Hey guys, so I am starting off slow - but also going cold turkey - and as of today, I am no longer consuming meat or fish and then I will eventually go full vegan and cut out diary products all together, including milk, cheese and egg.

However, there is one main reason for me doing this and that is my health. I have learned so much over this year and how healthy it is to avoid meat all together and I really would love to take this absolutely serious. However, I feel a bit strange because yes I love animals, but i know that me going vegan is not going to change anything and nor will it have any affect on animal bi-products or slaughtering, and truth be told its not the reason i'm going vegan, its mainly just health.

But I am feeling slightly confused and also strange about this whole thing, because the only vegans I know are just doing it for animal rights and not for their health. So I just wanted to know, am I abnormal? Is vegetarianism pointless - aside from the health benefits - if its not for a sign of protest and clear conscious?

In terms of animal by-products, I will still use them, wether its some form of soap or otherwise, I just won't eat any product that comes from an animal.

I understand that this thread is probably a bit silly and maybe even contradictory - having already mentioned health benefits - I just want to know if theres other people out there who do it for the same reasons as me and not just because of animal rights?

Thanks for your time guys

Yes you are abnormal, because there's nothing unhealthy about consuming animal products, unless you eat them in crazy quantities (but in that case pretty much anything would be bad for you).

Humans eyes are at the front of their heads, no herbivore has eyes at the front of their heads. It is an evolutionary trait for hunting prey, humans are biologically omnivorous so I don't think eating meat is going to bad for your health (in fact, unless you make sure you are eating certain veggies it can be bad for your health to not eat meat) unless you actually have a condition that suggests otherwise or don't get much exercise.

But good luck, it is a commendable choice even though it isn't one I'd make.

I eat meat to consume the life-force of other animals. It's the only way for me to truly stay alive.

I can respect vegetarians, but vegans are my nemesis.

I've never understood people who go vegan for animal rights.

The only logical reason to go vegan is for one's health.

I have a cousin who recently went vegan because she wanted to be more healthy.

So no, you aren't abnormal.

Animal Products are not bad in and of themselves. It is the amount of animal products that we eat that can cause the issues. Bottom line, humans are Omnivores and require meat and vegetables to live. We can get most, but not all of our nutrients from vegetation. I cut down on the meat and dairy in my diet and cut my cholesterol to one third of what it was (now in the healthy range) and dropped 120 pounds too boot. But, I still eat meat and dairy, just not as much.

Whatever diet you have (within reason) it's possible to make it healthy or unhealthy. I knew quite a few vegans in college who had health problems because they weren't getting all of the nutrition they needed - and I knew quite a few others who managed it just fine. If you binge on bacon then yes, that is very unhealthy. But then if you binge on soy there are quite a lot of health risks associated with that as well.

If you are serious about maintaining a very healthy diet you can do this as a vegetarian or a vegan - but also with a more comprehensive omnivorous diet. If one path suits you better that's great, but don't pretend that switching to a "healthy diet" means you can be lax about things.

On this point, though I'm not really trying to change your mind OP and I'm afraid I can't give you much advice on the whole matter. If you buy locally sourced fruit and vegetables and free range meats and support your local stores by buying from there. That way you'd be eating animals who are not battery farmed, which is not nice. I don't think vegetarianism is pointless, just you could be eating good meat and getting a more healthy balanced diet doing so (in terms of, if like me, you dislike veggies eew, greenness)

If more people sourced local foods, supported their local economy and were able to eat healthier foods while keeping money away from Uncle Tescono, then that's fine by me. Then we can move on to step two of saving energy (and money!) I'll stop there though

Oh if you've a garden and are able it's totally worth growing some vegetables and such. I'm planning to grow... something, I don't know what, but something. Sooner or later.

You know what I love to do to a Vegan/Vegetarian? Make a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich and put it on a plate and just place it near them. Most vegetarians I know can't resist bacon

I personally only respect vegetarianism when it's due to heart issues and similar essential health issues. Personally, I believe the animals were created to be used and consumed by us - they're not creatures with souls like so many people seem to think these days.

And did you know that it actually can be VERY unhealthy if you don't have any meat whatsoever? Your protein levels will plunge to lower levels than ever, and even though you have things like peanuts, there's not a whole lot plant-wise that can get you the things you need from meat.

I can understand perhaps cutting down on meat, eating more lean qualities, not eating red meat, etc, but to cut meat completely because of a love for animals or to just do it is kind of odd in my opinion.

Protein is found from other sources as well, and animal protein turns the blood acidic which can only be cured by phosphate found in the bones, which makes calcium completely obsolete as when the phosphate neutralises the acidity, we pee out the remaining calcium. We also filter our nutrients through animals, when the animals are getting those aforementioned nutrients from the ground to begin with.

I also have a huge arguements regarding the myth that humans are omnivores, but I really didn't come here to start an argument

I'll bite. No don't worry. Sorry. Just, well fine. Okay, I'm going to go with it.

If you are doing a diet change primarily for your health, go Mediterranean or Asian. Small amounts of meat, moderate amounts of carbs and lots of veggies and healthy oils have been shown time and again the healthiest diet.

Did anyone else think Epicfail posted this before entering the thread?

It worked out so well for Steve Jobs....oh wait.

Yes.

No. The title is too coherent.

I'm not entirely convinced he didn't. He may have developed psychic powers.

You mean it doesn't cure cancer? What a ripoff!

Androids are tricky like that.