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Veganism = Eating Disorder

I’ve heard this mentioned in several threads. Can someone explain the thinking behind this?

by Anonymousreply 87November 22, 2020 11:17 PM

I think most vegans are kind, compassionate people who truly care about animal suffering.

As people, they are thoughtful and sensitive. There are exceptions, of course, but for the most part, this rings true.

Ironically, it is the dangerous vegan diet that changes their personalities for the worst.

After a few years of veganism you see wild mood swings, abrupt anger, depression, and suicidal thinking.

Nihilism--the desire to destroy most of humanity leaving just the birds and the bees--seems to become a common trait.

Veganism is self-induced starvation resulting from a diet high in phytic acid. Beans, nuts, seeds and possibly soy, which all figure prominently in the vegan diet--block the body from absorbing protein and minerals. Most vegans experience frightening hair loss due to this protein deficiency. You will also notice that many vegans are not particularly fit-looking, but are either fat or skinny-fat, with an inability to produce muscle.

Finally, the most frightening complication is the cases of spinal conditions and painful arthritis which are brought on after long-term veganism.

by Anonymousreply 1July 26, 2013 7:46 PM

That is so sad, r1.

by Anonymousreply 2July 26, 2013 7:50 PM

Fanatics are fanatics. A Vegan is a fanatic, no matter how you look at it and who really wants to spend time with a fanatic? All the time you are walking on eggshells because you keep wanting to say, "You're being ridiculous!"

by Anonymousreply 3July 26, 2013 7:51 PM

In the news yesterday: a cat that almost died because its stupid owner wanted it to be a vegan.

by Anonymousreply 4July 26, 2013 7:57 PM

R1

[quote] Officer Barbrady, I call shenanigans!

by Anonymousreply 5July 26, 2013 8:04 PM

R3 needs psychiatric help. Quickly.

by Anonymousreply 6July 26, 2013 8:05 PM

[all posts by right wing shit-stain # a removed.]

by Anonymousreply 7July 26, 2013 8:06 PM

Watch Year of the Dog to see R1's theory on film.

by Anonymousreply 8July 26, 2013 8:09 PM

Tony Kanal is vegan, and he's still looking pretty hot (although a little bobble-headish)...hope it doesn't affect him too negatively in the long run.

by Anonymousreply 9July 26, 2013 8:09 PM

I'm not a vegan at all. Never will be. But one of my best friends is. He's a quiet vegan - the best kind. He never proselytizes. And I have to say, he looks very fit and healthy.

And R7, I believe just about every mammal species is lactose intolerant (to some degree or another) once they get off the teat. White humans are the exception to the rule, because of a genetic mutation that helped for survival and was thus bred into the race.

by Anonymousreply 10July 26, 2013 8:17 PM

R4, details please?

by Anonymousreply 11July 26, 2013 8:18 PM

I was a vegan for about six months last year and I didn't feel right. I was a vegetarian most of my adult life prior to trying veganism. I started feeling achey and it turned out that my body was deprived of Caclium. It's really important that people on a vegan diet take supplements to ensure they're getting the right doses of imperative nutrients.

I'm back to being a vegetarian now. Being a vegan was also really expensive.

by Anonymousreply 12July 26, 2013 8:19 PM

Felines can't be vegan. They are carnivores. Humans though can be MORE vegan in their food choices. Maybe not entirely though. Marc bittman calls this flexitarian.

by Anonymousreply 13July 26, 2013 8:27 PM

R9 he is a rich vegan, as is Natalie Portman. They have the means to have chef-prepared, nutrient rich vegan food. Most vegans you see have to take what they can get and often look like shit.

by Anonymousreply 14July 26, 2013 8:31 PM

I knew that R13 I just was wanting location, etc. Some woman on Animal Cops had her cats taken away because she was feeding them a vegan diet. She was not all there mentally though either. She meant well but they were all slowly going blind.

by Anonymousreply 15July 26, 2013 8:35 PM

Being vegan means you can't be a leather daddy!

by Anonymousreply 16July 26, 2013 8:37 PM

I have played around with all the "isms" when it comes to food but what I found is that the one that works best for me is being a "pescatarian" where the only animal meat I eat is fish. On this sort of lifestyle I have the most energy and feel healthiest.

by Anonymousreply 17July 26, 2013 8:38 PM

Natalie Portman is no longer a vegan, at least since she became pregnant.

