Howdy folks

[Chilli_Roll]

Hey people,

My name is Zach and I am a 21 year old "non-religious" college student from Texas. I just finished watching TheVeganAtheist's three part Open Letter to Matt Dillahunty on Youtube, and found his arguments to be intriguing. Yes, I currently eat meat. I've been a meat eater all of my life and I haven't really had a reason to change that behavior, but recently I have been thinking about the long term effects of eating meat and the benefits that being a vegetarian/vegan could provide for me in the present. Weighing in at 140lbs, I never really considered myself to be unhealthy or out of shape, but I know I can be doing more to improve my overall well being.

Where should I start...?

[ChipDipSM]

Welcome to the forum. I'm not too knowledgeable, however there is a vegan section in the forum where pretty much all aspects of veganism are discussed and debated.

[brimstoneSalad]

Hi Zach, welcome to the forum!

From a health perspective, weight is only one risk factor to heart disease. It's basically just exacerbating an underlying issue to be overweight. Thin people can have heart attacks and strokes too.
You're young now, so you currently have a very low risk of any cardiovascular related complications. But it can't hurt to adopt better habits now so when you reach 40 you don't have to worry about it.

Cancer is another issue, and is mainly caused by random (although also accumulated) DNA damage. What you're eating now is relevant to that. Although it's also less predictable. Cancer is like Russian roulette. You could play ten times a day for a decade and never lose, or you could lose the first time you play. DNA damage is extremely random. However, like with Russian roulette, the less you play, the better your odds are.

It has been said, that whenever somebody gets lung cancer, it was one particular cigarette that caused it. And that's true; like with Russian roulette, it was one particular bullet. Or with cancer caused by animal product consumption, one particular steak/hamburger/egg etc. But since it's completely random and unpredictable (don't fall for the Gambler's fallacy), the only way to really reduce your odds is to cut down on consumption as much as possible, and try to eat things that help suppress cancer proliferation.

A low fat vegetable based diet is pretty much the best you can do. Lots of leafy greens and colorful vegetables. And avoiding animal products as much as possible.

You start pretty much the same way one quits smoking.
Some people go 'cold turkey', others cut back over time and then cut it out entirely, others will replace it with another habit (gum?).
What works for a lot of people is switching to "mock meats", although that's expensive (beans are much cheaper, and better for you). It's definitely useful to learn how to cook.

What are your favorite foods now, and what's your cooking experience level? I could recommend some things.

Different methods work for different people. If one doesn't work out for you, try another method.

What I can say is that, no matter what your diet, you get used to it. After a few months you stop missing the unhealthy stuff you used to eat. There might be cravings now and then, as with an ex smoker, but if you hold out and divert your attention to something else, they go away. For most people, meat starts to smell bad after a while (just as second hand smoke does to an ex smoker, once they get past the cravings).
Super sweet or fatty junk food starts tasting overly rich, and things like carrots start tasting sweeter. As your tongue adjusts to vegetables, they begin tasting less bitter, you get accustomed to new textures, etc.

It's a gradual process, but we always become accustomed to our diets. We actually become accustomed to a lot of things in life. The idea that some elements of 'luxury' make people happy is a false economy. We have certain basic needs, and once those are met, anything in excess just blurs together as we normalize, and creates waste (ultimately hurting us, as it comes back around -- like with animal agriculture for the 'luxury' of meat causing climate change).

These kinds of self harming excesses are just irrational. And while it's hard to drop them all right away, since we've become so habituated to them, it's a really good goal to work towards simpler, healthier living that's really sustianable.

[Chilli_Roll]

Thank you ChipDipSM, and brimstoneSalad!

My favorite foods right now are sushi, anything Italian, Greek yeros, pho, cheeseburgers, hummus, etc.

As for my cooking level, it is minimal. I can make some pretty tasty eggs, but that is about it. I'm a pretty fast learner though, so it shouldn't be too hard to adjust.

I don't know if I'll ever get all the way to vegan, but pescatarian sounds achievable.

[ChipDipSM]

I love Italian and hopefully I can find a tasty replacement for cheeseburgers. Good luck with your goals.

[EquALLity]

Hi!

Welcome!

I don't know if I'll ever get all the way to vegan, but pescatarian sounds achievable.

You don't have to do it overnight.

Why pescatarian, by the way? Why not vegetarian? Why eat a fish over a cow?

[Chilli_Roll]

Why pescatarian, by the way? Why not vegetarian? Why eat a fish over a cow?

Because sushi and pho , honestly. Also, this is mostly for my own health. It isn't a moral or ethical choice for me. I know that may sound selfish to some vegans, but I'm not at that level of empathy yet I guess.

[brimstoneSalad]

My favorite foods right now are sushi, anything Italian, Greek yeros, pho, cheeseburgers, hummus, etc.

Hummus is a good staple, and also pretty easy to prepare. Do you own a blender or food processor? (food processor is better)
Spend a few hours making something like five pounds of it, and it will last a couple weeks.
If you don't own one, I can make some recommendations (it will will save you a fortune, and pay for itself in about two months).

I'm sorry to say there are not many good and affordable vegan cheeses yet, although you can make them yourself if you're inclined. That also comes down to using a good food processor or blender.
Dairy cheese is pretty bad for you, so it might be worth the expense to you to buy them, or the effort to make (and material expense -- nuts aren't cheap).

Nut cheeses are generally healthy. But make sure to look on the ingredients and avoid anything with palm oil. Palm oil is probably just as bad as milk fat. Most of the tasty vegan cheeses out there are palm oil based.
Coconut oil is slightly better, but not by very much.

Pasta primavera is a pretty good staple. Garlic is one of the healthiest thing you can eat, along with Onions and other Alium vegetables.

In terms of cheeseburgers, you can DIY veggie patties on the cheap, and freeze them to last months. The best recommendation health-wise would be tempeh.

Because sushi and pho , honestly. Also, this is mostly for my own health. It isn't a moral or ethical choice for me. I know that may sound selfish to some vegans, but I'm not at that level of empathy yet I guess.

Well, there's good news here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/14 ... escription
That's going to start being more available in the near future.

It's not too hard to make your own sushi, and many people find it fun. You just need to invest in a good sushi rolling mat.

In terms of the fish most people eat -- the BIG fish -- they're loaded with heavy metals due to bioaccumulation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioaccumulation

The higher in the "food chain" you go, the more loaded with nasty stuff tissue becomes. Lead, mercury, cadmium, lots of fun stuff.

Tiny fish that are herbivores are the way to go, health-wise. But they're also harder to find because nobody wants to clean and prepare them.
If, like many Americans, you're not very comfortable with eating small fish whole, it's probably more convenient to just avoid fish all together.

But, if you're of the DIY/homesteader disposition, you can build a backyard pond and stock with with small herbivorous fish (make sure they're not fish-eating-fish) to have have a sustainable supply of relatively clean meat (if you're very careful).
It's a lot more trouble than making sushi from tomato.



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