Post a summary/response that is at least one paragraph in length and then comment on someone else's post in order to receive the seminar points. Reply to this post and make sure your name is somewhere in your response to receive credit.
First off, let’s just talk about how I was watching this eating a bag of Cheetos, talk about making me feel bad. Needless to say I went downstairs looking for some apples after this, hey maybe now I won’t get heart disease who knows. Anyways, to begin, I thought the presenter in the video was extremely informed, he provided study after study on the effects vegan diets can have on the welfare of the people, and our environment as food consumers as a whole. Towards the end, it was indisputable that things such as the cancer suppressor binding protein, and affects on cholesterol, toxins, and the bacteria in our gut that the vegetable based diets aid were all well researched, and components that can greatly contribute to our understand of many deadly disease. I was impressed by some 15 yearlong studies, and the extensive amount of work going into this one topic, something you really don’t hear about every day. It really gave me a clear definition as to what we are told “being healthy” really entails, and from a scientific aspect it was extremely well done and presented. However, with every seminar like this, you have to consider the points of view that weren’t talked about in the video. Blatantly saying that there are no, whatsoever, negative side affects to being a vegan, in my opinion, is extremely biased. As animals, and essentially omnivores, we are meant to eat meat and vegetables. Without calcium or protein supplements, you could potentially encounter issues such as vitamin deficiencies on a diet of just fruit, vegetables, and if you’re feeling especially crazy that day maybe some almonds. Additionally, contributing Finland’s 80% drop in death rate just to vegetable based diets I would say is a bit of a stretch. Berries aren’t saving that many lives let’s face it. There are other factors, like developments in technology, greater understanding of potential death risks, improvement in medicine, and developing a smarter and more advanced nation. The facts are there, but is the future of science going to be found in some Kale? Let look a little deeper, its more complex than that. -Emma Pontalti
I agree with you that it really did put it into perspective how our diet is and what we can do to change it. There was a lot of science behind it, and it was things that you would not think to look up unless you knew what you were talking about so I thought it was great to be introduced to the new terminology. However, I disagree a little bit with you about the bias. He was strongly supporting the plant diet I agree, but he does not say it will be easy to make the switch to a plant based diet. He probably assumed people will know if they are willing to switch that every diet would have its difficulties to meet stuff such as vitamin and protein needs and that it must be carefully planned. I agree that we should be omnivores, but that maybe we should only have meet at one meal or something in small amounts. I feel like this would be the best way to do it. As for Finland's drop, it may be a stretch but it definitely is a huge factor I would say. I think that it is just something to think about, and whether we agree with him or not, we need to examine the issue and both sides of the argument to prepare an adequate diet. I think the significance of this video is that it gets you thinking about it, and that maybe us with an American diet can make small changes. We may not eliminate meats but at least we may reduce them so we can get the best of both worlds. --Stephan George
I agree with what you said about his presentation being well organized. I thought it was cool how passionate he was about the topic, since he has been a vegan for so long. However, I also see why you thought it was biased, although he does back up his argument with a lot of facts and studies. It does adequately put into perspective how much of an impact your diet can have on your health. After all, switching to a plant based diet clearly helps out when it comes to some of the top leading causes of death!
Emma, I love that you bring up your skepticism about his presentation. Yeah yeah I know he used lots and lots of amazing studies, but if you really try, you can spin anything to sound the way you want. Whether by omitting information or over-simplifying it . I'm a little skeptical that just switching to a plant based diet can have such a monumental impact on your life. I guess the only way to know for sure is by trying it, lol we all know that's not happening. -Laurel
I think that this video really puts into perspective how little some of us focus on their diet. I mean after looking at this I realized that I in fact eat horribly as far as meat consumption goes, and it is making me rethink the way I eat. For instance, at lunch one could eat a veggie based diet and fill up on that and at dinner they could have a small portion of meat and milk or something like that. I was shocked the inflammation happens so quickly after eaten, and if we all had a plant based diet it may lead to better performance in sports and other activities given that we have a good supply of protein and nutrients that may not be in the plants. As for IGF-1 and the binding proteins, it sounds like solid science and seems logical to me, and if we think back to the ape ancestry maybe our whole systems have not fully converted from a herbivorous or mostly herbivorous diet to the large amount of meat causing strain on us that we eat today. I would be interested to see a study on the systems of solely carnivores and how their endotoxins and cancer levels differ when they have had an evolutionary history going way back further than we have at least as far as meat eating. As far as additives to unhealthy foods I think that it may help if people are unwilling to change diet, but any changes would have to mask taste though because if people will not change their diet then it is probably due to taste. For potassium I wonder why bananas are considered to be high in potassium held by popular view... but anyways, it seems like there are a ton of benefits and potential treatments such as for Alzheimer's, and as for the fiber in the diet, it is explaining a lot of things that we are told that most of us may not know the science behind. Being informed of how it help certainly makes one more inclined to make changes. Yes, there is probably some bias, although overall it seems that the plant based diet can impact a variety of risks. I think there is a problem though as far as the economy goes, with the meat diet being cheaper than the plant based diet, but in the long run it seems that a plant based diet with account for protein and factors that may be lacking can be a panacea for diseases.
I think you have really hit the nail on the head. It might not be as much that meat is inherently 'bad' but it might be simply careless diet choices by people who consume meats. People who are vegan probably have to pay closer attention to their diets to make sure they do not consume meat or meat bi-products. This could lead them to make smarter choices with their food consumption. People who eat meat are usually omnivores and fairly non-discriminatory when it come to what they eat. I personally will try almost any food at least once. While I do get plenty of exercise and try to eat healthy, I don't always do as good of a job as I could. This realization I had while reading your post is an interesting angle I would like to explore more into.
