Open Letter to Vegetarians

My name is Jim Earles and I am a member of a recently formed nutrition group in the Dubuque area. We are the local chapter of a nationwide non-profit group called the Weston A. Price Foundation, based out of Washington D.C. and located on the internet at www.westonaprice.org. Our local chapter of the Price Foundation holds public meetings on the first Monday evening of every month at 7:00. We meet at the Mississippi Mud Bistro, a coffeehouse located on Bluff Street in Dubuque. All of our meetings are completely free and open to whoever wishes to attend. Each month, the core members of our group offer a presentation on various topics related to diet, nutrition and general well being, all presented from the point of view of the Price Foundation. The only thing we ever have for sale at our meetings are books, in case people wish to learn more on their own. Here's the kicker, though--the Price Foundation actively endorses and promotes eating meat, eggs, and dairy products of all manner. On top of that, we actively discourage the consumption of soy products, with a few notable exceptions.

So why on earth would I be bringing this information to the attention of a group of vegetarians? It is certainly not my intention to invite conflict or to attempt to "convert" anyone…quite to the contrary. It is my belief that, despite significant and obvious differences, our group shares many important ideals that seem to be common among many vegetarians/vegans/etc. I myself was a vegetarian for about 5 ½ years before encountering the Price Foundation and changing my mind. Again, it is not my intention to try to proselytize on the issue of meat, but having been a vegetarian myself I still feel a great affinity towards the ideals of the vegetarian. I honestly feel that the Price Foundation holds many of those same ideals. For example:

• we oppose Genetically Modified foods
• we support the ideals of organic and biodynamic agriculture
• we oppose unsustainable methods of corporate agriculture, which drive out small farmers, thrive on the use of pesticides and chemicals, deplete the soil, produce an inferior product and cause tremendous harm and suffering to countless animals
• we support efforts to obtain quality foods in a whole state directly off of local farms, thereby supporting small farmers and local economy, and also by-passing the ridiculous state of affairs wherein most modern organic foods travel further from the farm to your dinner plate than do their conventional equivalents
• we oppose food irradiation
• we believe that the typical diet of the average (meat-eating) American is extremely unhealthful
• we believe that the practice of raising vast amounts of grains to feed the cows that are turned into fast-food hamburgers is wasteful and destructive of our environment (Raising a cow on grains is the equivalent of raising a child on a diet of candy. The cow will get very fat--which is what drives the practice in the first place--but it also makes the animals unhealthy, makes them produce copious amounts of methane, and greatly diminishes the nutritive value of the milk and meat which are obtained from it. Exclusive grass feeding makes for a happy, healthy animal, provides superior nutrition in milk and meat, and naturally limits the number of animals that may be raised in one location.)
• we believe that Americans today consume far too much sugar and empty calories, especially young people and especially in the form of soft drinks
• we believe that the answer to a great many of the health problems people are experiencing today is to radically change and improve our diets…although our group would prescribe very different sorts of changes than would a vegetarian group.

All of these points of similarity say to me that we have a lot which we might work together to achieve! Meaningful change in this world can only come about when people overcome their differences and find the common ground. That being said, I would like to suggest that it might be valuable for everyone involved to bring our two groups together in some sort of manner.

If you are willing to read a little bit more, I would humbly submit to you that the Price Foundation might also be able to provide some information as to how to be a healthier vegetarian! I can only speak for myself, but I know that when I was a vegetarian, I never knew about:

• phytic acid and various enzyme inhibitor which are naturally found in all grains, nuts and seeds. Phytic acid combines with iron, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc in the intestinal tract and thus interferes with the absorption of these substances. Enzyme inhibitors can interfere with digestion. Heat does not neutralize phytic acid or enzyme inhibitors. For this reason, all grains, nuts and seeds should either be sprouted, soaked in an acidic medium (such as lemon juice or whey), fermented or sour-leavened in order to make them more digestible and nourishing. (Many people who are allergic to grains can tolerate them when they are prepared in this way.) Corn is a little different--it must be soaked in a solution of water filtered through dolomite powder in order to free up its vitamin B3 content for human absorption.
• lacto-fermentation, a method of food preservation which was used before refrigeration or canning. It is extremely easy to do and it does not involve using boiling water or heat of any kind. In this way, food enzymes are preserved, and there is actually an increase in enzyme content and vitamin content. Just about any vegetable or fruit may be naturally preserved in this way. There are also a variety of healthy beverages which may be produced using lacto-fermentation techniques.
• the superior nutrition, safety and digestibility of raw dairy products over their pasteurized and homogenized counterparts. The health problems which are frequently attributed to consuming dairy products are as a result of over-processing and improper treatment of dairy animals--grain feeding, synthetic growth hormones, animal parts in the feed, etc. etc. Raw dairy products from healthy, exclusively grass-fed animals are very high in nutrients and these nutrients are much more available to the human body. (The Price Foundation has an ongoing campaign to restore the legality and availability of raw dairy products in this country--see www.realmilk.com.)
• the possible drawbacks of soy foods...a controversial topic among vegetarians, I know! Modern soy foods are frequently not prepared in such a way as to neutralize many anti-nutritive qualities. Soybeans contain very high levels of the aforementioned phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, and also contain high levels of phytoestrogens (isoflavones). These substances, far from being the panacea that they are claimed to be, are potent endocrine disrupters and goitrogens--substances which depress the thyroid. Once again, heat does not neutralize these substances…nor does sprouting in the case of the soybean. The only way to neutralize all of the difficulties with soybeans and truly unlock their nutritional value is to ferment them by ancient traditional methods into tempeh, miso, natto or traditional soy sauces such as shoyu and tamari. The Price Foundation strongly recommends reconsidering the decision to consume soy in any other form, which means avoiding tofu, texturized (or hydrolyzed) vegetable protein (TVP or HVP), soy protein powder, soy protein isolate, soy lecithin, soy nuts, soy nut butters, soy cooking oil, soy milk and other soy "dairy" products, and imitation soy "meat" products of all kinds.