In so many words, she said it wasn't healthy for the baby.

There are many, many, former vegans out there who abandon the cause after two or three years, because that's when the health issues start to kick in.

by Anonymousreply 18July 26, 2013 8:38 PM

The thinking behind veganism=eating disorder is that any way of eating that's based on elimination of entire food groups is a red flag for an eating disorder. Not in all cases, of course, but there's usually food issues involved. Paleo is the current rage with the eating disordered women I know.

by Anonymousreply 19July 26, 2013 9:05 PM

let's eat a beet

by Anonymousreply 20July 26, 2013 9:08 PM

Going on any kind of diet where you’re paying a lot of attention to what you eat or don’t eat puts you at risk for an eating disorder. Especially when you label certain foods as ‘bad.’ Recently, reports of “orthorexia” have captured headlines. Those who suffer from the controversial new disorder compulsively avoid foods thought to be unhealthy or unnatural, including products with trans fats, artificial colors, or flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, and preservatives. Often, orthorexics opt for a strict vegan diet. Some say orthorexia represents this dangerous slide from health to pathology.

by Anonymousreply 21July 26, 2013 10:36 PM

This is the article, r11:

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by Anonymousreply 22July 26, 2013 11:39 PM

It's so f***ed up that someone would think it was healthy to feed their animals a vegan diet. People can barely keep themselves healthy on a vegan diet how do they think they can do any better for their animals?

by Anonymousreply 23July 27, 2013 12:04 AM

Well there are those people who claim to be vegan as a way to excuse their anorexia/dramatic weight loss. Demi Lovato was one, until she went to rehab and dropped the diet. Lea Michele was another - she switched from vegan to vegetarian after losing weight (probably from coke).

I wouldn't necessarily equate the two, but it seems like an easy way for someone with an eating disorder to mask their habits.

by Anonymousreply 24July 27, 2013 12:23 AM

R7 - humans are the only animals that consume the breast milk of another species.

I'd like to see one source that being a vegan is a red flag for an eating disorder.

Of course vegans have to watch what they eat - and consume a balanced diet.

Who in the world shouldn't watch what they eat and consume a balanced diet? Maybe the 32 million people taking a statin don't worry so much about a balanced healthy diet.

by Anonymousreply 25July 27, 2013 12:28 AM

Yes, and cats should never be fed milk. Cat food and water is good. No vegan shit.

by Anonymousreply 26July 27, 2013 12:41 AM

And to not give cats and dogs some kind of meat? It's just cruel.

I'm certainly not proud of being a meat eater but a vegan? They are not nice people.

by Anonymousreply 27July 27, 2013 2:51 AM

Human body is not designed to eat meat, unlike carnivores we have long intestines and the digestion of meat doesn't start until the stomach. By the time of absorption most of it is useless anyway. Interesting fact: cow milk doesn't have the optimum Ca:P ratio for absorption. All the calcium you think you're getting from milk is actually not going into your body. Meat based diets are amongst the causes of several different types of stomach/intestine cancers. Veganism might be an extreme but human body was designed vegetarian.

Keep in mind: if you need to cook it to eat it, it's not supposed to be in your diet.

by Anonymousreply 28July 27, 2013 3:05 AM

We have a vegan living with us now -- roommates boyfriend.

He's gets away with much in life because he's funny and charming. But ultimately he's a lazy freegan freeloader who doesn't clean. He pretty much moved in a little under a year ago and spent six months on our coach while unemployed.

Our toilet must he made of meat, because he hasn't cleaned it once. Horrible about replacing TP on the roll and taking out the garbage. Won't touch the vacuum either. It's also been like pulling teeth to get the roommate to agree to some kind of compensation for me.

