Vegetarian vs Omnivore?

Question

OK, here's the deal. I care about animals, but not to an extent that it'll stop me eating meat etc. Although this is a selfish reason, I want your views on what would be best - living a vegetarian lifestyle or omnivorous lifestyle? What's healthier to be precise. I've been waking up in the morning exhausted and unfit. I'm only 18, so it's not a question of age.

We have distinct intestines that are meant to grind leaves, vegetables and also meat. Being an atheist, my views are simple - we live, we die (don't want to start another debate).

What are your views on what's a 'cleaner' diet and helpful in everyday life.

(No flaming, I'm not a cruel person who supports the 'inhumane' killing of animals. I'm just another guy trying to survive and pass on my gene pool).

Answer 1

Personally, I think that vegetarianism/Veganism is better than being an omnivore.

For the past few weeks I've been waking up easier and more active during the day... I'm enjoy life more and don't sit and feel miserable all day for hours on end.

Being a vegetarian is just plain healthier. It basically means getting all the protein you need, but without all that fat and animal coming with it.

Would you rather eat a hamburger ( that is made from animals and has part of their body in it... including veins and fat. ) and gain weight?

Or would you rather eat beans and an apple.. that have the same protein, but less carbs and no animal-parts. AND nobody suffers.

I just think it's better and healthier.. And everyday you don't eat meat you save a life.

Answer 2

Wow, you sound really arrogant. First off, while it is clear you don't have morals, please don't attribute that to being an atheist. You give other atheists a bad name, when many are vegetarians who care a lot about animals and ethics. Atheists can have morals. Your lack of morals is completely unrelated to you not believing in God.

Second, don't you even DARE say that you care about animals. Seriously, don't you dare. That's like saying, "I care about black people, but not enough to stop torturing and killing them for the fun of it." By eating meat you DO support inhumane killing of animals. Have you any idea how animals are treated at the slaughter house? You support that kind of cruelty by eating meat. Please watch this video [ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=... ]. If after doing so you continue eating meat, you do not care about animals.

The way I see it, if you eat meat and are not a cruel person, you are ignorant. You can't have it both ways. You either are a cruel person or you are ignorant. Since you claim not to be a cruel person, I'm going to assume that you are an ignorant one and hope that perhaps after watching the video I linked you too you will have a change of heart. Please watch it all the way through. If you have any sense of ethics at all, it will be hard and you will be tempted to stop to avoid the guilt of seeing what you are really supporting, but you MUST watch it all the way through if you wish to become educated about this very important issue.

Answer 3

do you mean vegan vs, omnivorous? because a vegetarian and an omnivore are the same thing, since vegetarians still eat eggs and milk. vegans are the only herbivores.

I am a vegan myself and believe humans were designed to eat a vegan diet by nature (I'm not trying to cause another debate either.) This is what i think, so my advise to you is try the different lifestyles. Try vegetarian, than include meat, maybe vegan? see if this helps you feel any better. maybe take a vitamin?

I know a vegan/vegetarian diet is healthy because i am 15 and completely healthy, yet some meat-eaters claim to be as well. So pick which one you believe. Remember that animal products are the only things in nature that contain cholesterol (which many people struggle with.) Meat is also high in saturated fats, and there is nothing that will be terribly missed in your diet if your careful. Most of it's also unethical, just putting it out there.

Good luck!!

Answer 4

Well actually vegetarians are much healthier.. Heart disease, high cholesterol, cancers, and such are higher now than ever because we eat more meat now than we ever did. Back in the day, peasants lived off of bread, vegetables, and fruits while the wealthy had money to buy meats. The peasants lived much longer than the wealthy. Coincidence? Our intestines compared to a dogs intestines are completely different. Our intestines are much longer to digest vegetables and meat actually rots in our intestines. Meat causes colon cancer. Olympic runners that occasionally ate skinless boneless chicken had high cholesterol. Many runners are vegetarians because they are healthier without meat and can reach their full potential on a veggie diet. Our jaws move side to side (like a horses) to break down fiberous foods. Natural omnivores and carnivores have a restricted up and down motion of the jaw which lets them bite meat and swallow it whole with minimal chewing. We do not have sharp teeth or claws and probably couldn't even catch an animal to eat(without the use of tools) if we tried. Factory farming of cows is causing deforestation and the overproduction of cows actually produces methane gas which contributes to global warming more than carbon dioxide. I am an atheist too, but I believe that we just weren't designed to eat meat. Oh.. and vegetarians even live longer!!

Answer 5

Rohak's answer makes a lot of sense when viewed from the point of view of a perfect world.  That is to say if all animal products and all vegetable products are of the same quality.  Also what today is considered balanced might tomorrow be considered excessive.  

Although I became a vegetarian (incl. eggs and milk) for other reasons over 20 years ago, I recently saw  the two movies "Supersize Me" and "Fast Food Nation"  Each has some discussion of the nature of our current food industry.  While most people know that plants come from the ground I was caused to wonder how many people if asked where their meal came from would naturally answer "the supermarket" instead of a chicken or cattle.  There is a little unpleasant mystery about what happens between hoof and plate.  

Of course there are others who would claim that fruits and vegetables being shipped halfway around the world, to your plate is also a "dirty little secret."  

As long as food remains an industry that someone else is doing for you then you will have to develop some faith and also possibly suffer someone else's failures.  

There are bigger issues than vegitarian or omnivore.  The quality of our food is probably a more important issue.   To eat meat or not to eat meat is a fairly personal issue in that same way that some people can tolerate milk and wheat and some cannot.  There is also a psychological component.  At the least, we tend to eat and enjoy what we are used to eating.  

Your best option is to try doing what you don't normally do and see how well you tolerate a fair trial of at least a couple of weeks.

Answer 6

A balanced diet is always the best. Whether it's an omnivorous one or a vegetarian one it still should be balanced. As long as you carefully manage your food, you'll benefit either way.

That's my objection to the claim that a vegetarian diet is healthier. Sure, if you compare it to the average overstuffed diet loaded with fat, sugar and processed food, it will look that way. But what if you compare it to someone that eats meat but is just as careful to maintain a proper, balanced diet? Then it loses it's advantage.