I definitely agree with you that cutting down on meats and dairy to about one serving a meal instead of every meal multiple servings (the American diet we are all so used to) could seriously help the population, and maybe even increase and help activity since we are eating the right things for optimal physical exercise. With smaller meat servings, this could also address how unhealthy we are as a nation as a whole. Additionally, I also agree the additives are a huge concern and a serious problem in the food industry today. This poses the question of the use of organic meats, things like grass-fed beef and real farm animals, not pigs living their whole life in tiny pen just to be slaughtered. Like you said, America is all about taste, so eating celery and salad 24-7 certainly does not sound appealing to the McDonalds we are used to. However, looking into turning more organic, the actual natural food sources we are supposed to eat as carnivores might seem to be the best option. Is a vegetable based diet the best? It seems to be, but a strictly organic food market maybe the most realistic choice for an America obsessed with taste.
I would like to start off by saying that I chose to watch this video with my mom, and it was probably the worst choice I have made. That's mainly because chicken is her arch nemesis now. Watching this video, I kind of feel deceived out of all that the meat industry is supposed to give me, which is basically a great source of protein and satisfaction(in my tummy). After all, eating meat is what man has done for a millennium and to hear it is bad for you know kinda sucks. What surprised me the most is that the vegetarians are so healthy, when the notion is that vegetarians may not be able to get the same nutrition omnivores consume. The greatest thing the video did for me is that it brought to my attention how much cholesterol we can consume in a day. The cholesterol we eat builds up in our arteries, clogs them and is eventually what leads to heart attacks. Yet, what awed me the most was the fact that a plant based diet could help to prevent or cure almost all of the leading causes of death. With plants, the consumption helps to prevent diseases, but ultimately i agree with the FDA even if the host of the seminar disapproves of their diplomatic approach to a the situation at hand. Ultimately, the population of the US and the level upon which our eating habits have come to, it is hard, almost impossible to make a change in the US like it was done in Finland. The seminar is bias, adn the speaker definetly is trying to bash the FDA the whole time, but i can see where he is coming from. The FDA's introduction of viral sprays to kill of the bad bacteria that can enter into our digestive systems is not something i would want to take a chance on. The way the video presented it, the whole meat industry seemed to be scandalous. There are people working for meat packing companies in the FDA (as shown in the documentary FOOD, Inc.), and those who allow processes like the viral spray to occur are doing it for their own benefit. The human race is not an experiment, and we should not be treated with a trial and error process from E Coli to UTIs, multiple cases show that the meat industry has messed up and they don't want to own up to their mistakes.
I agree. Yes I do not condone the use of uninformed consumers as a test group for the food companies' (specfically the meat industry) experimentation with different ways to preserve, prepare, and treat their product. I too felt that there was definately a bias against the meat industry. After some further research on Dr. Greger, I learned he is a vegan (SUPRISE!) and I'm sure has a BONE (meat joke, I'm sorry) to pick with the meat industry. However I'm also sure that no matter of personal prejudice can really override his degrees and his job as a Doctor to advise the public to do what is healthiest for them. So yes I believe there was a bias but his data was all well supported in both detail and quantity. Ergo I think the bias can be dismissed. Overall, yes the meat industry is a little dishonest and yes of course there are other people who are out to prove this but it's all business. Money talks and people listen. Besides it seems a little difficult for any economy so dominated by McDonald's and other such corporations to adjust. I guess what I am getting at is that the meat industry should work to become safer for consumers' sake but the consumers too should take responsibility for their own diet and eat healthier, like a plant based diet.
I'm not sure if i can still get credit or anything, but I still wanna talk about the video. Ok well he was very informed and clearly had done his research. The studies were in-depth, and he made all the information seem very simple. He had a lot to say though, and I wish there was more time! The topic is really interesting and the proof he provided seemed concrete. He brushed over many of the studies that I would have liked to hear more about, for curiosity reasons and because I feel a bit skeptical. He had very good speaking skills, was obviously very passionate, and clearly is very on top of all the current research being done. His good nature cared off quite well and his jokes were really quite a hit. I'd love to know where he was speaking because the jokes seemed aimed toward a certain group. His passion I think could have made him bias? He's been a vegan since 1990, and he goes around the country talking and supporting a vegan diet. I mean all the evidence shows that a vegan diet is healthy and all the research and studies support eating plant based diets. I would just really like to know how they measured all these statistics and how they controlled the diets of the test groups. I probably feel the way I do because I am bias, but the diet that people have doesn't necessarily FOCUS around animal based products. Most of us are omnivores, and we can get all the nutrients and energy we need naturally and don't have to take supplements or consume more(not necessarily caloric wise) to get the same amount of nutrition. Of course this only applies to people who eat a balanced and nutrient rich diet. I loved how he included the conflict of interests within the food guideline administration, that was golden. Although his presentation did convince me of all the benefits of a plant based diet, it didn't move me enough to change entirely. In regards to his presentation, even though I felt his passion got in the way of the objective truth, making me a little skeptical and curious for more information, I did turn out enlightened on the effects your diet has on the body.
