Anyone here a flexitarian?

[Richardhead | 2,813]

1 hour ago, Tenjikuronin said:

I've been vegetarian now for 35+ years, ask me anything lol.

Have you ever considered adding meat back into your diet? How do you get your daily calories? Are you a “dirty vegetarian” that basically eats a garbage diet like most of the world? Or are you eating clean ?

I don’t mean to offend here. I’m just curious. As most of the vegetarians I know eat like garbage and think they are healthier than most people because they don’t eat meat.

Also, you did say AMA

[fcgamer | 4,730]

23 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

Eating tofu is really bad for you, it's full of sodium and even worse, estrogen. Intaking that much estorgen can throw your hormones way out of balance and is even worse for women than for men.

 

Not sure where you are getting this information. Tofu is a low sodium product, and eating three to four servings a day is not going to through your hormones out of balance, or decrease testosterone levels in males. There have been studies on this very topic.

[Code Monkey | 2,011]

11 minutes ago, Richardhead said:

The problem becomes is that it’s really hard to get your daily calories with just vegetables. Being a vegetarian IMO isn’t sustainable for someone like me. 
I eat 3 meals a day. 
breakfast is a smoothie (strawberries, bananas, kale, almond milk, mct powder and beets crystals) and a cup of plain yogurt with cinnamon. 

lunch is beans and rice with enchilada sauce.

dinner is a hunk of meat (either chicken, beef or pork) with a ton of sautéed vegetables.

I also have 2 servings of bone broth and a cup of tea before bed. Oh yeah, I also drink a plant based protein shake after workouts. 

Now of course this changes up a bit from time to time. Due to my work schedule and whatnot. Plus if I go out to dinner With friends, decide I want McDonald’s, so on and so on…. 
 

You are definitely doing a lot of activity to burn that many calories.

I sit at a computer for about 16 hours a day, I play an organized sport once a week.

[Code Monkey | 2,011]

1 minute ago, fcgamer said:

Not sure where you are getting this information. Tofu is a low sodium product, and eating three to four servings a day is not going to through your hormones out of balance, or decrease testosterone levels in males. There have been studies on this very topic.

Oh you're right, it is low in sodium. Wow, thanks for telling me that. However, I know it's high in estrogen, can you point me to the studies? I always enjoy reading research papers.

[Richardhead | 2,813]

1 minute ago, Code Monkey said:

You are definitely doing a lot of activity to burn that many calories.

I sit at a computer for about 16 hours a day, I play an organized sport once a week.

That’s fair. I cycle, run, do yoga and go to a gym. I am also in my feet 8-10 hours a day at work. 

[Richardhead | 2,813]

1 minute ago, Gloves said:

Yeah my wife is vegetarian and we regularly eat pizza, burritos, taco bell, McDonald's, etc.. Vegetarian does not equal healthy. 

Yeah. That’s how it is for most people. I don’t blame you though. It’s a thing. That shit tastes good
As long as you and her are aware of that I’m appreciative!

[Gloves | 11,800]

7 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

Oh you're right, it is low in sodium. Wow, thanks for telling me that. However, I know it's high in estrogen, can you point me to the studies? I always enjoy reading research papers.

Tofu has no estrogen in it. 

[fcgamer | 4,730]

6 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

Oh you're right, it is low in sodium. Wow, thanks for telling me that. However, I know it's high in estrogen, can you point me to the studies? I always enjoy reading research papers.

Not right now, as I am heading to bed shortly and I'd prefer to provide you with the actual studies rather than second hand sources that quote the original research; however, this is a topic I have discussed at hand plenty of times with a friend of mine who does read the actual studies, and knows how the body works better than 98% of people do, due to his (former) career.

That being said though, we don't even need to look at studies to understand that tofu isn't harmful to people in such doses - if the estrogen was working wonders, why do Asian women mostly have small breasts?

