.

It's been a while, and in case anyone is interested in my lifestyle choice I figured I'd post here again. I've been vegan for the past couple of months and it has been an awesome experience. Sure, it's limiting while I'm out with friends and, yeah, it can be a pain to read the ingredients on every food item I purchase, but it's very much worth it to me in the long run. Luckily, there's a new vegan restaurant that opened up exactly halfway between my house and my work - about five minutes from both places - and it is unbelievably delicious!

I've been cooking for myself a lot and have spent a lot of time with new recipes and have been finding out new ways to get the nutrition I need in an animal-product-free way. Sometimes I miss pizza, but Trader Joe's has a delicious dairy-free veggie pizza that is out of this world. So I guess I don't miss it too much.

I've been working out and have been getting more exercise, and I've also stopped my intake of soda, fatty snacks and caffeine (although I have some ginger ale on occasion). I feel a serious difference in my body and mind, and I feel more energized and happy as of late. My words of encouragement to anyone that is on the brink of trying something different diet- or lifestyle-wise: Try it, enjoy it, and welcome the change a healthier lifestyle will bring!

Bea Arthur is a sexy, sexy beast.

Yay, it's good that I'm not the only vegetarian around here. I knew Tommy was vegetarian, but had no idea Patrick was too.

For some reason, I gave up fish for moral reasons first at the age of seven. Meat followed a couple of years later. It was easy for me never to look back as I never liked meat much in the first place. I somehow influenced by mum to go vegan, but I don't think I could do it myself. I barely eat milk, cheese, and eggs on their own, but they're in so many products that it'd be really difficult for me to give up. I might consider it after I graduate from uni, though, when I'll have more money to eat healthily. Or have jacked in the day job to go sailing with Greenpeace.

Even more so than Estelle Getty, may she rest in peace?

It always struck me as funny how Getty was younger than both Arthur and White.  She wore that Sophia makeup so damned well.

Nice job. I'm not a vegetarian myself, but I do eat local, farm-raised, humanitarian treated, no hormone or such shit added, animals. You've probably already done this, but I also suggest purchasing soap (and other hygiene products) that's animal-free. "Normal" soap, shampoo, etc. has lots of aluminum & other artificial compounds. Soap should be the way it traditionally was, made out of vegetables! In fact, it's scary how much artificial crap goes into or on your body every day!

cheers,

-avatar!

I've never considered the possibility of being a vegetarian or a vegan. I'm polyphagous and I can't picture myself not eating meat, especially that of fish, arthropods (crab, lobster), and squid. Whole eggs are also a main part of my diet since the egg white is a good source of protein and the yolk is loaded with vitamins. I do eat lots of raw spinach and carrots, though.

I've only met one vegan and he seemed excessively happy, like everything is really ok. I've heard rumors from other people that vegans are typically quite happy. So a vegan diet seems to have the disadvantage of reducing one's defenses, or awareness for trouble. But, on the other hand, that may also serve to hinder paranoid delusions. Thus, a vegan diet might be beneficial for someone with psychological problems, like bipolar disorder.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a chemical added to shaving cream, shampoo, soap, and toothpaste. It is also added to engine degreasers, because it is abrasive and creates foam. I spent a long time finding those 4 products without sodium lauryl sulfate. Another one to look out for is ammonium lauryl sulfate, which is often added to shampoo.

  For the curious:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foaming_agent

Gotta love sodium lauryl sulfate. Biochemistry would be pretty behind without SDS-PAGE. I definitely won't be swallowing toothpaste any time soon though.

And now daughter can join mother:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30431496/

Rest in peace, Bea.  You rocked.  Definitely planning on a Golden Girls DVD marathon myself.

Was gonna post this, but you beat me to it. God rest your soul, Ms. Arthur.

Ditto, she was probably my favorite Golden Girl. I usually go for the sarcastic ones in a group - like the turtle's Raf.

proud vegetarian here,
almost 10 years.
although most of the time I basically eat cereal and nothing else hehe.

What a theory! Most people seem to get it the other way though, that vegans get super-aggressive (with anit-cage marches and slaughterhouse attacks). I think that a vegan diet will regulate the neuro-transmitter : hormone-balance in a negative way and thus promote the manic episodes of bipolarity. Read something about how bipolars use to have more norepinephrine vs. cortisol than ordinary people. And probably larger fluctuations in other neurotransmitters as well. Because a vegan diet most likely will have more of a direct effect on your physiology (due to carbs, faster metabolization, lame omega-6 fatty acids etc.), my guess is that mentally ill people should stay away, and opt for organic meat, eggs, fish, nuts and fruit! [Warning!! Only Kastian speculation.]

My diet sucks. It's bread and herring and pizza and coffee and beer. I've been a raw vegan, vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, paleolithic dieteer and ovarian! (Only eggs for several weeks! )$

Wow, completely missed this thread last time around.

My mother is a vegan, though she will allow herself fish maybe two or three times a year.  She's been doing this for forty years and hasn't had any significant health problems during that time, outside of the usual illnesses that come with being around a bunch of special education kids as a speech pathologist.  Unfortunately she can't cook for her life and that made my childhood somewhat painful.  Literally, the first memory I have of life is the taste of plain lentils.  No image, just the echo of the taste...gawd awful.  The second one was a nightmare about the moon flying down and licking my cheek, so you can say I have some weird memories of my extreme youth.

