Comments on: Prometheus, vegetarianism, and French cuisine http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/ none the wiser Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:59:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Pearl http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5831 Pearl Sun, 04 Nov 2007 16:06:27 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5831 Mandarine, first of all, I apologize for misspelling your name in my comment still under moderation. You have already linked in your article above to a page I have published (with the author's permission) - http://www.iol.ie/~creature/BiologicalAdaptations.htm , thank you. I think that the short cites in my comment that you are holding back can clear up a lot of confusion regarding the role of meat-eating in our past, as expressed on this page, and I therefore respectfully ask that you reconsider. Merci. Mandarine, first of all, I apologize for misspelling your name in my comment still under moderation. You have already linked in your article above to a page I have published (with the author’s permission) - http://www.iol.ie/~creature/BiologicalAdaptations.htm , thank you. I think that the short cites in my comment that you are holding back can clear up a lot of confusion regarding the role of meat-eating in our past, as expressed on this page, and I therefore respectfully ask that you reconsider. Merci.

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5823 mandarine Sun, 04 Nov 2007 14:23:16 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5823 Dear Pearl. You seem to know your subject much more than I do. I thank you for the long comment but cannot publish it in extenso as I believe here is not the right place. Do you have a blog or a page I could link to and recommend? As for counter-arguments against beyondVeg, there are bound to be (and I published your shorter comment above). I will definitely have a look at the links you mention, as I always love a good rational controversy (that is, as long as people do not start calling each other names). Dear Pearl. You seem to know your subject much more than I do. I thank you for the long comment but cannot publish it in extenso as I believe here is not the right place. Do you have a blog or a page I could link to and recommend?

As for counter-arguments against beyondVeg, there are bound to be (and I published your shorter comment above). I will definitely have a look at the links you mention, as I always love a good rational controversy (that is, as long as people do not start calling each other names).

]]> By: Pearl http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5815 Pearl Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:46:04 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5815 Link correction: http://venus.nildram.co.uk/veganmc/polemics.htm -- http://web.archive.org/web/20031206180418/http://venus.nildram.co.uk/veganmc/polemics.htm or http://tinyurl.com/3e24sm . The content of this page should be of interest to you. "The 'Beyond Veg' web site purports to be a thorough and scientific challenge to vegetarianism based on hard scientific facts and experiential evidence (anecdotes). It attempts to use paleontology, primatological evidence, evolutionary biology and comparative anatomy to rubbish the naturalistic vegetarian hypothesis. This article is intended not only to counter many of the claims of the authors of 'Beyond Veg', but also to reveal the authors terribly erroneous and unscholarly approach to science in pursuit of their dietary dogma." Link correction: http://venus.nildram.co.uk/veganmc/polemics.htm –
http://web.archive.org/web/20031206180418/http://venus.nildram.co.uk/veganmc/polemics.htm
or http://tinyurl.com/3e24sm .

The content of this page should be of interest to you.

“The ‘Beyond Veg’ web site purports to be a thorough and scientific challenge to vegetarianism based on hard scientific facts and experiential evidence (anecdotes). It attempts to use paleontology, primatological evidence, evolutionary biology and comparative anatomy to rubbish the naturalistic vegetarian hypothesis. This article is intended not only to counter many of the claims of the authors of ‘Beyond Veg’, but also to reveal the authors terribly erroneous and unscholarly approach to science in pursuit of their dietary dogma.”

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5801 mandarine Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:49:12 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5801 My educated guess is that your humble opinion is absolutely right. By the way, we continue to be opportunistic eaters when we pick any old thing from the supermarket shelf or from our fridge (much easier than growing your own stuff). But these junk foods are too new to our diet for us to have evolved accordingly. Maybe after ten thousand years eating burgers, the genetic predispositions to metabolize hydrogenated fats or saturated fats without getting cancer or atherosclerosis will have spread over the whole population. My educated guess is that your humble opinion is absolutely right.

By the way, we continue to be opportunistic eaters when we pick any old thing from the supermarket shelf or from our fridge (much easier than growing your own stuff). But these junk foods are too new to our diet for us to have evolved accordingly. Maybe after ten thousand years eating burgers, the genetic predispositions to metabolize hydrogenated fats or saturated fats without getting cancer or atherosclerosis will have spread over the whole population.

