So, I run into this question just about every other day. Along with "Where do you get your protein?" and "Where do you get your calcium?" and "What about essential fatty acids?"
Unfortunately, our society has been led to believe that we NEED meat. We NEED milk. We NEED eggs. Truthfully, we do not. Let me start with the milk thing. Humans are the only living species that drink milk from another animal....think about it? Gross. When a human mom begins to lactate, she does so until the baby is weened off of breast milk. Cows are the same. However, in our society, we hook these cows up to machines for the rest of their lives sucking milk out of them constantly so they are continually lactating. Sound morbid? It is. Let's take that one step further. So these cows are hooked up to a machine that is constantly sucking at it's udders. Overtime the udders become infected and the pus that forms is mixed into the milk that is sucked out...and we drink it. Yum! Under normal conditions, a cow produces about 10 gallons of milk a day. Under USDA approved farms, a single cow is made to produce over 100 gallons a day by injecting cows with hormones. Still sound yummy? If you are a meaty, no problem. Just please please please buy organic. So, where do I get my calcium? Easy. Here is a list of delicious foods that calcium lives in besides the overly advertised cow milk.
Fortified grains, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, cabbage, kelp, seaweed, watercress, chickpeas, broccoli, red beans, soy beans (soy milk!), tofu, spinach, tomatoes, seeds and raw nuts. Pretty much anything green. There are also calcium fortified rice milks and juices. In fact, one serving of cooked collard greens has a higher calcium content than an 8 oz glass of milk.....interesting.
Alright. Meat. We are taught by many that meat is ever so important. White meat is told to be one of the purest forms of protein...and it is. Animal protein. Red meat also has protein, but it is also filled with all of the fantastic crap that fills our arteries and makes us have hypertension (known in the health industry as The Silent Killer), heart attacks and open heart surgeries. Recent studies have shown links to animal proteins that increase the risk of certain cancers. Feel free to read The China Study or Forks or Knives...or read this link: http://www.cancerproject.org/survival/cancer_facts/meat.php
So, if you believe any of this stuff then that means if you eat lots of meat you will get cancer....but of course that is as long as your heart doesn't kill you first. Last night I saw a comic who made a funny joke about dating a vegan with a "tofu dick" (aka limp dick) because he didn't eat meat. Although this is hilarious, it isn't true. Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of erectile dysfunction. Think about it. There are no bones in it, just blood. If the blood can't get to it, then no boner for you. When I worked at the Senior Clinic, whenever a patient complained of E.D. the first thing the doc did was check his cholesterol. True story.....
Anyway, once again. I don't give a shit if you eat meat, but stick to the healthy stuff which isn't fast food and it sure as hell isn't bleeding. A bloody steak tastes fantastic, but in moderation. So, where do I get my protein?
Quinoa and other whole grains (quinoa has 18 grams of protein per serving!), beans, lentils, legumes (thank you indian food!), tofu, soy, nuts, seeds, nut butter, seitan and meat substitutes. Oh and my favorite. Vegan protein powder.
Essential fatty acids. Ok, so even when I was in nursing school I was taught that we get our essential fatty acids (the omegas) from fish. What do these things do? These essentials nutrients are needed for metabolism, but your body cannot create them so you HAVE to get them from food. They are omega-3 and omega-6. Turns out, fish isn't the only place and you don't have to take a shitload of vitamins either. Here is the list:
Omega-6: Veggies, fruits, nuts, grains, seeds.....yeah, seems too simple. It is just that simple. There are also some oils you can get it from (safflower, sunflower, corn, soya, evening primrose, pumpkin and wheatgerm)
Omega-3: Flaxseed, mustard seed, walnut oil, hemp seeds, GREEN LEAFY VEGGIES, grains and spirulina. The best part???? DARK CHOCOLATE!!!!!
Ok, so there are a lot of things I CAN eat. A ton. The issue is basically going out to eat. I have to look at the menu ahead of time. The most sure fire way for me to KNOW it is vegan is to buy and prepare it myself. Do I care if you eat meat? NO. I do not care at all. Eat in front of me, next to me. I don't care. I haven't felt this healthy in my entire life and it is fantastic. No steak could replace it. I have been virtually allergy symptom free with the exception of the eye incident, but last year I missed over 13 days of work due to allergies and migraines. This year, I have missed 2 and a half. These are my opinions and my decisions, but I think it is always important to remain open minded. I know we have had meat and milk drilled into our heads for years....but why not go against the system? These organizations are run by the government and they aren't always the most honest. I leave you with a quote.
“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.”~ Thomas Edison
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