"I saw a dead cow": Girls about the rejection of animal products
ALTHOUGH the indisputable SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE of the need to completely abandon animal products for the sake of health, no, experts do not cease to emphasize the importance of plant food. Eating red meat is considered safe in the amount of 80 grams per day or 400 grams per week. Nevertheless, scientists have associated with processed red meat in the diet (for example, in the form of sausages) an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, colorectal cancer, type II diabetes, stroke and early death. It is proven that a diet based on plant foods lowers blood pressure, cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In addition, vegetarianism helps to reduce body mass index, the likelihood of developing cancer and generally has a fruitful effect on health. The compilers of the Canadian Nutrition Guide - the most advanced to date - do not at all indicate the need for the presence of meat or milk in the diet.
And although there is a risk in case of refusal from animal products that essential amino acids and a number of important trace elements will not be supplied in sufficient quantities, there are ways to level it without the help of meat. It all depends on the planning of the diet and, if necessary, taking nutritional supplements. For example, the essential amino acid lysine is found in nuts, beans, lentils, soybeans and brewer's yeast (ovago vegetarians also get it from eggs, and lactic vegetarians from cottage cheese). Pumpkin seeds, spinach, bananas, oats and sesame seeds are rich in tryptophan.
Vegetarianism is becoming fashionable with responsible consumption. Some refuse meat to be healthier, others - for reasons of ethical attitude towards animals, others care about the environment and want to reduce the impact of animal husbandry on the planet. Someone regularly fasts for religious reasons; many became supporters of Meatless Mondays - the refusal of meat on Mondays. We talked with girls who do not eat meat or any animal products, why they did it, what it changed and how to diversify their diet.
Interview: Anton Danilov, author of the telegram channel "Promeminizm"
Roxana Kiseleva
telegram channel journalist God bless the concealereditor Flacon
25 years old, do not eat meat and fish 9 years
I gave up meat when I was sixteen years old. As a teenager, I was very difficult about food: I considered calories, carbohydrates, was afraid of a piece of bread, weighed every day and generally considered food as the main enemy on the way to my dream of having a body like Freya Behi Eriksen. Once we had a bad trip with a girlfriend in a field after hallucinogens: I had a dream of a cow rotting under a blanket of flies and worms. I had been indifferent to meat and fish before (I only ate crab sticks and ham), but that day I turned away from them for good. Ten years have passed since then, but I have never been tempted to eat a burger or steak. A couple of times it happened that I unwittingly ate something meat: somehow, at a press breakfast, I confused dessert with foie gras, and I was sick of the whole day from unaccustomed to it. I didn’t feel any changes in my state of health. Problems with pressure remained, but not aggravated. Once a year I do a blood test: hemoglobin, iron, protein - everything is normal. Gastrointestinal tract is also in order.
In most European countries I find it hard to find food, if we are not talking about vegetable salad and no pasta. The worst was in France: there I ate only bread, cheese and eclairs. In my opinion, the best is the situation in Moscow, Kiev and Amsterdam. It also pisses me off that when we order a lot of pizzas by company, vegetarian ones (which are already less) are always eaten first, and I only get one piece, but the meat remains until the end of the party.
People think that vegetarianism is a diet on which you can lose weight quickly. But many, on the contrary, switching to vegetarianism, gaining weight - they begin to eat twice as much potatoes, pasta, rice. Eating pasta with cheese without sausage is not a sensible meal. It is important to monitor the balance of all the necessary components.
I have no strict rules about leather goods - and between the leather and plastic bags I will choose the first one and will wear it for many years. In order not to encourage the use of slave labor and not to harm the environment, I try not to buy things in the mass market.
Natalya Shaposhnikova
older PR manager of digital agencies Affect
33 years old, do not eat meat for more than 5 years
For two years I didn’t eat any animal products at all, but a few months ago I started to eat cheese in Brazil. Brazil is not adapted for vegans: it is not envisaged in the food culture of this country that a person does not eat meat. In the usual catering there are no vegan dishes, and it was very expensive to go to specialized ones. The only option is to cook everything yourself.