]]> By: healingmagichands http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5796 healingmagichands Sun, 04 Nov 2007 05:09:51 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5796 I believe that the natural diet of humans was whatever they could get their hands on at the time. Out there picking berries and fruit, and trying to figure out a way to make some of that last through the winter, harvesting grains and nuts, catching the occasional rabbit or squirrel, and eating it raw until they figured out that fire thing. Sushi, sashimi, ceviche, carpaccio. Of course the opportunistic human would avail themselves of eggs when they came across them: bird or turtle, it didn't matter. It was a lot easier to dig roots and pick fruits and seeds than it was to chase down a mammal. Catching fish was not that hard, nor picking shellfish off the rocks during low tide. Hence, people on the coasts started eating fish as a protein source. Anyway, that sort of diet, full of UNPROCESSED whole foods seems to create the most healthful situation. My humble opinion. I believe that the natural diet of humans was whatever they could get their hands on at the time. Out there picking berries and fruit, and trying to figure out a way to make some of that last through the winter, harvesting grains and nuts, catching the occasional rabbit or squirrel, and eating it raw until they figured out that fire thing. Sushi, sashimi, ceviche, carpaccio. Of course the opportunistic human would avail themselves of eggs when they came across them: bird or turtle, it didn’t matter. It was a lot easier to dig roots and pick fruits and seeds than it was to chase down a mammal. Catching fish was not that hard, nor picking shellfish off the rocks during low tide. Hence, people on the coasts started eating fish as a protein source. Anyway, that sort of diet, full of UNPROCESSED whole foods seems to create the most healthful situation. My humble opinion.

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5751 mandarine Sat, 03 Nov 2007 13:22:44 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5751 From what I have read, the perfect food move is to cut on meat and start buying organic at the same time. Apparently, the financial net result is balanced. I will do just that and I will start to grow and raise my own food in addition. From what I have read, the perfect food move is to cut on meat and start buying organic at the same time. Apparently, the financial net result is balanced. I will do just that and I will start to grow and raise my own food in addition.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5651 Sarah Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:16:08 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5651 Great post! I would second the recommendation for Pollan's book (and I believe he has a new one coming out next year as well on a similar topic). My husband has been a vegetarian for 13 years now, mainly because he feels that he's become too distanced from the process that goes into providing meat (and the meat business nowadays is rather brutal on the environment). I find that I have to eat meat occasionally, but we're really trying to eat more locally and thoughtfully overall. It's tough to do on graduate student and postdoc salaries, but we feel healthier and happier for it! Great post! I would second the recommendation for Pollan’s book (and I believe he has a new one coming out next year as well on a similar topic). My husband has been a vegetarian for 13 years now, mainly because he feels that he’s become too distanced from the process that goes into providing meat (and the meat business nowadays is rather brutal on the environment). I find that I have to eat meat occasionally, but we’re really trying to eat more locally and thoughtfully overall. It’s tough to do on graduate student and postdoc salaries, but we feel healthier and happier for it!

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5648 mandarine Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:46:01 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5648 Thank you Pearl for all these links. I'd love your comments to be more personal and less 'activist', but I agree with you that the arguments against eating meat are overwhelming. Thank you Pearl for all these links. I’d love your comments to be more personal and less ‘activist’, but I agree with you that the arguments against eating meat are overwhelming.

]]> By: Pearl http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5640 Pearl Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:44:07 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5640 I'll just conclude with this: 'William C. Roberts, M.D., Professor and Director of the Baylor University Medical Center, and Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Cardiology, stated in this peer-reviewed journal, Thus, although we think we are one and we act as if we are one, human beings are not natural carnivores. When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores.[11] .. [11] Roberts, William C. American Journal of Cardiology. Volume 66, P. 896. 1 Oct, 1990 . ..' http://animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/Morality/examination_of_property.htm 'Linneaus, who introduced binomial nomenclature (naming plants and animals according to their physical structure) wrote: "Man's structure, external and internal, compared with that of other animals shows that fruit and succulent vegetables constitute his natural food." Dr. F.A. Pouchet, 19th century author of The Universe, wrote in his Pluralite' de la Race Humaine: "It has been truly said that Man is frugivorous. All the details of his intestinal canal, and above all his dentition, prove it in the most decided manner." .... (and many more quotes from learned authoritative sources, here:) http://www.all-creatures.org/murti/tsnhod-14.html I’ll just conclude with this:

‘William C. Roberts, M.D., Professor and Director of the Baylor University Medical Center, and Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Cardiology, stated in this peer-reviewed journal,

Thus, although we think we are one and we act as if we are one, human beings are not natural carnivores. When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores.[11]
..
[11] Roberts, William C. American Journal of Cardiology. Volume 66, P. 896. 1 Oct, 1990 .
..’
http://animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/Morality/examination_of_property.htm

‘Linneaus, who introduced binomial nomenclature (naming plants and animals according to their physical structure) wrote: “Man’s structure, external and internal, compared with that of other animals shows that fruit and succulent vegetables constitute his natural food.”

Dr. F.A. Pouchet, 19th century author of The Universe, wrote in his Pluralite’ de la Race Humaine: “It has been truly said that Man is frugivorous. All the details of his intestinal canal, and above all his dentition, prove it in the most decided manner.”
….
(and many more quotes from learned authoritative sources, here:)
http://www.all-creatures.org/murti/tsnhod-14.html

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5612 mandarine Fri, 02 Nov 2007 05:12:30 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/prometheus-vegetarianism-and-french-cuisine/#comment-5612 Thanks. I'll look that book up. Thanks. I’ll look that book up.

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