LENT

[Orior]

When humans were hunter/gathers, they actually had a much healthier diet than the early farmers.

[Eamonnca1]

I actually gave up meat a month ago for a number of reasons. It's doable if you find the right substitutes. These days it's not hard to google up vegetarian recipes.

We're at the top of the food chain. Why the heck would you want to eat like a Rabbit?

1 - Eating processed meat has all sorts of unhealthy consequences. People in Ireland have no idea how unhealthy the food is in America. If I only ate more organically grown meat then that'd be less of an issue. But since giving up meat my guts have felt a whole lot better and I've found it easier to keep my weight under control.

2 - Meat is a very inefficient means of getting energy into your system. When you think about it you're getting animals to eat plants to convert to muscle fibre which you then eat. Why not just go directly to the plant source and not waste all that energy rearing animals?  The large scale meat farming that we have in the states has all sorts of environmental effects, none of them good. I'm not talking about small scale farms here, I'm talking about giant cattle feed lots that go on for miles like a big black stain on the landscape and producing a smell that would lift paint. I saw one for the first time when driving back up from LA a few months ago and it was an eye-opener.

3 - It's also a matter of conscience. I've always been weary about animal cruelty and I've tried to give up meat a few times before for that reason. This is the first time I've succeeded for a decent length of time. I know people that have worked in slaughterhouses and I've seen what goes on in them. It's very different from the image you get from food industry marketing and I want no part of it.

4- Some vegetarian dishes are just delicious in their own right and they're worth eating for the flavor alone.

There are other reasons too.

It's a clever argument that we're at the top of the food chain but we weren't "designed" to eat anything in particular. The secret of our success has always been our adaptability. Our systems are capable of eating meat, plants or both. Our guts can digest either, we have teeth at the front that are good for tearing into meat and molars at the back that are good for grinding up plants. That gives us a choice about what we want to eat and I'm making mine for health reasons and what I see as ethical reasons.

[trileacman]

I actually gave up meat a month ago for a number of reasons. It's doable if you find the right substitutes. These days it's not hard to google up vegetarian recipes.

We're at the top of the food chain. Why the heck would you want to eat like a Rabbit?

1 - Eating processed meat has all sorts of unhealthy consequences. People in Ireland have no idea how unhealthy the food is in America. If I only ate more organically grown meat then that'd be less of an issue. But since giving up meat my guts have felt a whole lot better and I've found it easier to keep my weight under control.

2 - Meat is a very inefficient means of getting energy into your system. When you think about it you're getting animals to eat plants to convert to muscle fibre which you then eat. Why not just go directly to the plant source and not waste all that energy rearing animals?  The large scale meat farming that we have in the states has all sorts of environmental effects, none of them good. I'm not talking about small scale farms here, I'm talking about giant cattle feed lots that go on for miles like a big black stain on the landscape and producing a smell that would lift paint. I saw one for the first time when driving back up from LA a few months ago and it was an eye-opener.

3 - It's also a matter of conscience. I've always been weary about animal cruelty and I've tried to give up meat a few times before for that reason. This is the first time I've succeeded for a decent length of time. I know people that have worked in slaughterhouses and I've seen what goes on in them. It's very different from the image you get from food industry marketing and I want no part of it.

4- Some vegetarian dishes are just delicious in their own right and they're worth eating for the flavor alone.

There are other reasons too.

It's a clever argument that we're at the top of the food chain but we weren't "designed" to eat anything in particular. The secret of our success has always been our adaptability. Our systems are capable of eating meat, plants or both. Our guts can digest either, we have teeth at the front that are good for tearing into meat and molars at the back that are good for grinding up plants. That gives us a choice about what we want to eat and I'm making mine for health reasons and what I see as ethical reasons.

Im twisted but I have to reply. America allows all kinda hormones and additives to boost production in the food sector. GM/milk hormones/angel dust.

The matter of conscious thing gets to me. I can't comment on american system but by and large in Ireland, animals are treated very well in the agricultural sector. People often flag up animal welfare as a concern but I have have seen first hand how animals are treated and compared with how people are treated in the third world you would have no comparison. It is annoying how some people can comment on poor animal welfare and draw it up as a major issue whilst simultaneously ignoring the treatment of people in the 3rd world.

