Myself, I have a problem with people who say things like “our nearest relatives, the great apes, eat X, Y, and Z so that’s our natural diet”. First of all, we aren’t chimps or gorillas, we’re humans. For all that we have in common (and there is much that we have in common) there are also significant differences. For that matter, chimps and gorillas do not eat an identical diet, either. And chimps do eat meat when they can get it, and have even been known to hunt for it. I wouldn’t argue that a steak a day is natural for them, but obviously eating the occassional slow monkey, rodent, or termite is something they do.
But there are also arguments like “milk isn’t natural for an adult mammal”. You might just as well say egg-laying isn’t a natural mammal activity, either, but Australia has several egg-laying mammals so obviously there are exceptions. The fact is some human populations DO retain the ability to digest lactose into adulthood, and by virtue of that biochemical ability I’d have to conclude that yes, it IS “natural” for at least some varieties of human to eat dairy all their lives. Maybe we’re evolving into to cow parasites - why not? Would that be somehow less “natural” than vampire bats and tapeworms? Maybe it’s not a glamourous lifestyle but food is food. While eating dairy as an adult is not a universal human trait I see no reason to deny milk-based foods to those who do retain lactase beyond childhood. They don’t have to consume dairy, but it is an option.
Likewise eating meat - while there may be some folks with a genuine physical intolerance the vast majority of humans can eat, digest, and gain nutrition from meat and other animal products. They can choose to not eat those foods, but eating them is in no way “unnatural” as long as we are able to actually digest the stuff. In this regard, I think those arguing from ethics have a stronger position than those attempting to argue from biology.
Um… yes and no. In theory there are a LOT of low-carb vegetarian foods, but they aren’t always easy to obtain since some are exotic and not commonly found.
The other problem is how vegetarians obtain complete proteins in their diet. This usually involves combining a legume with a grain, and grains are considered high-carb. So, yes, I can see there would be some difficulty in eating a balanced low-carb no-animal-product diet.
On the other hand, the Atkins diet is not NO-carb forever. After weight loss goals are achieved you are supposed to add fruit and some carbs back in
Solely as my opinion, I do think some vegetarians eat too many carbs and might benefit from taking a page or two from Atkins. On a true vegan diet a person has to make an effort to get enough fats and oils, particularly if growing or very active, which is contrary to what most of us in the western world are dealing with. A few more low-carb, high vegee salads with nuts on top and a little less bread and potatoes might do some of the vegetarians some good.
Well, for starters there is not just one and only one “vegan diet”. Certainly, some vegans eat a lot of bread, pasta, and flour but not all. You also have to look at the quality of the grain products (which is what we’re really talking about). Brown rice, true whole wheat, and the like are much more nutrient dense and fiber rich than their processed cousins, and the carbs in them are digested and absorbed much more slowly.
There’s also the matter of proportion. In a vegetarian diet some of the daily protein requirement is satisfied by that “bread, pasta, and flour” (or rice, wheatberries, etc.) so you can’t consider it as just carbs, it plays a slightly more complex role. Some meals will be high-carb, but as the low-carb salad (which, by the way, can be quite satisfying a meal) shows not all of them will be. As with all diets, variety is important. The more varied the diet the more likely it is to be healthy. A vegan who’s diet is 50-75% grain is not as healthy as one who eats a wider variety of stuff in more equal proportions. Just because someone gives up meat/animal derieved foods does not make them a paragon of health.
