to eat or not eat meat as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
I was raised in a meat-eating family, but during childhood, I became very concerned about the treatment of animals. By the time I hit college, I stopped eating meat for ethical reasons. Then, as the price of produce kept going up and up and my income kept going down, I found myself unable to buy enough food without including meat. For instance, I could generally afford to buy chicken a few times a week, but there was no way I could afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, plus grains and such, more than once a week, if that.
These days, I am still concerned about the treatment of animals. But I no longer feel that eating meat is necessarily problematic; I just simply want animals that are eaten to be treated humanely while they are being raised. After a lot of research and much contemplation, I also have come to the conclusion that meat does not mean bad or that the healthiest diet must necessarily prohibit meat. At least at this point in human evolution, I find that while humans do not need meat, our bodies are currently such that meat is probably meant to be a part of our diet. Whereas I used to look at meat as an enemy, I now look at how we process meat as what can make meat problematic. Now, when I can get my hands on poultry that I can trust--that is, locally raised, humanely treated, and reasonably priced--I do consume it. But it's so rare to find all three in my community, especially the reasonable price.
Still, I must admit that I seem to feel better when I eat less meat. In particular, I've noticed that I don't get migraines nearly as much when I am meat-free or nearly meat-free. Most recently, I've pretty much been eating fruit, vegetables, and edamame as my protein source, and I'm feeling great. But I've read so many horror stories about vegans and vegetarians who, over time, found their health seriously compromised by living meat-free. On the other hand, I've met so many long-term vegans and vegetarians who swear that the only way to be healthy is to be meat-free. There seems to be no one-size-fits-all solution here: some people do well eating meat, and others do well without it.
How about you? Do you eat meat? Why or why not? How do you maintain good health with or without it?
I was raised in a meat-eating family, but during childhood, I became very concerned about the treatment of animals. By the time I hit college, I stopped eating meat for ethical reasons. Then, as the price of produce kept going up and up and my income kept going down, I found myself unable to buy enough food without including meat. For instance, I could generally afford to buy chicken a few times a week, but there was no way I could afford to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, plus grains and such, more than once a week, if that.
These days, I am still concerned about the treatment of animals. But I no longer feel that eating meat is necessarily problematic; I just simply want animals that are eaten to be treated humanely while they are being raised. After a lot of research and much contemplation, I also have come to the conclusion that meat does not mean bad or that the healthiest diet must necessarily prohibit meat. At least at this point in human evolution, I find that while humans do not need meat, our bodies are currently such that meat is probably meant to be a part of our diet. Whereas I used to look at meat as an enemy, I now look at how we process meat as what can make meat problematic. Now, when I can get my hands on poultry that I can trust--that is, locally raised, humanely treated, and reasonably priced--I do consume it. But it's so rare to find all three in my community, especially the reasonable price.
Still, I must admit that I seem to feel better when I eat less meat. In particular, I've noticed that I don't get migraines nearly as much when I am meat-free or nearly meat-free. Most recently, I've pretty much been eating fruit, vegetables, and edamame as my protein source, and I'm feeling great. But I've read so many horror stories about vegans and vegetarians who, over time, found their health seriously compromised by living meat-free. On the other hand, I've met so many long-term vegans and vegetarians who swear that the only way to be healthy is to be meat-free. There seems to be no one-size-fits-all solution here: some people do well eating meat, and others do well without it.
How about you? Do you eat meat? Why or why not? How do you maintain good health with or without it?
via Smart Health Shop Forum http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SmartHealthShopForum/~3/LuoWiNo4y6Y/10665-comparing-diets-do-do-not-include-meat.html
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