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Michelle
Social climber
The sucking black hole that is Tuolumne County
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 14, 2010 - 11:58am PT
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So I've been thinking about going this way for a while. I know that the health benefits rock, but what I want to know is what I could expect as my body detoxes all the crap and abuse - you know, the not pretty side of conversion.
thanks!
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Iron Mtn.
Trad climber
Corona, Ca.
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Apr 14, 2010 - 12:09pm PT
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There is no detox when converting. It's not like smoking or drugs. I quit eating meat in 1984 and it wasn't difficult other than overcoming the psychological conditioning of eating meat all of my life at that time.
Other than that, I suffered no physical withdrawls....
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Apr 14, 2010 - 01:10pm PT
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Being veg. doesn't mean you nead to eat tons of them. It took me a while to catch on that I needed to eat other fatty/proteiny things for my body to feel full. Too many veggies and beans when I wasn't used to that meant that I had wicked painful gas for a while. It went away though as I started eating a less rigid sort of diet and started following my cravings a bit more. Getting ready to eat some Thai coconut soup w/ tofu right now...trying to undo a week of Vegas breakfast buffet. You can still eat crappy food on a veg diet!
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Apr 14, 2010 - 01:36pm PT
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Or just buy a half buffalo at a time and put it in your freezer. Organic, grass fed, happy life (till the end i suppose). Nothing to drain in your pan, just pure goodness. Health benefits rock. We got here by eating meat.
Cheers,
Arne
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 14, 2010 - 01:51pm PT
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I was a kinda veg for a while. I still ate cheese and eggs. I was in great shape and climbed hard during those years. What really got me back to eating meat was going to school. Brain work demands way more protein than exercise. At first it was tuna fish then in no time it was medium rare steaks. Before I stopped meat, I could only eat it well done. Go figure.
Mastering food for yourself and what you want out of life can get very involved. There are so many choices. Just be flexible and don't worry about it too much. It's not what goes in your mouth that makes you a better person, it's what comes out of it.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 14, 2010 - 02:05pm PT
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If you are not a hunter or don't know one that has extra meat, you can find good naturally raised meat. Get on line and you will find it is very inexpensive, but you usually have to buy a large amount. The quality can be awesome.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Apr 14, 2010 - 02:07pm PT
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Given the water quality etc, I don't think you can garauntee that, anywhere....
Go for it you'll love it, if you're so inclined.
I'm red meat free since '83 though I nab fish now and then
all of my best years of climbing, marathoning, grad school, book writing have been mammal free.
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Michelle
Social climber
The sucking black hole that is Tuolumne County
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2010 - 02:42pm PT
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thanks for the ideas folks. ah, veg junk food, scarey! I'm afraid I'll have a hard time giving up the steak at the Steam Donkey! I was thinking of still eating some cheese, eggs and some fishes.
I was wondering about "detox" only because it would stand to reason that my body is sooo used to steak, cream sauces and beer that any alteration from said protocol is cause for intestinal distress.
tried buffallo (hm that speelion sseems wrong) but it was way to rich for my tastes. don't care much for venison either, but that may be how it was prepared.
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 14, 2010 - 02:47pm PT
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No matter what you eat, a good detox now and then is probably beneficial.
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reddirt
climber
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Apr 14, 2010 - 03:36pm PT
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two words: nutritional yeast.
super tasty & high in protein. I put it on toast, egg whites, popcorn & more.
(note: I'm not a vegetarian... could never give up salmon & tuna)
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Apr 14, 2010 - 03:39pm PT
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Its wicked easy to be a veg head. heck you can live off of Pizza and beer. I did it for 5 years but I felt it strung me out a bit. I sleep better with a bit of meat in my diet.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Apr 14, 2010 - 05:01pm PT
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If you don't eat meat, your body burns the fuel cleanly and efficiently and it takes less to do more. Being vegetarian slows the body's aging process and makes your immune system strong, you won't get sick near as often. Regular exercise is so important as well.
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Michelle
Social climber
The sucking black hole that is Tuolumne County
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2010 - 06:06pm PT
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when I used to be fit, I had this notion (read it somewhere) that if you consume protein within an hour of heavy activity, it helps muscle repair blah blah blah which of course was my excuse for the huge steak dinner after hour in the mountains. I got worked into the ground in the army, having to eat a sh#t ton of calories. unfortunatly, I'm not excercising but still have the same habit of eating a sh#t ton of calories. "Im thinking a mostly simple veg diet for a while in conjuction with some actual get-off-my-ass might do the trick. I'm with tami, blanket statements don't combine well with genetics. I'm designed to function on a high protein, low carb diet. other people aren't
it is, however, so much easier to avoid the hambuger when someone is screaming at you about how you're going to run 5 miles this afternoon (Sunday, the day OFF dammit) because someone ELSE got the hamburger at the defac.