I refused meat in several stages. It all started with a feeling of discomfort: I didn’t want to move, there was a heaviness in my stomach. Having refused meat, I felt positive changes, but after two or three months without a chicken in the diet I caught myself thinking about it all the time. Chicken meat began to dream me. Then I started eating a chicken secretly from friends and parents; Once a girlfriend caught me, and I asked not to tell anyone about it. But then I realized that it was absurd, and just returned the meat to the diet.
Five years later, problems with well-being returned, and I decided to abandon the meat completely. This time there was no breaking, there was simply no wish for meat. Then I abandoned the fish, and then from my favorite shrimp: once I simply became disgusted by their smell. Then I watched the movie “Earthlings” by Joaquin Phoenix, which tells about the horrors of animal husbandry (a documentary film where the treatment of people with animals is compared with the genocide of Jews in Nazi Germany; Note ed.). I realized that keeping animals is unethical and severely harming the planet, and completely abandoned animal products. After refusing milk, the skin on my face became cleaner, and with the switch to a vegetable diet I lost five kilograms.
Anastasia Amirova
broker and artist
21 years old, does not eat meat and dairy products 2 years
A couple of years ago I began to come across posts or articles about animal cruelty - both domestic and livestock. I saw what happens at slaughterhouses, dairies and similar places, I watched the films “What’s the health?” (According to medical experts, there are many exaggerations and distortions of facts in this tape, for example, the authors say that harm to eggs can be compared to harm cigarettes - Note ed.), "Zemlyane" and others, read a lot of different materials and literally one day refused meat. I did not have any inconveniences: neither headache nor weakness. The diet did not change much, because I always ate a lot of fruits and vegetables, and meat rarely. Now I do not eat not only meat, but also dairy products. However, I really love sweet, which almost always includes ingredients of animal origin. It was difficult to refuse him.
At first, I had a dramatic change in attitude towards people who eat meat: I kept telling my loved ones all the time about its harm, urging them to stop eating it. But then I realized that I did it incorrectly: everyone has their own life, they decide everything themselves. I am also sure that it is not necessary to give meat or milk to children. I believe that young mammals, including humans, should drink only the milk of their own species. (There is evidence that one serving of milk and dairy products per day (a glass of milk, a can of natural yogurt, a slice of cheese) reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Compilers of American dietary recommendations recommend including low-fat dairy products in the daily diet because they reduce the risk cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type II and improve the condition of the bones. - Note ed.)
I believe that vegetarianism and veganism are suitable for all people - you just need to competently build a diet. Now my health is great. Some people think that vegetarians and vegans are inactive, weak, sluggish, that their hair falls out, their nails suffer - but this is not true. You can find thousands of evidence that meat is useful or harmful, but everyone makes specific decisions based on their own knowledge, attitudes and internal sensations.
Maria Latsinskaya
journalist, founder telegram channel "Lesbian Lobby"
27 years old, do not eat meat 11 and a half years
I had several reasons for not using animal products. First of all, I was concerned with the ethical side: I am convinced that in the modern world people can fully eat without harming the planet and the pain of sentient beings. Secondly, I began to think about health. Then I came across books and films about the dangers of meat for the human body and the benefits of diets based on plant food. In childhood I was a sickly child, I quickly got tired. In the ninth grade, I had gastritis from regular snacks with rubber cheese and fat sausage sandwiches.
I can not say for sure whether this is due to the refusal of meat, but I became less sick. Problems with the digestive tract is no more - if I do not overeat and do not eat frankly poor-quality food. There was more energy, lightness appeared, the skin became cleaner. I do not have competent knowledge in this area and cannot decide for others, but I think that it is possible to provide the child with a complete diet without animal products (medical experts note that a vegetarian or vegan diet can suit the child, but it is important to carefully think it over to ensure growing the body with the proper amount of protein and other components.In young children with a small amount of stomach, the saturation of plant foods may occur too quickly, so you need to include in the diet product high in protein, fat and calories, such as nuts and nut butters. - Note ed.).
