9 comments

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  The Financial Blogger

  1 year ago

  I'm not sure about the Vegan/Vegetarian thing. In fact, the biggest part of my groceries is always vegetables and fruits. If I would have to compensate for meat, I would have to eat much more of those. Am I really going to save money? Or feel healthier? I am in a better shape than most vegetarians I know. I think humans a made to eat everything. It is just a matter of balancing your meals. A good workout will clean up everything anyway ;-)
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  Kyle

  1 year ago

  For the most part, I agree with what you say and think it is some great advice. I would disagree with ya when you say 'There is little value to eating meat other than the taste of it". Other than the obvious high qualily protein that your body needs, red meat also contains Heme Iron which your body needs and is not found in veggies and grains. Balance is the key though, as to much red meat is not a good thing either. The way I see it, the big guy upstairs gave us canine teeth for a reason. Enjoy a nice steak on occassion!
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  the Wealthy Canadian

  1 year ago

  Health wise I don't think that there is anything wrong with eating meat (some people have moral objections, but that is another matter). The point is how much, of anything, do we consume? Most meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but it's not unhealthy to have moderate amounts. Just as it is not unhealthy to have a drink now and again. (Notice that I don't come right out and say that it is healthy).
  
  I think it comes down to an enjoyment of life issue. You need to enjoy life and that might include eating meat and desserts, drinking alcohol, etc. But everything in moderation.
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  bripblap

  1 year ago

  I figured people wouldn't like the meat comment! :) Generally, if your meat costs less than your veggies it means you're buying factory farm meat, which isn't good for you. If you are buying free-range, grain-fed, organic poultry or natural beef/pork (hard to find organic beef/pork), it's a lot more expensive, calorie for calorie, than veggies and fruits. Meat raises cholesterol levels and has high levels of fat. I'll refer you to zen habits for a more thorough defense against the "vegetarians lack protein" misconception.
  
  WC is right, moderation is key, but meat in moderation means tiny, tiny amounts. I think Thomas Jefferson said that meat should be viewed as a seasoning rather than as a food - a serving of meat is smaller than one's palm, and many people view anything less than a quarter pound of meat as inadequate for a meal, which is not moderation.
  
  It's a personal choice at the end of the day - one's own belief system really determines much of what you do in regards to meat. For me, I think it helps the environment, saves money, improves health (digestion and longevity), but I understand that sometimes people just want a burger (because I do, too)!
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  Millionaire Mommy Next Door

  1 year ago

  Great post! Living a rich life is so much more than money. You could be swimming in $100 bills, but if you're unhealthy or unhappy, you would never feel rich.
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  Lazy Man and Health

  1 year ago

  I wouldn't say that no calorie sweetners like NutraSweet have no benefits. If it satiates the sweet tooth without sugar's calories and other negative effect, it can be a valuable tool.
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  bripblap

  1 year ago

  Well, actually it's not fair to say they have no benefits. Probably better to say that the negatives outweigh the positives. I steer 100% clear of Nutrasweet now, although for years I would have been the #1 proponent of using diet Coke, etc. to stem hunger.
  
  I think now that the urge for sweetness is better satiated by fruit or even small pieces of natural sweets rather than Nutrasweet. The long term health effects of aspartame aren't really understood yet, and I'm leery of chemically-created compounds like that.
  
  Personally, if I need low-cal sweet stuff I get Splenda, since it's derived from sugar. I would have a much tougher time making an argument against that, although I very rarely imbibe/eat Splenda, either.
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  Justin Hensley

  1 year ago

  I was sorta with you until you recommended the Natural Cures by the crackpot Kevin Trudeau. The Natural Cures book is filled with speculation and out right lies backed up by no credible scientific evidence. Not the type of book that should be recommended to others.
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  Steve (Brip Blap)

  1 year ago

  @Justin: Fair enough. I know it's not a scientific work, but I think it's at least valuable reconsidering the possibility that alternatives to current thinking might exist. I wouldn't recommend someone use Natural Cures as a source for finding cures, but I would recommend it as a source for starting discussion. It is a recommendation based on opinion, not fact, for sure.
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