Jane Lake Makes a Mistake

The mercury levels in seafood is actually a myth, since it only applies to shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. The study that came up with the mercury findings studied a number of native populations who eat large amounts of whale and shark meats.

I was trying to keep it simple, but there are also PCB's, dioxin, chlordane, DDT, and PBB's. Again, not trying to convert you. Just giving my reasons.

I have a question...

Why do so many folks decide to make vegetarian meals that look like meat meals? Look in the store... vegetarian hamburgers, vegetarian meat loaf, etc...

Is it really so bad you have to fool your eyes into telling your body it is getting real food?

j/k...

My wife is turning into a rabbit too...

;) thanks for stopping by!

Good question, guppyman. The answer is simple. It is not for the vegetarians. It is a marketing ploy for non-vegetarians. I don't care if they call it chicken-free nuggets or hydrated wheat gluten nuggets. It should look appetizing, ie. not in the shape of a bug, but I don't really care what it looks like either. DOES IT TASTE GOOD? That is the real question one should ask.

I would eat dog cat, etc anything you put in front of me to survive. However, I do understand vegetarianism... don't care for it, but I do understand it.

These days there are toxins in just about every food group. The problem is that organic foods are expensive and less than appetizing. I have two organic grocery stores within two blocks of me (it's vancity, after all), and let me tell ya, when hormone free organic milk is 10 bucks a gallon, I do have to reconsider. Our wealth as western nations have, after all, been based on mass production and increased production, often at the expense of our health. All for the mighty dollar.

In the days of hunter gatherers, we didn't have this problem. The key wasn't health, it was survival. Our teeth is not mean to gnaw at raw flesh (canines barely developed), but our stomach can indeed handle meat. Hunting gathering gave way to agricultural production, but even this did not eliminate hunting gathering. Villages developed into cities and city-states, once agricultural output, not hunting, could support a large, specialized peasantry which would support in turn tradesmen, warriors, and a bureaucracy. Only the rich people ate meat, all through the millenia. And we North Americans are no different. Large steaks meant wealth. Large everything, in fact. The so-called post-industrial age and the era of globalization allowed for megastores and our wasteful, present society. I could go on in regards to this topic, but I fear I have done so already.

My girlfriend is not vegetarian but she seldom eats meat these days. It used to worry me for her health as well (protein), but she has been VERY successful in finding alternatives. I still can't see myself converting any time soon (I love that disgusting taste of flesh too much), but I don't rule it out.

Good post jane!

I agree with you Jane. Keep on blogging!

Interesting post except for one flawed premise. You raised the question "Why do we need to kill animals when we can be healthier without doing so?" when, in fact combine harvesting kills many wild animals. These animals are not killed and eaten, but killed by the harvester and simply left out there to rot. Fact is, to eat, you must kill, either plant or animal, and I am not convinced that killing a plant to eat it is any different than killing anything else to eat it. The health argument is the most compelling for becoming a vegetarian.

Hey Jane altho I aggree with you a vegitarian lifestyle is better, what about all the ingredients the Bio tech firms put in our vegetables, maybe there is just miso thats the best food, it has most of the food groups! a macrobiotic man sammyc

Don't let the facts get in the way of your blog.
For example, DDT and chlordane have
been banned for longer than you have been alive.
90% of India's population was starving in the 1950's. That statistic has mada a 180* turn.
On and on...average lifespan 100 yrs ago...early 40's. Obviously you are the product of sound bite news and heresay.

Just go into a healthfood store and look @ all the emaciated people....no vibrance or color to their skin. If they feel like they
look than the definition of healty
needs updating.