So are those vegetarians right? Should meat be avoided?
The answer is found in other animals. Look at those most similar to humans and see what they eat. And look at the ones most different from humans and see what THEY eat.
Take, for instance, the characteristics of carnivores versus plant-eating creatures.
Meat-eaters:
1. Have forward-facing eyes for hunting.
2. Have sharp teeth for tearing into meat.
3. Have a smaller stomach since meat is easy to digest.
Plant-eaters:
1. Have eyes that face sideways to protect against predators.
2. Possess flat molar-like teeth for grinding tough vegetation.
3. Have larger stomachs to extract the nutrients from plants.
So do you have eyes on the sides of your head or the front? Sharp teeth up front or a mouth full of molars? A stomach the size of a beach ball or a softball?
Face it: We were meant to eat meat. Now if you're a vegetarian for personal reasons, that's fine. Just don't go spreading the gospel that you're healthier as a result.
It is true that there are studies demonstrating vegetarians are more healthy than average people. But that's not much of a feat. Average people subsist on soda and chips. Restricting yourself from meat just means you have more self-discipline than average.
But if you take that same self-discipline and combine it with meat-eating, then that's a whole different story.
You must, however, stick to eating healthy meat that isn't stuffed with preservatives. Whole Foods makes great burgers which have ruined me for regular meat. If you go natural, the healthier stuff really does taste better. - 15438
The answer is found in other animals. Look at those most similar to humans and see what they eat. And look at the ones most different from humans and see what THEY eat.
Take, for instance, the characteristics of carnivores versus plant-eating creatures.
Meat-eaters:
1. Have forward-facing eyes for hunting.
2. Have sharp teeth for tearing into meat.
3. Have a smaller stomach since meat is easy to digest.
Plant-eaters:
1. Have eyes that face sideways to protect against predators.
2. Possess flat molar-like teeth for grinding tough vegetation.
3. Have larger stomachs to extract the nutrients from plants.
So do you have eyes on the sides of your head or the front? Sharp teeth up front or a mouth full of molars? A stomach the size of a beach ball or a softball?
Face it: We were meant to eat meat. Now if you're a vegetarian for personal reasons, that's fine. Just don't go spreading the gospel that you're healthier as a result.
It is true that there are studies demonstrating vegetarians are more healthy than average people. But that's not much of a feat. Average people subsist on soda and chips. Restricting yourself from meat just means you have more self-discipline than average.
But if you take that same self-discipline and combine it with meat-eating, then that's a whole different story.
You must, however, stick to eating healthy meat that isn't stuffed with preservatives. Whole Foods makes great burgers which have ruined me for regular meat. If you go natural, the healthier stuff really does taste better. - 15438
About the Author:
Nate Rifkin is a fearless writer on fitness. Discover his unusual book Your Marriage Is Making You Fat if you dare.
