Meat - A Debate on Differencing Opinions

[Zephik]

I'm half vegetarian, as I like to say. I don't buy meat, but I'll eat it if it's in front of me. That may or may not make a whole lot of sense, so let me explain it a bit better.

Why I don't buy meat.

So the reason why I won't buy meat is pretty simple. I live within the vicinity of many grocery stores, each one of those having multitudes upon multitudes of non-animal product. So, I really don't see a reason to buy meat? I don't like the idea of taking life simply for taste, as you certainly don't need it to survive or even be healthy. So to me, eating meat seems rather selfish and quite a bit spoiled.

But also, I don't like the meat industry as it is today. It's changed quite a bit over the past, oh I don't know for sure, maybe a couple decades or so? But it's still not perfect or anywhere near. There is a lot of abuse that still goes on that nobody knows about, or that even some people know about and simply just don't care. This abuse includes physical harm, poor animal mentality caused by such things such as being locked up in tight quarters either all the time or much too often, stuff like that. Think chickens for example, they're either placed in a massive area and packed together, or they're stuck in a cage for pretty much the whole of their lives. I'm just not okay with that.

At the very least, I want animals to be treated with actual care and not as if they were plants, ready to be harvested. Some farms do this, such as letting their cattle free-roam in large areas, etc. I think you're getting what I'm saying here, so let's move on to the next part.

Why I'll eat it when it's in front of me.

The reason why I'll eat meat if it's in front of me, such as at a family dinner or something like that, is because I believe it's honoring the life and the purpose in which that life was taken. I kind of pictured myself as a meat product. I'd be livid if someone killed me to eat me, but then decided not to because of this or that, or if they wasted any part of me. Any reason towards the aversion from eating meat seems pretty petty to me at that point, the point in which it's in front of me and being offered to me.

Furthermore, I also understand that the flesh from a living being can be beneficial to certain types of animals, such as carnivores and omnivores. This includes humans. I mean, it's not like meat is unhealthy to eat necessarily, aside from all of the unnatural stuff that finds its way into meat, such as pesticides or growth hormones, etc.

So for me, I don't really see a reason why I should not eat it when it's in front of me and being offered to me. It's there, simple as that. So I might as well eat it for both my sense of morality and value of life, but also to take into my body, to fuel myself and provide myself with nutrients.

When it's okay, when it's not.

I believe there are certain circumstances where it is okay to eat meat. Basically, not everyone lives near a grocery store with so much food option. Some people depend on it for their survival. That I am okay with. I believe that sort of fits under "survival of the fittest", which I'm all for basically. If your survival depends on it, then you don't have a choice.

I'm actually impartial to hunting. I'm not for it, but at the same time, I prefer it to slaughter. This too kind of goes with "survival of the fittest". In a enclosed area, it's nothing but simple slaughter. But out in the wild, it's your skill with a weapon and the control you have over your body to prevent twigs snapping or your scent drifting down wind to the animal, against the animal and it's extra-ordinary senses such as hearing, smell and physical strengths such as speed or out-right strength. It seems more fair to me this way than compared to simply slaughtering an animal that has no choice or chance at all what-so-ever.

That which isn't alive, but came from such.

Dairy and Eggs is mostly what I'm talking about here. This greatly depends on how the animals are treated back at the farm. If I didn't like Soy Milk so much, I'd have to research to find out whether Dairy Cows are treated properly or not before I bought that brand of milk. Eggs on the other hand, I prefer to be unfertilized so that there is no chance of that egg becoming something, although I don't believe it's anything anyways at the time of consumption so that's why I say "prefer". And again, they have to be treated right. No being stuck in a cage their entire life or being mistreated or abused.

So in conclusion, that is why I don't eat meat, except when it's in front of me. What are your guy's opinions and views?

[nevermind1534]

I eat it :)

[Airbozo]

I can agree with most of your post. I think the only thing I would argue is the health issue. It is very hard to get complex proteins in any vegetables. Soy is one of the exceptions. There aren't many. Even Soy is not a complete complex protein.