There is of course much more information which the Price Foundation has to offer, but these are three important items which are vegetarian-friendly. (Veganism is, admittedly, very difficult to reconcile with our group's perspective.) If any of this sounds like something which might be discussed in a friendly, non-confrontational way at a future Vegetarian meeting, members of our group would be very happy to oblige. Certainly we could learn things from your group as well. I think it would truly be a win-win situation. Please let us know how you feel.

Feel free to contact me any time at this e-mail address: yogaspectrum (at) yahoo.com.

Thank you for your time in reading all of this!

Comments (23)

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written by liz grafe, Apr 04 2012

I am so torn! I truly love and respect animals and don't want to have a part in their killing. But I also want optimum health and I'm not sure I can have it without eating animal flesh. HELP!

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It's all about knowledge
written by acts like summer, Mar 15 2012

Vegeterian and Vegan lifestyles are only unhealthy for those who don't properly do it because they are not armed with the facts; just as plenty of meat-eating people can also be unhealthy. The internet is great for providing fast access to information all over the world, but you have to be extremely careful of the reliability of your sources. I am a vegetarian and I did not choose to become one for any of the myths that you have listed on your site... I know better than to believe any of that rubbish. Vegans and vegetarians who choose to adapt such a lifestyle for the right reasons, with the right support and resources, will lead just as healthy a lifestyle as healthy meat-eaters, but likely with a smaller ecological footprint.

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How Did We Get Here?
written by Simon Templar, Aug 28 2011

I completely understand the concern over animal welfare. In fact, seven years ago, it was one of the chief reasons I stopped eating all animal products.

However, in my particular case, over time, my body became weaker and I felt terrible. Through experimentation, I found that I needed animal-based foods to restore my health. The difference, though, was I needed less that I had previously been eating.

My reason for posting is to ask my Vegan and Vegetarian friends how our species could have progressed to this point in history, without animal-based foods?

More specifically:

* Could humans have made it this far by eating only non-animal sources?
* What about people living in arctic climates with little-to-no plant matter?
* How is it that some cultures ate mostly meat (e.g. Inuit) and had great health?

As I alluded, I am a meat-eater. However, I do experience cognitive dissonance about the matter, as I care about all species -- human and otherwise -- but feel sick and weak when going meat-free.

Any feedback is welcome and appreciated.

Finally, I respect the views of my Vegan and Vegetarian friends out there. I think there are many more things upon which we agree than disagree. I applaud your concern for the welfare of your fellow humans, as well as our planet.

Thanks for the courtesy of your time.

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references, Low-rated comment [Show]

cows aren't raised on grain, Low-rated comment [Show]

United We Stand
written by Selah, Feb 04 2011

Hi, that was a great open letter, and thanks for all of your comments. I found WPF when I was deathly ill with an Environmental Illness, MCS, CFS, Adrenal Exhaustion, Hypothyroidism, overgrowth of Candida, EMS, etc. Thanks to all natural healing methods, (I refused all drugs) I am healthier now than I've been in ten years, and the principles of WPF helped me decide my strategy for healing. However, I was vegan while I was sick (I could hardly eat anything) but now, I eat organic eggs and dairy. I guess that makes me a vegetarian. I believe as the environment becomes more and more polluted, a day will come when all meat will be poisoned--as also plant foods (from GMO cross-breeding among plants and animals, heavy metals in fish, fluoridated drinking water, etc.) Our children and grandchildren's lives depend upon us working in unity to overcome these devastating realities.