I've just gotten out of a relationship that was full of unheathly eating so I'm aiming at improving my health through exercise and better food again.  So while I'm not certain I'm going to resort to vegetarianism, I might move closer to that for a while.  I had gotten away from eating fish for a while because my ex couldn't stand it, so that will be nice to re-introduce into my diet.  Outside of that I do have some vegan and vegetarian cookbooks and recipes I want to try out.

Maybe because those types are the most vocal, especially in McDonalds.

I really don't understand the concept of not eating any meat and just veggies, in my delusional head, eating both is the way to go. There's nothing better than a good steak and a salad next to it. Or grilling some meat and then some fresh cucumber and tomatoes next to it.

But then, thankfully I haven't seen the bad types of vegans who will rip your head out of if you eat meat, I've only seen good types.

I'm not even close to being considered a vegetarian.  I eat chicken almost every day and the occasional turkey, pork, and fish (fish is considered "meat" right?  I know the weirdo catholics don't think so).  However, as of 1/1/09, I do not eat beef.  I'm not 100% sure why I made that New Year's resolution but it definitely had something to do with hanging out with Zane and seeing the movie Fast Food Nation.  I also gave up coffee and I quit smoking about 8 months ago, but that's another story.  After four months of no red meat, I have to say I don't miss it in the least.  Ground beef especially.. yuck.. even looking at it now makes me wanna gag.

The next to go is probably pork/ham/sausage (yes, I'm eliminating by animal).  I'm not sure if I could ever give up chicken though.  Chicken is just so damn tasty and it's definitely one of the healthier meats.  Also, I gotta disagree with Razakin up there.  There's nothing better than a nice plate of baked chicken parm with some pasta on the side or chicken tenders with a few varieties of dipping sauces.  Oh, and chicken tacos.  You may laugh at the thought but they kick the crap out of beef tacos any day of the week!

I honestly have no idea how true vegans can eat three meals a day.  After going out to dinner with Zane just once and seeing how many questions he had to ask our waiter, just wow, that would drive me nuts after a while.  And even after taking precautions, they still served him a roll with garlic butter on it!  I dunno how you guys do it.  Even though I don't currently agree with that diet choice, I have a lot of respect for people who firmly believe in it and actually live by it day to day.

-Mike

I don't think I could remove any meat from my diet. I find it all so scrumptious!

I'm not quite a vegetarian, but I've been pretty close to one most of my life, thanks to my parents. I do like the taste of meat so I enjoy it on occasion, though I certainly don't eat it for any health benefits. Red and processed meats can raise your risk for cancer significantly, and it doesn't even take that much, according to ACS statistics. Poultry doesn't seem to have anything official against it yet (aside from contributing to an acidic balance in your system), and fish is definitely the healthiest choice, excluding any chemical poisoning. I eat eggs regularly. I try to keep most dairy to a minimum.

Everything you need occurs in natural foods, so I find it funny when people talk like you'll die if you don't eat meat. It should be the other way around. I get sick maybe once a year, while many people around me seem to have recurring colds or "allergies," probably because their immune systems suck. (Too much junk food, obviously, but packing all that meat in there doesn't help, it just bogs things down even more.) Human digestive systems are designed for lighter fare.

Before I sound too judgmental, bottom line: meat tastes good. It has good nutrients for your bod. It also has unhealthy effects that compound year after year. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, etc. have what you need, are cheaper, and make you look sexy. The more raw the better, so you don't miss out on those enzymes. So use common sense, but indulge your tongue every once in a while. I've been known have a bit of a sweet tooth, myself.

(Somewhere the Hardees narrator just had a cow. Then ate it.)

Mary had a little lamb... BUT I ATE IT!

Now, if only if I could remember where this quote is from... hmmmm.

Wasn't that from some Daffy Duck short?

I actually like the taste of plain lentils. My mother was deathly afraid of salt (family history of high blood pressure), so I had to get used to their natural flavor. The only problem I ever had with them was that she used to make them mushy. Speaking of which, I can't stand green peas. Vile, vile things they are.

I recall once hearing that the reason for fish being acceptable on Fridays was because fishermen in Italy lobbied the Church for it to increase floundering fish sales.

I mentioned before that I could never become a vegetarian because I'd miss bacon too much, but I think there may be a way around that after all: http://www.baconsalt.com/

That sounds like what I went through, yet you somehow managed.  We have the same high blood pressure/heart disease type issues on her side of the family so she has almost no salt in her diet.  I don't mind the natural flavor of lentils or green peas (sorry) or the like *now,* but as a then one or two year old, I didn't know why she was torturing me so.

Better late than never:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp15 … ngirls.jpg

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Blanche: I'm jumpier than a virgin at a prison rodeo.
Dorothy: That's pretty jumpy.

Dorothy: Rose, do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck?!
Rose: No, but you do look like the woman who used to drive it.

Rose: I just had a thought...
Sophia, Dorothy, Blanche: Congratulations.

Sophia: I hate communism.
Dorothy: Of course you hate communism, Ma.  It's because you were raised a fascist.

Blanche: What was your first impression of me?
Rose: I thought you wore too much makeup and were a slut. I was wrong. You don't wear too much makeup.

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Gotta love these women. ;)