Here is my situation;
I am a carnivore. I love the taste of most meats, fish and poultry. Plus it is easier to stay healthy (for me at least). My wife is a vegetarian. She has not eaten red meat, or pork since she was about 12 (that's when she found out what those red stringy things in chicken are...). When I met here she was still eating some fish (shrimp and Abalone), and turkey. Those foods provided her the complex proteins necessary to prevent anemia. Now she eats NO meat, poultry or fish. Because of that she does have some anemia concerns to worry about, but she visit's the Dr. regularly to make sure there are no issues.

Keep in mind she is not a vegetarian due to humane treatment issues or things like that. It is health reasons. She gets sick when she eats meat or poultry. She can even tell what broth they make soup out of due to the reaction she has. One funny thing is that even though she does not eat fish, one of her favorite things to do is go fishing with her dad. She brings me back Salmon and Tuna (I get sea sick so they don't want me on the boat).

I am lucky where I live. There are still plenty of Butcher shops around and even our local market still has a _real_ butcher shop who takes great care where they buy their meat from. No hormones, range free, etc.

Now, my dilemma is that since I cook about 80% of the meals, I have to cook for 2 different tastes, vegetarian and carnivore. Sometimes her meal is just a larger helping of my side dishes, but then she lacks protein. She hates the taste of soy too. I once made a vegetarian chili that I though was outstanding. Her complaint? The tofu tasted just like meat, including the texture. lol

Well that is a short synapses of our situation. I can see both sides. I even keep a couple of pans that have never had any sort of meat, fish or poultry cooked in it.

But I must say, it is all out meat fest when my friends come back from their hunting trips....

[Zephik]

I can agree with most of your post. I think the only thing I would argue is the health issue. It is very hard to get complex proteins in any vegetables. Soy is one of the exceptions. There aren't many. Even Soy is not a complete complex protein.

This is true. Although, I know people who don't eat anything even related to meat what-so-ever and they're healthier than me? At least, they look great and they're full of energy. They seem healthy anyways.

Just another bonus to having a family that is all hardcore meat eaters. Mix that with my beliefs and presto! Problem solved. haha

Still though, I'm curious to know, are complex proteins important? Those people seem perfectly healthy and they don't eat any meat product or the related at all what-so-ever.

Here is my situation;
I am a omnivore (:-p). I love the taste of most meats, fish and poultry. Plus it is easier to stay healthy (for me at least). My wife is a vegetarian. She has not eaten red meat, or pork since she was about 12 (that's when she found out what those red stringy things in chicken are...). When I met here she was still eating some fish (shrimp and Abalone), and turkey. Those foods provided her the complex proteins necessary to prevent anemia. Now she eats NO meat, poultry or fish. Because of that she does have some anemia concerns to worry about, but she visit's the Dr. regularly to make sure there are no issues.

I too love the taste of most meats. I especially love elk. Mmm. There's no two ways about it, meat is freaking delicious. I also hate that my favorite food in the entire world is a homemade burger. I LOVE burgers, especially with a bit of pineapple on top. I still get cravings for them from time to time. It's quite a pain in the ass. lol

Keep in mind she is not a vegetarian due to humane treatment issues or things like that. It is health reasons. She gets sick when she eats meat or poultry. She can even tell what broth they make soup out of due to the reaction she has. One funny thing is that even though she does not eat fish, one of her favorite things to do is go fishing with her dad. She brings me back Salmon and Tuna (I get sea sick so they don't want me on the boat).

I am lucky where I live. There are still plenty of Butcher shops around and even our local market still has a _real_ butcher shop who takes great care where they buy their meat from. No hormones, range free, etc.

Now, my dilemma is that since I cook about 80% of the meals, I have to cook for 2 different tastes, vegetarian and carnivore. Sometimes her meal is just a larger helping of my side dishes, but then she lacks protein. She hates the taste of soy too. I once made a vegetarian chili that I though was outstanding. Her complaint? The tofu tasted just like meat, including the texture. lol

I know someone who is just like that! If its even similar to meat they either won't or can't eat it. I just makes me laugh, not in a mocking way or anything, I just think it's funny how finely in tuned they are like that. Lucky for me, I like the taste and texture of meat, so no problems there! ha

Well that is a short synapses of our situation. I can see both sides. I even keep a couple of pans that have never had any sort of meat, fish or poultry cooked in it.

But I must say, it is all out meat fest when my friends come back from their hunting trips....

