Teasing

[Guest guest]

Yup, it's a problem for me too. My friends tease me, that's ok, I tease

right back, but it does get old. When I explain to a lot of people why

I don't eat meat, they don't understand a lot of the time (part of my reason

for being a veggie is that I can't digest meat very well, as well as compassion

for animals) and suggest that "a little meat won't hurt you". Well, it

actually might now, I don't want to find out!

I am now in a university with an approximate vegetarian population of

20%, so things really aren't that bad anymore. In the small farming community

I call home, things were a little different. My grandfather was a beef

farmer, he doesn't understand my squimishness about eating animals but

now he understands the stomach pain that I have gotten rid of by cutting

meat out of my diet!

This sounds cruel, but when my friends do bother me, I'll remind them

exactly what meat is. That usually ends the conversation about vegetarianism.

But again, they're my friends, we bother each other like that a lot, and

we know neither of us mean it! I don't really know if this tactic would

work with your coworkers, unless you're really close with them. I'll go

to regular restaurants with my friends, just get garlic bread or a salad

or something, just for their company. It isn't an issue between us anymore,

I get what I feel like eating and they get what they want. I just don't

look at what they're eating!

So you're not alone. Maybe it's my age group (20ish) that's becoming

more accepting. But I'm sure if you tell your coworkers in every last detail

what happens in a slaughterhouse, they'll quit bothering you! But they

also might stop talking to you. Maybe there's a restaurant somewhere

in your city that can cater to both a vegetarian and meat-filled diet,

perhaps eating there may ease the dietary differences between you!

I'm going to stop rambling now. But no, you're not alone. Every vegetarian

I know has been through the same thing.

I hope things get better for you!

Carrie

Pam & Frank Mouton wrote:

 

Are

there any of you out there that are constantly teased about your vegan/vegetarian

lifestyle? When I am at work I get tired of people making a big thing

of telling me that they are going out to get a big juicy burger, etc. After

a while it gets really old. I don't know why they can't just live

and let live. I don't ram my lifestyle down anyone's throat or try

and convert people. I merely tell them about my diet simply as a

matter of politeness so that they will understand why I don't "do lunch"

with them. Anyone else

have the same problem? Just curious.

[Guest guest]

Hi All. I've been a vegetarian for quite some time. I also get teased about it constantly. I don't push my views on anyone either. Some of the ridiculous things people say:

" You can't possibly get all the vitamins & minerals you need"

" You can't be healthy"

" You're a hipocrite, you have to kill plants to eat them"

"Humans are better than animals"

"How do you find enough to eat"

"You're really missing out on this tasty steak"

I have one family member who goes into a whole lecture about how evil PETA is and about all the evil things they do, every time we go out to eat (I'm not even a member of PETA). I've heard this lecture about 15 times.

 

The only way I've found to deal with it without some huge argument is to just laugh it off. Say "I have my opinion, you have yours" and leave it at that.

 

If anyone has a witty way to deal with these people, I'd love to hear it too.

Crystal

 

 

Are there any of you out there that are constantly teased about your vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? When I am at work I get tired of people making a big thing of telling me that they are going out to get a big juicy burger, etc. After a while it gets really old. I don't know why they can't just live and let live. I don't ram my lifestyle down anyone's throat or try and convert people. I merely tell them about my diet simply as a matter of politeness so that they will understand why I don't "do lunch" with them.

 

Anyone else have the same problem? Just curious.

[Guest guest]

You are not alone. I have been a veg for 10 years now, a lacto-ovo ( have dairy if it is in bread i am eating, or if i am at a resteraunt and there is a tiny bit of cheese they can't leave off; i eat free range organic eggs on rare occasion).

when i first decided to become a vegetarian at the age of 14 it was because my friend and i were eating these big italian hoagies and as we were eating them i starting trying to figure out what animal all the meat came from. the more i looked at the sandwich the slower i chewed and then i just felt ill. i threw it away and told my mom i would never eat animal again. of course it was "just a phase." that is what my family called it for the first 4 years. in those years i faced ridicule and negativity from my friends and family, no support whatsoever. i was raised in a big meat eating family, bowl of ice cream every night kind of a house, and here i was saying, hey, you know what? this is wrong, and i am not going to do this anymore. in reflection i think maybe they were a little uncomfortable with the fact that they knew i felt what they were doing was immoral. i never said so, but that is how i felt, and they knew it.