Dr. Greger was bias, but he had a reason to be. Being a doctor, hopefully he is doing what he believes is best for the people, and so I understand why he would advocate vegan-ism so rigorously. How he was describing it though was like saying "if you eat meat, you're gonna die" and I freaked out at first, thinking I was going to get cancer because I had chicken at lunch. Of course, I do question why if meat was so incredibly detrimental to your health why are so many people still eating it? The idea of what a balanced and nutritious diet is includes meat. Who wrote these guidelines though are the people who are supported by companies that would lose profit if we switched to a vegan diet, so now I'm questioning everything. I totally agree with you about how they did these tests recording diets because my life now isn't either I eat the fish or the string beans but both. I guess it's time to research...
This video was very interesting to me because nutrition has always been an area of focus for me. I am not always able to stick to a healthy diet, but this seminar was definitely successful in encouraging me to try harder. It is shocking to me that such a large chunk of our normal diet consists of animal meats that flood our bodies with toxic bacteria. Not only does a standard American diet consist of these bacteria in bulk, it causes the human body to fight disease less successfully than it should. When compared to the blood of a vegan, the blood of a person on the standard American diet fought cancer 1/8 as well. If everyone knew this information and took it as seriously as they should, in my opinion, we would have a world full of vegans. Even when they took into account people who exercise regularly, the results did not compare to a person on a plant- based diet. Although this lifestyle choice is not necessarily easy or comfortable, I think that it should be made known to as many people as possible. I believe that protection from cancer is worth an alteration in lifestyle. It is amazing to me how this one change can have such an impact on the way your life is going to play out. Even without regular exercise, though it is beneficial, a vegan diet is able to help prevent or reverse effects of many leading causes of death. It is truly eye opening that the western diet is so filled with cholesterol and fats and so lacking in the area of fruits and vegetables. The information about Alzheimer's was especially interesting to me. Someone on a diet filled with meat is two to three times more likely to develop dementia than vegetarians, and that amazes me. I really enjoyed watching his entire seminar because he was extremely educated on the topic, he was organized, and kept my attention with his humor. I am not completely convinced to turn vegan, but I have been encouraged to attempt a vegetarian diet!
I agree with you about making this lifestyle choice known to as many people as possible. It may be easier than we think to convince people who actually are experiencing these health conditions or know someone who experienced them to change to a vegan diet and improve their health. It's not likely that every person informed about the benefits of a vegan diet will change to one, but the important part is giving them the information so they at least have the choice.
This video made me very interested in becoming a vegan and helped me to understand what the benefits of a vegan or even just vegetarian diet are. To think that 14 of the 15 leading causes of death in Americans can be prevented by a vegan diet, and more than half of them can be treated by a vegan diet astounded me. Even more, a plant based diet was found to reverse the progression of the top three leading causes of death, and this fact shocked me the most. A normal diet in America consists of meat, and from this meat endotoxins, cholesterol, and other substances enter our bodies in an unhealthy amount and can eventually lead to the many causes of death on the list. This video made it prevalent to me of our society's dependency on meat and somewhat unwillingness to change. It was obvious that the benefits of a plant based diet outweighed the benefits of a diet including meat, and yet we worry about how it will affect the meat industries if people stop eating meat. I know I could never give up meat completely, but now I will always feel somewhat guilty or ashamed because I know what eating meat can lead to and that I'm increasing my risk. What was also interesting to me in the video is that poultry is the meat source that has the worst effects on our bodies. I tend to think of chicken as healthier than other forms of meat, but this made me realize that I haven't been informed enough about it. The breast cancer experiment showing the cancer growth while on a meat diet compared to the cancer growth while on a plant diet stuck out to me a lot. What was really intriguing was that eating a vegan diet for just two weeks significantly decreased the cancer growth and increased the cancer cell death in the patients bodies. Throughout the video, I was continually shocked by the effects a vegan diet can have on our bodies mostly because I didn't know how important and significant they are in our health. It caused me to be more aware of my health and what I can do to improve it. The speaker's humor made the seminar more interesting and I enjoyed him talking in a way that wasn't very technical and was easy to understand.
The video was very interesting showing a side of diet that I had never really seen before. He not only suggests to switch to a vegan diet, but implores you to do so. He also says that vegan-ism is an almost magical cure to all (except accidents) of the leading killers. He even states that vegans' blood can kill cancer cells about eight times better than normal immune systems. While watching this I kept thinking "this is too good to be true" and most times things like that usually are. I don't wish to discredit all of the work Dr. Greger has done, for it is well sited. Though after seeing the 'Brzezinski' movie, I have to question the results. After a bit of research on Dr. Greger I found he was a good charitable man, but most interestingly he was a vegan sense 1990. This made me wonder if the data is skewed, and if so how much, because the whole presentation felt biased toward vegan-ism. His web site nutritionfacts.org also heavily promotes the vegan lifestyle. This makes me wonder what other data is out there that he may or may not be showing to us to prove his (vegan) lifestyle is the best. I have no evidence that it is not, but I would like to cover all of my bases before going "cold turkey" on meat. I also question the fact that such game-changing research on diets has arisen, why is this the first I am hearing about it? If it is so life altering to be vegan then why are we not categorizing meats and dairy products with candy on the food pyramid. I feel like this should be all over the news if it were true, but I have never heard of it (and I frequently watch the news). I hear all about cancer and possible treatments and causes for it, but never about eating vegan diets to have cancer-resistant blood. I am not saying that we don't still need fruits and veggies, but all things in moderation. He does have good points on the high caloric intake of average people and that can lead to a slew of heart conditions. Overall he produced a very entertaining presentation that was highly informative. I simply want to see the data presented by someone with a different point of view and without an underlying 'distaste' for meat.