I think my father is the only one in the entire family that doesn't hunt. On one side, I'm kind of like meh do you really need to? But on the other side, they do and that's that and if I'm over for dinner and it just happens to be meat, I feel that I can rightly justify partaking in the meal. I just have to hope its something like moose or elk or some other retardedly delicious animal. lol

[x88x]

Meat meat meat. I like meat. Yummy yummy meat. :D

Ok, on a more serious note..
As you can probably tell from my opening statement, I like meat. I respect other peoples' beliefs/views/etc, but nothing is ever gonna stop me from eating meat (other than isolated health/sanitation/etc issues).

Now, as for my view on the moral issues that you presented, I agree with the 'using every bit of the animal' part. I hate waste, especially when a life was taken.

I also agree with the treatment of animals producing food (ie, egg-laying chickens, milk cows, etc), because their primary purpose in life is to perform a service, and I agree that they should be treated well. In fact, iirc there have been studies done in the last couple decades that have shown that, for example, cows that are treated kindly, allowed space to roam, fed better feed, etc, produce better tasting milk. In that vein, not only is it more moral to treat them well, it's more economical.

Meat animals on the other hand, I disagree with your stance. The entire purpose of this animal's life is to eventually be killed and eaten. Therefore, I don't really think it matters how they are treated as long as it doesn't harm their viability or value as a meat source. Maybe that sounds harsh, but oh well, that's what I think. I've never really understood people who support the meat industry killing millions of animals every year but are violently opposed to the treatment of those animals while they're alive. I grew up in big chicken growing country (now that I think of it, yeah, that does sound a lot like I'm talking about a plant..but I might as well be..more on that later), and I've had friends who owned chicken farms, so maybe I'm biased. The thing is though, that modern meat chickens (or whatever you want to call them) have been bred/genetically modified so much that a) they couldn't walk around much even if you let them, and b) they're..well, dumb as stumps. They have been modified so that the breast muscles have grown disproportionately large, so they can't really move around very well, and idk if it's a side effect of other changes that have been made to them or just thousands of generations of standing around in a cramped space, but they are incredibly dumb. I've also had friends who had 'free-range' chickens as pets, and they have been fairly active and intelligent, so I know it's not all chickens. One of these friends found a chicken on the side of the road who had fallen off one of the trucks to the processing plant (not uncommon in that area), and was still alive. He took it home and put it out with his other chickens, and the thing basically just stood around, waddled to the food dish, and stood around some more, until it died shortly later. I think I've read elsewhere that the lifetime of these chickens has been artificially accelerated and shortened as well. The baby chicks are brought to the chicken farms from the hatcheries in the early summer, and by late summer they are fully grown and are taken off to the processing plant. IIRC, normally it takes a chicken over a year to mature, and they live for as long as 6-8 years, but these things will die within months of maturing, largely (iirc) because of the huge strain of their modified biology on their vascular system. Also, chickens are vicious...even the modified, meat chickens. In each chicken house, they expect to lose something like 10% of the population either from trampling or from being pecked to death. And it's not just being locked in crowded spaces either. Several friends of mine who kept pet chickens have woken up and gone out to check on them only to find one pecked to death, and the others eating it. Yes, eating it. Chickens are omnivores like us, and will happily eat anything ..including chicken.

On hunting: I fully support hunting. I've never been hunting myself, but that's mainly because the opportunity never presented itself and I never took the initiative to create such an opportunity. If anything, I think hunting is much better than the commercial meat industry because not only is it more fair (maybe?) to the animals, but you have to really work for the food, and well, wild animals just taste better, imo. Wild venison is imo about the best meat in the world! ...with the possible exception of alligator... :think: Another thing I've never understood is the people who are (sometimes violently) opposed to hunting, and yet still go and buy meat from the grocery store. Consistency, people! The one thing I will say I don't support about hunting is the uncontrolled hunting of endangered species. If you want to eat the meat of an endangered species, either hunting should be strictly controlled so that it does not have a net detrimental effect on the species population, or (better), they should start raising those animals specifically to be eaten! Giant panda farm anyone? Eh? Eh? Not only would these farms produce a scarce resource for the food industry, they could also help preserve the species. It is in man's nature to want to eat strange animals. Heck, when they dug up that Woolly Mammoth out of a glacier in the early 1900's, the first thing they did was carve out a piece and cook and eat it. :D

So, to sum up, yes, I love meat. Is the meat industry perfect? No, but I have no moral issue with the vast majority of it. Will I continue to eat meat? Yes. In fact:
;)
http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/bigpot6.jpg

EDIT:
Actually, I'll probably eat those three animals regardless... :whistler:

[x88x]

Still though, I'm curious to know, are complex proteins important? Those people seem perfectly healthy and they don't eat any meat product or the related at all what-so-ever.