we would sit at dinner and my brother would put chicken wings in my face and make clucking noises. my dad would make mmmmmm noises as he happily chewed his rare steaks. and i was told to cook for myself since i wasn't good enough to eat the family dinners. i paid for my own food, and because there "wasn't enough room in the refrigerator for all that health food" i got a cooler that i kept in my room. now, i know all of this seems cruel, and i hate to make my family sound like ogres. but people get a little funny sometimes when they are afraid of what they don't know.

nowadays i have formed my own way of handling the constant barage of questions and firing squad lineups that any veg is sure to encounter at some point and time, even as vegetarianism becomes more and more acceptable each day.

since i have found through experience that most people get annoyed to find out you are a veg, when i am asked why i choose to live this lifestyle, i reply "well, i have a lot of reasons, it is kind of a long story." "well, like what?" "well, i break it into categories, environmental, moral, medical, and political." Now, at this point you either get "oh." or you get "well, like what specifically?" at which point i say "well, if you really want to know, pick a category and i will explain it to you, but understand that i in no way wish to argue about this with you."

i know maybe it sounds silly. but it works. because the thing is that people DON'T want to hear about what they are eating, because when they find out exactly what it is going on out there they have no excuse to continue doing the wrong thing. and believe me, i have heard so many justifications for meat eating. "support the farmers!" "what else would we do with all those cows?" and my favorite to date "well the bible says we should eat meat because it is God's way to thin out the herds." WHAT? i literally laughed out loud at that one, which by the way came from a member of the family my mom married into. we were having a cookout and i was eating a veggie burger when my new uncle asks me why i don't eat meat. i inwardly groan, tell him i just don't like to eat animals, and open a giant can of worms. next thing i know, he is literally following me around the house with a bible quoting scriptures and not listening to a thing i say.

so you see, we all go thru some kind of torture at some point and time. i used to be really into educating people about vegetarianism. i always let them ask, and then tried to present it in a positive and informative manner. but after the first 5 years or so i got tired and cranky because i was endlessly defending myself against people who felt guilty and needed to justify their own beliefs.

today my life is much easier. i work at Whole Foods Market where i am able to be happy and informative to people all day long who are afraid of tofu, need to know what to do with seitan, or just need some support. i get to encourage and enlighten every day, and it has really put my veggie soul a lot more at peace. since i started really learning to cook a few years back, i have gotten really good at it, and when i go to my mom's to visit she always asks me to cook. we never eat tofu or anything so freaky as that(lol), but i always make a vegan meal that rocks her world. i even got my dad to eat tofu fajitas one night because they smelled so good he couldn't resist. and he loved them. : )

my boyfriend is the executive chef at a highly rated restaraunt in ft lauderdale. when we first started dating he was nervous about what he could possibly make me to eat that wasn't pasta, pasta, pasta. after 6 months of training, he runs amazing vegan specials that sell for $25 a plate. he loves tvp, seitan, and all the new grains i have intoduced him to. and there is something deliciously gratifying about someone being able to serve my dishes at a restaraunt as highly aclaimed as his.

i am truly sorry that any of us ever have to go thru this kind of negativity, and i definitly know how it feels to be the joke at work, or the picky eater, or the pain in the butt. i understand how you feel completely. try not to take it personally. my boyfriend and i joke about it. he always asks what i am hungry for "a big juicy steak?" and laughs wickedly. i always say "well, okay, but only if it has a big stack of bacon and cheese on top, and don't forget the lard." or something sarcastic like that. one of the more amazing things he has said to me was one night we took a walk and he looks into my eyes and says, "you know, i never want to see you eat meat." i was taken aback, this came from nowhere, and i said "where did that come from?" and he said "you being a vegetarian defines you and it makes me proud to know you and see how compassionate you are, and see how strictly you follow your beliefs, but don't force it on anyone else. i respect that tremendously." and these are the kinds of people you meet in your life and hold onto.

as for your fellow workers, maybe you can try to suggest going to an indian buffet or a more veg friendly restaraunt for a change. and when they say they are going for a big juicy burger, tell them to add lots of ketchup to cover up the taste of all those hormones and antibiotics they are eating. wonder out loud if all the pain and suffering and drugs make the meat juicier ot more tender. or better yet, just sit there and smile and wave goodbye, and pat yourself on the back for being a good person and standing up for what you believe in. and enjoy your sprouts and avacado on honey whole wheat with stone ground dijon and hothouse tomato and basil.

i support you. i believe in you. and i thank you.

laurie

 

 

-

Pam & Frank Mouton

Saturday, October 21, 2000 8:22 AM

teasing

 

Are there any of you out there that are constantly teased about your vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? When I am at work I get tired of people making a big thing of telling me that they are going out to get a big juicy burger, etc. After a while it gets really old. I don't know why they can't just live and let live. I don't ram my lifestyle down anyone's throat or try and convert people. I merely tell them about my diet simply as a matter of politeness so that they will understand why I don't "do lunch" with them.

