Veganism vs The Carnivore Diet
I have very little respect for vegans. Of course not all vegans are the radical kind and I don’t want to tar them all with the same brush. But my first meeting with a vegan didn’t go too well. And the behavior of many vegans online makes it hard to like (respect?) them.
I was introduced to a vegan through a mutual friend. Let’s Let’s call her M. We went for drinks, I ordered an IPA and my friend ordered a White Russian. The drinks arrived and M commented on how pretty the color contrast was in the White Russian.
My friend explained that it’s Kahlua and cream. That’s when M decided to make some snarky comment about dairy and gave us a short lecture on the wonders of veganism.
It took all my strength not to tell her to piss off!
Later we went for pizza. Some more friends joined us. And since we were in Korea where they have a strong food sharing culture we decided to order three pizzas to share.
There was only one problem — M, the vegan. She suggested, and everyone agreed, to make two of the three pizzas vegetarian without cheese. Imagine that… five people, one of whom is vegan and we have to cater two thirds of the order to the delusion of the one.
So I casually got up, canceled my drink order with the waiter and left. A twist on the Irish Exit, I suppose.
Another incident involved a guy I met on Tinder. We added each other on Instagram. He saw a post I made with some delicious food, including meat of course, with the comment that I gained 6kg in two weeks on a trip visiting my family in South Africa.
He immediately commented that it’s my diet of meat that caused my weight gain. When I politely explained that he shouldn’t jump to conclusions, that I had been constantly snacking on all the foods I’d craved from back home after 3 years away and got absolutely no exercise, his messages turned violent. I can recall one comment on a picture of a T-bone steak by memory:
Thanks for fucking up the planet with your unsustainable diet, you apathetic asshole!
Years later when I neared 40 and decided to get in shape I naturally started by looking at my diet. I went down the rabbit hole of Keto, Paleo, Atkins, intermittent fasting, and just out of curiosity, carnivore and of course veganism.
I do not wish to promote any particular diet, but I would like to share what I’ve learned about the two extremes; carnivore and vegan.
The Carnivore Diet
The concept of eating nose to tail means consuming EVERY part of the animal, not only the juicy steak. Liver, kidneys, intestines, testicles, fat, bones….. EVRYTHING.
This is what the carnivore diet entails. The most interesting part of this is that if you follow a nose to tail approach, that literally is all you need. Through this method of eating you get all the nutrients your body needs to function: vitamins, minerals, fiber. You name it, it’s there. You do not need to eat one single piece of fruit, vegetable or carbohydrate.
Personally I would not like to live in a world where I’m not allowed a decadent pecan pie, crisp fall apple or tangy potato salad. But to each his own I suppose.
The point I’m trying to make is that the carnivore diet, when approached correctly, gives you all you need to live a healthy life.
The vegan diet is a whole other can of worms though.
Veganism
Unlike the carnivore diet, vegans do not get all the nutrients they need through a plant-based diet alone. They are often deficient in iodine, calcium, zinc, iron and vitamin B12.
Vegans must routinely supplement their diet or eat fortified foods to make sure they are getting essential nutrients.
I don’t know about you, but I firmly believe if I have to take several daily supplements then my diet is seriously lacking sustenance.
I have asked myself why people believe it’s normal and natural to live on something so unnatural as daily supplementation and I cannot find the answer.
Again, to each his own I suppose. I just wish vegans will follow the example of other dieters and NOT shove their religious-like leaves and twigs down other peoples’ throats. Especially since your diet is the one that is unsustainable to a healthy life.
I’m not trying to convince anyone to follow one particular diet over another. I’m merely stating that some diets are worse than others (and venting my annoyance with the cult-like behavior of some, if not most, vegans out there).
If you’re thinking of changing your diet, do some research and choose what works for you. But please stay away from the extremes. You will be very unpopular if you don’t.