Yes, very. I forget exactly why, but your body starts to break down (or something along those lines) if you don't get any.


It is very hard to get complex proteins in any vegetables. Soy is one of the exceptions. There aren't many. Even Soy is not a complete complex protein.

From what I hear from my vegetarian friends, legumes are your answer. Lots of complex proteins there.
EDIT:
Or, rather, more legumes?

[diluzio91]

im vegcurious... lol... when im at school i dont eat alot of meat, mainly because the meat there is terrible... So i eat alot of stirfry (we get to make our own) with tofu in it... otherwise BRING ON THE DEAD ANIMALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but anemia is a PITA... my gf has it and has to take a bunch of iron every day..

[Zephik]

im vegcurious...

lol oh god, that made me laugh. :up:

[d_stilgar]

I think this is a good link on the topic.

http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html

Tuna has tons of proteins and almost no fat, so I love to fill up on it. Vegetables and beans are also important to round out a diet, but other than that I just sort of eat whatever.

[Oneslowz28]

I eat meat and lots of it. There has not been a day in 15-20 years where I have not ate a meat at least once a day. I eat it because I like it and I was born to eat meat. The human digestive system is designed to process meat, our teeth are designed to chew up meat and our natural instinct is to eat meat.

The food industry is what it is, people have been protesting and complaining for decades and nothing has changed. It is simply just impossible for all of the beef, poultry, pork and, fish and seafood to be raised "free range" or allowed to naturally grow to size and still supply the demand that there is for it. A lot of people can not get over the way animals are put down at the processing facilities, but the truth is that there is no more cost effective or timely way to do it. That kind of think has never bothered me and most likely never will. I killed my first deer at 8 years old, cleaned my first fish at 6 and was taught that there are here for us to eat.

[BuzzKillington]

You should research soy. I don't feel it's as healthy as some may think.

[mDust]

The best source of protein for a vegetarian is quinoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa#Nutritional_value)(pronounced 'keenwa').

As for meat and animals, I eat them. They taste good. I'm not overly concerned with their life, how they were treated, or how genetically deformed they've become as a result of industrial breeding.
The other day I was at Subway watching them build my enormous Feast. I happened to comment that 'a minimum of 5 animals died so I could eat this sub', the guy making it laughed and called me 'sick'. Several plants died too. They all tasted very good. That's the extent of my consideration for their lives.
I never could relate to the 'not eating animals' philosophy...as if me not eating an animal prevented someone or something else from eating it. You have to remember, nature is a bitch and there are plenty of other omnivores and carnivores that wouldn't think twice about tearing into the throat of that cow/pig/chicken/insertOthersHere. It isn't wrong to kill in order to eat a nutritional meal...in fact it's impossible to not kill to do so. Though not conscious, plants are just as alive as animals. (I'll bet there is an 'anti plant eating' philosophy as well.)
Thinking about it now, are vegetarians just concerned with taking the life of something that fights back? It can't be the taking of a life that concerns them since they kill plants at higher rates than omnivores, it must be killing something that doesn't want to die. I suppose some have more humanitarian reasons such as not supporting the cruelty and all that. Anymore vegetarians here? What is your food-source philosophy?


It is in man's nature to want to eat strange animals.
And here I thought I was bizarre for having cravings for baby panda with a side of koala and orangutan...

[knowledgegranted]

I eat meat because we need it, not because of the taste or want. We evolved as carnivores, our bodies need fats, proteins and nutrients that it supplies. We have a thing called an appendix, with original Latin root of vermiform appendage.


But human appendices are no longer in use, and have been proven in other species to be an external intestine that breaks down kingdom Plantae organisms. Since times of Plantae ingestion our intestines have evolved to break down meat materials, such as other Animalia. This new intestine strips down the vitamins and fats from these such organisms and provides it to various parts of the body.