Actions in abbatoirs are "inhumane and unjust" whilst people in the third world starve to death just so we can harvest their oil/copper/gold/diamonds/iron/aluminium/timber/coffee at a knockdown price. Some people spout sanctimonious bullshit about animal welfare whilst complaining about the price of a pint/coffee/laptop/car. All those people bitching about animal welfare would do well to observe the poor Chinese/Taiwan slave worker producing the clothes on their back and the product in their hand.

I'm not getting at you Eamonnca but it just reminded me of people who are hypocrites. Plus I'm fuckin baked and spelling correction is a life - saver.

[trileacman]

Hate the new board layout too. Change is fuckin terrible.

[ardal]

Was a veggie for about 18 years but I gave it up for lent a few years back and haven't looked back since. My diet is a lot better, I feel a lot healthier in general.

I actually gave up when my young son was starting to eat solid foods. As all parents know young children try to put their food into your mouth; pretending to eat the ham etc and then trying to discreetly spit it out was not fooling my son and he started to refuse to eat meat; thus I had a great excuse to start eating meat again.

The secret to buying and obviously eating really good healthy meat is to simply use your local butchers.

Are you giving up eggs also? Hatcheries are diabolical; free range is a 1m square bit of ground for 2 thousand hens

[heganboy]

Of all the stuff that goes into your stomach, the one that you should care most about is meat. You are far more susceptible to long term harm from bad quality meat (including fish and fowl) that you are from bad plants. Go and buy from a quality butcher, it'll actually work out the same price as your supermarket.

Nothing really to do with lent- but you get my point...

Bloody difficult to find a good butcher in America. The quality of the meat here is brutal, its full of crap, poorly treated, poorly slaughtered and processed to all hell. Had to go and use Kosher or Halal butchers so no bacon for a long time...

Finally have a new guy locally who has been first class, lot of organic certified source, and he hangs his own. Brilliant

[Eamonnca1]

Are you giving up eggs also? Hatcheries are diabolical; free range is a 1m square bit of ground for 2 thousand hens

Oh I know all about hatcheries, I've been in them before.

I'm not much of an egg eater but whenever I do get them I try to get free range.

[The Iceman]

Of all the stuff that goes into your stomach, the one that you should care most about is meat. You are far more susceptible to long term harm from bad quality meat (including fish and fowl) that you are from bad plants. Go and buy from a quality butcher, it'll actually work out the same price as your supermarket.

Nothing really to do with lent- but you get my point...

Bloody difficult to find a good butcher in America. The quality of the meat here is brutal, its full of crap, poorly treated, poorly slaughtered and processed to all hell. Had to go and use Kosher or Halal butchers so no bacon for a long time...

Finally have a new guy locally who has been first class, lot of organic certified source, and he hangs his own. Brilliant

It's funny any of us who moved over here all experience the same struggles with food. I wonder was the food just as bad at home and we didn't question it?
Luckily I have a great butcher beside us here and one of the lads is from Dublin and keeps me right.

[Celt_Man]

Currently having a packet of choc hobnobs with my tea, one thing i'll never be giving up for lent

Now they are a different class of a biscuit...

[gerry]

I bet Rick Astley struggles with Lent

[Farrandeelin]

Holy shit I don't think I'll manage to keep my Lenten 'give-ups' this year. I've given up chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cakes, and the one that's killing me the half-spoon of sugar in the tea!!! It tastes horrible without it!

[The Iceman]

few weeks of no sugar in the tea and you'll never go back.

[ardal]

spot of whisky in the tea will cover the lack of sugar rush.

Then you'll be able to pioneer Irish tea instead of the other thing.

[Celt_Man]

Jaysus this no chocolate, crisps or minerals is f**king killing me!!!

[johnneycool]

Jaysus this no chocolate, crisps or minerals is f**king killing me!!!

Brilliant, haven't heard that in years.

Any minerals in the scullery larder Celt Man?