calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

i've very very recently given up on fish as well. (it was a process)

BUT i still eat crustations. shrimp, lobster, crab.

how do you feel about this?? i will eventually try to maybe ween myself off of these as well but i guess i just feel like they dont havea central nervous system, etc.

what are your feelings on this?? since i cant really talk to dh about it, he tries to talk me into meat still (even though he doesnt eat it anymore)

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

Since I'm vegan, I hate when people judge how and what I eat, so I never do it either. I tell everyone I'm a non-judgemental vegetarian.

My one pet peeve is when people tell me they are vegetarian, or vegan, but eat fish. Or have chicken only once in a while.

I'm like - then you arent a vegetarian....

i'm sure I didnt answer your question.

sorry

But since you know I'm vegan, if pressed, you probably could gues show I feel about eating crustaceons (sp?)

ETA - even though they dont have CNS, I still believe they are living animals. They have a survival instinct, after all...

Message edited 9/2/2007 11:33:35 PM.

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

To me, a vegetarian doesn't eat living animals. I'd rather hear someone say "I don't eat beef or chicken or fish but I'm not completely vegetarian" than hear "I'm a vegetarian and I just had lobster the other day." KWIM? But that's just my opinion. In all honesty, it's hard to be a real vegetarian anyway...there's animal in glue, film, lipstick, etc...

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

Posted by MissJones

To me, a vegetarian doesn't eat living animals. I'd rather hear someone say "I don't eat beef or chicken or fish but I'm not completely vegetarian" than hear "I'm a vegetarian and I just had lobster the other day." KWIM? But that's just my opinion. In all honesty, it's hard to be a real vegetarian anyway...there's animal in glue, film, lipstick, etc...

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I think you should include what foods you feel comfortable with into your diet. That is your decision. I just wouldn't go around saying "I'm a vegetarian" if you eat lobster and crab.

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i'm not asking you guys what to call myself.i mean, how do you feel about eating shellfish, meaning, do you?

obviously liza, youre vegan, so you dont.

for teh record i only call myself vegetarian depending on who i am talking to. its just easier to say then "well, i eat such and such". its just the short ansewr for example like when i order mac n sheese form a certain place and say "no bacon" whoever is around me will be like "are you a veggie?" i just say "yeah".

technically id be a pescatarian. and i usually say that.

i HATE HATE HATE when ppl say they are a vegetarain "but eat chicken". this makes absolultey NOO sense to me whatsoever. no, youre not a vegetarain.

my friend once got that mac n cheese i was talking about and i was like "mmm can i have a bite?" (this was seeing her after her dinner, she had a doggy bag)
now, she is vegetarian... she goes "itrs got bacon in it" i was like HUH? so she says "once in a while ill eat bacon". sorry B, youre not a vegetarain then.

i hate eating shellfish and i hated eating fish BUTTTTTTTTT they are in my mind no comparison to land animals. fish only have a 10 second memory. and shellfish have no central nervous system.
they arent raised in cages in their own feces, branded, chained up, beat, neglected, murdered inhumaly etc for teh most part. its the whole way certain animals are raised that kill me.
(obviously boiling a lobster isnt humane) but overall i think you catch my drift. *NOT saying i am ok with them being killed for food or that they dont ahve feelings. i wouldnt be giving it up if i felt that way, i just mean its very different than say a cow or chicken.

i will give them up as well, sooner than later, but it is a first step giving up fish only a few days ago.

Liza, how long have you been vegan? everyone i know who was vegan went back due to poor health.


for the record:
i dont eat meat, fish, drink milk, if i have the option of dairy or non dairy cheese or ice cream i opt for vegan. i dont wear fur, i dont wear leather. i dont buy products tested on animals, and i dont eat fries or anything that is cooked in the same oil as meat.
besides from the whole shellfish thing i am very strict.

Message edited 9/3/2007 4:51:47 AM.

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

I don't eat meat, but I do eat fish. I don't believe in labels - I believe in doing what works best for you and your body.

I really do believe that your diet, and how well your body flourishes on what you're eating, has a lot to do with your blood type and/or genetic makeup. I know quite a few people who turned veggie, and started to look sickly and just couldn't handle it, while others, like myself, seem to thrive on it. Sure, it probably has a lot to do with whether or not they are supplementing, but also I think it has to do with their particular body...

SO, your body will send clear signals to you on what it can or cannot handle. If you still have a taste for lobster, shrimp, etc, and you have no ethical problem with eating it, don't let anything stop you.

I gave up meat for ethical reasons - I just couldn't see myself having an emotional attachment to my dog and cat, and then turning around the next day and eating a pig or cow, who has the same emotions and range of fear. But, I have absolutely NO attachment to fish. Maybe it's because they are cold-blooded... who knows, but for now, I really could care less. I"ve had many a person highlight the hypocrisy, but I really don't care - I do what works best for me

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

i understand where you are coming from completely.

see, for me, i dont eat any vegetables. (ok, corn, but does that count?)
so seafood was/is the only means of protien for me.

i feel BAD for fish and i would not go fishing, BUT its not the same for me as would it be a cow, pig, chicken, etc.

so i know what you mean completely.

and i hate the labels too.

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I was a vegan before getting pregnant. Then morning sickness and cravings took over. Now, I am nursing and unable to eat any soy products...but one day I hope to return to being a vegan.