[mDust]

Our species evolved as omnivores, not carnivores. It is quite possible to get the nutrients our bodies need to survive from only plants...but you'd have to really try. Everyday vegetables in your local grocery store aren't likely to supply you with everything your body needs. But it might be possible to get some imported plant products from stores that carry them. I really doubt that most vegetarians are even aware of how their diet is affecting their bodies and health...but that really applies to everyone else as well. How many people read the nutritional information on all the food products they eat or look up the info for products such as produce that don't come with a label? Even if we all did, we'd have to understand what all the 15 syllable substances are and how our body would break them down and use them. Generally, we eat what we want to eat, not because we need to eat that particular apple or cake. However, cravings can sometimes be caused by deficiencies...so maybe that second bowl of ice cream WAS necessary! :D

[Zephik]

I eat meat because we need it, not because of the taste or want. We evolved as carnivores, our bodies need fats, proteins and nutrients that it supplies. We have a thing called an appendix, with original Latin root of vermiform appendage.

No we don't. And our bodies evolved as omnivores, not carnivores. But we do need fats, proteins and nutrients. Which can be and is found in nature. Nuts for example have lots of fats and proteins and nutrients.

If we NEEDED meat, vegetarians would either die or be pretty unhealthy. Yet, the vegetarians I know are healthier than anyone else I know including the people I know who are healthy and also eat meat. So what you say can't be true.

There is the argument about "complex proteins" but I'm not inclined to believe that that's vital to our survival or even to being healthy. If it were true, strict vegetarians wouldn't be as healthy as they are. or maybe there is just simply more to it than what I can figure out at the moment.

I've been googling it too, and I can't seem to find anything that says otherwise. I did find this site, though, and I think it provides a bit of understanding on the subject. Maybe.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/vegetarians-need-to-combine-proteins-myth-or-fact.html

I'd rather find a site that is a little more... official, let's just say.

[blaze15301]

i have eaten meat and nothing but meat or my entire life so far. i rarely eat veggies. i tried to eat them for a while like normal people and my body started to reject them right away. so im a carnivore pretty much.

[x88x]

Our species evolved as omnivores, not carnivores.

our bodies evolved as omnivores, not carnivores.
/\ These. If you tried to live as a strict carnivore, you would run into a crapload of other health issues. (blaze, examine your diet. I'm sure you eat stuff other than meat even if you don't realize it at first.)



Which can be and is found in nature.
Animals is nature. ...yuummy nature.. :whistler:



If we NEEDED meat, vegetarians would either die or be pretty unhealthy. Yet, the vegetarians I know are healthier than anyone else I know including the people I know who are healthy and also eat meat. So what you say can't be true.
There are plenty of vegetarians who are unhealthy, just as there are plenty of omnivores who are unhealthy. It all boils down to understanding the nutrients you body needs and getting it them. The most common problem for new vegetarians (especially those who become one because it's the "cool" thing to do) is not getting enough protein, usually because they don't realize that it's a really necessary thing for our bodies to function properly. You can get all the nutrients your body needs from plants/fungi/etc, but as mDust said, you really have to try. There's a reason that we are omnivores...because it's the most efficient way to ingest the nutrients necessary for our survival. Not the only way, but the most efficient.

[Zephik]

i have eaten meat and nothing but meat or my entire life so far. i rarely eat veggies. i tried to eat them for a while like normal people and my body started to reject them right away. so im a carnivore pretty much.

You aren't a carnivore. What has happened is that your body has become accustomed to and conditioned to a mainly meat diet. That's not a good thing. You are going to end up having some serious issues as you get older if you don't start eating a more balanced diet.

The human body can survive on veggies alone if you know what you're doing. It cannot, however, survive on meat alone.

People who eat more fruits and vegetables than anything are much less likely to develop chronic diseases. I think gout is one of those. It's something my father has and is extremely painful and debilitating. He also happens to be a massive meat eater and we have been told that that is where gout basically comes from. Then there is stroke and cardiovascular disease as well, which eating plants can help reduce the risk of. Then there is not getting enough fiber, which comes from plants. That can lead to serious bowel issues and disease too. Then there is also diabetes which plants can help reduce the risk of. Then there are cancers such as mouth, stomach and colan-rectum cancer. Then there is kidney stones and bone loss which can be prevented by eating fruits and veggies. And hey, they're low in calories, so you can eat a crap ton of them to feel full, which helps if you're trying to lose weight or stay in shape.

