Maybe I am carrying this too far but this is a topic very near and dear to my heart. The last thing I am trying to do is offend anyone but I would like my opinion posted so I can defend my choice. I think that perhaps some people might not know the facts about humans - whether we are made omnivore or herbivore. So in response to popocornbird's rejection of my omnivore argument....
....I'd like to respond with some of Peta's well researched arguments. (These Q&A come from http://www.askcarla.com and I do not claim writing them myself!)God created us humans as omnivors and saying that there is nothing to prove that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Go look at the billions of people out their in the entire world. Almost all of them eat meat AND veggies. That's proof right there. An animal that eats only meat (lion) ONLY eats meat. An animal that eats only veggies (bunnies) ONLY eats veggies. AND AN ANIMAL THAT EATS BOTH MEAT AND VEGGIES (MOST of the humans around the world) are called omnivorous, and THAT'S what we humans are. Any proof that humans are not omnivors? Again, none of you answered my question.................Why do you feed your dogs and cats meat? If they have the right to eat meat, so do we. Killing animals for food is not cruelty. We are just doing our job as part of the food chain. Animals eat us too. Animals eat animals too.
Animals kill other animals for food, so why shouldn’t we?
Most of the animals who kill for food could not survive if they didn’t. That is not the case for us. We are better off not eating meat. Many other animals are vegetarians, including some of our closest primate relatives. Why don’t we look to them as our example instead of to carnivores?
Aren’t humans natural carnivores?
While humans have eaten meat throughout history, there is significant evidence that we are better suited to a vegetarian diet. Carnivorous animals have long, curved fangs, claws, and a short digestive tract. Humans have flat, flexible nails, and our so-called "canine" teeth are minuscule compared to carnivores’. Human teeth are better suited to biting into vegetables, fruits, and grains than tearing through tough hides.
In addition, the health problems associated with meat consumption—a leading contributor to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and obesity—should be an indication that we aren’t "meant" to eat meat. In addition, humans are capable of making ethical decisions. We can get all the nutrients we need from plant sources, which means that billions of animals are unnecessarily slaughtered every year at the expense of our health and the environment.
If animals aren't meant to be eaten, why are they made of meat?
Perhaps a more appropriate question would be: If humans have hearts and brains, why don't we use them? Because if we did, we would see that animals aren't so very different from us. They clearly show affection, fear, joy, the desire to live, and more. They aren't emotion-less machines whose lives are inconvenient stages on the way to our dinner table. They are living, breathing, feeling beings who want to lead their own lives just as people do. Once we recognize this, then it's easy to turn to a diet free of decaying bits of corpses.
It's also just plain old good sense to reject a cholesterol-laden diet linked to heart disease, stroke, and many cancers and switch to healthier, delicious veggies, grains, fruits, and legumes.
Isn’t eating meat natural? It’s been going on for thousands of years. Aren’t our bodies designed for it
Actually, human bodies are better suited to a vegetarian diet. Carnivorous animals have long, curved fangs, claws, and a short digestive tract. Humans have flat, flexible nails, and our so-called "canine" teeth are minuscule compared to those of carnivores or even compared to vegetarian primates like gorillas and orangutans. Our tiny canine teeth are better suited to biting into fruits than tearing through tough hides. We have flat molars and a long digestive tract suited to a diet of vegetables, fruits, and grain. Eating meat is hazardous to our health; it contributes to heart disease, cancer, and many other health problems.
People have always eaten animal products. Why should we stop now?
Never in human history have people eaten as many animal products as we do now. Today, rich and poor can afford to eat these products, largely as a result of the cost-cutting methods used to raise "food" animals. Present-day factory farms inflict massive, large-scale suffering of a magnitude never before seen in agricultural practices. In addition, the human population is larger today than ever before. Billions of people eating meat means that billions of tons of water and grain are being diverted from the world’s poor people and fed to the livestock of the rich; the resultant billions of pounds of manure are destroying our topsoil, drinking water, and ozone layer. In addition, today we not only have medical evidence of the health benefits of a plant-based diet, we also have many easily accessible products, such as tofu, tempeh, nondairy milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream, and many other healthful and delicious products that make the switch to a vegan diet easy and delicious.
Can I get enough protein as a vegan?
A wealth of evidence shows that vegans need not worry about getting enough protein; if you eat a reasonably varied diet and sufficient calories, you will undoubtedly get enough protein. The average person who eats animal products eats about double the protein that his or her body needs, and there is medical evidence to show that eating too much protein can lead to serious health problems. In addition, unlike animal products, vegan foods have absolutely no cholesterol and hardly any saturated fat.
Don’t humans have to eat meat to stay healthy?
Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Dietetic Association have endorsed vegetarian diets. Studies have shown that vegetarians have stronger immune systems than meat-eaters and that meat-eaters are almost twice as likely to die of heart disease, 60 percent more likely to die of cancer, and 30 percent more likely to die of other diseases. Consumption of meat and dairy products has been conclusively linked with diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, clogged arteries, obesity, asthma, and impotence.
I will stop here because I think you get the idea. If anyone wants any more information about becoming vegan please feel free to PM me. I'm so glad we have these forums where we can express our opinions, it is such a fundamental need!
Oh and also in terms of companion animals -- they too can be vegetarian however cats need special supplements because they are fundamentally important to their functioning (unlike humans which NEED no meat.) Here is the explanation Peta gives:
Is it safe to feed my dog or cat a vegetarian diet?
It’s likely that your cat or dog will thrive on a vegetarian diet. Studies have shown that ailments associated with meat consumption in humans, such as allergies, cancer, and arthritis, also affect our companion animals. In addition to pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, commercial pet foods can be composed of parts of animals deemed unfit for human consumption, such as ground-up feathers and diseased flesh.
Do be especially cautious when making the transition to a vegetarian diet for your cat as cats have very specific nutritional requirements. Vitamin A, taurine, and arachidonic acid are essential and can be provided with supplements such as VegeCat by Harbingers of a New Age. For optimal health, many people also choose to supplement their cats’ diets with fresh, wholesome grains, proteins, vegetables, and essential fatty acids such as those found in flaxseed oil.
Unless they eat raw meat, some dogs require supplemental taurine and L-carnitine (available in health food stores). These amino acids can prevent dilated cardiomyopathy in breeds that are prone to the disease, such as Doberman pinschers, boxers, cocker spaniels, Dalmatians, and many large breeds.
For a smooth transition, start by mixing vegetarian food (several quality brands are available, or follow recipes found in Vegetarian Dogs by Verona re-Bow or Vegetarian Cats and Dogs by James Peden) with the meat-based food. Gradually increase the vegetarian portion and decrease the meat-based diet over one to two weeks. Most dogs’ and cats’ health improves on a vegetarian diet, but be sure to monitor your animal closely to be absolutely sure that the new diet is agreeable. If not, you may need to switch to a different brand, try supplementing commercial food with fresh whole or raw foods, or go back to the meat-based food.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks