@matthewjones

I tried to become vegan twice... Both times it resulted in protein deficiency as well as some bitamin deficiencies. My ex-fiancee of the time was a vegan her whole life and likewise had similar deficiencies.

For her it was quite easy to address, she just had to make a conscious effort to take vitamins and eat more protein. For me however I had issues regardless and had to stop the vegan experiment both times.

I've accidentally gone vegan a few times because I didn't have enough money for normal food, but when I had the money I went out and bought meat.

When I don't eat meat I feel kind of sick, I not sure why.

@lonelyowl

It takes a lot longer to become protein deficient than it does to become vitamin deficient on a vegan diet. Most likely you were lacking the B12 your body needs.

That said it may also be unrelated to veganism in your case and more so related to the fact that you were on a cheap diet with little variety (probably more white carbs than leafy green veggies).

@matthewjones

I eat buckwheat and macaroons usually when I run out of money.

@lonelyowl

Any diet, vegan or otherwise, that is too restrictive, especially over long periods, will give you troubles in some sense. Buckwheat and macaroons will get you feeling sick a lot quicker than a nice variety of leafy greens. Though a nice diet of leafy greens AND meat is going to be healthier still.

@matthewjones

@freemo @lonelyowl @matthewjones the problem is that any healthy diet is expensive. Meat is often the cheaper than vegetables. For a cheap healthy diet try beans, carrots, corn, spinach, potatoes and whole-wheat-bread

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@freemo @lonelyowl @matthewjones and if you are really out of money take nettles from the wild and cook like spinach with an onion and a potatoe.

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@oedp_ruhrmitte @lonelyowl @matthewjones

This comment seems to be of the mistaken assumption that vegetables are inherently healthier than meat. That isnt true.

For example even with the variety of foods you just listed, due to the lack of meat you'd not be getting the B-12 you need.

Ackshually, you do get B12 in vegetables *IF* they are grown in healthy soil with active bacteria (or yeast) that make it. This is not the case for most stuff you can buy in the store.

Ironically, CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) animals also get no B12 from their GMO feed - it has to be added artificially. So if B12 is all you are worried about, just take a pill, or add nutritional yeast to a smoothie or cocoa.

The real reason to eat meat - real grass fed and grass finished non CAFO meat - is to move carbon back to the soil. Chemical fertilizers replace nitrogen, but not carbon, and yards of carbon rich top soil has been reduced to inches over the last century.

Grazing animals stimulate plant growth, trample carbon into the soil, and fertilize. If you really think CO2 is a problem (I don't), switch to grass fed animals of your choice as much as you can afford. (It is more expensive.)

@sdgathman

Ackshually, you do get B12 in vegetables IF they are grown in healthy soil with active bacteria (or yeast) that make it. This is not the case for most stuff you can buy in the store.

False. While yeast does provide B-vitamins it does not provide any B-12. The exception to this are genetically modified yeast, or yeast that has been modified and B-12 artificially added to it.

Ironically, CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) animals also get no B12 from their GMO feed - it has to be added artificially. So if B12 is all you are worried about, just take a pill, or add nutritional yeast to a smoothie or cocoa.

Half true… Yes cows who eat from feed do indeed usually get B12 supplements to be extra healthy. However a few important points to that end:

1) Cows and other animals dont need B12 like humans do. Humans evolved to have a particular issue with B12 production (the area of our intestine where it is produced has evolved to no longer be able to absorb B12). As such while cows make their own B12 and are probably going to be ok without a supplement humans on the other hand need it far more than cows.

2) Grass fed cows dont get supplements at all because the yeast in the dirt provides them with ample B12 on its own anyway.

So I’d say the argument here is to make sure you just eat good healthy meat and not meat raised in poor conditions is all.. by the way you should do the same when picking veggies.

The real reason to eat meat - real grass fed and grass finished non CAFO meat - is to move carbon back to the soil. Chemical fertilizers replace nitrogen, but not carbon, and yards of carbon rich top soil has been reduced to inches over the last century.

This doesnt quite add up for me, but id need you to explain a bit more to have an opinion. Cows consume carbon from their food which they use to form their body.. if they die and get buried that carbon is returned. If we eat them and shit them out that carbon is returned. But if the cow is never born (because no one will eat it) then it never consumed the carbon from the ground int he first place and thus there is nothing to “return”… So how is eating meat doing more good at returning carbon to the soil than not eating meat? seems they are the same to me.

Grazing animals stimulate plant growth, trample carbon into the soil, and fertilize. If you really think CO2 is a problem (I don’t), switch to grass fed animals of your choice as much as you can afford. (It is more expensive.)

None of this adds up logically for me… all carbon winds up back in the soil eventually when we talk about food regardless. I do agree that grass fed is a better choice, just for different reasons.

@matthewjones @oedp_ruhrmitte @lonelyowl

On the carbon in soil issue, read "Folks, this ain't normal" by Joel Salatin. His other book are great too.

I belatedly realized I need to decentralize food production as well as computing, and am learning as fast as I can.

@sdgathman

On the carbon in soil issue, read “Folks, this ain’t normal” by Joel Salatin. His other book are great too.

I dont want to read some randos book only to find I have the same questions and it still sounds wrong and now i just dont have the ability to discuss.

If you understand it and wish to explain why the logic doesnt add up for me, go for it. It could be a valuable discussion. Otherwise based on what has been said, iwthout further evidence, im going to conclude that what you claimed is incorrect information.

I belatedly realized I need to decentralize food production as well as computing, and am learning as fast as I can.

Eh, no ones perfect :)

@matthewjones @oedp_ruhrmitte @lonelyowl

> Cows and other animals dont need B12 like humans do. Humans evolved to have a particular issue with B12 production

Normal cows don't need B12 supplements. However, corn fed (CAFO) cows get "acid indigestion" (abnormally high stomach acid) which interferes with this and other aspects of cow digestion. This also makes the E. Coli bacteria, which normally would die in human digestion, acid tolerant and deadly to humans.
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