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What is *not* being said...
written by Laura, Jan 23 2011

The "Holy Trinity" of reasons to become vegan: Health, Environment, and Animal Suffering are not addressed adequately here to my satisfaction. I find the nutritional arguments weak in basis of fact and don't compare to the vast wealth of research to the contrary. (BTW, I know plenty of people that have had the health problems you have mentioned here - vitamin deficiencies, etc. They are all flesh eaters. I know no vegans with the same issues.)

There is no mention of the ethics of consuming a product that takes more material to produce than what is gained. Finally, suffering will occur. Less than 1% of consumable flesh is available through non-factory farming methods. You cannot feed the mainstream of society this way under our current system. Plus, taking away government subsidies would price flesh at the same price point as say...caviar.

The consciousness shift that Jayrasi, above, spoke of, is a very real motivator for the shift to veganism. To stop the horrific suffering, we must give up the indulgence of our desires.

In the future, if flesh were available without suffering, we may have a conversation. But today, here & now, this is not feasible.

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written by Niki, Dec 20 2010

I must say I really appreciate the work of WPF. I love all the info and the science behind it.
I'd been a vegetarian for 5 years, before I started eating meat again. Although my diet wasn't always balanced and I was consuming a LOT of carbs (mostly fruits, rice, legumes and peas), I was following a really healthy lifestyle, having also incorporated some super foods like chlorella, spirulina, coji berries etc in my diet. Hoever, I was not thriving. I had low hematocrite and B12 levels, my skin was rough and not clear, and i had gut and menstrual problems.
Now, I eat pastured meat or fish every day, lots of free-range eggs, butter, cod liver oil, coconut oil, soaked grains and fresh produce. Sure, not all of my problems had dissappeared overnight, but I sure feel better and had even started to lose weight even though I consume more calories and work out less than previously.
All I'm saying is that vegeterianism/veganism is not for everyone. And it's not that I lack conσcience or a higher purpose in life. I'm just starting to realize that I'm an animal too and that I value my own health and well-being as much as other animals'.

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Eclectic Vegetarian
written by Carol the Dabbler, Dec 12 2010

Very well thought out and nicely phrased, Jim.

As with life in general, I doubt that any one "ism" has the ideal diet, largely because we're all different and therefore need somewhat different diets. I've been exploring various diets for most of my life, keeping the parts of each that work for me. At this point, I'm a low-gluten, blood type A, live-food-favoring, ovo-lacto vegetarian, exploring the WAPF's methods of preparing non-meat foods. I ate 100% raw for two years, but like AOK, developed some health issues that have started to clear up with the re-addition of eggs and yogurt to my diet. I am also experimenting with fermented rice, thanks to the WAPF web site.

Here's to open-minded inquiry and civil dialog!

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written by Kaye Stain, Dec 07 2010

I am a vegan and my family are vegans at home and make choices of their own while out in the world. Since making this change from meat-eater to vegan 3 years ago, I have experienced and continue to experience optimal health and so has my family...I have never felt so good, looked so good, or had better health in my life. The proof is in the puddin' so to speak. With that said, I totally respect others and their points of view and think your diplomacy is admirable, it is a wonderful world when everyone can get along despite their differences and be allowed to be different. I did want to say that for me it's not only about health, but the killing of animals when it's simply not necessary. Thank you for the good read.

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What about this....
written by AOK, Oct 08 2010

I am moving from a high fruit raw vegan diet, back to something a little more moderate.....high raw with pastured humanely raised raw dairy and eggs, and perhaps some raw and citrus cooked wild caught cold water fish, and sprouts. I wasn't feeling so great and had a serious health issue come about, partly due to ignorance, but I am also making the change for theological reasons. So I believe one can still be a raw vegetarian and be associated with Weston A. Price.

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:)
written by Andrew Gubb, Jun 22 2010

I agree about soy and the enzyme inhibitors in grains. I think a fruit based (80% calories+ from fruit) raw vegan diet solves those problems and more, though that is just my opinion; I can see that those who eat by the information here are definitely ahead of the crowd no matter how much I differ on some details. Kudos on the diplomacy my friend!

Andrew

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Vegan Farmer
written by Vetan Farmer, May 27 2010

All caring people have many things in common, and I appreciate those things about your foundation. Opposition to industrial animal operations (CAFOs), GMO's irratiation, etc. etc.

We need to work together where possible to allow our kids to have a world when we are gone on which they can survive.

However, even though I appreciate your style, the WP foundation seems to be extremely short on solid studies and credentials upon which to be recommending consuming lots of meat and dairy as healty. Numerous scientific peer reviewed studies conclusively demonstrate with real world evidence that high dairy & meat diets as incredibly unhealthy, where are your studies which have been peer reviewed? Even the Dairy undistries own studies cannot compete with the studies done and reported by T. Colin Campbell in "The China Study".

I can tell you from personal experience that eliminating all animal products has totally changed my life for the better along with a great many friends including elimination of artritis and diabetes in a matter of weeks.

