Vegan/Vegetarian diet - is it $$$?

[Crystal..Discus]

Its pretty common knowledge the health risks associated with eating large amounts of meat and how things like bowel cancers are much higher in people who eat lots of meat.

Incorrect. The "science" behind that came from a book called the China Study, well criticised for cherry picking information as it pleased as "proof." There was a high correlation between cancer and people who ate read meat because that same sample also had a high percentage of people who consumed alcohol and smoked. Mormons, forbidden from smoking or drinking had the lowest rate of cancer but still ate red meat (but it could also be the magical underwear.)

We were opportunistic omnivores, still are, it's just that life is now much easier than it was thousands of years ago. We have everything offered to us on a plate and we're taught no control. So while we benefit from the complete proteins in red meat, we've become focused on taste rather than nutrition. We want to eat something that tastes good, rather than something that'll benefit us health wise.

 

[Bluetongue1]

Food is so clean? Pppppffffffft!

None of your organic plant produce is as fresh or as clean as the animal i caught, hunted or raised and slaughtered to fill my belly!

I remained to be convinced that something that has been living in or drinking out ot the bacteria filled and parasite infested swamps of the NT is necessarily clean? If it is grown under controlled conditions then it is going to be streets ahead of anything you can drag out of wild.

I believe the reference was actually to "chemically" clean, meaning lacking those materials, such as fat and oil, which are contibuting factors to a number of health issues.

There are so many nutrients in meat that you cannot get from vegetables.

Take for example iron, there are two types, haem and non-haem, both are essential
Non-haem is found in vegetables, and haem is only found in animal products eg. red meat...
.....

I don't wish to be rude but you really do need to do a lot more reading on the biochemistry of humans and plants. Almost all of what you have stated is incorrect.

For starters, there are several variations on the haem group and hey also found in certain proteins of both plant and animal origin. Humans most certainly do NOT need to absorb iron in their diet in the form of a haem group so that it can be incorporated into red blood cells. Inorganic iron is taken up by the digestive system and utilised in the production of haemoglobin.

The bottom line is that the human digestive system is that of an omnivore – able to digest and extract nutrients from both plant and animal matter. Animal matter has a wider range of the nutrients required by humans. Plant matter has a more restricted range of the nutrients we require. Therefore, if you are to eat exclusively plant matter, you need to incorporate a wider variety in your diet to ensure that the full range of nutrients is made available to your body. So in effect, there is absolutely no reason why a person eating only plant material should not be a strong and capable and active as an equivalent individual who also eats meat.

Issues arise when people do not do their homework before embarking on an exclusively vegetarian diet. For example, there are 22 amino acids that are used to make proteins. 9 of these the body cannot make and so must get them in the diet. These are usually called the essential amino acids. The other 13 the body can make by reorganising an existing amino acid. Animal protein tends to contain all the essential amino acids in adequate quantities. Plant proteins tends to have less than all 9 essential amino acids and so needs to be combined with another plant material that carries those that are missing. Failure to ensure balance and a complete intake of all required nutrients results in growth and health issues.

Blue

 

[Firedrake]

Here's an idea, instead of drastically changing what you eat (although cooking more at home is a great one), have you considered drinking less beer and wine? My other half went to the Dr and found out he had high cholesterol and the dr immediately asked if he drank alot. Ever noticed that older men and even women who have drunk alot in their youth (and/or continue to drink) have 'beer bellies'? Alcohol isn't just bad for your liver, it builds up fat around all your organs and I believe that would transcend to arteries and veins and just about everything else in your body. My bf had to go from drinking half a carton a night to only a couple of beers and the change is most definitely noticable. Just another idea to cut down your 'bad foods'