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Apr 14, 2010 - 06:09pm PT
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I agree with the rest here, no physical detoxing feelings per se. I went vegetarian at 18 and didn't feel any difference physically before, after, or since. Good food is good food, animal derived or not, and my mind and body are just about the same as they've ever been, just older.
The only head's up I can give you is that if anything is going to push you back to meat it probably won't be cravings or health issues, but pressure from people around you. Sounds kind of dramatic, I know, but if it goes for you like it did for me you'll be the target of a low intensity campaign to get you to stop putting on airs and go back to eating meat. And get ready to explain why you still wear leather belts or shoes. And also be prepared for inane and reductive biological/evolutionary arguments coming at you like uzi fire. I've never been a preachy vegetarian but I still get challenged on being one all the time.
I still eat things I hunt, and the only thing I hunt is abalone. Yum.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Apr 14, 2010 - 06:22pm PT
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Total myth we need to eat meat, the reverse is true. Vegetarians live longer. If you smoke cigs, well thats not going to help matters.
No matter what, if you eat to much, you can get fat.
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SofCookay
climber
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Apr 14, 2010 - 11:12pm PT
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I became a vegetarian a couple of years ago as I am against factory farming, plus I felt it was much healthier for me. I adjusted with no problem and, as I love to cook, discovered that there are many great "fake" meat options out there to substitute for all your meat-based recipes, allowing me to feel that I really didn't sacrifice anything. To top it off, I have never felt better, health-wise, in my life.
But beware - you still have to watch those dreadful calories!
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Footloose
Trad climber
Lake Tahoe
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Apr 15, 2010 - 12:45am PT
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SofCookay wrote-
"there are many great "fake" meat options out there..."
Soy chorizo's among the best!
Kudos to all who are learning (if you
haven't already) to say no to meat factories!
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal urban sprawl Hell
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Apr 15, 2010 - 01:06am PT
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I'm finding that more and more I am moving away from eating meat and its not all that difficult. This January I had a physical and the various bloodwork was done, I was told that I was a so called borderline diabetic-huge wakeup call-so immediately changed my diet into a healthy one.
Stopped eating all processed foods, obvious ones, candy, chocolate, soda, coffee-because I drowned it is cream and sugar-fat and simple carbs. because of these changes I've already lost 15 pounds. In the course of this, I also eliminated red meat and have slowly eliminated other meat as well, not really missing it.
I've never really like the idea of meat to begin with, it just flat out grosses me out, especially fat. By the time I cut away all fat from a steak there is not much left. Chicken is the same, won't eat dark meat, no icky skin and before I cook even the white meat cut away anything that is repulsive to me, it only seems logical that I ultimately become a vegetarian due to my shear pickyness. let alone my feelings for how animals are treated in the food industry.
I don't even want the fake meat. Fried food is nasty as well. Seriously, having changed my diet makes it very hard to eat meals out, I have to really research where I can eat and think ahead before I go on a trip, pack my own food, ect. I feel so anal anymore about this, but it seems in order you have to be this way, our world is just not set up to offer easy alternative healthy fast food choices.
Making the above changes was difficult at first, I had horrid cravings, but once I got through it, its been liberating. I have more energy and no longer have sugar highs/lows (due to eating healthier carbs), yes, I have frozen yogurt now and then, had one tonight. But I am guessing when I have my follow up blood work next month I will no longer be in the danger zone for diabetes!!!
Good luck to you on your vegetarian quest!!!!
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Steve L
Gym climber
SUR
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Apr 15, 2010 - 01:25am PT
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If you want to get truly healthy, don't worry about the meat. Cut out all grains, dairy and legumes. Obviously, no refined sugars either. Our bodies aren't designed to eat any of that crap. Eat lots of meat, veggies, some fruit, and some nuts. Grass fed meat is best.
My diet is mostly meat and fat, rounded out by veggies, and a little fruit and nuts. My HDL is almost equal to my LDL - off the charts good. Kidney and liver functions are excellent. Eating all grass fed meat is pretty tough if you're not a hunter, so supplement your omega 3s. Ideally you want your omega 3 / omega 6 ratio to be 1:1.
Don't go vegetardian....unless, of course, you like being skinny and weak.
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