I'm leaving when the lease is up and I will never let a vegan spend the night in my home again. Let them stay once, and they're with you forever. Like bedbugs.

by Anonymousreply 29July 27, 2013 3:10 AM

Well some people do it for health....but some eating disorder victims are always on the look out for a "legitimate" reason not to eat..... self-diagnosed celiac disease anyone?

by Anonymousreply 30July 27, 2013 3:12 AM

What humans are designed to eat are fruit, nuts, bugs, and fish. Everything else is an adaptation not fully supported by biology yet.

by Anonymousreply 31July 27, 2013 3:16 AM

Vegetarians have one-third lower heart disease.

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by Anonymousreply 32July 27, 2013 3:27 AM

I used to follow Linda McCartney's vegetarian plan....but then she died young so I quit.

by Anonymousreply 33July 27, 2013 3:30 AM

[quote]Keep in mind: if you need to cook it to eat it, it's not supposed to be in your diet.

bullshite, doc. humanoids cooked or ate charred remains of animals for tens of thousands of years.

the bittman ideal of being MAINLY vegan and omnivorous with caveats is the best plan.

by Anonymousreply 34July 27, 2013 3:36 AM

R34 I 100% agree with you, early humans did eat meat just like us but just because we can doesn't mean we should. I myself tried eating vegan for 6 months but I MISSED meat like I really really MISSED it, I used to get sentimental whenever I saw a burger. Meat substitutes are mainly composed of tofu & soy products which suppress the thyroid when eaten in bulk so if you really enjoy meat it's a no win situation. Now I'm following an alkaline diet, mainly vegan with some cheese every now & then but once a week I eat meat to keep my feelings at bay.

by Anonymousreply 35July 27, 2013 3:11 PM

Any study -- or "Doc" -- that claims soy suppresses the thyroid is backed by junk science, not to mention questionable funding. In certain subjects soy consumption exposes thyroid problems, not causes them.

Read a real doctor with better reasoning

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by Anonymousreply 36July 27, 2013 3:44 PM

Thyroid concerns

It is true that if someone has a hidden thyroid problem, eating soy regularly can uncover it. That doesn’t mean soy caused the problem, only that certain properties of soy made the problem more obvious — and that’s a good thing, because it helps you to address the problem!

If you choose to believe in the argument "soy just uncovers it by making the problem obvious, it doesn't create it!!111!!" I pity you and I sincerely hope you get moved to the top of the wait list when science finally succeeds at brain transplants.

by Anonymousreply 37July 27, 2013 4:06 PM

[quote]Recently, reports of “orthorexia” have captured headlines. Those who suffer from the controversial new disorder compulsively avoid foods thought to be unhealthy or unnatural, including products with trans fats, artificial colors, or flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, and preservatives.

I wonder how much it cost Monsanto to fund this one.

Do the morons truly believe they can convince us we are suffering from an eating disorder if we don't want to eat frankenfoods?

by Anonymousreply 38July 27, 2013 4:23 PM

I have a friend who wants everyone to think she lives a healthy lifestyle. She pretends to be "mostly" vegetarian and she really "prefers" vegetables over anything else but she eats meat all the time and chows down on fast food burgers because she does not cook at all. She eats out every meal. For some reason she thinks she's really pulling off vegetarianism.

Her ankles and hands are often puffy and I told her that eating out at restaurants is probably contributing to that because their food is so high in sodium. She gives me a blank look as she adds more salt.

R38, I too eat avoid those frankenfoods but definitely don't have an eating disorder but I cook from scratch too.

by Anonymousreply 39July 27, 2013 4:37 PM

R27 R29 - In between worrying about the pH of your blood and urine - I'm sure you can find time to provide us a source for your claims about soy and thyroid problems.

In your original post you wrote:

[quote] Meat substitutes are mainly composed of tofu & soy products...

Which is like saying something is made up of hamburger and beef.

Also if you are eating beef once a week to keep feelings at bay - I suggest what you need is a therapist not a nutritionist. Eating to keep feelings at bay on a regular basis nudges you close to the line that separates eating ice cream when your BF dumps you and a diagnosed eating disorder.

by Anonymousreply 40July 27, 2013 4:39 PM

All the vegans I knew were FAT!

by Anonymousreply 41July 27, 2013 4:42 PM

Japan has a high rate of Alzheimer's which has been linked to consuming too much soy.

