So you like meat

Facebook gets me in trouble. I recently commented on a post someone made that described a meal that was basically meat wrapped in another kind of meat smothered in sauce and cheese, the caption read that “this is the reason I can not be a vegetarian”.  My comment was simply “Breast Cancer, Colon Cancer and Heart Disease are reasons why you should” Big mistake on my part because before I could blink there was a reply defending why that person can not be vegetarian.

 The argument was 1) I tried to be vegetarian I felt anemic and had no energy, gained weight and was on the toilet all the time. 2) We were meant to eat meat. 3) Not enough B12 unless you use a supplement and that can raise your risk of heart disease and other diseases. 4) I like to eat meat.  

Now I am not trying to smash someone because of an uneducated quick reply about being a vegetarian but I would like to clear up some of these misconceptions on what being a vegetarian will for you and provide some fuel to help you make the choice to become a vegetarian. So here goes.

1.       The argument that you will feel anemic….

1. There are 2 things going on here, low energy and your relation to what you know about how red blood cells are related to anemia so I will address them separate.  It is popular to believe that Anemia can be from low iron intake and this is true. So it would be wise to think that if you do not eat enough iron you can be anemic. So lets look at the top food sources for iron, Lima Beans, Soy beans, Prunes, Raisins, and Apricots to round out the top 5.
2. You are most likely feeling like you have low energy because as a vegetarian you need to eat more food because there are not as much calories in veggies as there is in Meat and Cheese. So you need to eat more often, I don’t see this as a bad thing.
3. Gaining weight is debatable and I don’t believe that being a vegetarian has made you gain weight, unless you have been only eating cheese, bread, chips and ranch dressing on everything.  This behavior is not being a veggie.
1. We are carnivores..
1. This is true we are capable of eating meat; I believe that it was very important in the evolution of humans and the survival of many tribes back before Safeways and fast food places were on every corner.  However when we evolved as meat eaters we probably were not able to hunt down meat for every meal of every day. It is likely that we got to eat meat as a delicacy when the hunt went well. Its more likely that we ate the plants that were indigenous to our surroundings for the majority of our meals. Besides “ Two 100 percent beef patties, American cheese, "special sauce", iceberg lettuce, pickles, and onions, served in a three part sesame seed bun” is hardly eating meat along with greens. J
2. B12 deficiencies…
1. This is true, vegetarians who are very strict need to find a source of Vitamin b12, and you can get it from virtually any fortified bread, cereal or multi-vitamin, that’s all you need. In fact most people, meat eaters included, also do not consume enough B12 surprisingly and not enough B12 can be bad for your heart not the other way around.
2. Is too much B12 bad?.. No The good news is It is virtually impossible to consume too much B12, since it has a very low potential for toxicity. According to the Institute of Medicine, "No adverse effects have been associated with excess vitamin B12 intake from food and supplements in healthy individuals."
3. I like to eat meat..
1. There is no doubt that eating meat satisfies a taste that is almost instinctive of our past but there are some great vegetarian foods out there that blow away the competition. Lets face it meat cooked alone with nothing to go along with it is pretty gross. Try and eat some steak with no steak sauce.

Ok I think I have put those arguments to rest so let me list a few more reasons why going veggie is the way to go.

1. Adopting a veggie diet actually does more to reduce emissions than driving a hybrid car!
2. It takes twice as much energy (or more) to produce a meal with meat vs a vegetarian meal
3. 1 pound of steak costs about $14.00 1 pound of rice $2.5 with more nutrients.
4. Exposure to livestock drugs. There are over 20,000 different drugs, including sterols, antibiotics, growth hormones and other veterinary drugs that are given to livestock animals. These drugs are consumed when animal foods are consumed. The dangers herein, in secondary consumption of antibiotics, are well documented.
5. Water Conservation. It takes 3 to 15 times as much water to produce animal protein as it does plant protein. 
6. Efficient use of grains. It takes up to 16 pounds of soybeans and grains to produce 1 lb. of beef and 3 to 6 lbs. to produce 1 lb of turkey & egg. By eating grain foods directly, I make the food supply more efficient & that contributes to the environment.
7. Ethics!

The list can go on and on but I’m sure you get the point.

Ill take your arguments now.