Monday, May 18, 2009

Burger King / Bullshit King : NO vegan options

Burger King- home of the flame broiled Whoppers!

That logo is even more fitting than you may realize, since 'whoppers' also means 'lies' in the vernacular...

They sell a product called a 'veggie burger'. It is basically a whopper-style sandwich, but with a veggie-patty instead of meat. This is supposed to be a great alternative for vegetarian and vegan customers.

However, it is not at all: Burger King does not like to talk about the fact that their veggie patties are cooked in meat grease! All of their veggie patties are cooked right alongside their meat patties. Though it is on a chain grill, the chain is still very greasy and the grill's interior air is filled with meat smoke and meat grease. Plus, these patties contain tapioca, sugar, and "grill flavor". The buns contain butter, polysorbate-60, and stearates. The mayo on them contains eggs, sugar , and more polysorbate-60. (See link to animal ingredients list at right). No vegetarian would eat this, if only they knew how it was cooked or what was in it...

I did know though, as I used to work at a couple of them. So I tried to order one- but cooked in the microwave instead of on the grill.This was before I knew of the icky ingredients, by the way. They refused. I had to argue with the manager about it. She informed me that there are health code laws which require meat to be cooked to a certain internal temperature, so the microwave was not sufficient. When I asked what that had to do with it since the veggie burger is not made of meat, she stomped off. The funny thing is- this same exact event unfolded at two other stores in that same area (Kansas City), one in Cape Girardeau,MO , and again in Omaha, NE. The only difference was that not all of the managers stomped away, but all of them did refuse to serve me because of my simple request.

I decided to write to PeTA about it. I thought maybe they could contact the corporate headquarters of BK and get them to change their policy. No response. Now, years later, I find this snippet on the web:
PeTA gives BK an award for their veggie burger! (original article taken down down by peta- wonder why?)
It says nothing of how they cook it in meat grease.

Peta likes to make ridiculous compromises, putting p.r. above animal welfare. For example: KFC.

Regardless, if you are a vegetarian do not eat at Burger King- their "veggie" burgers are not fit for herbivore consumption!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tips You Won't Hear from Animal Groups



One of the funniest claims made by animal rights groups is that you will save money by becoming a vegetarian. They always say that if you spend about 400. per year on meat, and then stop buying meat, you will save 400. a year. This is simplistic garbage. If you remove meat from your diet, then you will replace it with something else, and whatever that may be will most likely not be free. Usually it is replaced with fruits and vegetables. In case you haven't noticed, fruits and vegetables are pretty expensive! Much more expensive than meat even. It is easy, simple, and cheap to be a meat eater- that is a fact. 
 
Of course the health, moral, and environmental benefits far outweigh those things to a mature person. 
 
They also like to say how easy it is to replace meat with all the soy options available these days. Actually, there are several problems with fake meat products. For one thing they don't taste very good and people are turned off to vegetarianism after they try this stuff, thinking that they would rather eat meat if that's what this stuff tastes like. Also, fake meat products are very expensive. They cost about the same or more as buying the equivalent in real meat at a fast food joint. (Fake hot dogs, pkg. of 8: 4.00; real ones, pkg. of 12: 1.50.....etc. etc.). Many fake meats are also very spicy. I suppose the carnivores that formulate this stuff feel like they have to replace the meat flavor with something, so they spice it up. This is fine for Mexican vegetarians, but not me. Next, consider the availability that animal groups claim is so prevalent. Good luck locating it in your grocery store. Wal-Marts for example, seem to put it in a different place at each store I have been to. The last time I looked, these items were in between the waffles and the frozen juices. They also are never marked with a sign, and are never anywhere near the "health food" sections. Imagine that. Give this stuff a try but be aware of it's price and availability. Because of these factors fake meat makes a good snack on occasion but is not practical to use as a constant meat substitute.

As far as buying food at health food markets, you need to be rich or forget it. I have never seen one that didn't have outrageous prices on everything in the store. It is also interesting to note that all so-called 'health food' stores also sell meat, dairy, and eggs- just at exorbitant prices. 
 
Soy cheese is also a waste of time and money. Read the ingredients: it will always say 'casein' on it. This is a milk-derived protein. By 'non-dairy' they mean that the lactose has been removed for lactose intolerant people, but it is not actually 'non-dairy' at all. I sometimes wonder how many years these companies will get away with this deceptive labeling. Anyway, fake cheese is rubbery and will not melt no matter what. Plus it is expensive. This stuff is a complete waste of effort.

It is semi-hilarious how the animal groups feel this constant need to post recipes for vegetarians. As if we are that stupid. All you need to do is leave the meat out of any normal recipe. Or for more detailed cooking- see this excellent chart.  Obviously, the well meaning yet misguided animal groups are caught up in the propaganda and hype of how complex it supposedly is to not eat meat, so they want to make sure we know some recipes to get by on until we can get used to the list of what to eat and in what combinations, and so on. Like I said in other writings: just leave out the meat for starters, and go from there.