Tofu is just plain nasty. The texture is disgusting.

by Anonymousreply 42July 27, 2013 4:46 PM

I think wanting to eat non-processed food and wanting to know what you are eating is a sign we are evolving and understanding the impact fast and processed food have on our health. It is hilarious that BigAg has called this a disorder. Any doctor who discourages this type of eating should leave the profession. It doesn't mean they scream and cry when they pass a McDonalds, it means they give a shit about what they put in their mouth. The whole diagnosis sounds like a South Park parody of the Mama Junes of the world defending their eating habits.

by Anonymousreply 43July 27, 2013 4:50 PM

I live in Illinois, the soybean state, so it would be unpatriotic not to eat soy.

by Anonymousreply 44July 27, 2013 6:27 PM

r17 What sorts of fish do you eat? Which do you avoid? Are you worried about their heavy metals content? Have you ever used fish oil supplements?

by Anonymousreply 45July 27, 2013 7:10 PM

I would never eat raw fish and I really wouldn't eat too much fish, especially from the Gulf.

If it still has fish...

by Anonymousreply 46July 27, 2013 8:46 PM

I admit, I worry about my fish oil supplements.

by Anonymousreply 47July 27, 2013 9:01 PM

I think I'd kill myself before I'd commit to never eating ribs again.

by Anonymousreply 48July 27, 2013 9:05 PM

It is an eating disorder. Cutting off 2 major food groups is troublesome. Animal products are an important source of protein, iron, and fat. Fats are not unhealthy contrary to popular belief. Sugar is unhealthy and much more of a health hazard. Very damaging and addictive. It's no wonder countries with the starchiest diets have the highest obesity rates.

by Anonymousreply 49May 1, 2014 2:50 AM

From reading this thread and others you have to conclude it's not the vegans who are the problem.

It's the nutcase meat eaters.

by Anonymousreply 50May 1, 2014 3:17 AM

I went vegetarian in 1976. Six years later I added seafood into my diet. Just over a year ago I went vegan for 11 months. I had my blood tested before and after going vegan and my protein levels had dropped quite a bit even though I was taking an expensive vegan protein powder every morning. The protein powder should have given me a higher level of protein then before going vegan.

I concluded that my body wasn't absorbing the protein. I have since added wild caught salmon back into my diet but no dairy.

by Anonymousreply 51May 1, 2014 3:48 AM

I've been vegetarian for about 12 years, and have had periods of veganism, but it's too damn hard and boring to do it 100%. It's very hard when eating out, but at home I'm about 60-70 % vegan.

I recently had complete blood work and all my levels were good.

by Anonymousreply 52May 1, 2014 4:07 AM

Professor George Jelinek advocates veganism to combat multiple sclerosis. There are other doctors who advise a vegan diet to cancer sufferers. I have MS and have been vegetarian for over 25 years. I occasionally go all-out vegan and when I do I definitely feel a lessening in symptoms. There is enough research to show a vegan diet is helpful for certain illnesses but my neurologist says if you have previously been a meat eater then vegetarian should be enough of a change to make a noticeable difference.

Tl;dr version - it's not an eating disorder and in fact can improve quality of life.

by Anonymousreply 53May 1, 2014 4:29 AM

This is exactly the sort of thread which makes me fall in love again with DL every time I temporarily get huffy about some wacked out poster who lives to start drama and trouble. Thanks OP!

by Anonymousreply 54May 1, 2014 4:56 AM

God, what unscientific nutritional fuckery exists in this thread. Tiresome trollfest.

I don't eat animal products. Haven't for years. My blood work, including essential minerals, nutrients and nitrogen (i.e. protein intake) is normal. My cholesterol is low-normal. I have no diagnosed mental illness.

I'm not a nutritionist. With basic knowledge, I think anyone can eat vegan (or not) and come back with similar results.

Indeed, anyone concerned about their nutritional status should have similar bloodwork done. Sure beats being a clueless asswipe (lookin' at you, R49.)

by Anonymousreply 55May 1, 2014 5:36 AM

[quote]It's really important that people on a vegan diet take supplements to ensure they're getting the right doses of imperative nutrients.