 

Anyone else have the same problem? Just curious.contact owner: -owner Mail list: Delivered-mailing list List-Un: - no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowedcontact owner with complaints regarding posting/list or anything else. Thank you.please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

[Guest guest]

i have always loved this conversation:

"oh, i am a vegetarian."

"well, broccoli screams when you cut it!"

or

"what is the difference between plants and animals?"

or

"we were BORN to eat meat! that is why we have the teeth we have!"

(i guess we wiped the whole gatherer chapter out of the history books)

 

and as for PETA, every time someone throws that kind of a comment at me, "oh! you are a vegetarian. PETA this, PETA that, oh those crazy PETA maniacs...." i always say, "hey. i am NOT a member or a supporter of PETA or it's protests. and just like ANY other cause, there are the extremists. look at pat robertson. the crazy anti abortion groups who blow up clinics and kill people. anti government groups who blow up buildings and mail off letter bombs. there are all kinds of people out there, and it is not fair to assume that because i choose to peacefully not eat meat that on my days off i am raiding animal testing labs or dressing up in bloody chicken costumes and sabitaging mcdonalds. so please don't try to define me when you obviously don't know the first thing about my beliefs or my viewpoints."

and as for your family member who is bugging you endlessly, you need to turn it around and use this. i find it works well.

"look. you are a member of my family, and i love you. however, i am not a member of PETA. and i am tired of being lectured about an organization i don't even support. i have never forced my ideas on you, or chastised you for the way you choose to eat. so please, if you love me the way i love you, then you will respect my choices and drop it."

and if the rational guilting doesn't work, pull out the big guns. buy him/her a copy of john robbin's diet for a new america and include some pics of animals in the slaughterhouse or the "farms." that should shut anyone up. or if that seems too brash then focus on a topic they are passionate about---farming, environment, politics, and research it from our side and include that in the envelope.

good luck, and keep the faith!

broccooooooollllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiii!

laurie

 

-

cdipietro

Saturday, October 21, 2000 11:01 AM

Re: teasing

 

Hi All. I've been a vegetarian for quite some time. I also get teased about it constantly. I don't push my views on anyone either. Some of the ridiculous things people say:

" You can't possibly get all the vitamins & minerals you need"

" You can't be healthy"

" You're a hipocrite, you have to kill plants to eat them"

"Humans are better than animals"

"How do you find enough to eat"

"You're really missing out on this tasty steak"

I have one family member who goes into a whole lecture about how evil PETA is and about all the evil things they do, every time we go out to eat (I'm not even a member of PETA). I've heard this lecture about 15 times.

 

The only way I've found to deal with it without some huge argument is to just laugh it off. Say "I have my opinion, you have yours" and leave it at that.

 

If anyone has a witty way to deal with these people, I'd love to hear it too.

Crystal

 

 

Are there any of you out there that are constantly teased about your vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? When I am at work I get tired of people making a big thing of telling me that they are going out to get a big juicy burger, etc. After a while it gets really old. I don't know why they can't just live and let live. I don't ram my lifestyle down anyone's throat or try and convert people. I merely tell them about my diet simply as a matter of politeness so that they will understand why I don't "do lunch" with them.

 

Anyone else have the same problem? Just curious.contact owner: -owner Mail list: Delivered-mailing list List-Un: - no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowedcontact owner with complaints regarding posting/list or anything else. Thank you.please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

[Guest guest]

(Dear Moderator: Forgive us for getting slightly off-topic but this

seems to be an important subject)

Although I'm not 100% vegetarian, I'm heading that way in a hurry! my

wife is 100% and she always puts people at ease when we're invited

for a meal or at a restaurant but telling everyone she'll take care

of her needs. Most of our family and friends ask us if there is

anything veggie they can prepare for us (isn't that nice??) and if

we'll be okay. I got featured in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution in

their food section as the first amateur vegetarian cook they had

interviewed. The first item offered was " you're not one of those

WEIRDOS are you?? " HAH-HAH!! My philosophy is simple: I do it for

health reasons. Since I have adopted a largely-vegetarian diet, my

cholestrol level has plummeted from 265 to 180 and has stayed there!

