Are you vegetarian ?

[Maciamo]

Vegetarianism is growing fast in Western countries. It used to be the norm in most of Asia and still is for Hindus and Jainists.
Japan used to be a vegetarian country (except for fish and seafood), but now counts less vegetarians than any other developed countries.

What about you ?

I am not.

[Sekabin]

I was vegetarian, for over 10 years... until I met my wife... then we went to Japan and well, it's downright impossible to be veggie there (fish are not vegetables guys and gals). You can't avoid 'dashi'. So now I'm mostly vegetarian, i.e. i mostly don't eat meat or fish, but occasionally (getting more frequent) I eat fish.

When we live in Japan I guess I'll eat even more fish.

[Iron Chef]

I am, but only until recently (going on a month-and-a-half now). No specific reason for why really, I love a good charred hunk of meat just as much as the next guy/gal. Just trying something new I guess (or until the I grow bored with my newfound diet).
:)

[Mandylion]

Yes, I am, mainly because I can rarely afford meat in Japan, and I've never really learned to cook fish well. I'll eat some amount of meat, 3 oz or so, maybe once every two or three weeks. So I guess I am a defacto psuedo-veggie. But recently, even given the chance to eat large amounts of meat, I find myself not. Large slabs of beef now seem a bit more revolting for both what it will do to my gut and the ethical issues.

[mdchachi]

> we went to Japan and well, it's downright impossible to be veggie there
Well not impossible but I agree it's pretty difficult. I knew one strict vegetarian (Indian guy) in Japan. Needless to say he didn' t eat much Japanese food. When we went out to eat it was usually to an Indian or Italian restaurant (usually they have arabiata pasta which does not have meat).

[neko_girl22]

I'm kinda vegetarian (I eat fish) but not out of choice. It's that diet the traditional asian medicine doctor put me on. not a diet to lose weight, a diet for my health. It's very strict.

I wouldn't mind so much if it actually was working......

[Sekabin]

Originally posted by mdchachi
> we went to Japan and well, it's downright impossible to be veggie there
Well not impossible but I agree it's pretty difficult. I knew one strict vegetarian (Indian guy) in Japan. Needless to say he didn' t eat much Japanese food. When we went out to eat it was usually to an Indian or Italian restaurant (usually they have arabiata pasta which does not have meat).

Yeah you're right, it's not impossible. Actually some of the veggie restaurants serve the tastiest food I had in Japan. My cousin is in Osaka and is a strict vegetarian - she's completely miserable and always cooks for herself, buying expensive imported ingredients.

I think vegetarianism is becoming less popular in the UK, so there's no hope for Japan!

[jeisan]

meat is good

[Marc]

I love meat.
Could anyone explain to me what are the reasons to become a vegan? I've questioned a friend, who claims to be a vegan, once but he told me I wouldn't understand.
Animal killing and religion aspects sound quite reasonable to me, but what about animal products? Is there a real reason to not consume them?

[Maciamo]

Hi Marc,

Veganism seems more to be a caprice than a reasonable choice, since it is not healthy for human to live with low protein diets or avoid any animal products.

But I understand why vegetarianism is popular. It's not good either to eat only meat (you know like having a beefsteak for breakfast). Balance is the most important. If someone doesn't eat meat then they should eat a lot of dairy products, eggs, beans, etc.

I personnaly stopped eating beef in (or from) developped countries since the mad cow disease. I know there has been no cases in the US or Australia yet, but even if there was I think Americans would try hard to conceal it to preserve their economy. What's more there's been cases in Canada and when I came to Japan everybody was sure it would never happen to Japanese beef ; one month later, the first BSE case was found - and there has been several cases in all the country since then. As cows in Hokkaido and Chiba aren't related, it means there was already BSE before, maybe for several years, but that nobody had tested it or discovered it (even when tested, it's not that easy to trace BSE in a cow. Best proof, a vet commited suicide in Hokkaido for failing to trace it for several years and thus endangering people's life).

As long as I am in Japan, I don't miss beef at all. There is so much fish and seafood that I am content. But in Europe that would be tougher to live without beef at all and just live on pork and chicken. The alternative is kangaroo or emu meat.