Meat really doesn't provide much else other than Protein and a few other things, which you can get plenty of in non-meat products too.

Take my advice now before you go "****, he was right" sometime down the road. Start changing your diet to include more veggies and fruits than meat, otherwise you're going to develop serious problem, like people who eat mostly meat generally do.

[Zephik]

Animals is nature. ...yuummy nature.. :whistler:

You know what I meant. :D

And it's absolutely delicious, but that's beside my point. I'm not so simple as to be controlled by my taste buds. ;)

There are plenty of vegetarians who are unhealthy, just as there are plenty of omnivores who are unhealthy. It all boils down to understanding the nutrients you body needs and getting it them. The most common problem for new vegetarians (especially those who become one because it's the "cool" thing to do) is not getting enough protein, usually because they don't realize that it's a really necessary thing for our bodies to function properly. You can get all the nutrients your body needs from plants/fungi/etc, but as mDust said, you really have to try. There's a reason that we are omnivores...because it's the most efficient way to ingest the nutrients necessary for our survival. Not the only way, but the most efficient.

Totally. Agreed 100%.

I like the food diversity that has sort of spawned from my beliefs as well. I mean, like, seriously, there are a TON of food options that I had never even thought about or realized was there until I started actually looking. There is a hundred fold more non-meat-product than there is meat-product. It's crazy. And as I love to cook and create my own meals, its great because the diversity that I was missing from having grown up a meat eater has not only been replaced but has been expanded as well. Although, I still crave a nice big juicy burger from time to time. haha

Dammit meat! Why do you have to be all like, delicious and stuff?? lol

[d_stilgar]

Quinoa is not very good at all. I had it while I was trying to diet, but it was almost impossible to eat.

[mDust]

Quinoa is not very good at all. I had it while I was trying to diet, but it was almost impossible to eat.

Huh? You cooked it, right?:whistler: Just making sure...lol

It's like rice, but actually nutritious. I guess if you eat a bunch of it by itself it would be pretty bland. Next time cook up some stir-fry and instead of rice on the side, use quinoa. Or creatively spice it up however you want. Also, you can get boxes of it that are premixed with other stuff...generally, each mix is a standard affair from a different culture...just don't eat pure quinoa as a meal.

[Kayin]

Actually, to interject some in here...

All the vegan propaganda abou don't eat red meat, it'll kill you is mostly dubious science. Some of it (and a large portion) is flat lies.

Do you have a family doctor? If so, sit down, in a reasoned discussion, and talk about the requirements of your body and how best to fulfill them. Almost certainly, your doctor will laugh about getting everything from plants and recommend you eat something animal based FOR YOUR HEALTH.

While it IS possible (I won't say it's not, I have seen the research) to get everything from plants, it is much more difficult and much easier to screw up along the way. In addition, TBH it's easier on your mind and your body (as far as figuring out this vs that) to simply eat meat, even if you're sparing in it.

Balance is key. And, some people do subsist just fine on mostly carnivorous diets (meat and breakfast cereal will leave you surprisingly healthy, read those boxes) but you need to find the balance that is proper for you. We do have a digestive tract more suited to animal proteins than plant (ever wonder why beans give gas?) but each person has a balance and that's where they will be healthiest.

Also, those vegans may look healthy, but run their bloodwork. Might tell a different story. Some fatty acids and other nutrients are only found in meat, period. Plants are not whole foods in that respect.

[x88x]

Another reason why a lot of vegans and vegetarians are healthy is because if they're actually doing it for health reasons, then they probably actually care about working at keeping healthy. It doesn't really have so much to do with their diet not having any meat in it, it's that they pay attention to it in the first place.

[mDust]

Also, those vegans may look healthy, but run their bloodwork. Might tell a different story. Some fatty acids and other nutrients are only found in meat, period. Plants are not whole foods in that respect.

While I agree that looking healthy doesn't mean one is actually healthy, I have to disagree with the rest of that paragraph.


The human body can produce all but two of the fatty acids it needs. These two, linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), are widely distributed in plant oils. In addition, fish oils contain the longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Other marine oils, such as from seal, also contain significant amounts of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), which is also an omega-3 fatty acid. Although the body to some extent can convert ALA into these longer-chain omega-3 fatty acids, the omega-3 fatty acids found in marine oils help fulfill the requirement of essential fatty acids (and have been shown to have wholesome properties of their own).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid#Essential_fatty_acids

I used to take fish oil capsules but I forget why...I think it had something to do with my memory. /shrug
But, carnivores can get away with eating only meat because the animal they consume at some point ingested plant matter (directly or indirectly) and converted it to the molecules the carnivore needs to survive. All the nutritional stuff that is consumed by any animal, including us, originated from plants. Like I said earlier, it's possible to only eat plants, but you have to know what you're doing and eat the right ones to stay healthy. This usually isn't done, and uneducated vegetarians and vegans get sick from their deficiencies.
There is nothing we NEED in meat. I, however, enjoy how they taste and will continue to consume those tasty morsels for the rest of my life. In fact, I'm going to completely forget the word 'animal' and substitute 'tasty morsel' from now on! :D

[x88x]

There is nothing we need THAT IS ONLY in meat.

FTFY ;)

[mDust]

FTFY ;)

lol, thanks. That is what I meant to say.

[slaveofconvention]

I used to take fish oil capsules but I forget why...I think it had something to do with my memory. /shrug

That's funny - I don't care who you are :p

I'm totally middle of the road on this - each to thier own. Everyone who will respect my choices will have his or hers respected in return. Anyone who refuses to accept mine will be met with utter indifference...

Oh and yeah, I eat meat - cuz I like it :p

I don't hunt - cos I don't like that.... The comment about the animal having a fighting chance.... train it to use a gun, and use ammo which travels at the same speed as the animal, and I'll rethink it and get back to you....

[Airbozo]

RE: Complex proteins. I will check some of my nutrition books. It was years ago, but they describe what they are and why the body really needs them.

Get this;
just rice = no complex proteins.
just beans = no complex proteins.
rice AND beans (cooked together not mixed afterward) = complex proteins. Not sure why (think I missed that question on the test), but I will try and dig out my texts from culinary school and find out.

[x88x]

I don't hunt - cos I don't like that.... The comment about the animal having a fighting chance.... train it to use a gun, and use ammo which travels at the same speed as the animal, and I'll rethink it and get back to you....

That's why I like bow hunting. It takes more skill. :D

[TheGreatSatan]

I love meat. With the right BBQ sauce I'd eat Human Meat

[x88x]

I love meat. With the right BBQ sauce I'd eat Human Meat

I've always wondered about that...I hear we taste great, though of course I've never tried it myself. I'm sure when tissue cloning is perfected there will inevitably be at least a few restaurants that start carrying it. I'm sure if the moral stigma (you know, having to kill/mutilate a person in order to get it) were removed, more people would succumb to curiosity. You hear stuff in movies/etc sometimes about people who eat a lot of human flesh going insane..anyone know if there's a scientific basis for this? Some chemical that's abundant in human flesh but toxic if consumed or something?

[Luthien]

I have no idea about a scientific basis for that. I know that some cultures still eat human flesh because it's a part of their traditions. In some cultures, people honor dead loved ones by eating their remains. They didn't appear crazy in any other way, and to them, eating people wasn't crazy; it was respectful. I remember reading an article about it in The Smithsonian, but I can't remember the tribe's name.

As for eating meat, I don't know about eating human meat. However, I will eat more standard meats like chicken, pork, and beef. I tried vegetarianism once, but I had trouble getting enough protein in my diet without it. Now I take anticoagulants and have a very restricted diet. I pretty much can't go without eating meat because so many of the foods I could get the necessary protein from are things I can no longer eat.

[TheGreatSatan]

Actually your body makes you with all the right ingredients for other humans. Human meat is actually the easiest meat for another human to digest. Yes, I watched a cannibalism special. There's some tribe, that when you die and you're a member, you get eaten. It's a way for them to literally take you into them and have a piece of you to remember.

[Airbozo]

When I was in the Navy, we visited Papua New Guinea. We took on a Harbor Master to guide us through the channels and into port. He got on the video system to explain things around the island as far as things to do, not to do, and places to stay away from. He ended with a warning about not traveling alone after dark since the natives were cannibals and preferred white meat.

Scared the crap out of a lot of people who never left the ship. It was a fun Island to visit and the natives were very friendly...