I have to agree with you that the video does seem somewhat biased. I also feel inclined to believe that what Dr. Greger says is true, and as I stated in my post, I have actually seen the effects of a vegan lifestyle on cancer from a friend of the family. The Brzezinski movie has definitely made me more cautious of bias almost to a fault. I would like to see data on how bad for you non-processed meats are. Meats that have not had maggot paste added in as a preservative. This could possibly result in a diet that is more possible for me to participate in as giving up all meat and dairy is a bit unrealistic for me. By the way I liked your "'Cold Turkey' on meat" pun.
I feel as if it is actually fairly biased myself. As much as I want to believe everything he is saying, I do have the feeling because he's been a vegan for over two decades, he is willing to support his views more than actually account any possible benefits within meat. If we want to be quite morbid and honest, we're all going to become deceased, one way or another. The fact plants ALONE can be the "cure-all-end-all" is rather tough to believe. However, there is logical sense that consuming plants more often is healthier than consumer meat products all day. If anything, I'm willing to try and see if a vegan-based diet can really affect my life. 40 days.
I eat a lot of meat. I'm concerned for my health. Needless to say, I don't think this will be enough to completely eradicate meat out of my diet, but eating plants more often certainly fits within the picture now.
I'm impressed with how he is able to clearly state the information about beneficial a vegan based diet is. Especially since many diseases can be prevented simply by converting to a new diet (albeit difficult for some), and even cure said diseases. Seeing the amount of bacteria in the meat is shocking. Demoralizing, even. To think the FDA decided to hide most of this information leaves a rather bitter taste, but it is understandable in an economic sense. Considering how meat-eccentric a normal American diet is, it's a wonder future generations can survive with all these rouge bacteria are able to catalyze a majority of major cancers and diseases.
On the topic of the video, everything seems is credible: websites, journals, and statistics. Dr. Greger is knowledgeable, organized, and very funny, which leads to a successful presentation. However, I do think the information is somewhat biased. He's been a vegan longer than all of us have been alive. That more than likely influenced him to be in favor of this topic, and mostly research only against the malefactors of meat. Also, the rates of which cancer cells being lowered is rather extremely quick; almost 'magical.'
Regardless, there is logical sense that meat does store some harmful bacteria (some can't even be killed), which does mean plants are usually better for our human bodies as they don't normally hold extremely potent bacteria toward us. As professional as this presentation is, not many will be willing for drastic changes in their diets. This will at least help open the eyes toward a closer step toward a balanced diet, which should still be beneficial overall.
I agree with your assessment on the potential dietary change. I think that the body should be able to handle a certain amount of meat and the bacteria that comes with it at this point in the evolution of humans. I do think as well that it does make a lot of logical sense to increase the amount of plants we ingest, but I am not sure of the need for a complete dietary change. So in other words, keep eating meat John Kim... keep eating meat. (with maybe a nice side salad).
I really enjoyed this video. It was very interesting how explained the rising and falling of inflammation of our arteries in comparison with our meal times. My family has seen the effects of a vegan diet on cancer. One of our friends was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. She switched to a vegan diet and was able to fight of the cancer with no use of chemotherapy in a relatively short time with little issues caused by the cancer. At first, I was very surprised by the fact that exercise was less effective than diet. However, looking back, it does make sense. Tons of people do exercise but that is not all that is important. As Dr. Greger showed with his graphs, exercise can do quite pretty good at counteracting the average American diet, however actually changing that diet works better. Who would have thought. This diet works not only for heart disease, but the spectrum of health for being a vegan is wide enough to even prevent cataracts. Looking at the information that Dr. Greger displayed it is more of a wonder that anyone is not vegan, than that anyone could do such a "strict" diet. Another thing I enjoyed about this video was seeing the things we have learned in class being used in "real science". Growth factors, apoptosis, and many other concepts that we have learned about in the past can be seen and Coach C's job security seems a little more realistic. I think it is very disappointing to see such corruption in the FDA. I have heard from many places about the corruptness of the FDA with drugs, but now to see that candy and fast food companies are also paying the FDA is very troubling. However, Dr. Gerger is somewhat biased toward being a vegan as he himself is a vegan. While I do believe that being a vegan will solve almost all of a person's health problems, i would like to see the perspective of someone who participates in a diet like the paleo diet. I do not believe that all meats are bad for you because humans have been eating meat since the beginning of time. Maybe I am wrong, but it would be interesting to see the perspective of someone who does not represent McDonald's, but non-processed meats.
I come from a very Southern family. We love meat. We like it fried, we like it greasy. Not suprisingly my family history is painted with the colors of heart disease, cancer, stroke, etc. I have often lived in fear of dying young from a condition like these. I have made the effort to exercise and not overeat. Although the knowledge that I can reduce my risk by eliminating animal byproducts from my diet, is rather exhilarating. I had also been under the impression that people switched to being vegan for purposes like the "meat is murder" campaign or allergies. I knew it was healthier but I did not suspect the margin of difference to be as great as it was. The presentation was entertaining. I'm embarassed to admit that I paused the video multiple times to laugh at a joke. Also all the research was well founded. I was so enthralled I have decided to go on a 40 day vegan trial.