The human body is remarkably able to deal with poor nutrition for decades, but when eliminating animal products actually cures debilitating and deadly desease. Well, I rest my case, but am happy to work on the big picture for the welfare of the world.

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What about higher thinking?
written by Jayasri , May 11 2010

I have gone through this whole cycle of vegetarian to local foods movement and nourishing traditions/ weston a. price etc. and now back again to vegetarianism. What confuses me the most about the whole journey is this: I realize that when I became vegetarian my consciousness significantly increased. I thought more about exploitation, environmentalism, and all around health in general. When I decided to try eating meat again, it was completely for material reasons, reading that it's better for the body, and being attracted to the local foods movement/farming etc. but what ultimately brought me back to vegetarianism was something much greater than my own mundane intellect could have come up with. It was true awareness of suffering and specifically killing, and that killing is killing. Humans are completely able to live on a vegetarian diet, this is one thing which separates us from the animals, we can inquire about why we are here, and what the best decisions should be. If you look in ancient scriptures, specifically those of India, the oldest in the world, you see that meat eating or "thou shall not kill" is very literally described. Not one shouldn't kill another human, but one shouldn't kill. We can see the gradations of ease in killing by our simple experience. When I cut a head of broccoli off of a plant it is infinitely easier than cutting the throat of an animal. Granted there is consciousness in the plant, but it is less developed according to scripture, and we can see the sentient nature and desire to live in an animal about to die. For me, it was a spiritual transformation, something higher which came into my life and guided my decisions. I know this controversial and I mean to offend no one, only I want to share my journey and that ultimately I wish people were asking more about the soul, the nature of spiritual life and how killing and eating meat inhibits the growth of that divine consciousness. This isn't abstract, but very real. Read The Bhagavad Gita As it Is. Inquire into higher subject matter. Anyway, that's my humble opinion and I respect hearing others.

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thanks so much for this article
written by KICIA, May 08 2010

Thank you for this article. I am falling in love with this sites information. It's feeding a hunger for knowledge in me, that I can't explain. Keep up the good work!!

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hmmmmm, Low-rated comment [Show]

Way to go Jim! Constructive approach.
written by Gino Siebelink, Apr 02 2010

I haven't eaten meat for 6 years now and no 'fish meat' for 2 years. Recently started considering going all the way (i.e. vegan) but I have my doubts about that lifestyle, and even more so now I've come across this website.

Although I doubt I'll start eating meat again anytime soon, you have some good points here, and I'm definitely going to read through the veggie section. Whether I'll become a total weston-convert or not, I'm sure I'll learn a useful thing or two.

Keep up the good work!

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Vegan for 29 years
written by Trish, Mar 17 2010

I have been vegan for 29 years. My whole family, including my children, are vegan. We are healthy, productive members of society.

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:))
written by Styx, Mar 16 2010

Thanks! This was very well written... I have been a vegetarian for almost 4 years, I am 16, and do not plan on chaning, but I like that you were not "all in our face" about it. Thank you so much...

And for the comment above that says vegans get righteouss and angry about it... No, EVERYone get angry about their cause. Not just vegans. I know I really could care less if you ate meat, even though, ideally, people wouldn't, I really don't care. There is a difference between ignorance and straight out cruelty.
Now, that being said, I have come across many meateaters pissy about what I believe (even though I don't give my opinion to them unless asked or they are merely being stupid.)
So, none of us are innocent is passion.

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Awesome Letter Jim
written by Dan, Mar 04 2010

Jim, what a fantastic letter from all counts. I was a vegan for 6 years. I still attend raw food potlucks and even conferences. At these events, there seems to be an agenda amongst raw foodists, vegans and semi-famous book authors to turn everyone either raw or vegan. They often get angry and righteous about it - as I once was as a vegan.

Thank you for speaking so eloquently about a sensitive subject that often puts responsible animal eaters at odds with vegans and taking on the view that we have much more in common than different. Perhaps by joining together and looking at our commonalities this can create more change toward healthier eating and a healthier planet.

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Thank you WPF for all that do..
written by Andy Myers, Dec 22 2009

Just want to say thanks for WPF and my local meetup group who has changed my life..and my health for the better.

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Hannah
written by Hannah, Dec 17 2009

This is a wonderful introduction to healthful food practices for vegetarians and I believe that the information given here can hopefully usher in a new era of "post-vegetarianism". It is only getting easier to access truly humanely raised meat and dairy and we need our ethically conscious vegetarian friends to be a part of supporting these small farms in order to see a greater change in our modern food system.

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written by Matt McCoy, Dec 15 2009

Well...
I'm honored to be one of the first to post here as I have felt that the schism between omnivores and vegetarians has become an issue in need of some diplomacy. Mr Earles' words are a thoughtful breath of fresh air.
Thank you

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