The Basics of Switching Over



Don't let the meat-eaters confuse you: there is plenty for vegetarians to eat. This includes:
Soups- any soup is good with the meat left out. Vegetable stew is good too.
Pastas- spaghetti, lasagna, linguine, ravioli, etc. are all great- just don't throw in hamburger.
Salads- lettuce based, fruit combos, pasta and vegetable mixes; even bean salads can be made.
Mushrooms- can be made into many concoctions including burger-like patties, 
Beans- many types of beans can be made into various dishes.
Fruits- many fruits can be made up many ways
Vegetables- steaming is best; stir-frying is next best. There are so many kinds and combinations, and they can be added to anything. I like to bake squash in the oven, for example.
Casseroles- mixture dishes made in oven. Can find in most cookbooks.

There are also many vegetarian cookbooks, if you really need one. Altering recipes to make them vegetarian is simple as well. First, leave out the meat. If recipe says to put in eggs, replace each egg with one- half banana - it will bind ingredients just as well and not be noticeably tasted. Replace milk with soymilk. Be aware that most 'vegetarian' cookbooks have recipes with animal ingredients in them. Alter accordingly. 
 
Soymilk comes in several brands and flavors. It is fine for cooking and has real flavor, making cow milk seem like water. It comes in several flavors, as well as unsweetened for diabetics. Besides soymilk, you can also try 'milk' made from almonds, pecans, hemp, rice, flaxseed, cashews, or coconut. Check notmilk.com.
 
Soy cheese is actually gross and rubbery, and will not melt. Just try to ween yourself off of cheese as much as possible. Do not replace meat with lots of cheesy stuff like some people do - it is no better for your health.

Keep in mind that the campaign to smear soy products as carcinogenic is nothing but a lie concocted by the meat industry. Absurd, as if meat does not cause cancer?? If soybeans contribute to cancer in any way, it is surely do to the glyphosate sprayed on them in the field, which is why organic grains are important. 
 
Fake meat is expensive, but can be a good snack sometimes. Soy meat can taste a lot like real meat. Veggie-meat does not. Fake hot dogs, corn dogs, chicken patties, bbq riblets, and polish sausages all taste very real. Other items do not usually. You can also get soy crumbles to cook as ground hamburger. This is good for chili or tacos. 
 
Eating fish is not vegetarian; some people just can't understand that fish are not plants. They are supposedly good for the heart because of omega oils. However, flaxseed oil and some vitamin E pills have it too. Fish have high concentrations of toxins and heavy metals in them anyway, so they are not worth the minimal arterial lubrication anticipated by the trace amounts of omega oils in them. (This blogger once had very high triglycerides due to untreated diabetes. Not able to afford the prescription for it, I took flaxseed oil pills instead. My doctor was amazed that this worked better and faster than the fenofibrate would have, had I taken it.)

Eggs are extremely high in cholesterol and animal proteins and therefore should be avoided as well.
Also be careful to avoid gelatin, mayonnaise, and other unhealthy animal products. See the animal ingredients list linked to in sidebar. 
 
This still leaves lots of different foods to eat. Start by trying anything without meat in it. Find stuff you like and expand on it, making them into larger and more detailed dishes. Also try boxed and package dinners such as tuna helpers and instant rice meals - just don't add meat like they suggest.
Following these basics will have you well on your way to a healthier, more responsible lifestyle. 

--See this page for more details--

Answering Carnivores


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I am a stalky person, at 220 lbs. and mostly muscle. So whenever someone finds out I am a vegetarian, they are invariably shocked. Once they realize I was not joking, the questions begin. Here are the most common ones, and my standard answers to them:

Q: You eat fish don't you? (always the first question!)
A: No, I said I am a vegetarian. Vegetarians by definition eat only plants- not animals. Fish are not plants. Fish are animals.

Q: But I know someone that's a vegetarian, and they eat fish (or chicken, turkey, etc.)...
A: Then your friend is not a vegetarian, they are claiming to be just to get attention. Vegetarians do not eat animals.

Q: Then what DO you eat??!
A: Anything without meat in it. Just look next time you are at the grocery store. There are a lot of foods without meat in them.

Q: Like what? (still not comprehending that there are foods without meat in them)...
A: Salads, pastas, casseroles, box dinners, fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts, potato based items, other stuff....and combinations thereof.

Q: But how do you get enough protein? Do you take pills for it?
A: By eating. Plants have protein in them too, which is more than enough. How do you think cows get to be 1,500 pounds of muscle- by eating grass! As long as I am not literally starving to death, I am getting enough protein.There are protein powders you can get for bodybuilders, but vegetarians don't use them nor need them.

Q: But you have to eat special foods then, right?
A: No. I have made no effort to eat special foods of any kind and have yet to become protein deficient, skinny, weak, anemic, or anything else. I am fine. All of the vegetarian guides written by animal rights groups and so-called medical professionals always tell you to eat a strange mixture of blackstrap molasses, nuts, this/ that/ and the other- so you will get 'enough' protein from your new plant-only diet. But it is all overkill.