Being an athlete I always figured meat and protein was the key for me building strength. I never even considered that how much that the different meats I eat could cause so much problem in my future. The thought that eating one burger at McDonalds with my friends could shorten my life, whereas the strictly vegan diet could keep me living a substantial amount longer. The charts and graphs that the doctor presented made a very real thought to eliminate animal by products from my diet. The fact that my family has a very extensive history of cancer and heart disease is all the more reason that I really should consider the change to a vegan diet. Unfortunately for me I dislike many vegetables. I would like to find out if there are any alternative diets like this, that I may find more attractive. On the topic of the video, the saddening subject of misguided FDA policy is again recurring theme. the combination of the FDA's involvement with the meat markets and the bacteria killing spray is a little too sketchy, especially for a for a federal agency. I believe the FDA usually has the right idea of human safety but they seem to be more concerned with their personal benefit when it comes to these matters. I see a similarity with the Burzynski video. Not only the FDA involvement but the possible great bias displayed by the producer of the film. I feel like even with the bias I am still swayed by the video. Overall it was a very well presented film and really caught my attention when I did not expect it to.
I agree with you on how you feel about how the FDA is misguiding and after personal profit. I think it is awful that a federal organization created to better the health of the people has been absorbed into only wanting profit, even if their decisions are harmful defeat the purpose of the organization. I also liked how you mentioned that being an athlete you thought that meat was the best way to get protein and strength, since thats what I also believed before watching the video. Since I learned that "fact" from health class, I think one solution to some of these issues would be changing education on diet and exercise to stress that fruits and vegetable really help to benefit a persons overall health.
Wow this video really made me think. I can honestly say a am a carnivore, so watching this honestly scared me. I thought for about 5 minutes after this video that I would try to be vegan but let's be real.. there's no way that could ever happen. I like no love milk, chicken, bacon, and come on, we all know butter just makes life a little better. I can't imagine a life without butter. But anyways Dr. Greger really held my attention, making jokes and providing really thought provoking comments.It's amazing to me that he could prove that all these leading causes of death could be prevented and/or treated by a plant based diet. He used so many studies. Like study after study after study to prove his case. I was blown away by the effects meat and animal products can have on your body. For example, when he showed the effect one serving of meat has on your arteries, I instantly felt guilty about the grilled chicken I had for dinner an hour before. Overall, I loved the concept of keeping people alive through plants, but I honestly feel as though America is too stubborn and meat happy to ever consider the switch to a plant based diet even if it means staying alive. -Laurel Fox
I really liked this video because it taught me a lot on why vegan is better for your health, but not only that – that it can cure and prevent SO many diseases. I thought I’d give veganism a try, so I had dinner and watched the rest of the video. Haha, now I’m not so sure about it because (not to discredit him or anything as he’s obviously done his share of research) his bias toward the no meat lifestyle means there’s a likely chance he’s not showing the possible good things about being an omnivore. Throughout the later half of the video this made me kind of reluctant to believe every statistic he pulled up despite them seeming legitimate. However, overall I think moving toward a more plant-based diet is a great idea and should definitely be encouraged even though it is ultimately the individual’s choice to do so. America getting to be like Finland is going to be way in the future if at all seeing it’s dependency on preserved meats and fast food (Mcy D’z). At least getting the message out that HEY, EAT YOUR VEGGIES is something that should be done. Also, the stress he put on how poultry is the worst offender was kind of surprising because I’ve been told white meat was better than red, though it’s not too surprising considering how many chemicals are pumped into them.
I didn't know how to choose who I should reply to, so I figured I'd go with the one that was short and next to mine. How scientific are we supposed to be in these things? Does the internet make us more casual? Do I say things in text that I wouldn't say in person? How many questions can I ask before I start doing what I'm supposed to do? How much will these questions pad my response? Will Coach C notice that my response is padded with questions? Will he care if it is, as long as I have legitimate content after the questions? Time to find out. I agree with a lot of the points you make here. Dr. Greger is a source who is hard to trust completely. He certainly has some indisputable evidence, but he has some that seems like it could come from skewed studies. I really like your point about how he failed to mention the benefits of an omnivorous diet. I wish I had said something like that in my own post, and it is very true. He could be more convincing if he gave some consent to the opposite party, even if he refuted their ideas. Instead he seemed to be interested only in ridiculing meat eaters. This was entertaining, but made him seem pretentious and snobby. I am also surprised that poultry is so dangerous. I would often eat chicken instead of red meat, because I thought I was making a healthier decision. I won't be doing that any more! Though I won't stop eating chicken either. While I see your point when saying that there need to be more people out there promoting consumption of vegetables, I think there is a pretty good deal of that out there. In my opinion, the issue lies in the domination of the food industry by fast food companies and how much more convenient it is to get a burger at McDonald's than it is to go to the grocery store and buy some fruit. Idea alert: Fast Fruit Restaurants! (And veggies too)
Yes!! I didn't feel guilty really because well, so many people eat meat and live relatively healthy lives! The video made me fully understand how much of an affect the animal products in our lives have. And some of the result definitely seemed iffy, but they came from sOMeWHERE and proved the point. Watson, I totally agree how the jokes did make him seem a bit snobby about his vegan habits. Yeah the poultry being unhealthy really made me just rethink my life! My family was always pushing, "Oh chicken's better!" So everything I learned is wroNG. I'm reading watson's response too.. I hope I get credit for responding to yours and his... But THE FAST FRUIT RESTAURANTS!! I've always always wanted those. Like a restaurant or a fast food place that served healthy food like fruits and salads or gluten free cake or something! But yes, sorry I'm all over the place, but I agree we should all try to collectively move toward plant based diets or strongly plant dependent diets. The facts are pretty straightforward and all point to this solution. However, if we were to, we would still need to balance our nutrients! Like you can be a vegetarian and just eat pasta all day, but that's not right either.