That's good enough for me! As for that philosophy....I come from a

Christian world viewpoint. Jesus said that what goes into a man's

mouth doesn't defile him but what comes out of his mouth does. I

seriously don't think what we eat or drink will affect our salvation,

do you? gosh, I hope not. Jeffkukz

********************************************************************

 

, " Pam & Frank Mouton "

<PAMMOUTON@p...> wrote:

> Are there any of you out there that are constantly teased about

your vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? When I am at work I get tired of

people making a big thing of telling me that they are going out to

get a big juicy burger, etc. After a while it gets really old. I

don't know why they can't just live and let live. I don't ram my

lifestyle down anyone's throat or try and convert people. I merely

tell them about my diet simply as a matter of politeness so that they

will understand why I don't " do lunch " with them.

>

> Anyone else have the same problem? Just curious.

[Guest guest]

I absolutely love these comments..they seem so well thought out and

compelling Some replies that I have given during the course of the past

10 years include:

 

> " You can't possibly get all the vitamins & minerals you need " <

hmmm..neither do most Americans with their fat-laden diets. thus, the

booming herbal and vitamin industry (which most certainly includes

non-veggies..just not enough of us to support the sales)

> " You can't be healthy " <

We'll discuss this issue further when you are lying in the hospital bed with

clogged arteries and an erratic heartbeat.

> " You're a hipocrite, you have to kill plants to eat them " <

plants, having no central nervous system and no cognitive abilities, have no

concept of fear, pain or death. unlike animals, who are quite aware of their

own mortality.

> " Humans are better than animals " <

I beg to differ. look at our track record: we are capable of some pretty

ugly feats.

> " How do you find enough to eat " <

I plan my menus well, something all Americans should be doing, as our

nutritional habits are less than examplary.

> " You're really missing out on this tasty steak " <

yes. that, and high cholesterol, high fat content, maggots, waste from the

meat production facility, bacteria and other orgasisms, forced antibiotics

and

> I have one family member who goes into a whole lecture about how evil

PETA is and about all the evil things they do, every time we go out to eat

(I'm not even a member of PETA). I've heard this lecture about 15 times.

PETA gets a bad rap, but really, it is a very compassionate organization.

It just depends on one person's particular preference for activism.

Vegetarianism is not the norm, so in some ways, it is a statement as well as

a choice one makes for their life. Some people are more comfortabel not

eating meat and leaving it at that, others want their message to be heard.

Either way, all forms are necessary. I think that the mere act of standing

up for your beliefs and admitting to veggieism is activism on a small, very

important scale.

 

I have found that most people want some " scientific " proof that you have

made the best decision because scientists/doctors/etc. say this is the best

way to live. As if a cohesive argument is necessary to made your decision to

be a veggie more valid. I like to simply say that it is a choice that I am

happy to live with, but some people are not comfortable leaving it at that

and want to ask questions. I am more than happy to oblige and will answer

any questions that have been asked of me. Very rarely do I come across

people who are hostile or rude about this... most people are curious and

polite. Tho..I have met one or two people that seemed to take the issue

personally, so with them, I agreed to disagree and we both went on our ways

 

ok... I have been wordy enough

steph

 

 

 

 

 

_____

Say Bye to Slow Internet!

http://www.home.com/xinbox/signup.html

[Guest guest]

yes it's definately common!!! though i think it dies down some if you show that it doesn't bother you (i know, easier said than done)....but unfortunately people have a tendency to pick on anyone who is different from them......

 

-cherrie

 

 

Are there any of you out there that are constantly teased about your vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? When I am at work I get tired of people making a big thing of telling me that they are going out to get a big juicy burger, etc. After a while it gets really old. I don't know why they can't just live and let live. I don't ram my lifestyle down anyone's throat or try and convert people. I merely tell them about my diet simply as a matter of politeness so that they will understand why I don't "do lunch" with them.

 

Anyone else have the same problem? Just curious.

[Guest guest]

well thats how i feel.....this is actually something that has helped me, for instance, at work, people are very good about making sure that no meat gets near my food since they know i'll get very ill from it.......

