Comments on: Meat is My Friend

By: Princess Pointful

Princess Pointful — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:39:59 +0000

I was a pescatarian for many years, too. I started eating chicken again because I was craving it and because I was having a really hard time affording to be a healthy vegetarian on a student’s budget. Now I’m a full meat eater again… but I still eat a lot of vegetarian meals by choice, and am not big on steak and the like. I feel like it is a good balance for me.

By: tanner

tanner — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:24:25 +0000

yes!!! you are so much happier as a meat eater! okok. lets give credit where credit is due. you are happier because YOU made positive changes in your life and took a role in your happiness. you used to direct your life from the backseat. now you drive. with stickshift.

i love you!

By: Zandria

Zandria — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:11:50 +0000

I was depressed and super low-energy when I was a vegetarian (and then a pescetarian) for a number of years, but I was also underweight — so I’m not sure which of those was the biggest contributing factor. I went back to eating meat last year.

By: Angela

Angela — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:31:42 +0000

Huh…

I’ve been a vegetarian since November. I actually had a milder form of Seasonal Affected Disorder this year than in winters past, and I had wondered if perhaps NOT eating meat had helped me out.

Go figure.

By: cooper

cooper — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:46:32 +0000

I am a pescetarian and have been since middle school. My mother is I vegan, has been forever. My father eats meat.

That’s an interesting question though I hadn’t heard that before.

If you’re healthier no matter what that could contribute to feeling better.

Come to think of it my father is quite a bit perkier than my mother — who at times can be described as laconic at best.

By: kja

kja — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:59:24 +0000

according to an online article, you are correct to assume that eating red meat boosts serotonin levels, mainly by boosting your intake of tryptophan, an amino acid that reduces anxiety. i guess the food coma typically attributed to tryptophan might be mostly caused to eating a hell of a lot of food, much like a big brunch, since turkey has roughly the same amount of it as red meat, fish and other poultry. (thanks to the genius of wikipedia, i discovered that eating a hummus and cheese sandwich would give you pretty much the same effect). a lack of omega-3s is also found to have a big effect on depression. “Interestingly, depression is shown to be sixty times more common in New Zealand (6 per cent) than in Japan (.12 per cent), where far more fish is eaten.” in conclusion, should you ever feel guilty about eating animal flesh (as my vegan roommate calls it) but still want the anti-depressant qualities, get a tryptophan and omega-3 supplement at your local drug store and call it a day.

for further conversation, here’s a question posed by the article:
“It appears as though depression can lead to a poor diet, as depression leads to a decrease in appetite and an increase in craving sugars and alcoholic substances. However, when looked at the other way around, it also becomes evident that poor diets can be a contributing factor to depression, as explained by the side effects of deficiencies in the minerals and foods mentioned above. So, which is it, then? Does depression lead to a poor diet, or does a poor diet result in depression? Can the two be separated from one another, either way?”

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1881#2 (paragraph 2)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tryptophan

By: Clarity Sage

Clarity Sage — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:32:43 +0000

I have a problem with depression, too. Meat or no meat, it’s all the same for me, but I do feel better when I eat healthier. It could be psychological. Or maybe it was a coincidence. One can only wonder. Hm…

By: patrick

patrick — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:19:01 +0000

For years people have asked me why I am a vegetarian. Is it for moral reason? Is it for your health? The truth is I just prefer it that way. It suits me and it suits my lifestyle. That being said I think there is room for a lot of ambiguity in diet choice, because ultimately it is what we like. No one asks you why you chose plush carpet or if it was a moral decision. That you are happy, really happy eating steak while wearing your Birkenstocks (if you own them) has as much to do with the cure for your depression as the level of serotonin in your blood. vive la difference.

By: Nilsa

Nilsa — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:18:36 +0000

Girlfriend, if that’s the case, you best pitch this story to Steerheads of America, Mighty for the Meaty and every other meat-eating society out there. You could become their voice!

By: matt

matt — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:16:27 +0000

you are now a carnivore.

Enjoy. There’s no turning back.