Yes i agree with you that a vegan lifestyle is a better lifestyle choice and the Health benefits are fantastic. Also, i think Dr. Greger was a little biased so his charts and diagrams were a little iffy. Then, if people continue to consume too much meat we may go the way Finland has which is not good. In my response to the video i was also surprised how poultry was worse than red meat. Overall, we should change our lifestyle a little bit like include more vegetable to reduce our risk of the 15 most leading cause of death. -Megan D'souza
I am not sure what to take from the video. It presents some scary information. I eat lots of meat and animal products. It was hard for me to believe that cutting out animal products could have such significant health benefits. I still don't really want to believe it. However, Dr. Greger seems to be very well informed, and he uses a large number of sources to back up his claims. On the other hand, he is a biased party as a vegan himself, and presents no evidence contrary to his. His view is very strong and somewhat conservative. We have also seen in the past that medical studies can be botched or skewed and provide inaccurate results. This being said, I am still inclined to believe what Dr. Greger says. The effects of a vegan lifestyle may not be quite so dramatic as he would have people believe, but I feel certain that a vegan lifestyle is a healthier lifestyle. The question I propose is this: Is it worth it? Is it worth it to you to have a chance of living 5, 7, even 10 years longer for the sacrifice of all animal products in your diet? For me the answer is no. This isn't a blanket answer that applies to everyone. Some people are more acclimated to a vegan lifestyle than others, and some value their life more than others. My personal philosophy is live well, not long. My elderly years won't be as exciting as my young ones anyway, how valuable are a handful of extra ones? It seems almost miserly to cling to every last bit of life. What is the worth of my life if I do not enjoy it? Why preserve something that I do not care for? Why live less, to live longer? This is just how I see things. I completely understand anyone who thinks otherwise. I don't intend to make stupid decisions or gamble with my life, but I want to make the most of it. I will take my chances eating meat. I know plenty of people in my life who are meat eaters that have lived long, and relatively healthy lives. I enjoy meat too much. It's not quite as simple as I have put it here, but nonetheless, it's just about how I think. Despite all this, I will not be able to get these scary meat thoughts out of my head, and probably will eat less meat than I normally would have, but I will not be becoming a vegan.
This video was very informative on how meat was the main cause of the 15 leading causes of death and helped me understand what a vegan is and the health benefits of being one. Before watching this video my opinion of a vegan was weird people who were against the consumption of meat but, after watching this video i have a new perspective on the lifestyle of a vegan. Dr.Greger showed charts and diagrams in the video of how removing meat from your diet drastically lowered your chances of getting the 15 leading cause of death in just a couple of weeks after going vegan. I was surprised to here the meat poultry gave you a higher chance of Lymphoma as i thought poultry was more a healthier and lean meat to consume. The one thing that made me mad was how meat packing company's had a problem making meat safer when it would affect them economically more than how it would affects the consumers who buy the meat. This video showed how careless the meat company's are and the FDA cant fully be trusted. After watching this video i wouldn't mind going vegan and eating a lot more vegetables because of all the benefits i would have form this lifestyle. - Megan D'souza
I thought it was interesting to learn how much a plant based diet could effect the health of a person. Previously, I thought that just regular diet and exercise, including animal products, would be the healthiest lifestyle. I was surprised to see that not even a vegetarian diet had nearly as many benefits as a vegan diet. What really made an impact was the data comparing these diets to risks of the different leading causes of death. Not only did it help to prevent diseases like heart disease and brain cancer, but could also help prevent things like suicide, since plants have chemicals that boost overall happiness. I was also angered because of how much the food industry, specifically the meat industry, covers up. I already knew that there were some sketchy things going on, but the fact that they are trying to use maggots as a preservative was very disturbing. Although this video was very convincing, and the facts were pretty amazing to think about, it does not make me want to become vegan. I am not going to lie, my family loves meat. We like our hot dogs crispy and our steaks rare. My great great grandma is still around today, at 101 years old, and she's eaten meat her whole life, so the most I will do after watching this is try to cut down on meat a little and exercise more.
First off, let’s just talk about how I was watching this eating a bag of Cheetos, talk about making me feel bad. Needless to say I went downstairs looking for some apples after this, hey maybe now I won’t get heart disease who knows. Anyways, to begin, I thought the presenter in the video was extremely informed, he provided study after study on the effects vegan diets can have on the welfare of the people, and our environment as food consumers as a whole. Towards the end, it was indisputable that things such as the cancer suppressor binding protein, and affects on cholesterol, toxins, and the bacteria in our gut that the vegetable based diets aid were all well researched, and components that can greatly contribute to our understand of many deadly disease. I was impressed by some 15 yearlong studies, and the extensive amount of work going into this one topic, something you really don’t hear about every day. It really gave me a clear definition as to what we are told “being healthy” really entails, and from a scientific aspect it was extremely well done and presented. However, with every seminar like this, you have to consider the points of view that weren’t talked about in the video. Blatantly saying that there are no, whatsoever, negative side affects to being a vegan, in my opinion, is extremely biased. As animals, and essentially omnivores, we are meant to eat meat and vegetables. Without calcium or protein supplements, you could potentially encounter issues such as vitamin deficiencies on a diet of just fruit, vegetables, and if you’re feeling especially crazy that day maybe some almonds. Additionally, contributing Finland’s 80% drop in death rate just to vegetable based diets I would say is a bit of a stretch. Berries aren’t saving that many lives let’s face it. There are other factors, like developments in technology, greater understanding of potential death risks, improvement in medicine, and developing a smarter and more advanced nation. The facts are there, but is the future of science going to be found in some Kale? Let look a little deeper, its more complex than that.