For me, its an all or nothing. I get a lot of information and help from my 2 vegan brothers and vegan sister. They are by far, the healthiest people I know. My brother became a vegan at age 11. Its far more healthy then the average child's diet. He eats the wheat meat and soy. Tons of beans and fibers. Veggies and fruits are a must. The disapline of this lifestyle has made him, now 17 and still vegan, a powerhouse. Varsity football player, starting basketball player, perfect attendance his freshman and sophomore years. He is never sick.

I think it depends why you are chosing the lifestyle. For me, its weight control and health. I am embarassed to say that the animals really weren't my deciding factor. My youngest brother was very overweight. He does it for health reasons. My other brother does it for perfect karma. My sister is grossed out by animal products.

I understand where you are coming from though...I ate a vegan diet, but did not live my life as a vegan....so I really wasn't a vegan. Animal products were worn. So I guess that is total vegatarian or something.

I would do what you want, eat what you want to eat, what feels right to you.

sorry to butt in, just wanted to give a positive side and good stories regarding vegans. My mother takes my brother in for blood work and everything is stellar.

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

As long as you've made peace with your own personal decisions, I wouldn't be concerned with what other people think.

I went from strict vegetarian - no meat, attending animal protests, no wearing of the animal, etc - to eating fish (still won't eat lobster - nor do I eat bovine, swine or any fowl) and wearing leather shoes.

I still won't buy a leather bag and I do still look for the stylish non-leather shoes/boots but I will buy leather shoes if I like it.

I'm not into labels and I have made peace with my decisions. I do not call myself a vegetarian - when pressed the easiest answer is that I'm a fish-eating-vegetarian. If I'm feeling snarky, I will give the rundown: no bovine, no swine, no fowl...

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Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

I was a vegetarian since I was 18. (I'm 33 now, ) but I still had dairy and egg products. My health was awful. I was fat, tired, and always sick. In my early 20's, I started getting awful, awful cramps after dairy. Not like - ooh, I need the bathroom, but doubled over on the floor, thinking something burst.... I decided to cut out dairy completely at age 23, and go the whole vegan route. So, it's been 10 yrs.

The 1st thing that happened was the weight just came off, and I had so much energy. I began working out and a few yrs later was a fitness instructor (I remained one until 3 yrs ago.) People couldnt believe I had so much muscle and energy from being vegan (no this isn't a PSA )

Back then it was harder being vegan - werent as many products as there are now....

I was vegan thru my entire pregnancy - and after the morning sickness, had a very healthy pregnancy and the baby was very healthy.... Once in a while I did have a snickers bar... for some reason I craved them like mad....

Cailen will be raised vegetarian, not vegan until he decides for himself....

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Message edited 9/3/2007 11:33:07 AM.

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Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

Posted by Chai77

Posted by Jesaroo

Posted by Chai77


They feel pain and audibly cry when they are boiled alive.

What else do you eat if you don't eat vegetables- bread/grains? What about legumes? Beans are a great source of protein. I'm also wondering why you don't eat vegetables and if you are using supplements for fiber, iron and other vitamins/minerals?

actually this is untrue. i always believed this as well, about them screaming, but it holds no truth. lobsters do not have vocal cords, therefore can not make sound. the sound we think is screaming is actually airbubbles or soemthing like that. i havent researched it extensiviely, but the screaming is untrue.... although i certainly believe they feel pain. hence why i feel awful eating them.

i eat alot of meat substitutes. beans.
i hate vegetables. i take a vitamin, but i always forget to take it. i knwo there are vegetarian suppliments, but i cant swallow pills.

ive gained SOOOOO much weight since giving up meat, its horrible.

Wow, I just read up on it and you are right about lobsters not screaming. They have no vocal cords. I always thought the noise was them crying. Anyway, they do seem to feel pain though, and I'd never be able to boil anything alive whether they scream or not!

Message edited 9/3/2007 12:40:52 PM.

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

My original conversion to vegetarianism and then veganism was based almost entirely on minimizing the pain my existence caused for other sentient beings.

I definitely agree that crustaceans have been the hardest thing for me to stay away from. I currently eat them (thus am clearly not a vegan/true vegetarian), and most evidence (scientific studies) seem to show that due to their rudimentary nervous system and lack of a 'true' brain, they do not feel pain. I actually find the argument for avoiding eggs, dairy and other products of factory farms more compelling, and try to minimize my dairy/egg intake much more than my shellfish.

Shellfish are actually in the phylum Arthropod, just like spiders and insects. Their nervous system is very similar to insects, so I actually think of eating crustaceans as akin to killing an insect (which, unless we live like Buddhist monks sweeping the ground we are to walk on to remove insects, I am sure we all inadvertently kill everyday).

ETA: Most of the crustacean behavior that may suggest they feel pain (the lobster squirming in the pot, the crabs circling) is actually simply evolutionary adaptation to particular stimuli. A lobster squirms in the hot pot, not because he feels pain, but because it is evolutionarily advantageous for him to escape that environment so he doesn't die and can pass on his genetic code to his offspring. Think of a fiddler crab at the beach that has lost its claw in a battle with another fiddler crab. He doesn't show any type of pain reaction. His gait is not slowed, his ability to forage for food is not hindered, he does not hold up the limb or nurture it in any way to suggest he has experienced pain. The nervous system is simply too primative to convey messages of pain onto the ganglia (brain equivalent) and they are too primative to process any such messages.

Message edited 9/3/2007 8:27:50 PM.

Re: calling all vegetarians and pescatarians.

thanks Lorax!!