 

-cherrie

 

Just an interesting side note here... how many people who haven't eaten meatfor years would probably get sick from eating it now (not from the thoughtof it, from the physical digestion of it)? I've only been a "complete"vegetarian (oct-lavo) for a year now, and accidently eating meat will makeme feel ill.I'd bet that many of you would too... I found that fascinating... if humansare reallly "supposed to" eat meat, then why, after not eating it for awhile, will it make you sick? People who eat meat have no trouble withvegetables (generally).Just a thought. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

[Guest guest]

hey steph, and all you other PETA pal's out there,

 

i just want to apologize if maybe i was ragging too hard on PETA. i used to

be a member as well, years ago, but decided to stop supporting the

organization after several divisions and activists groups got a bit out of

hand and did some very drastic and poorly thought out missions that made the

words " vegetarian, " " PETA, " and " crazy " synonimous. that was at a time when

i was becoming more informed about how the choices we make effect others and

i realized that they were not a group i wish to be associated with. i do

realize that PETA does a lot for our cause that is positive and helpful, but

at the same time i personally cannot support a group that tends to be

impulsive and irrational. i don't think letting thousands of caged

chincillas loose on a small town to free them is a smart idea, especially as

they are naturally vicious and attacked several children and adults

(innocent community members and farmers), and had to be tracked down and

slaughtered. i don't think breaking into schools and releasing tamed " pets "

such as mice and birds is a great idea either as it seems the schools they

tend to target are involved in animal rehab programs and the animals

frequently are found dead a short distance from the schools because they

couldn't survive on their own in the wild. i protest the erratic protesters

who dress in costumes and harrass people for eating at restaurants that

serve meat by screaming murderer! and slinging bones and blood. and i highly

detest individuals who use violence as a method to gain attention for our

cause, whether it be by throwing rocks through windows, vandalizing

property, or slapping politicians in the faces with pies. it disappoints me

that the president of PETA stands behind these folks when they act so

irrationally. i feel like it gives us all as vegetarians a bad reputation.

again, i DO realize that PETA has it's place in our society and that it does

indeed help contribute to animal rights. i just wish that some of it's

members would think a little harder before commiting acts of violence or

crime, reconsider the consequences of campaigns such as " got beer? " on

college campuses BEFORE they run them, and remember that the only way to

truly make a difference is not to alienate people by calling them murderers

and pointing out their faults or ignorance--but to set a proper example and

help guide them down the right paths through calm and rational education and

reasoning.

i hope i am not stepping on your toes,

laurie

-

" S. Perez " <sperez60565

 

Saturday, October 21, 2000 2:00 PM

Re: teasing

 

 

> I absolutely love these comments..they seem so well thought out and

> compelling Some replies that I have given during the course of the

past

> 10 years include:

>

> > " You can't possibly get all the vitamins & minerals you need " <

> hmmm..neither do most Americans with their fat-laden diets. thus, the

> booming herbal and vitamin industry (which most certainly includes

> non-veggies..just not enough of us to support the sales)

> > " You can't be healthy " <

> We'll discuss this issue further when you are lying in the hospital bed

with

> clogged arteries and an erratic heartbeat.

> > " You're a hipocrite, you have to kill plants to eat them " <

> plants, having no central nervous system and no cognitive abilities, have

no

> concept of fear, pain or death. unlike animals, who are quite aware of

their

> own mortality.

> > " Humans are better than animals " <

> I beg to differ. look at our track record: we are capable of some pretty

> ugly feats.

> > " How do you find enough to eat " <

> I plan my menus well, something all Americans should be doing, as our

> nutritional habits are less than examplary.

> > " You're really missing out on this tasty steak " <

> yes. that, and high cholesterol, high fat content, maggots, waste from the

> meat production facility, bacteria and other orgasisms, forced antibiotics

> and

> > I have one family member who goes into a whole lecture about how evil

> PETA is and about all the evil things they do, every time we go out to eat

> (I'm not even a member of PETA). I've heard this lecture about 15 times.

> PETA gets a bad rap, but really, it is a very compassionate organization.

> It just depends on one person's particular preference for activism.

> Vegetarianism is not the norm, so in some ways, it is a statement as well

as

> a choice one makes for their life. Some people are more comfortabel not

> eating meat and leaving it at that, others want their message to be heard.

> Either way, all forms are necessary. I think that the mere act of standing

> up for your beliefs and admitting to veggieism is activism on a small,

very

> important scale.

