Going to be vegan for a month. Sort of. Vegan plus meat. As far as I know, this kind of diet has rarely been done, because typical are typically vegan for animal cruelty reasons. The closest fad diet to this one would probably be the "Paleo" diet, but the Paleo diet is much more meat-oriented, since filling foods like potatoes, bread, and other grains are off limits.
I am generally not a fan of meat. I don't love bacon, I rarely consume red meats, and I don't really like the taste of chicken or turkey. However, I am of the belief that our bodies, as they have evolved to this point in time, are reliant on animal products. We are indeed omnivores. But sometimes people, and Americans in particular, forget that this means we need lots of fruits and vegetables too.
As an American, I feel extremely lucky to have the option to choose to stop eating cheese and milk, because I can afford to be so choosy. If, at any point in the next month, I am in a situation that demands that I respect cultural or social norms by consuming cheese or milk, I certainly will.
Being vegan for health reasons makes no sense to me. Does eating a bunch of soy and not receiving many nutrients from animal products really sound healthy? No. However, what if occasional portions of meat were added to such a diet?
- Overall fat and sodium intake would be greatly reduced, since much of this comes from cheese, butter, milk, yogurt, ice cream, etc...
- Soy would not be as heavily relied upon. It is usually grown in a monoculture, just like corn, so it makes no sense to snub corn, yet consume huge levels of tofu, tempeh, and all those other bland soy products.
- Sugar and baked goods intake would also be reduced (at least for me), because I don't care how good vegan muffins, cookies, cakes, pies and other desserts may be-they just aren't the same without butter.
- Most importantly, nutrients like iron and B12 would be maintained without the use of supplements.
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