Need help from the Diet Gurus!

[Dace]

Hubby. Works with a vegetarian now and the guy is a chemist. Seems very nice BUT....he is attempting to brainwash Hubby and sway him over to the veg side of life.

I know what I know, which is not a lot, but not enough technical or scientific stuff to go head on with this guy.

Can y'all read his email below and arm me with some links adrefresh my tird little brain as to what aminos and EFAs do?


to get the discussion about vegetarian vs omnivore diets (mostly with your wife in mind here), I offer this paper, which hasn't even been published yet.

http://www.jlr.org/content/early/2011/06/15/jlr.M012195.abstract?etoc

This work shows that the human body makes all essential fatty acids necessary for development. I have this discussion a lot with people about aminos and EFAs. I'm obviously not missing any nutrients after 15 years of eating like this, and the literature is slowly accepting the advantages of low calorie, low fat diets for life extension and general health.

 

[FarmerChick]

if you know what you are eating and balancing out the nutritional involvement in a vegetarian diet----then a vegetarian diet is fine.

there is no harm in it, cause people do it thru their entire lives and do very well on it, if you eat correctly.


to me it comes down to taste, and what the heck you like to eat LOL


if your hubby wants to try it, I see no harm as long as he gets balanced nutrition......so google vegetarian diet and they show you the proteins, etc. needed to handle this diet in a healthy manner.

but in the end, any good smelling, mouthing water BBQ will probably keep hubby on the meat side of life HA HA

 

[Dace]

Hey Karen.....here is the problem, I have no interest in a veg diet. I don't even think it is healthy and I have no interest in being 'wooed over to the other side'

I like meat and i do not think that a diet heavy in grains and cockamamie mam invented foods 'Chik'N' and tofu hot dogs with a side of soy milk.........is healthy.

 

[Lady Henevere]

I like meat and i do not think that a diet heavy in grains and cockamamie mam invented foods 'Chik'N' and tofu hot dogs with a side of soy milk.........is healthy.

This is like saying a meat-eating diet is bad because Big Macs are bad for you. Fake meat is processed junk food, just like Doritos and Coke (which are also vegetarian).

I know it's not a popular topic around here, but there are plenty of studies (including looks at cultures/religions that don't eat meat) showing that good, balanced vegetarian diets are perfectly healthy.

I can't provide the info you're looking for Dace, but I wanted to point out that not all vegetarians as stupid junk food lovers trying to replace meat and milk with processed crap.

 

[Dace]

I like meat and i do not think that a diet heavy in grains and cockamamie mam invented foods 'Chik'N' and tofu hot dogs with a side of soy milk.........is healthy.

This is like saying a meat-eating diet is bad because Big Macs are bad for you. Fake meat is processed junk food, just like Doritos and Coke (which are also vegetarian).

I know it's not a popular topic around here, but there are plenty of studies (including looks at cultures/religions that don't eat meat) showing that good, balanced vegetarian diets are perfectly healthy.

I can't provide the info you're looking for Dace, but I wanted to point out that not all vegetarians as stupid junk food lovers trying to replace meat and milk with processed crap.

Oh no, I would never say that! ( although I do think there are a number of those people out there!)

I am big on ...you make your choices and I make mine. I would never say my way is the only way. And of course you are right, there are plenty of thoughtful vegetarians who do eat clean and healthy, I would guess they are the majority. But these manufactured convience foods can be very unhealthy....yet when I walk thru the "health food isle" at my grocery store it is chockfull of this junk. I also know some veggies who routinely feed this manufactured junk to their families.....but that is no different from my meat eating friends who feed chicken nuggets and tator tots!

I am not really sure what this guy was talking about because I have never talked to him.....I am not clear what he was addressing in the email. It seems that he thinks that I think (already my head hurts)his diet is not sufficient without meat.
I am going to post my email back to Hubby and y'all can critique it befor I hit send

 

[Dace]

Here is what I. Am preparing to send....I do not want to start a debate or be disrespectful about HIS choice to eat a vegetarian diet. Feedback please.....
I am not sure what your conversation was but.....

I prefer to eat meat for a number of reasons, primarily I prefer natural foods. I am not comfortable with manufactured foods as a staple in the diet (tofu and faux meats) nor do I want to lean on high carb foods.

I believe that limiting carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, processed foods, beans, many grains) as a good strategy for blood sugar management. Many of these foods cause internal inflammation and elevate cholesterol levels while offering little nutrition.

I eat a large variety of foods which includes a rainbow of veggies but basis for my diet is limiting the foods which trigger an insulin reaction as well as manufactured foods. It would be very difficult to eat the way we do with out the fat and calories from meat.....we would have to include more grains and beans in order to consume enough calories if we were vegetarian and that would lead to weight gain,

Dace

 

[abifae]

My only problem with vegetarians is if they replace "real foods" with soy and fake foods. I feel the same way about gluten free replacing "real foods" with their weird stuff and low carbers replacing "real foods" with their crap.

And somehow "real food" translates into "don't you miss pizza and chips and big macs".

I, personally, was not able to do vegetarian and feel healthy. And I also personally think a carbivore diet is a great idea for herbivores, not so good for omnivores. But since I surely don't want anyone dictating my diet, I can't go around dictating anyone else's.

I have not personally met a long term vegetarian who was healthy (and worse the closer to vegan). All the people I know who try to "convert me" and tell me how healthy vegetarianism is healthy look rather wan to me and just... sort of frail. Even if they are really heavy, they seem frail.

Maybe the ones who do it right are also the ones without such an agenda to convert the masses to their way?

I believe that limiting carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, processed foods, beans, many grains) as a good strategy for blood sugar management. Many of these foods cause internal inflammation and elevate cholesterol levels while offering little nutrition.

That! And I like that you said you had no clue why he was bothering you about this LOL.

 

[FarmerChick]

Hey Karen.....here is the problem, I have no interest in a veg diet. I don't even think it is healthy and I have no interest in being 'wooed over to the other side'

I like meat and i do not think that a diet heavy in grains and cockamamie mam invented foods 'Chik'N' and tofu hot dogs with a side of soy milk.........is healthy.

OH he wants YOU TO do it....I thought it was JUST hubby wanting to try it??

well if you don't want to....then don't....just tell hubby you have no interest and express your concerns regarding the veg diet. but if he wants to try it, a veg diet can be healthy if it is balaced.

do you control what hubby eats thru life? I know if Tony wanted to try it I would say fine, but he would have to supply me menus etc....cause I wouldn't go totally out of my way to 'feed him' correctly HA HA HA

 

[FarmerChick]

geez, where is BEE when you need her because her parents lived on a veg diet and they were perfectly healthy! I am sure BEEs parents never replaced 'fake' food in their diets.

just saying

 

[Dace]

Hahaha...no Karen I don't control what Hubby eats....but he eats what I feed him
So I do have control, but I don't want it.

If we go out to eat he will often ask me what he should get, I. Will make a recommendation but it is up to him.

I will also point out that he is gluten intolerant and jalepenos make him sick for days....yet he will go out to a mexican restaurant and order a burrito in flour tortilla and then dump salsa on top.....then moan for two days about how crappy he feels

So he wants to eat right, but does not want to think about it.