I know a vegan who doesn't do that. When her daughter was born, she breast fed her until she was five. The child didn't even grow hair until she was five and her legs and arms are like toothpicks. She's homeschooled so mom can be sure she doesn't ever have access to meat, sweets, soda, etc. When she was turning ten, I asked her what she was hoping for as a birthday gift. "A chocolate cupcake."

For her third or fourth birthday, I was invited to the party. The mom make a cake, uncooked, of course. I have no idea what she used to assemble the "cake" but it tasted like some combo of dried seaweed mixed with asphalt from a road project.

by Anonymousreply 56May 1, 2014 5:38 AM

Vegans are so pompous and judgemental. I refuse to associate with them because of their shrill demands.

by Anonymousreply 57May 1, 2014 10:53 AM

What added stresses are there when a vegan woman becomes pregnant? It seems a vegan diet is difficult enough to balance for one, let alone one plus a developing fetus. I am truly curious.

by Anonymousreply 58May 1, 2014 11:46 AM

There are a number of world class vegan athletes, especially in sports that require endurance - check out Scott Jurek, US record holder for longest distance run in 24 hrs... Clearly veganism only affects health when approached incorrectly...

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by Anonymousreply 59May 1, 2014 12:03 PM

Best if you just eat lower in the food chain. More veggies and grains, less meat. Eat only freshly cooked and smaller portions. Be sensible that's all.

No need to be this or that, or subscribe to an ism. I find those who fuss a lot about their food to be rather neurotic and unpleasant company. The conversation is always about them and what they eat and don't eat when the rest of us are not that interested in obsessing about food.

by Anonymousreply 60May 1, 2014 1:44 PM

If you read the medical studies carefully, you'll see that veganism is the best way to maintain health throughout our life. That's why my friends at the cardiac center at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx are now recommending a plant-based diet for all heart patients. The Cleveland Clinic now has a similar center, also promoting a plant-based diet for all its cardiac patients. Other research has shown you can reverse diabetes and limit the possibility of stroke.

All in all, it is the healthiest diet around today. And, you can look any animal in the eye without guilt.

by Anonymousreply 61May 1, 2014 1:50 PM

[quote]If you read the medical studies carefully, you'll see that veganism is the best way to maintain health throughout our life.

What about medical studies that say veganism isn't the best way to go? How are we to know which "study" to accept?

by Anonymousreply 62May 1, 2014 2:49 PM

Can vegans swallow or is that considered eating an animal by-product?

by Anonymousreply 63May 1, 2014 3:29 PM

Vegetarian diet is associated with poorer health - study

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by Anonymousreply 64May 1, 2014 3:36 PM

Worked for three years in an office next desk along from a Vegan. The only things I ever saw her eat in all that time was an occasional banana, or a few nuts, or chocolate. She never once asked me to bring her anything from the coffee shop though I'd ask if she wanted anything. I concluded she was eating disordered, hiding it as Veganism. She smoked heavily and seemed to have an alcohol and weed problem too, was often hung-over, even midweek, in her mid thirties. Usually seemed nervy and on edge.

by Anonymousreply 65May 1, 2014 3:44 PM

From the staid meat-eaters of US News and World Report -- veganism is good for health

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by Anonymousreply 66May 1, 2014 3:46 PM

From the conservative American Journal of Clinical Nutrition -- veganism is good for your health.

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by Anonymousreply 67May 1, 2014 3:47 PM

From the Atlantic -- why veganism is good for your health.

I'm not going to post anymore, but real medical science is pretty clear on the subject--veganism is good for your health.

And, it's good for the environment and it's good to animals.

Yes, there are a lot of crazies who say they are vegan but are actually obsessed with eating disorders. But there are a lot of meat-eaters who are equally crazy.

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by Anonymousreply 68May 1, 2014 3:49 PM

I second r61 and Marc bittman of the Times that eating MORE vegan, not exclusively, should be everyone's goal in the developed world.

by Anonymousreply 69May 1, 2014 3:54 PM

5 Reasons Why Vegan Diets Are a Terrible Idea

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by Anonymousreply 70May 1, 2014 3:55 PM

Vegetarianism is not only bad for you, it's bad for the environment.