After giving up meat, I had no problems. Well, except for silly jokes from some relatives, friends and acquaintances, as well as conditional public condemnation from the series "you will die without meat." Now I feel good, periodically checked with different doctors. I donate blood every six months - first of all for indicators that can be affected without food of animal origin (calcium, magnesium, iron). I believe that veganism is not suitable for everyone, but to become a vegetarian is quite capable. There would be beliefs and willpower.
Tatyana Lonshakova
junior brand manager
23 years old, do not eat meat for more than 3 years
Now I adhere to the pesketarian diet - eat fish and seafood, I love cheeses. Mom told me that even in childhood I ate a side dish, and left the meat on a plate and literally made me eat it. I finally abandoned meat in my second year at university when I became very sick. I had gastritis, and then I was diagnosed with an ulcer. I began to follow the prescribed diet, I ate everything boiled, including turkey, beef, chicken. After the meal it became worse: sometimes I could not get out of bed, because I was very sick. At some point, I just stopped eating meat.
I associate my refusal in part with the disease, but I am sure that over time I would stop eating meat anyway. I do not like the look and smell of it, I have no desire to "eat steak", like other people. The body clearly made it clear that the meat is worse for him. After the refusal, I did not feel any problems. Even hemoglobin never fell below normal, although my pallor is always blamed on it.
My younger brother is growing up, who adores meat and is always wondering why I don't eat it. I answer that I just do not like it. While I do not understand how I will raise my children. But I do not think that I will forbid them to eat eggs and meat, to drink milk, if they wish. The most important thing is freedom. In my childhood there were no vegetarian or vegan cafes and there was a cult of meat consumption - it is possible that today's children will come to the conclusion that there are many other tasty and healthy foods in the world.
It is believed that vegans or vegetarians refuse animal products only because they protect animals. But not all do so. Many people choose this way of life, because it is more comfortable - and this is also good. As a result, you make your choice better not only for yourself, but also for the environment. I believe that we all need to be able to take someone else's choice.
Oksana Yepletina
PR- and SMM specialist
34 years old, do not eat meat 9 years
I had a girlfriend who became a vegetarian one of the first among my acquaintances - more than ten years ago. She tried so hard to convince us that everyone was eating wrong, that we were wary of her. Then she began to send different films, but I caught the eye of Tolstoy’s “First Step” - after reading it, I realized that I no longer want to eat meat: I don’t want to take part in the murder. After I began to study this topic and decided that all the meat that lies on the shelves in the store, most likely, does not bring good to my body.
After refusing meat, I did not catch a cold for two years; Sometimes, of course, I get sick, but much less often than before. The inflammations on the forehead are gone, now I have clear skin (today the connection between acne and eating habits has not been established. - Note ed.). In addition, tastes have changed - I began to eat what I had not borne before: Bulgarian pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, persimmon, pomegranates, spinach, basil. I drink drugs with iron, because I have it very low - not after giving up meat, but since childhood. All friends respect the fact that I do not eat meat. Vegetarian dishes are always on the table for family parties. If we come to a restaurant or cafe and take something for two (for example, pizza), then the companion supports my choice. I also respect the choice of other people and how they feed their children.
My main problem is laziness. To get enough protein and trace elements, you need to rebuild the diet, but it is hard for me. Therefore, at home, I eat the simplest dishes: buckwheat, whole-wheat pasta, bulgur, quinoa, fresh vegetables and fruits. But my salvation today is restaurants. Previously, there was no such variety of vegetarian cafes, and in ordinary there was no particularly vegetarian dishes - therefore, my favorite period was fasting: here you have buckwheat, and potatoes with mushrooms. Now in any institution there are dishes for every taste that are suitable for vegetarians.
I do not think that vegetarianism or veganism is suitable for everyone - so I never propagate my philosophy. Everyone eats the way he feels comfortable. But I think people should at least once in their life try a vegetarian diet to feel the difference. After all, vegetarianism is surrounded by many misconceptions, for example, that this is a poor diet, or that the organism cannot survive without animal protein. Today, the choice of products is huge, a lot of information about different types of food - people can choose. The main thing to treat without fanaticism and do not ban anything.