>

> I have found that most people want some " scientific " proof that you have

> made the best decision because scientists/doctors/etc. say this is the

best

> way to live. As if a cohesive argument is necessary to made your decision

to

> be a veggie more valid. I like to simply say that it is a choice that I

am

> happy to live with, but some people are not comfortable leaving it at that

> and want to ask questions. I am more than happy to oblige and will answer

> any questions that have been asked of me. Very rarely do I come across

> people who are hostile or rude about this... most people are curious and

> polite. Tho..I have met one or two people that seemed to take the issue

> personally, so with them, I agreed to disagree and we both went on our

ways

>

>

> ok... I have been wordy enough

> steph

>

>

>

>

>

> _____

> Say Bye to Slow Internet!

> http://www.home.com/xinbox/signup.html

>

>

>

> contact owner: -owner

> Mail list:

> Delivered-mailing list

> List-Un: -

>

> no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowed

> contact owner with complaints regarding posting/list

> or anything else. Thank you.

> please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

i know that on a few occasions so called " friends " have slipped chicken

stock or beef base into a sauce or a soup and i have gotten seriously ill.

my digestive system can't seem to handle processing it anymore. i know a

few ex-veggies that started eating meat again and had to work their way into

it as they too were ill. my question is this: any of you out there raising

your children vegetarian, have they ever had meat, and did it make them ill?

 

-

" Carrie Nixon " <cnixon

 

Saturday, October 21, 2000 1:59 PM

teasing

 

 

> Just an interesting side note here... how many people who haven't eaten

meat

> for years would probably get sick from eating it now (not from the

thought

> of it, from the physical digestion of it)? I've only been a " complete "

> vegetarian (oct-lavo) for a year now, and accidently eating meat will make

> me feel ill.

>

> I'd bet that many of you would too... I found that fascinating... if

humans

> are reallly " supposed to " eat meat, then why, after not eating it for a

> while, will it make you sick? People who eat meat have no trouble with

> vegetables (generally).

>

> Just a thought. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

>

>

>

> contact owner: -owner

> Mail list:

> Delivered-mailing list

> List-Un: -

>

> no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowed

> contact owner with complaints regarding posting/list

> or anything else. Thank you.

> please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I hear from healthcare profs all the time how I have to be sure to get enough

protein. I tell them veggies often have too much protein cuz of our varied

diets. Anyway, they think if you're not getting 35-50 g of protein just from

one burger/steak per meal that you're not healthy, when that's all you need

per day. Frustrating.

Jo

[Guest guest]

laurie, nice to meet you. Great response.

Jo

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/21/00 3:21:07 PM, aphrodite writes:

 

<< any of you out there raising

your children vegetarian, have they ever had meat, and did it make them ill?

>>

 

As far as I know, my ds has never had it, but he's only been left with

friends about 4 times, and they wouldn't (I hope!) have given him any. He's

2.

 

He will eat a bit of soy bacon (we've had it twice) and he eats veggie

burgers. His favorite foods are beans (any) broccoli, and couscous.

Jo

[Guest guest]

Thanks, so it isn't just me and my family. My aunt is veggie too, has been

for 14 years and reacts almost violently to things such as chicken broth

(stomach pains, vomiting..). It's an interesting phenomenon (sp?) I think, that

having no meat in your diet leads to an intolerance for it. The same thing

happens to me with milk products. If I've laid off eating them for a few days, I

get more phlegm then usual. Hmmm....

 

aphrodite wrote:

 

> i know that on a few occasions so called " friends " have slipped chicken

> stock or beef base into a sauce or a soup and i have gotten seriously ill.

> my digestive system can't seem to handle processing it anymore. i know a

> few ex-veggies that started eating meat again and had to work their way into

> it as they too were ill. my question is this: any of you out there raising

> your children vegetarian, have they ever had meat, and did it make them ill?

>

> -

> " Carrie Nixon " <cnixon

>

> Saturday, October 21, 2000 1:59 PM

> teasing

>

> > Just an interesting side note here... how many people who haven't eaten

> meat

> > for years would probably get sick from eating it now (not from the

> thought

> > of it, from the physical digestion of it)? I've only been a " complete "

> > vegetarian (oct-lavo) for a year now, and accidently eating meat will make

> > me feel ill.

> >

> > I'd bet that many of you would too... I found that fascinating... if

> humans

> > are reallly " supposed to " eat meat, then why, after not eating it for a

> > while, will it make you sick? People who eat meat have no trouble with

> > vegetables (generally).