Q: If weightlifters take all those protein supplements, then it must be good for you....
A: No it is not! They may be getting quicker results building muscle mass with this stuff, but they are also damaging their livers and kidneys. Plant proteins and animal proteins are slightly different, and the plant ones do not hurt you. But the animal ones have been proven to be the cause of virtually every human ailment there is, especially cancer. Why risk all this to have bigger arms?

Q: Then why would doctors eat meat if it is so bad for you?
A: For the same reason some doctors smoke. Anyway, most medical schools do not even have nutrition classes, and registered dieticians are just taught the same old flawed, biased 'science' that we were all taught in grade school. Every scientific study and every large human population study ever done on human diet has proven beyond any doubt that meat consumption is very, very bad for you. (except the studies paid for by the meat industry).

Q: Then how come Eskimos live longer than us even though they eat whale blubber, seals, and fish all the time?
A: That is a myth. The truth is that Eskimos have one of the lowest life expectancies of any culture in the world: less than 35 years. This is surely due to their diets.

Q: Well I can't give up my meat.....
A: I am sorry to hear that. Once someone stops eating it for awhile they realize how bland it really tastes compared to other foods. But it's your health....

Q: Yeah, but we are a 'meat and potatoes' kind of family.
A: What is your family's history of obesity, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and other ailments? Because these are all caused by eating meat. And what do potatoes have to do with it?

Usually, by this time, they run out of points to argue and get very uncomfortable. Then they awkwardly excuse themselves somehow and slink off...................

A Few Things That Never Occurred to Meat Eaters


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When a carnivore tries to take a vegetarian out to lunch, they invariably become frustrated. They do not understand that our eating habits differ from their preconceived views of it. I recently had this happen, and my host was very nice and well meaning, but just had no idea. 
I thought it would be beneficial to list some of the concepts that are alien to them:
  • We do not eat meat, and this includes little pieces of it such as bacon bits. Nor do we eat meat grease, so peeling pepperonis off of a pizza does not make it edible for us. If you refused to eat worms, and someone gave you a worm covered pizza and then picked them off of it, would you then eat it? Same thing.
  • We also do not eat foods fried in meat grease or lard, or otherwise in the same vats of such stuff. So if you order some french fries for us, but the business only has one fry vat and they also sell fried chicken strips, we are not going to eat it. Why would we want to eat grease soaked fries? 
  • There are a lot of things made from animals that we won't eat, and the list of things we avoid depends partly upon how picky each of us is, but mainly upon how much each of us is aware of. See the linked list on the right. The main things I avoid, for example, are gelatin and stearic acid. Just a few days ago I shocked someone by informing them of what gelatin is made of. So basic to people like me; so unknown to carnivores. 
  • We are not obsessed with salads, and do not want one at every meal. Salads can be delicious and very healthy, but they are not very filling. Plus the ingredients of the dressings are usually unhealthy. 
  • We are not going to eat at a fast food place, usually. Besides the fry vat issues, and the grease being everywhere and on everything (work at one and you will understand), it is still fresh in the memories of vegetarians how mcdonald's used lard to cook their fries in for many years, and then lied about it. Once some Hindus found out, the lawsuit was on- and guess who lost? Not the millions of vegetarians who joined this massive class action suit. So call it spite I guess, but most of us still shun that place. It is a good thing too, since mcdonald's now shamelessly admits to flavoring their fries with beef yet again. Also, burger king does not cook their so-called veggie burgers in a vegan friendly manner, but that will be the subject of a separate post. We just don't trust fast food places to give a crap about our requests, even if they were prepared to deliver on it.
These were the most common and basic things that carnivores never think of. There are more to be sure, but this list should be a helpful guide to those who previously had no idea.

Protein Myth DEBUNKED- Again!

Yet again, the protein myth has been debunked- this time by the author of this site!

I had a blood test done by a doctor, who sent it off to a diagnostics lab in Lenexa, KS. The results were mighty interesting. I will state right now that anyone wanting proof of what I am about to say may request a copy of the test results, and I will scan and email the lab report to them.

The report says I have normal levels of everything. Everything. Including protein. That is interesting because I have been a vegan for 16 years now. But the blood test reveals that my protein level is 7.4, and the reference range is 6.2 to 8.3 . Imagine that.

And I never once in my ten years of being a vegan made any attempt at all to 'get enough' protein, take special supplements, eat certain foods or combinations thereof, or even try tofu. Ten years of living without animal proteins, and I am fine. Strong, stalky, healthy, and protein-perfect- according to the lab.

Just think on that one for a bit...


Update-
originally posted this note on 5/09; now as of 4/16, my bloodwork has consistently- without exception- yielded perfect protein levels up to the present day. And I still make no effort to 'get enough' protein. I have no idea how to cook tofu and take no supplements. 

-note-
do i really get my blood tested every 6 months? yes i do! because i have type 2 diabetes, and they do a test called H1Ac bi-yearly to see if medications need adjusting...