Meat

February 27, 2000

Dear all,

On another forum I had a discussion about the health issues of eating meat.

I'm a lay person interested in TCM. From what I've read, I understand that

TCM considers meat an essential part of nutrition. Miriam Lee writes

( " Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist " ) that she found many vegetarians to

be undernourished. She thinks that vegetarianism is only appropriate for

individuals who spend their time meditating.

But in the discussion it was suggested that there are also several

acupuncturists that consider it better to be vegetarian.

Anyone care to share their opinions on this?

Ewald.

February 28, 2000

>On another forum I had a discussion about the health issues of eating meat.

>I'm a lay person interested in TCM. From what I've read, I understand that

>TCM considers meat an essential part of nutrition. Miriam Lee writes

>( " Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist " ) that she found many vegetarians to

>be undernourished. She thinks that vegetarianism is only appropriate for

>individuals who spend their time meditating.

>But in the discussion it was suggested that there are also several

>acupuncturists that consider it better to be vegetarian.

>Anyone care to share their opinions on this?

>

>Ewald.

I answer this post as one who is a vegetarian and acupuncturist, so I may

be biased.

First I want to point out that many vegetarians are morally motivated

(concern for animals, concern for the planet). Their decision not to eat

flesh is not based on a simple health cost/benefit analysis.

For those whose only concern is their individual health, I think the

highest good you can do for them is help them get in touch with te body's

instinctive nutritional sense. Many people do very well on a meatless

diet, leading physically vigorous lives. Others require a little bit of

meat to feel their best. I think that the amount of flesh consumed in

the standard american diet is too much for just about anybody. I think

that a good way to learn how much meat you need optimally, is to eat

none for a while, so that you can change the pull of your habits, and

then follow your body's cravings to guide you. Many people who do this

will discover that they do not need meat.

Vegetarians who are weak do not necessarily need meat in their diet.

They may simply need a more balanced vegetarian diet. This does not even

alway mean more vegetable protein. It may just mean a more varied diet,

less junk food, etc. More seaweed. There are books about this.

There is a book by Paul Pitchford called Healing With Whole Foods, that

combines with American-style natural foods theory. He

is pro-vegetarian.

I guess my bottom line is, when you are talking with a morally-motivated

vegetarian, please don't tell them in some black-and-white terms that

they *need* to eat meat to be healthy. People assume that alternative

health-care practitioners are the last ones who would urge them to eat

meat, so when they hear it from an acupuncturist or naturopath, they are

likely to abandon their own personal feelings and intuitions.

My last comment is that Chinese Nutrition has developed in a context of

scarcity. In a place where you are lucky to even get fresh vegetables,

it may be wise to grab any chance you get to throw a little animal flesh

into your rice soup. In America on the other hand, studies have shown

that even the average vegetarian consumes *more* than the ideal amount of

protein in their diet.

-- Greg

March 1, 2000

Dear Greg, I agree completely with you. Yes.

Muchas gracias por su atención,

Thank you very much for all your attention,

Josep Carrion.

jcarrionterapeuta

-----Mensaje original-----

De: Greg Dember [dember]

Enviado el: lunes, 28 de febrero de 2000 23:15

Para: acupuncture

Asunto: Re: acupuncture Meat

Greg Dember <dember

>On another forum I had a discussion about the health issues of eating

meat.

>I'm a lay person interested in TCM. From what I've read, I understand

that