7 ms·

It's ridiculously difficult to obtain a properly-balanced, nutritious diet when you've chosen to reject major components such as flesh meat, gluten, anything th

It's ridiculously difficult to obtain a properly-balanced, nutritious diet when you've chosen to reject major components such as flesh meat, gluten, anything that's cooked, etc. Beef alone, as a source of iron and other vitamins that are needed especially by men, is critical. People are now trying to raise children and animals on vegan or keto or gluten-free diets, and I call that cruelty. The effects of malnutrition are subtle and long-term, and so people who go on a fad diet for a while will not notice, and people who routinely eat any sort of junk food and processed food do not notice that they are malnourished yet obese. My mental health improves by leaps and bounds when I eat a healthy diet: I feel better simply because I'm not abusing my body, I feel satisfaction in preparing wholesome meals with known ingredients in my own kitchen, I enjoy saving money. Moreover, my sleep hygiene improves and my daily schedule approaches something of a productive citizen instead of a listless, lethargic couch potato. Since I do suffer from chronic mental illness centralized around mood disorders, having a good healthy diet is absolutely essential to my healing and recovery, more than any drug, alongside therapy and regular meditation and practice of my faith in Christ.

n4r9 4y ago
It is true that you have to put a bit of thought into how you source viatmins and proteinif you stop eating meat. But it's very doable. Interestingly women actually have a much higher requirement for iron (not surprising when you think about it). Anyway, this is why a great first step is to cut down on meat consumption, to 3-4 times per week. Cooking wholesome meals has nothing to do with vegetarianism as far as I can see.
VictorPath 4y ago
> It's ridiculously difficult to obtain a properly-balanced, nutritious diet when you've chosen to reject major components such as flesh meat The Brahmin in India seem to have managed it for thousands of years, as have other groups. There may be some Brahmin in India that do not have a properly-balanced, nutritious diet, but you find that in meat-eating cultures as well. The CDC says about three in four US adults are overweight.
staticman2 4y ago
"Beef alone, as a source of iron and other vitamins that are needed especially by men, is critical." This isn't true. A healthy vegetarian diet can provide you with everything your body needs.
drekk 4y ago
There's so much in this comment I'm not really sure where to start. I guess the first is the "especially men" comment is weird, especially in the context of women generally needing more iron and being prone to bouts of anemia. Unless you're shedding your uterine lining every month your iron needs are probably being hit unconsciously. The average American consumes twice the recommended daily protein intake but half the fiber. If we want to talk about healthy diets we should probably start there. Plus the bit about cruelty is hilarious if not sad — condemning billions of sapient beings to lives of immeasurable suffering unnecessarily for tradition doesn't sound cruelty-free. But sure, feeding your kids fruits and vegetables without hot dogs is the REAL cruelty. Forget the fact we supplement animal feed with beta complex vitamins because we don't even give them the dignity of grass beneath their feet. Truly unconscionable to ask humans to take a b12 or omega-3 supplement; forcing living beings capable of complex emotions to take the supplement for you and then having them killed is comme-il-faut. This also entirely ignores the carnists and omnis that feed their children a diet of Smuckers Uncrustables(tm) and Kraft Mac n Cheese(tm). Let's not pretend malnutrition is mostly happening to children on plant-based diets when most Americans are buying ready-made junk food for their "picky eaters". Remind me what is in a "chicken nugget" again? Lastly, good sleep / physical exercise / healthy diet / solid friend group are all protective factors against mental illness but they certainly are not more effective than any drug. People with all of those boxes ticked still get mental illness and suffer. The drugs we have today may be crude, but they most certainly work. Therapy is wonderful but wasn't exactly doing anything for my ADHD. Medication changed my life and I have Dr. Gordon Alles to credit for that -- not a diet.

n4r9 4y ago

It is true that you have to put a bit of thought into how you source viatmins and proteinif you stop eating meat. But it's very doable. Interestingly women actually have a much higher requirement for iron (not surprising when you think about it). Anyway, this is why a great first step is to cut down on meat consumption, to 3-4 times per week. Cooking wholesome meals has nothing to do with vegetarianism as far as I can see.

VictorPath 4y ago

> It's ridiculously difficult to obtain a properly-balanced, nutritious diet when you've chosen to reject major components such as flesh meat The Brahmin in India seem to have managed it for thousands of years, as have other groups. There may be some Brahmin in India that do not have a properly-balanced, nutritious diet, but you find that in meat-eating cultures as well. The CDC says about three in four US adults are overweight.

staticman2 4y ago

"Beef alone, as a source of iron and other vitamins that are needed especially by men, is critical." This isn't true. A healthy vegetarian diet can provide you with everything your body needs.

drekk 4y ago

There's so much in this comment I'm not really sure where to start. I guess the first is the "especially men" comment is weird, especially in the context of women generally needing more iron and being prone to bouts of anemia. Unless you're shedding your uterine lining every month your iron needs are probably being hit unconsciously. The average American consumes twice the recommended daily protein intake but half the fiber. If we want to talk about healthy diets we should probably start there. Plus the bit about cruelty is hilarious if not sad — condemning billions of sapient beings to lives of immeasurable suffering unnecessarily for tradition doesn't sound cruelty-free. But sure, feeding your kids fruits and vegetables without hot dogs is the REAL cruelty. Forget the fact we supplement animal feed with beta complex vitamins because we don't even give them the dignity of grass beneath their feet. Truly unconscionable to ask humans to take a b12 or omega-3 supplement; forcing living beings capable of complex emotions to take the supplement for you and then having them killed is comme-il-faut. This also entirely ignores the carnists and omnis that feed their children a diet of Smuckers Uncrustables(tm) and Kraft Mac n Cheese(tm). Let's not pretend malnutrition is mostly happening to children on plant-based diets when most Americans are buying ready-made junk food for their "picky eaters". Remind me what is in a "chicken nugget" again? Lastly, good sleep / physical exercise / healthy diet / solid friend group are all protective factors against mental illness but they certainly are not more effective than any drug. People with all of those boxes ticked still get mental illness and suffer. The drugs we have today may be crude, but they most certainly work. Therapy is wonderful but wasn't exactly doing anything for my ADHD. Medication changed my life and I have Dr. Gordon Alles to credit for that -- not a diet.