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by Anonymousreply 71May 1, 2014 3:58 PM

Sorry R57, R63 R71, R72 -- my sources are Harvard, the Atlantic, and major studies by major hospitals and research institutions.

Your sources are weird little websites with no authority. Give it up, Rancher John.

by Anonymousreply 72May 1, 2014 4:06 PM

R58 = the shrill voice of a bitchy DLer.

Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, James Cameron are vegan...

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by Anonymousreply 73May 1, 2014 4:10 PM

R65 didn't read very carefully -- that's not a cause and effect study. The authors specifically say that they have NO claim that veganism is the cause of poor health.

by Anonymousreply 74May 1, 2014 4:22 PM

It's even worse than that, R75. The same authors looking at ALL vegetarians in the same study with the same data came to the opposite conclusion -- that vegetarians and vegans were healthier.

The larger study was in an established peer-review study, as opposed to the one R65 cites focusing on a subgroup of women.

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by Anonymousreply 75May 1, 2014 4:27 PM

In trying to explain away the discrepancy, they claim now that the sicker vegetarians probably BECAME vegetarian to improve their health. See the last comment.

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by Anonymousreply 76May 1, 2014 4:28 PM

"Veganism might be an extreme but human body was designed vegetarian."

r28, your agenda is showinng. And you are an idiot.

by Anonymousreply 77May 1, 2014 4:34 PM

Plant-based diets emphasize vegetables, which are quite nutrient dense, and fruits, which are somewhat nutrient dense. However, they also typically include large amounts of cereal grains (refined and unrefined) and legumes, both of which are low in bioavailable nutrients and high in anti-nutrients such as phytate, and they eschew organ meats, meats, fish and shellfish, which are among the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat.

by Anonymousreply 78May 1, 2014 4:37 PM

R79 is among the most idiot-dense DLers you can meet.

by Anonymousreply 79May 1, 2014 6:10 PM

B12 deficiency is especially common in vegetarians and vegans. The takeaway is that studies using very sensitive techniques for detecting B12 deficiency have found that 68% of vegetarians and 83% of vegans are B12 deficient, compared to just 5% of omnivores. At the same time we can easily detect a deficiency in intellect for the name-calling R62, 67, 68, 69, 73, 80 and that doesn't require sensitive equipment.

by Anonymousreply 80May 1, 2014 6:21 PM

No R64 they cannot swallow. You can tell a vegan by whether he spits or swallows.

by Anonymousreply 81May 1, 2014 7:57 PM

R81 - I read the posts you refer to and I'd say the level of name calling is not dissimilar from what you employ.

You've picked up on the "banner ad" for the anti-vegan crowd. B12 deficiency. There is some missing information from your stats.

The ill effects of a B12 deficiency are possible - not guaranteed. What percentage of vegans are suffering the ill effects?

Even considering the possible ill effects of a B12 deficiency are vegans in overall better health than meat eaters?

Vegan's can take one pill a week with a 500 microgram dose of B12 - the standard does available to offset the deficiency.

What's the one pill available over the counter omnivores can take to offset all the possible ill effects from eating meat? And provides the positive benefits of dropping meat from your diet?

by Anonymousreply 82May 3, 2014 1:25 PM

The veganist "Skinny Bitch" series has been criticized for giving the sort of advice in the same sort of language as anorexia encouragers.

by Anonymousreply 83May 3, 2014 3:23 PM

R84 - I think one advice columnist has made the observation that the tone of the book played on women's insecurities about their bodies. She thought some of the things the authors said were mean.

Apparently the woman never heard of sarcasm.

Not that the advice was bad. Or that the diet was bad.

Oh, and she felt duped because the book explained the details of meat production in the United States. It didn't just have recipes.

by Anonymousreply 84May 4, 2014 2:57 PM

I ate vegan yesterday.

I miss milk in my coffee

by Anonymousreply 85May 4, 2014 3:11 PM

Hey vegans! I just had a steak. Jealous?

by Anonymousreply 86November 22, 2020 11:17 PM
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