ReplyDelete-Emma Pontalti
I agree with you that it really did put it into perspective how our diet is and what we can do to change it. There was a lot of science behind it, and it was things that you would not think to look up unless you knew what you were talking about so I thought it was great to be introduced to the new terminology. However, I disagree a little bit with you about the bias. He was strongly supporting the plant diet I agree, but he does not say it will be easy to make the switch to a plant based diet. He probably assumed people will know if they are willing to switch that every diet would have its difficulties to meet stuff such as vitamin and protein needs and that it must be carefully planned. I agree that we should be omnivores, but that maybe we should only have meet at one meal or something in small amounts. I feel like this would be the best way to do it. As for Finland's drop, it may be a stretch but it definitely is a huge factor I would say. I think that it is just something to think about, and whether we agree with him or not, we need to examine the issue and both sides of the argument to prepare an adequate diet. I think the significance of this video is that it gets you thinking about it, and that maybe us with an American diet can make small changes. We may not eliminate meats but at least we may reduce them so we can get the best of both worlds.
Delete--Stephan George
I agree with what you said about his presentation being well organized. I thought it was cool how passionate he was about the topic, since he has been a vegan for so long. However, I also see why you thought it was biased, although he does back up his argument with a lot of facts and studies. It does adequately put into perspective how much of an impact your diet can have on your health. After all, switching to a plant based diet clearly helps out when it comes to some of the top leading causes of death!
DeleteEmma, I love that you bring up your skepticism about his presentation. Yeah yeah I know he used lots and lots of amazing studies, but if you really try, you can spin anything to sound the way you want. Whether by omitting information or over-simplifying it . I'm a little skeptical that just switching to a plant based diet can have such a monumental impact on your life. I guess the only way to know for sure is by trying it, lol we all know that's not happening.
Delete-Laurel
I think that this video really puts into perspective how little some of us focus on their diet. I mean after looking at this I realized that I in fact eat horribly as far as meat consumption goes, and it is making me rethink the way I eat. For instance, at lunch one could eat a veggie based diet and fill up on that and at dinner they could have a small portion of meat and milk or something like that. I was shocked the inflammation happens so quickly after eaten, and if we all had a plant based diet it may lead to better performance in sports and other activities given that we have a good supply of protein and nutrients that may not be in the plants. As for IGF-1 and the binding proteins, it sounds like solid science and seems logical to me, and if we think back to the ape ancestry maybe our whole systems have not fully converted from a herbivorous or mostly herbivorous diet to the large amount of meat causing strain on us that we eat today. I would be interested to see a study on the systems of solely carnivores and how their endotoxins and cancer levels differ when they have had an evolutionary history going way back further than we have at least as far as meat eating. As far as additives to unhealthy foods I think that it may help if people are unwilling to change diet, but any changes would have to mask taste though because if people will not change their diet then it is probably due to taste. For potassium I wonder why bananas are considered to be high in potassium held by popular view... but anyways, it seems like there are a ton of benefits and potential treatments such as for Alzheimer's, and as for the fiber in the diet, it is explaining a lot of things that we are told that most of us may not know the science behind. Being informed of how it help certainly makes one more inclined to make changes. Yes, there is probably some bias, although overall it seems that the plant based diet can impact a variety of risks. I think there is a problem though as far as the economy goes, with the meat diet being cheaper than the plant based diet, but in the long run it seems that a plant based diet with account for protein and factors that may be lacking can be a panacea for diseases.
ReplyDeleteI think you have really hit the nail on the head. It might not be as much that meat is inherently 'bad' but it might be simply careless diet choices by people who consume meats. People who are vegan probably have to pay closer attention to their diets to make sure they do not consume meat or meat bi-products. This could lead them to make smarter choices with their food consumption. People who eat meat are usually omnivores and fairly non-discriminatory when it come to what they eat. I personally will try almost any food at least once. While I do get plenty of exercise and try to eat healthy, I don't always do as good of a job as I could. This realization I had while reading your post is an interesting angle I would like to explore more into.
DeleteI definitely agree with you that cutting down on meats and dairy to about one serving a meal instead of every meal multiple servings (the American diet we are all so used to) could seriously help the population, and maybe even increase and help activity since we are eating the right things for optimal physical exercise. With smaller meat servings, this could also address how unhealthy we are as a nation as a whole. Additionally, I also agree the additives are a huge concern and a serious problem in the food industry today. This poses the question of the use of organic meats, things like grass-fed beef and real farm animals, not pigs living their whole life in tiny pen just to be slaughtered. Like you said, America is all about taste, so eating celery and salad 24-7 certainly does not sound appealing to the McDonalds we are used to. However, looking into turning more organic, the actual natural food sources we are supposed to eat as carnivores might seem to be the best option. Is a vegetable based diet the best? It seems to be, but a strictly organic food market maybe the most realistic choice for an America obsessed with taste.