[Fruitarian]

im of only eat Fresh Fruit!!!!!!!! and raww foods so i am not have the impacted feces in my colon!!!!!! no meat,candy,cake,icecream,milk,eggs,no of the cooked food!!!!!!

[Keiichi]

Lots of vegetarians here. ^^ But I'm not one. I was raised with meat also, so I don't suppose decreasing my protein by stopping would be too healthy for me.

[Sekabin]

most people actually eat too much protein in their diet. Unless you're a body builder you don't need as much as that. And balance *is* everything - as a Vegan you can be healthy if you eat the right things in the right amounts. Dairy products aren't necessary, you can get all the same things from other sources.... just many vegans don't!

[Tare. Aura Violette]

I'm vegetarian I suppose
I hate meat, hate the taste of it

I only eat it if I am forced too

but I don't consider pepperoni and THINLY sliced roast beef to be in the "doesn't taste good" group on a rare occasion I will eat that

[dark for tears]

I am and I am not. I don't eat much meat. The occasional bit of chicken is all I have.

Being raised as a Hindu I've never had beef. However then when I decided I wasn't religious I had beef, and wel I just do not like it.

I don't really like fish much, nor pork, or lamb.

So i guess you could call me a veggie, but I eat chicken. Lol, Im just halfway there

[elisakim]

I'm a vegan, 100% vegetarian.
After I realized what I was actually eating it sickened me and I felt barbaric and dirty. So I just stopped, it took awhile to become a complete vegetarian. It is worth it though because I'm skinner then before and have more energy plus I feel really clean and pure inside. Not just my body but my 'soul' too. Having complete control over my body, after having hardly none at all (I was raised to eat meat), makes me feel powerful in a strange way..I mean, now I really realize that this body is just that, a body. Its not me, so I'm not gonna let it control me. I just feel above everything, not in a snobby way but a god-like pure way. It just feels natural to be a vegetarian, like a return to the Earth. It sounds corny b/c I don't know how to explain things well. Oh, I never get sick either. The only time I even get a little pain feeling is when I have a headache from stress. Eh..it's up to you all. Have a nice day everybody!!

[Sekabin]

I have a theory (now no-one get offended by this), that being a vegetarian is, at times, the same as being phobic. For a long time when I was younger (and more strictly veggie) I couldn't even stand the thought of eating meat if someone accidently cooked for me. I would rationalise this feeling in all sorts of ways, but ultimately it was a similar response to a phobia. This was one of the reasons why I decided to become less strict - sort of like elisakim's control over my body, but in a reverse way.

[Himura]

Meat ruleZ!!!

[Sekabin]

Well, actually I don't think eating meat *is* a good thing for most people. It doesn't seem to be as healthy as many claim, and lets face it - there's just too many people to support a meaty diet for everyone!

;)

[Meo]

I've been a vegetarian for about five months, and am hoping to go vegan some day.

I went veggie for ethical reasons. I don't support the animal cruelty in the meat industry (if you don't know anything about it, you can check out www.meetyourmeat.com and watch the video if you want to). I also realized that eating the flesh of another being was just wrong to me. I felt incredibly bad doing it, so I stopped. I don't think that I could eat meat (or any byproducts, working on cutting out cheese and dairy), even if the treatment in factories was better.

One thing I'd like to say is to clear up the term "vegetarian". Many people now days think that eating poultry or fish only still makes you a vegetarian, when it does not. Those would be pseudo and semi vegetarians. It's nice to have people establish the differences so there's no confusion with vegetarians who eat no meat (face it, fish, chicken, turkeys, etc. all do not grow on trees).

Cheers!

[maji]

one of my flatmates is vegan, and the two others were once vegetarian but now eat meat again.
ive always been a carnivore. ;)

[mdchachi]

Stop it you guys. All this talk is making me feel like having a big, thick, juicy bacon cheeseburger.

[Nanahara]

I'm veggie, well most of the time...sometimes I have to eat chicken or turkey (Christmas and family occasions)

[Satori]

I've been a vegetarian all my life. Why anyone would want pieces of a dead animal in their food is beyond me. ;)

[Frank D. White]

All my life, I've hated vegtables and lived on meat & potatoes.
Most of the time I live on junk food and soda which cost me all my teeth ! Old age and married life are causing me to change my ways though.

Frank