On Thu, 6 Jul 2000 15:20:29 -0400, Wally Ballou <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>However... when it comes to pushing the idea that man is NATURALLY
>vegetarian, or that a vegetarian diet is somehow "healthier" than one
>that is primarily based on "meat," it's long past time to put that
>nonsense to rest...  We've all given considerable thought to our diets
>(especially those on this list), and I think it is inappropriate for you
>to imply that people who eat animals are in need of further "thinking,"
>or an increased level of "consciousness," or that vegetarians are some
>higher form of intelligence.

This one demands my answer, Wally.
Please note, that i suggested to be conscious about the things we eat
overall. No matter if we avoid eating meats or not. No word about
different levels from the one or the other.
I see, that especially in this list, people have been thinking quite a lot
about their own way of nutrition. Seriously. And this is what makes it
attractive and valuable for me be here and discuss nutrition.
Even if we life in different implementations.
I know that here are quite a lot long term vegetarians, and still am
interested about their experiences and opinions. I know too, that it must
have been quite a decision to become vegetarian 10 or 20 years ago.
And likewise to give this up. Nobody will take this easy after 10 years.

Back to the consciousness: i posted about the native butchering
and this is a point, where some people feeled an offense.
Why? This is the way, things are done, and how "meat" is produced.
It's just the body of an animal. If we lived on their bodies, i consider
it the appropiate treatement of the animal to think about it.

If there are real feelings of rejection to eat a dog or an eye, why then?
Maybe that feeling is just biased or cultural, or it's a kind of "fee"
to pay if we were to be living on animal bodies.

Btw eyes: you suggest, that they were going to waste. I think in a modern
slaughterhouse *nothing* goes to waste. The whole animal is eaten.
Probably as sausage. Special machines ("extruder") are used to get the
smallest pieces of tissues from the bones. Some may shudder about this fact.
In an nutritional view and in the intention not to waste the precious
animal life it's... best.

>It is clear to me, both through "argument" and through my personal
>experience, that MEAT is the only food that is truly necessary, natural,
>and acceptable to my body. ...  Through "modern" knowledge and technology,
>it is possible for them [vegs] to get an acceptable (if not ideal) amount
>of nutrition through a vegetarian diet ...

That was my first thought about the topic: these veg diets work only
in a kind of technical context.
Meanwhile I've seen, that the paleo-vegetarian idea is not so far-fetched.
Actually paleo-fruitarian happened 50mio years to primates, zero technology.
It's still not clear, the onset of "generalism" later really included.
Seems that humans can (and could) live on nearly everything.
For you, "MEAT is the only food that is truly necessary" for me
"Vegetables are the only food that is truly necessary". Everything else
works aroud these kernels (for you and for me).

regards

Amadeus