Vegetarianism

For what it's worth, the only person I've heard that categorically supported the practice was Musonius Rufus, a Stoic.

There are some modern Stoics supporting it too.

I would think the decision would be based on individual assessment of net pleasure.

I have a type of autoimmune arthritis, and before menopause, whenever I would eat meat or chicken, my feet swelled up-- so I didn't eat them. I could eat fish occasionally but not often. This was the case for about 15 years-- I used to check every so often to be sure it was still true, because I love a juicy burger, lol.

Fortunately, that seems to be less of an issue now... but now animal protein seems to worsen insulin resistance for me, if I eat a regular serving. So I eat a little here and there, not much at one time. It doesn't bother me on a empathy basis.

Some people may have unusual sensitivity to thinking about eating animals that causes them disproportionate mental pain, and it makes sense for them not to eat animals as long as no net pain results from that decision.

I'm so busy with the first Epicurean festival that will be next week that I do not read this forum ofthen

In the festival we will organize an epicurean lunch. And presenting the epicurean lunch to people jast this morning I wote this few lines:

Epicurus was not a vegetarian

Often we find the name Epicurus in the list of historical vegetarian figures. Indeed there are some testimonies in this sense, which are inevitably misunderstood by those who want to read us what they want to read.

For example San Girolamo tells us: "Epicurus, a supporter of pleasure, did nothing but fill all his books with vegetables and fruit, and said that it is necessary to live on simple foods, because the meats and the refined foods are prepared with great anxiety and effort , and there is greater punishment in proposing them than enjoying them ... "

But we know that Epicurus had made his flag of moderation and excluding a food on principle just does not fit into his strings. Certainly he normally preferred other foods, but on occasion there is no doubt that he even ate meat.

"Being able to live happily with simple and unrequired food is good for your health and (...) makes us appreciate more the little luxuries that sometimes fate gives us ..." (Letter to Meneceo).


Of course afther the festival I'll post all the pictures of Epicurs' Lunch...

Quote from Cassius

And good luck with the festival and please keep us posted!!!

Thank you!

About Moderation we will talk soon, after the festival.

Quote from Cassius

And I am sure you will attack the Festival with everything you have got, and not moderately!

Sure!

Here's an excerpt from Alan Watts' essay "Murder in the Kitchen"

I was vegetarian for nearly a year. I stopped when I started driving truck, and since I had to have a physical done to get a CDL, I also had bloodwork and my vision tested. Both of them had actually improved after just under twelve months.

The plural of anecdote is not data, but I was surprised by the changes!

Quote from Joshua

The plural of anecdote is not data

I had not heard that before. That's a good one to remember. That'll show up in a future presentation for me at some point!

Some years back I was vegetarian for a year, and my bloodwork took a turn for the worse. I started working with a dietitian and got everything back on track in a couple of months. The most important takeaways, in my case, were to: get more protein; eat good fats/oils and avoid bad fats/oils; eat whole grains, avoid "white" foods; minimize sugar; avoid highly processed foods.

For what it's worth, I think that these are good general guidelines and can apply whether one eats meat or not. And, for the record, I reintroduced meat into my diet

I was a pescetarian, (vegetarian but with fish), when I was 18 for about a year. (A hippie kind of diet with lots of brown rice).

I did lose a lot of weight, and strangely enough I became much paler, but I can't remember any other changes. I aced a blood test for iron when donating blood though and I still eat brown rice and whole grains when I can.

I was a vegetarian between 16 and 24. It suited me OK. To each their own with diet.

Last year, we learned that my wife's EPI medication can only be produced from pig pancreas, so the slaughter of human-like creatures with rational thought is, sadly a necessity to people with illnesses.

One thing that seems to be coming up in my research is that meat-eating was not nearly as prevalent in ancient Greece as we think of it now. That's one reason religious/civic festivals were so popular. Everyone got meat from the sacrificial animals roasting on the altar. The gods got the "choice" bits (fat, entrails, etc. - See here for a fascinating article) and the roasted meat was shared among all the celebrants. The ancient Greeks were not a "meat and potatoes" kind of people; more generally-speaking like a "bread and vegetables" people.

My wife eats little meat, and would likely be completely vegan except that her doctor (following a heart attack) cautioned her against totally excluding any macronutrient from her diet; so she occasionally has a bit of fish or meat.

I basically eat anything. I do have a bit of a gluten issue, and so try to do more to minimize refined grains (bread, pasta)* in favor of intact grains (brown rice). But I am not very disciplined – and that is the main reason I am a bit overweight.** Following my wife, I try to eat more “beans and greens.”

With age, I find that eggs have become problematic. The old three-egg omelet is out: one egg, whether poached or scrambled, is usually all I can tolerate.

I still eat for pleasure – but try to balance the immediate “kinetic” pleasure with predictable “katastematic” feelings after. In terms of cultural cuisine, I have a motto in Latin: Sapores mundi gusta … de domo. (“Taste the flavors of the world … from home.” ) Tonight we are having some vegan minestrone soup, with added garlic, rice and some finely chopped kale. (I will have a bit of leftover pork tenderloin in mine.)

I do “intermittent fasting” – that is, three or four days a week I fast for 12 to 15 hours, and break my fast with some light “tapas” in mid-afternoon.

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* Even “whole grains” refined into flour.

** Based on personal observation.