Julia Belousova
curator of modern art
27 years old, do not eat meat and dairy products 5 years
I can’t say that I used to eat a lot of meat - sometimes chicken or beef. Once we went to a cool restaurant in Florence with the then young man and ordered a Florentine steak - a huge piece of low-fried meat from which “blood” can flow out (the red juice flowing from the meat is water and protein myoglobin, Note ed.). When I looked at him, the desire to eat was gone.
Before refusal from meat, I often felt heavy in the stomach after eating, but now this does not happen (today, with weight and bloating after eating, dietary recommendations imply the avoidance of lactose and a number of other carbohydrates.) Note ed.) To be honest, it seems to me that the character has changed, I got rid of aggression. I have not excluded fish and seafood from the diet - my body reacts to them differently. Never miss the taste of meat. About two years ago I flew from New York and on the plane filed a chicken - after that I was even more convinced of my decision.
After the refusal, I had no problems. Even if you do not eat fish and seafood, protein can be obtained from legumes, cannabis or pumpkin seeds, tofu. I plan to undergo medical examination and understand which vitamins and microelements the body needs additionally - probably, these are group B vitamins. In general, I advise everyone to go to the doctors and trust the professionals.
I think that vegetarianism and veganism are suitable for all people, but because of the habitat there can be difficulties. I travel a lot and when I find myself in places where there are only vegetarian cafes, I have difficulty with food. In Italy it is very difficult to find a vegetable salad: almost everywhere there will be mozzarella. In Provence, it was the same. It was very hard to give up cheeses: I lived in Italy for half a year, where they are national pride. In the morning, the cafe could serve the cheese that was prepared at night - and it was very tasty. In Russia, I loved cottage cheese; it was also hard to imagine my morning without cheesecakes, but I got used to it rather quickly.
Anya Sakharova
journalist and blogger
28 years old, not eating meat, eggs and milk for 10 years
Before becoming a vegan, I was a vegetarian. I refused meat, eggs and milk for ethical reasons, because I believe that eating animals is wrong. После отказа в самоощущении ничего не изменилось кроме того, что моя дискенезия желчевыводящих путей - из-за того, что еда стала легче - стала проявляться гораздо реже (при функциональных нарушениях со стороны желчевыводящих путей боль и другие симптомы появляются после приёма пищи с высоким содержанием жира. - Note Ed.). Unfortunately, over time, I developed mild anemia, but although it was very annoying, I did not give up and began to take a more responsible approach to the diet. I found anemia not because I began to feel bad, but because I began to take tests regularly. I’m a vegan geek, so I’m sensitive to my health: I check my performance every year, and if I’m worried about something, I immediately go to the doctor. And they, by the way, support me and do not say that I "should eat something." Now I feel good doing sports.
The main problem of veganism and vegetarianism is not that vegetable food does not contain enough nutrients, but that it is difficult to find reliable information. But there are a lot of fakes: for example, I used to think that it was possible to cover the body's need for iron with a large number of apples. In principle, people are not very well versed in nutriciology, and almost no one knows where to get all the important nutrients and trace elements. So, to solve the problem with adequate information about veganism, I created my own YouTube channel.
Many still think that vegans have a very poor diet, but this is not true - dishes from many cuisines of the world can be adapted. Of course, in ordinary cafes you are confronted with restrictions, but this does not mean that you cannot cook at home. Our eating habits are formed by our mothers, by what we see on TV screens. When you become a vegan, you kind of nullify all this knowledge: you need to study the question yourself, because you cannot rely on your mother or TV shows anymore.
Another part of the problem is incompetent bloggers, of whom there are many now. They claim that vegetable food is beautiful no matter what you eat. But this is not the case, because planning is very important in veganism, and an unbalanced diet can lead to health problems. Many former and irresponsible vegans who have made this mistake now scare others who decide to try a vegan diet - so frightening videos about how veganism spoils health appear. More, as a rule, men talk about the “carelessness” of this type of food - but they need two to three times less iron than women, who with normal food can face anemia due to regular periods.
Photo: nakornchaiyajina - stock.adobe.com, nipaporn - stock.adobe.com