your thoughts on pescetarianism?

Originally Posted by Tobi

So true! I bought some vegan sausages once and they only tasted like salt! (yuck) Honestly -that was the only flavour they had! I must have drunk a litre of water afterwards too, and couldn't stop being thirsty which showed me the salt content must have been ridiculously high.
But there are lots of really simple home made recipes combining ingredients to make burgers, sausages, patties....etc and they are all fairly quick to do.
I know -there is still some processing involved -but I use quite a few canned beans of different types. They are easy and quick to work with to prepare recipes in all sorts of different ways, and quite cheap.

Hummus....1 can chick peas (drained& washed) plus two tablespoons Tahini, a squirt or more of lemon juice, chopped garlic, black pepper....put it all in a blender (or use hand blender) and whizz until nutty in texture not perfectly smooth. That all takes about 5 minutes to prepare, and is packed with protein and calcium, among other things. It will keep for up to 2 days covered in the fridge.

Tobi, hummus is an amazing option!! I love it with sugar snap peas or baby carrots! Cottage cheese is a really great high protein option, as is greek yogurt. I add diced veggies to both of those. And there are a ton of great veggie burger recipes--the advice to rinse canned beans is great, helps to get rid of the sodium (sometimes you can find low sodium, but it is difficult, you can also make dry beans in your crock pot if you have time/energy).

The dijon mustard in the hummus sounds yummy, I'll have to try that!!

Originally Posted by athribiristan

This whole conversation hinges on the idea that plants are not sentient beings who are suffering just the same as animals when they are killed/harvested and eaten; a conversation that we were having about animals not too very long ago.

Personally I feel that a plant and an animal are no different. They are both alive as we kill them and eat them. Tell yourselves whatever you like to feel good about your chosen diet but vegetarians/vegans are no better than meat eaters. They are not being more conscientious or compassionate, they are not reducing suffering in any meaningful way.

I say this as a former vegetarian, before people jump down my throat. I don't have anything against it, I just don't see anything for it either, except the benefits of a possibly healthier diet. Its the idea that the animals suffer but the plants don't that I take exception to........total hogwash.

Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not. But the bottom line and the top line is this: We have to eat plants to survive. We do not need to eat other animals to survive (and certainly not to benefit health).

But for argument's sake, let's assume that there is equal suffering. Isn't it better to eliminate what suffering we can? Because we can't do it all is no excuse for doing nothing.

Originally Posted by Everly

Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not. But the bottom line and the top line is this: We have to eat plants to survive. We do not need to eat other animals to survive (and certainly not to benefit health).

But for argument's sake, let's assume that there is equal suffering. Isn't it better to eliminate what suffering we can? Because we can't do it all is no excuse for doing nothing.

This is so incredibly well put!! Bravo!

[Tobi]

Originally Posted by athribiristan

This whole conversation hinges on the idea that plants are not sentient beings who are suffering just the same as animals when they are killed/harvested and eaten; a conversation that we were having about animals not too very long ago.

Personally I feel that a plant and an animal are no different. They are both alive as we kill them and eat them. Tell yourselves whatever you like to feel good about your chosen diet but vegetarians/vegans are no better than meat eaters. They are not being more conscientious or compassionate, they are not reducing suffering in any meaningful way.

I say this as a former vegetarian, before people jump down my throat. I don't have anything against it, I just don't see anything for it either, except the benefits of a possibly healthier diet. Its the idea that the animals suffer but the plants don't that I take exception to........total hogwash.

I know. This is a really difficult situation we are in. I have a tiny evergreen tree that I like very much and it started to look sick. For one whole year now it has been struggling to put out new green shoots. I now go to it every morning, and give it some appreciation and affection. And make sure it has light and shade, water in bad dry periods (not too much) etc
The little tree has now put out some tiny green shoots. I don't know if it will survive or not. I am trying to encourage it.