> >

> > Just a thought. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

> >

> >

> >

> > contact owner: -owner

> > Mail list:

> > Delivered-mailing list

> > List-Un: -

> >

> > no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowed

> > contact owner with complaints regarding posting/list

> > or anything else. Thank you.

> > please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

>

> contact owner: -owner

> Mail list:

> Delivered-mailing list

> List-Un: -

>

> no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowed

> contact owner with complaints regarding posting/list

> or anything else. Thank you.

> please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

[Guest guest]

Laurie, this is exactly how I became a vegetarian, at the age of 13,

eating a roast beef sandwich. Suddenly I just couldn't do it. I had

been reading some different things, including Herman Hesse's

_Siddhartha_, about Hindu spiritual life, and I think that

contributed.

 

I encountered a lot of teasing at school, just like that Simpsons

episode where Lisa becomes a vegetarian and the kids ask her if she's

going to marry a carrot. People would tell me that lettuce screams

when we rip it up. But once I got to uni it was much more accepted

and just not an issue any more. Now I just makes sure I tell people

before going to their place for dinner and offer to bring something.

 

But my family was *so* supportive. My mother had been a vegetarian

as a hippie in her youth and gave up meat with me, and my grandmother

is a vegetarian due to an allergy to meat she suffered through all

her life. She was quite upset at first (she had given her daughters

meat bones to suck on as babies to avoid the allergy in them --

little did she know that's a way to develop an allergy!) but finally

accepted it and so the whole family is meat free. Makes things much

easier!

 

One of the things that attracted me to my now husband is that he was

a vegetarian. I knew he must be an enlightened guy Now we're

about to start dealing with my daughter's social life as a

vegetarian. Already someone gave her a sausage roll at a birthday

party...

 

I'm sorry you're family was so unsupportive! But how wonderful that

you are finding a way to be supportive to new and fearful vegetarians.

 

Tully

--

[Guest guest]

>

> " we were BORN to eat meat! that is why we have the teeth we have! "

>(i guess we wiped the whole gatherer chapter out of the history books)

>

 

I deal with this one by offering my " theory " . I believe that

vegetarianism is the way of the future. I accept that meat eating

was necessary for the survival of the species up to this century.

However it is no longer necessary, we have evolved beyond it, so we

should no longer engage in such practices. People often don't like

hearing me suggest that I am more evolved than them! But I don't do

it in a finger pointing, soapbox, fundamentalist kind of way. I just

offer them my " theory " . LOL.

 

Tully

--

[Guest guest]

Hi!

I am a 15 yo girl and have been a vegetarian for just over four

years. When i first became vego my parents were very supportive

andvery few people knew I was vegetarian. I still got offered sausage

rolls, meat pies and all those other meat engrossed meals. Soon

enough people knew and no one teased me or anything, some narrow-

minded people thought it was justa phase i was going through and that

i would grow out of it.

My mum makes me take iron tablets, but that is only because my

brother and father are big meat eaters and only have few vegies

which i know is a very imbalanced diet.

Now at school I have four or five vegetarian friends and three others

that say they dont like meat but theyll eat a macdonalds hamburgers

and KFC, actually a lot of people are like that, that i know of.

I dont know if it just an Australian thing but a lot of people are

becomming aware of their diets etc. and a lot more vegan and

vegetarian restaraunts are appearing, and there are way more magzines

and books now tyhan about four years ago.

Its good to see!

But as far as teasing goes, the ones that are doing the teasing are

narrow-minded and are either jealous of you or dont understand your

committment to yourself and your health.

Ocean Angel*

[Guest guest]

ÿþ

[Guest guest]

ÿþ

[Guest guest]

Looking at our human physics, you would realize we weren't meant to be

carnivores. We don't have the speed to catch prey, we don't have the claws

to rip it apart. Our teeth are grinders and not rippers. Our mandibles

moves side to side for chewing and grinding our food. Carnivores mandibles

only move up and down for the tearing and ripping off food. They don't chew

their food they " woof " it down. Their stomach acids are 4 times stronger

than ours and their digestive tracts are one third the length of ours. Our

digestive tracts are too long for meats and they only putrefy (rot) leaving

destructive toxins in our systems. YEP, we may have teeth, but certainly not

the type of carnivorous animals.

Sharon

 

> > " we were BORN to eat meat! that is why we have the teeth we have! "

> >(i guess we wiped the whole gatherer chapter out of the history books)

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I used to have a boss who would tease me ceaselessly about being a vegetarian.

