Posted on 11/10/2004 4:46:17 PM PST by PeaJay
I have been what is called a pesco-vegetarian for a little over a year now. Before then, I was what is called a pollo-vegetarian for 10 years. Pollo-vegetarians only eat chicken, turkey and fish as meat staples in their diet. Pesco-Vegetarians only eat fish as a form of "live" meat.
My goal here is not to preach a vegetarian diet upon all, it is only to inform you all of my experience. At first, my becoming a pesco-veg was merely because of health reasons. Now it has evolved to life and culture reasons, which has caused me to consider cutting out fish as well. Many pesco-vegetarians argue that "fish feel no pain" and it is "part of a healthy diet". My fiancee, the woman who turned me on to pesco-vegetarianism, lead me to believe this as well. My argument has always been, "If they do not feel pain, why do they twitch so much when that hook is INLODGED IN THEIR MOUTH?"
Being a 31 year old male that can think for himself, I have done some research. In that research, I have found out that fish, indeed, do feel pain. So there goes that excuse. The second thing I've noticed is that there are many OTC (Over the Counter) vitamins out there that cater to Vegans and Vegetarians that provide us with the vitamins and nutrients we need so that we do not have to succomb to eating any form of meat, including fish. So there goes that excuse. So, with this knowlede, I have been considering over the past 3 months to eliminate fish from my diet.
Being pesco-vegetarian, or vegetarian for that matter, is extremely hard when one is "on the go" and wants to grab a quick bite at a popular fast food chain. For instance, for all you pesco-vegetarians out there; do you really think your fish sandwhich is not being cooked in the same broiler as those chicken nuggets? In some cases, yes, but in other cases, probably not. Also, what about Taco Bell's 7-Layer burrito or Del Taco's Veggie works? Yeah, there is no meat in them, but the beans are cooked in lard, a meat-derived cooking substance, are they not? I pointed this out to my fiancee who retorted, "you're never going to be 100% meat free eating fast food!" This is coming from an original vegetarian turned pesco-veg of the past 10 years. Not good enough for me, but once again, I am not a preacher of a vegetarian livelihood and everyone has their own beliefs. When she and I found out that the tofu meals at Panda Express all contained a pork-based sauce, we stopped eating there. Isnt that the same as a pork based bean in a burrito? Not to her, I guess. I myself have decided not to eat the veggie burritos at either mentioned establishment any longer.
Turning pesco-veg did wonders for my health. Already a healthy guy, when I turned pesco-veg from pollo-veg, I quickly lost about 15 pounds! My recent check up at the doctor was so successfull that he said I was his healthiest patient, hands down, and credited my pesco-vegetarian lifestyle.
I will not lie to you all and say that today I am in awesome physical shape, however. I have found myself, with the influence of my fiancee's cooking, taking in a lot more carbs than I used to when I was pollo-veg. This has caused me to balloon to 210 pounds at 6'1" tall, the heaviest I have been since before becoming pollo-veg 11 years ago! Before I made the switch to pollo-veg, I tipped the scales at 240. After losing 70 pounds, I made the switch to pollo-veg and maintained 175-185 pounds, up until this time last year. To add to my 25 pound obesity, I feel that my excessive beer drinking has contributed as well. Something I did not do until I met my fiancee. My point is, do not think becoming any form of vegetarian is going to instantly make you become thin. Initially it probably will, but ultimately you still have to monitor what you eat!
Another myth is that vegetarians or vegans are always hungry. Bold untruth! My fiancee uses this excuse as well. We have the same eating patterns, yet she eats or wants to eat a lot more often than I, which I believe has contributed to my being an overweight pesco-vegetarian.
Bottom line is rather you are or thinking of becoming a pollo, pesco, lacto-ovo, vegetarian or vegan, do it for your own reasons and not because someone force fed it to you. I am happy with my choice and feel that everyone should at least consider it, but I would definitely not try and push it on someone or insist upon their death if they didnt! My and my fiancee's son is a meat eater and we never try and force a vegetarian diet upon him, but despise the presence of his flesh and carnage in our refrigerator and count our blessings that he is a senior in high school, and he and his flesh, so to speak, will be taking a stage left out of ours lives for good! (He will always be welcome, but not his flesh!)
Thank You!
I'd probably eat around the jelly beans...
What's a leftover?
I'm putting 2 big pork shoulders on the rotisserie early Saturday morning. First I'll marinate them in a Coca Cola and roasted garlic based marinade overnight, then I'll smoke them over some hickory - letting them turn at around 250 degrees for about 10 hours, then pull me some pork and drink me some beer with my friends.
Vegans are boring.
Sorry, I'm a young bachelor who doesn't cook much (I'm pretty good on the grill though). I've never made meatloaf in my life.
LOL I jsut don't like peppers in meatloaf. Onion OK but peppers just bug me.
Urban bears taste nasty because they eat garbage.
LOL! For a second I thought you were series...
However,manateagowl(manatee,eagle,owl)is even better. ;)
I have five children (although one of them can't eat solid food yet). Of course I'm series! My petite innocent looking 7 year old daughter is known to steal the meat off her brothers' plates if she can. I still remember the first time she read the word meat, she proudly read: "steak".
I've started campaigning for a turducken on the Thanksgiving table this year. I've never had it before, but it sounds heavenly...
Even wilderness bears eat carrion. Are you sure they taste good?
Try grating ( fine ) a carrot....
A bear's preferred food are berry's with tender young calves and fawns being a close second.
Not preaching? Could have fooled me.
I have been full vegie for 16 years...no red meat/chicken for 4 years before that! Never felt better!!! ;)
I've been a lacto-ovo (no pesco, no pollo) vegetarian for almost 30 years. I'm very healthy and never have to worry about my weight (it probably helps that I don't drink alcohol either). Neuromins brand DHA will take care of the essential fatty acid problem that eliminating fish can pose for people of certain ethnic backgrounds. Unlike other DHA supplements, it's made from algae, which is where DHA-containing fish get their DHA (farm-raised fish provide no DHA, since they don't get to eat algae).
I also eat a lot of animals that most folks wouldn't care to eat because they're wild and aren't regularly used in American culture and found in our city markets.
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There's certainly nothing wrong with eating what you want and being vegetarian if that's your choice.
It just seems wasteful not to eat the meat from a critter once you've taken the fur,leather,etc. off of his carcass.
Pardon me, but you must have us confused with someone who gives a hoot what you eat. Get a life.
I keep wondering what it would be like to see a vegan on a low carb diet.
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