And then when I was crouched down being tender with the tree, I thought about the food I eat and how if I eat that, it still has consciousness, and I am taking its life....
I try to be mindful and thankful and not exploit life, yet there is no getting around it. I take the life of plants. Or their seeds etc. And I do not intend to become exclusively fruitarian.

It is indeed a thoughtful situation. But we have to live on something don't we?

When I used to plant my own veg. I always left something for the plant to continue its evolution. Nowadays I don't grow my own veg because of terrible backache when I did it, so buy it instead.

[knightofalbion]

My understanding is that spiritual role, the Service if you like, of the Plant Kingdom is to beautify the earth and to provide sustenance to both the Human and Animal Kingdoms.

Plants are alive as an extension of the Earth Soul, but they lack the individual souls and individuality that animals and humans have.

Originally Posted by knightofalbion

My understanding is that spiritual role, the Service if you like, of the Plant Kingdom is to beautify the earth and to provide sustenance to both the Human and Animal Kingdoms.

Plants are alive as an extension of the Earth Soul, but they lack the individual souls and individuality that animals and humans have.

First I want to say that I very much appreciate the first three words of your post, Knight: My understanding is...

Second, I pretty much agree with your understanding.

[inspirit]

Originally Posted by jinivha

I have been thinking about going to a vegetarian diet and have read that many people that follow this diet for spiritual practices tend to find themselves later going into veganism. The only action i've taken to switch to vegetarian is eating way less meat.
I was talking to a friend and she suggested i try pescetarianism. I love fish so i was all for that lol so far i feel great but i wonder if it will still benefit me spiritually. Has anyone tried this diet? What would your opinions be?

Vegetarianism doesn't do anything to benefit you spiritually. Where did you get that idea from? Eastern philosophy? Eating organic can help you spiritually because you're keeping the toxic chemicals out of your body, but there is no need to go vegetarian.

I definitely suggest eating at least fish and eggs. It's hard to get all the nutrition you need from a purely vegetarian diet, or worse, a vegan diet.

Originally Posted by inspirit

Vegetarianism doesn't do anything to benefit you spiritually.

How do you know this? Why are so sure?

Originally Posted by inspirit

It's hard to get all the nutrition you need from a purely vegetarian diet, or worse, a vegan diet.

Completely, utterly, entirely untrue. This is your opinion and not based in fact or truth. There is overwhelming and abundant evidence that we can, and do, get all the nutrients necessary for good health on a vegetarian or vegan diet. In fact, the evidence is so overwhelming that it's not even debatable. (Where do you get your information??)

[knightofalbion]

Originally Posted by Everly

How do you know this? Why are so sure?



Completely, utterly, entirely untrue. This is your opinion and not based in fact or truth. There is overwhelming and abundant evidence that we can, and do, get all the nutrients necessary for good health on a vegetarian or vegan diet. In fact, the evidence is so overwhelming that it's not even debatable. (Where do you get your information??)

And I completely agree with your understanding!

Quite right and well said.

[knightofalbion]

Originally Posted by inspirit

1) Vegetarianism doesn't do anything to benefit you spiritually. Where did you get that idea from? Eastern philosophy? Eating organic can help you spiritually because you're keeping the toxic chemicals out of your body, but there is no need to go vegetarian.

2) It's hard to get all the nutrition you need from a purely vegetarian diet, or worse, a vegan diet.

1) On the contrary, meat lowers the body's spiritual vibrations.
Plus meat = dead flesh. That's what you're eating.
Chewing on a lump of dead flesh and Love, you don't see the contradiction?

2) Not true. Where do you think the herbivores you eat get their sustenance from?
There are over 400 million life long vegetarians in India alone and many here and all over the world. And they're doing just fine.
Veganism is growing globally, as people - morally and spiritually - see it as the right path to take. And they're doing fine too.
And if anyone questions the nutritional merits of the vegan diet, Google 'Patrik Baboumian'.