He was also a very patriotic person, so one day I just repeated his " we live in

a free country " back to him in reference to vegetarianism, and the teasing

stopped. I guess he felt he couldn't tease someone for being different from him

if they were exercising their freedom! I've found this method works well with

the super-patriotic types who tease.

 

I have a question that I don't know if anybody can answer. I have a cat, and I

realize it needs meat since it is a carnivore, but I was wondering if I could

add some vegetarian fare to its diet to cut the meat by a little. If that would

have an adverse effect on the health of my cat? I haven't had too much luck

finding information about it, but I don't like contributing to the meat

industry and the less I do, the better I'll feel (if it's safe for the cat

,that is). Does anyone know about this?

Thanks,

Mika

[Guest guest]

Hi all. Cats are pretty much strictly meat eaters. In fact they can't

properly digest a lot of vegetables. There is a great list on e-groups

called CATWELL which is all about feline health & diet with strong leanings

toward all natural diets/homeopathic medicine. Really worth checking out for

those of you with furry freinds!

Crystal

 

Mika wrote:

I have a cat, and I realize it needs meat since it is a carnivore, but I was

wondering if I could

add some vegetarian fare to its diet to cut the meat by a little. If that

would

have an adverse effect on the health of my cat? I haven't had too much luck

finding information about it, but I don't like contributing to the meat

industry and the less I do, the better I'll feel (if it's safe for the cat

,that is). Does anyone know about this?

[Guest guest]

there is an awesome book called the natural cat, that gives a wonderful

breakdown of the best diet for kitty's health, includes rice, nutritional

yeast, corn, ect. yes, there is meat, they are carnivores, but it is an

amazing diet for your cat.

good luck!

laurie

The Natural Cat: a holistic guide for finicky owners

by frazier eckroate

isbn 0-936602-13-9

-

" Mika " <egg

 

Sunday, October 22, 2000 6:00 PM

Re: teasing

 

 

> Hi all,

> I used to have a boss who would tease me ceaselessly about being a

vegetarian.

> He was also a very patriotic person, so one day I just repeated his " we

live in

> a free country " back to him in reference to vegetarianism, and the teasing

> stopped. I guess he felt he couldn't tease someone for being different

from him

> if they were exercising their freedom! I've found this method works well

with

> the super-patriotic types who tease.

>

> I have a question that I don't know if anybody can answer. I have a cat,

and I

> realize it needs meat since it is a carnivore, but I was wondering if I

could

> add some vegetarian fare to its diet to cut the meat by a little. If that

would

> have an adverse effect on the health of my cat? I haven't had too much

luck

> finding information about it, but I don't like contributing to the meat

> industry and the less I do, the better I'll feel (if it's safe for the cat

> ,that is). Does anyone know about this?

> Thanks,

> Mika

>

>

>

> contact owner: -owner

> Mail list:

> Delivered-mailing list

> List-Un: -

>

> no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowed

> contact owner with complaints regarding posting/list

> or anything else. Thank you.

> please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Sure there is a product out there called catnip, no meat purely

vegetarian. Makes for a varied diet and a happy cat.

Brian not Brenda

 

Mika wrote:

>

> Hi all,

> I used to have a boss who would tease me ceaselessly about being a vegetarian.

> He was also a very patriotic person, so one day I just repeated his " we live

in

> a free country " back to him in reference to vegetarianism, and the teasing

> stopped. I guess he felt he couldn't tease someone for being different from

him

> if they were exercising their freedom! I've found this method works well with

> the super-patriotic types who tease.

>

> I have a question that I don't know if anybody can answer. I have a cat, and I

> realize it needs meat since it is a carnivore, but I was wondering if I could

> add some vegetarian fare to its diet to cut the meat by a little. If that

would

> have an adverse effect on the health of my cat? I haven't had too much luck

> finding information about it, but I don't like contributing to the meat

> industry and the less I do, the better I'll feel (if it's safe for the cat

> ,that is). Does anyone know about this?

> Thanks,

> Mika

>

>

> contact owner: -owner

> Mail list:

> Delivered-mailing list

> List-Un: -

>

> no flaming arguing or denigration of others allowed

> contact owner with complaints regarding posting/list

> or anything else. Thank you.

> please share/comment/inform and mostly enjoy this list

[Guest guest]

I couldn't have said it better, Sharon!!