Dori Zook wrote:

>> Where's *your* though question?
>
>
> First off, you seem a little pissed.  That or in the mood to degrade.
> Look
> back at my original post and you'll see I've already raised legitimate
> questions about putting an infant on a vegetarian diet.  So don't try and
> paint me as an idiot or someone ...

Oh, Dori, here you are :-)
First of all - I'm just more busy now - have less time to chat.
And -- my primary intention is not to chat, but to exchange ideas and
see them compete - and learn.
Things like "where do I buy the best meat" and "how to make pemmican"
aren't my business, you can guess.
Your mail - I didn't see any offense or thelike. It's more like a
implicit statement I could see.
Like - well it's just nobody asks the v. the right tough questions, but
otherwise
<insert your opinion rant here>  ;-)

Actually I'm not sure that to be veg would be the healthiest way.
It's more this: I am a veg, so I'm interested to hear the opposite
arguments.
So, I am interested in tough questions

> "You chose vegetarianism as an adult; is it fair to force your personal
> decision on a child?  Some might see that as a little too much too
> soon and
> others find it very unhealthy, especially for infants.  How do you handle
> such questions?"

How about that:
Is is fair to force your personal decision to eat meat on a child?

Particularly if in effect nowadays, it determines your primary protein
source
to the muscles of (nastily raised) animals.

I have 2 children, now 20 and 18. They are vegetarian,but never forced
(they just see the example).
IMO it is impossible to force a child to *anything* on the long run, anyway.

> "Are there any studies that support a vegetarian or vegan diet?"

Plenty which provide arguments for it.
But this question is too unspecific. You cannot say what a veg.diet is,
anyway.
Are there studies that support  to live in Europe?

> "Does vegegarianism allow breast milk or do you recommend children eat
> formula immediately?

There isn't a veg.pope who sais what it is or should be.
I think it's obvious that nature provides mothers milk to human children.

> "What about protein?  Little bodies, especially, need protein for
> development.  Are children able to get enough protein on a vegetarian or
> vegan diet?

Strange, this recurring protein argument.
Protein is abundant in any original vegetarian food.
It is missung (or low) in extracted food items.
Ok extracted food items are almost always from plants.
But these extractions (white bread - sugary items - fatty items) are
mostly eaten by
not-vegetarians. Vegetarians *need* to eat less extracted food.
Meat-eaters need not - in terms of protein.


> "What are the best plant-protein sources?"

Take *any* plant you want.  Eat your 2400 kcal and you'll have the RDA
of protein.
Even fruit (which is a little low).
However you aren't forced to live on one plant only. You can choose from
"very bulky" (fruits,salads)
over "medium"  (tubers , storage organs) ,  "dense" (seeds) to "very
dense" (nuts).
You can choose your own mix - and you'll probably do so in choosing the
sort of *protein* you can digest best.

Low protein occurs only if the proteins are removed by any means (or
non-protein-calories that are added).

> "Which do you find heathier, a vegetarian diet which includes eggs and
> dairy, or vegan?

Too unspecific, can't be answered. Personally I choose to include
certain dairy but not eggs (because I find eggs disgusting).
But all is possible in a healthy way. In the case of veganism with a
source of b12 included (probably supplementing).

> Isn't it tough for children and even adults to get enough
> protein when only eating fruits, grains and vegetables?"

No. See above. It's a matter of the volume you like (and are used to) eat.
Eating big volumes is sometimes tiring and most of the time pleasing.

> "X is a required micronutrient found naturally only in animal foods.
> How do
> you make sure you get enough of that?"  (Note: I cannot remember this
> vitamin/mineral off the top of my head and don't have time to search my
> files.  This question is addressed on PETA's web site, if interested.
> Even
> they admit it is required.)

Well the only one which *could* it be is Vitamin b12.
So, supplement it -  if you think that your gut bacteria  (or external
bacteria) isn't making enough of it, which you could assimilate.

This applies only for vegans btw. - dairy has it.
You won't find any other micronutrient which isn't easily found from plants.
Or often much easier.

> "Now, for a lot of people vegetarianism only means no meat.  Is that
> enough
> or should people also pay attention to what they DO eat?"

Yes, of course.
That's actually what I wanted when coming here.
But after the fellows found out - discussions often turned about what I
don't eat.... like now.

> "Many people choose a vegetarian or vegan diet with animal rights in
> mind,
> other people for the health benefits.  What ARE the health benefits?"

Better micronutrient supply.
More fiber.
Less danger from improperly produced animal material (scandals are
always about animals, did you notice?)
Less acidic food.
Less arachidonic acid.

> "Low-carb diets are very popular right now.  What about a low-carb
> vegetarian diet?  It would be especially tough to eat a low-carb diet
> on a
> vegan diet.  Any tips for people going the low-carb route or is that
> unhealthy in and of itself?"

Todd once mentioned that it would be possible, utilizing fatty plants
(like almonds).
I was and am not tending to low-carb because I can't see a benefit for me.
And it would be just too restricting for me - missing a many goodies.

> "Vegetarianism is quite new.  In fact, there is no documentation of
> sustained vegetarianism in human history.  What about the long term?
> Is it,
> perhaps, too early to say this is really good for us?"

Vegetarianism isn't real human history, like inuit eating (low carb) isn't.
Would you consider some thousand of years of Indian history too short term?

I mean -- it's easy to eat a Indian-style cuisine.
But it's very difficult and expensive to eat a inuit-style cuisine
(they eat *wild* animals, not agricultural produced creatures).
Do you consider some 50 years of a diet  of cows and pigs (nowadays
form) as long term?

> I would say
> that, for various reasons, it's politically incorrect to question the
> vegetarian diet.  Which is a sad statement on many levels.

I think its political correct to question meat-eating, because meat
*production* involves
a lot of ......(you know what I mean)
But why not question vegetarian diets?

> Did I ask enough questions?

Thank you for your questions.
I enjoyed them, but they were not though.

I know some though questions or topics.
They are always connected with some sort of allergy or intolerances.
Plants are tougher to eat than meat.
Sustaining oneself on an agricultural plant base is a art, which culture
societies have developed.

regards

Amadeus S.