 

[Richardhead | 2,813]

Just now, fcgamer said:

Not right now, as I am heading to bed shortly and I'd prefer to provide you with the actual studies rather than second hand sources that quote the original research; however, this is a topic I have discussed at hand plenty of times with a friend of mine who does read the actual studies, and knows how the body works better than 98% of people do, due to his (former) career.

That being said though, we don't even need to look at studies to understand that tofu isn't harmful to people in such doses - if the estrogen was working wonders, why do Asian women mostly have small breasts?

 

It’s all in the genes man!

[fcgamer | 4,730]

From my understanding, tofu contains isoflavones, which is a plant-based estrogen similar to the hormone we are discussing.

[Gloves | 11,800]

1 minute ago, fcgamer said:

From my understanding, tofu contains isoflavones, which is a plant-based estrogen similar to the hormone we are discussing.

It's a *phytoestrogen*. 

[fcgamer | 4,730]

4 minutes ago, Gloves said:

It's a *phytoestrogen*. 

Yeah, phyto would be the prefix meaning or relating it to plants, if my memory of my Greek and Latin studies from high school hasn't failed me.

[Gloves | 11,800]

Just now, fcgamer said:

Yeah, phyto would be the prefix meaning or relating it to plants, if my memory of my Greek and Latin studies from high school hasn't failed me.

Right. 

[fcgamer | 4,730]

1 minute ago, Gloves said:

Right. 

Glad to see my memory is still sound. Those were some of the most beneficial classes I took, though I wouldn't have grasped the full extent of the benefits until later. 

[fcgamer | 4,730]

On a different note, this is why fcgamer topics are good - we promote discussion on this forum. Let's bring back the discussion like VGS was when it was first established!

[Gloves | 11,800]

1 minute ago, fcgamer said:

On a different note, this is why fcgamer topics are good - we promote discussion on this forum. Let's bring back the discussion like VGS was when it was first established!

I don't personally care if you post stupid topics, it's Everything Else. Just don't spam, and I'd prefer the topics have something resembling a conversation, but beyond that it's whatever. 

[Richardhead | 2,813]

5 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

On a different note, this is why fcgamer topics are good - we promote discussion on this forum. Let's bring back the discussion like VGS was when it was first established!

To be fair. When VGS was first established, the people that started it let a bunch of angry nerds from some other site come over and be angry. It wasn’t so productive at the start

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

32 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Tofu has no estrogen in it. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

29 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

On a different note, this is why fcgamer topics are good - we promote discussion on this forum. Let's bring back the discussion like VGS was when it was first established!

As a content creator you should try monetizing your work by asking @Gloves for a raise. I bet he's secretly making millions from the increase in traffic to the site!

Edited September 10, 2023 by Bearcat-Doug

[spacepup | 2,405]

47 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

Oh you're right, it is low in sodium. Wow, thanks for telling me that. However, I know it's high in estrogen, can you point me to the studies? I always enjoy reading research papers.

Article from American Cancer Society about Soy:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/latest-news/soy-and-cancer-risk-our-experts-advice.html
"So far, the evidence does not point to any dangers from eating soy in people, and the health benefits appear to outweigh any potential risk. In fact, there is growing evidence that eating traditional soy foods such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso, and soymilk may lower the risk of breast cancer, especially among Asian women. Soy foods are excellent sources of protein, especially when they replace other, less healthy foods such as animal fats and red or processed meats. Soy foods have been linked to lower rates of heart disease and may even help lower cholesterol."

American Institute for Cancer Research:
https://www.aicr.org/resources/blog/soy-and-cancer-myths-and-misconceptions/
"Myth: Eating soy foods raise your risk for breast cancer.  Fact: Soy foods are safe for women and provide fiber, a cancer-fighter."

Mayo Clinic: Will eating soy increase my risk of breast cancer?
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/soy-breast-cancer-risk/faq-20120377#:~:text=It was once thought that,tofu%2C soy milk and edamame.
"It was once thought that soy foods increase the risk of breast cancer. However, eating a moderate amount of soy foods does not increase risk of breast cancer — or other types of cancer. A moderate amount is one to two servings a day of whole-soy foods, such as tofu, soy milk and edamame."

National Library of Medicine Article: The Science of Soy: What Do We Really Know?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1480510/
Presents a more conservative analysis but board and inconclusive - prompts more research essentially.

Article: Tofu intake is inversely associated with risk of breast cancer: A meta-analysis of observational studies
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0226745
"our findings suggest an inverse dose-response association between tofu intake and risk of breast cancer"

I could go on and on, but it seems the concept of tofu giving you estrogen (in the ways we think of it) and causing negative health effects has vastly been debunked, and there are many benefits to increasing soy in one's diet, *especially* as a replacement for other types of proteins.

In my own personal situation, I eat a decent amount of tofu - sometimes several times a week - as I am vegetarian, and so far all the health effects of my diet have been very positive for me.

-----

Edit: I will add though, that it is always important for each person to talk with their doctor and/or other professionals about stuff like this, and determine if something is right for you, or something you should worry about.  There could be exception scenarios where maybe it isn't good for someone - I have no idea.  My main point is that broadly dismissing it as dangerous is probably overly dismissive when it can be a great protein alternative.


 

[Sumez | 2,968]

1 hour ago, Richardhead said:

The problem becomes is that it’s really hard to get your daily calories with just vegetables. Being a vegetarian IMO isn’t sustainable for someone like me. 

Lol who managed to convince you that being vegetarian somehow involves eating only vegetables? 

There's really no lack of calories in vegetarian diet. 

[spacepup | 2,405]

As for all the comments about a vegetarian diet - one can eat healthy, and one can eat extremely poorly.  One can completely overeat calories, and one can keep within reasonable limits. 

Vegetarian definitely doesn't necessarily mean healthy, as you could eat chips and french fries all day every day and be vegetarian bot not healthy.

Personally, I'm vegetarian but try to keep a very balanced, healthy diet.  

On the subject of protein, it certainly is possible to get all the protein you need on a vegetarian diet.  You have to work at it and make sure you are getting enough protein, and ideally complete proteins and the amino acids your body needs. I think there may be a misconception that a vegetarian diet means you eat a plate of vegetables every meal, which would be severely lacking in proteins and have many nutritional deficiencies.  

In my case, it's a mostly plant-based diet full of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, grains, proteins, etc.  I tend to eat a decent amount of soy, lentils, beans, etc.  

The takeaway should be, having a healthy diet full of the nutrition you need isn't so much about whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or not, but rather, making sure you have a balanced diet that gives you most of the things your body needs without any significant deficiencies - and this can be done on any number of diets and preferences.

 

[Richardhead | 2,813]

11 minutes ago, Sumez said:

Lol who managed to convince you that being vegetarian somehow involves eating only vegetables? 

There's really no lack of calories in vegetarian diet. 

Did you read my whole post by chance? I believe I said it’s hard to get needed calories just eating vegetables. You seem to have only read some of what I wrote.  

[Richardhead | 2,813]

Let’s be honest here. A whole food diet is the way to be. We are meat eaters. Top of the food chain. We don’t have to only eat meat, we don’t only have to eat vegetables.

The problem is with most vegetarians, they don’t eat a whole food diet. They eat more processed foods to compensate for their lack of protein and calories. 

[Richardhead | 2,813]

Just now, Richardhead said:

Let’s be honest here. A whole food diet is the way to be. We are meat eaters. Top of the food chain. We don’t have to only eat meat, we don’t only have to eat vegetables.

The problem is with most vegetarians, they don’t eat a whole food diet. They eat more processed foods to compensate for their lack of protein and calories. 

Before anyone reads what they want to read in this post. I did say “most vegetarians”. 
meaning not all.