ReplyDeleteI would like to start off by saying that I chose to watch this video with my mom, and it was probably the worst choice I have made. That's mainly because chicken is her arch nemesis now. Watching this video, I kind of feel deceived out of all that the meat industry is supposed to give me, which is basically a great source of protein and satisfaction(in my tummy). After all, eating meat is what man has done for a millennium and to hear it is bad for you know kinda sucks. What surprised me the most is that the vegetarians are so healthy, when the notion is that vegetarians may not be able to get the same nutrition omnivores consume. The greatest thing the video did for me is that it brought to my attention how much cholesterol we can consume in a day. The cholesterol we eat builds up in our arteries, clogs them and is eventually what leads to heart attacks. Yet, what awed me the most was the fact that a plant based diet could help to prevent or cure almost all of the leading causes of death. With plants, the consumption helps to prevent diseases, but ultimately i agree with the FDA even if the host of the seminar disapproves of their diplomatic approach to a the situation at hand. Ultimately, the population of the US and the level upon which our eating habits have come to, it is hard, almost impossible to make a change in the US like it was done in Finland. The seminar is bias, adn the speaker definetly is trying to bash the FDA the whole time, but i can see where he is coming from. The FDA's introduction of viral sprays to kill of the bad bacteria that can enter into our digestive systems is not something i would want to take a chance on. The way the video presented it, the whole meat industry seemed to be scandalous. There are people working for meat packing companies in the FDA (as shown in the documentary FOOD, Inc.), and those who allow processes like the viral spray to occur are doing it for their own benefit. The human race is not an experiment, and we should not be treated with a trial and error process from E Coli to UTIs, multiple cases show that the meat industry has messed up and they don't want to own up to their mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Yes I do not condone the use of uninformed consumers as a test group for the food companies' (specfically the meat industry) experimentation with different ways to preserve, prepare, and treat their product. I too felt that there was definately a bias against the meat industry. After some further research on Dr. Greger, I learned he is a vegan (SUPRISE!) and I'm sure has a BONE (meat joke, I'm sorry) to pick with the meat industry. However I'm also sure that no matter of personal prejudice can really override his degrees and his job as a Doctor to advise the public to do what is healthiest for them. So yes I believe there was a bias but his data was all well supported in both detail and quantity. Ergo I think the bias can be dismissed. Overall, yes the meat industry is a little dishonest and yes of course there are other people who are out to prove this but it's all business. Money talks and people listen. Besides it seems a little difficult for any economy so dominated by McDonald's and other such corporations to adjust. I guess what I am getting at is that the meat industry should work to become safer for consumers' sake but the consumers too should take responsibility for their own diet and eat healthier, like a plant based diet.
DeleteI'm not sure if i can still get credit or anything, but I still wanna talk about the video. Ok well he was very informed and clearly had done his research. The studies were in-depth, and he made all the information seem very simple. He had a lot to say though, and I wish there was more time! The topic is really interesting and the proof he provided seemed concrete. He brushed over many of the studies that I would have liked to hear more about, for curiosity reasons and because I feel a bit skeptical. He had very good speaking skills, was obviously very passionate, and clearly is very on top of all the current research being done. His good nature cared off quite well and his jokes were really quite a hit. I'd love to know where he was speaking because the jokes seemed aimed toward a certain group. His passion I think could have made him bias? He's been a vegan since 1990, and he goes around the country talking and supporting a vegan diet. I mean all the evidence shows that a vegan diet is healthy and all the research and studies support eating plant based diets. I would just really like to know how they measured all these statistics and how they controlled the diets of the test groups. I probably feel the way I do because I am bias, but the diet that people have doesn't necessarily FOCUS around animal based products. Most of us are omnivores, and we can get all the nutrients and energy we need naturally and don't have to take supplements or consume more(not necessarily caloric wise) to get the same amount of nutrition. Of course this only applies to people who eat a balanced and nutrient rich diet. I loved how he included the conflict of interests within the food guideline administration, that was golden. Although his presentation did convince me of all the benefits of a plant based diet, it didn't move me enough to change entirely. In regards to his presentation, even though I felt his passion got in the way of the objective truth, making me a little skeptical and curious for more information, I did turn out enlightened on the effects your diet has on the body.
ReplyDeleteDr. Greger was bias, but he had a reason to be. Being a doctor, hopefully he is doing what he believes is best for the people, and so I understand why he would advocate vegan-ism so rigorously. How he was describing it though was like saying "if you eat meat, you're gonna die" and I freaked out at first, thinking I was going to get cancer because I had chicken at lunch. Of course, I do question why if meat was so incredibly detrimental to your health why are so many people still eating it? The idea of what a balanced and nutritious diet is includes meat. Who wrote these guidelines though are the people who are supported by companies that would lose profit if we switched to a vegan diet, so now I'm questioning everything. I totally agree with you about how they did these tests recording diets because my life now isn't either I eat the fish or the string beans but both. I guess it's time to research...
DeleteThis video was very interesting to me because nutrition has always been an area of focus for me. I am not always able to stick to a healthy diet, but this seminar was definitely successful in encouraging me to try harder. It is shocking to me that such a large chunk of our normal diet consists of animal meats that flood our bodies with toxic bacteria. Not only does a standard American diet consist of these bacteria in bulk, it causes the human body to fight disease less successfully than it should. When compared to the blood of a vegan, the blood of a person on the standard American diet fought cancer 1/8 as well. If everyone knew this information and took it as seriously as they should, in my opinion, we would have a world full of vegans. Even when they took into account people who exercise regularly, the results did not compare to a person on a plant- based diet. Although this lifestyle choice is not necessarily easy or comfortable, I think that it should be made known to as many people as possible. I believe that protection from cancer is worth an alteration in lifestyle. It is amazing to me how this one change can have such an impact on the way your life is going to play out. Even without regular exercise, though it is beneficial, a vegan diet is able to help prevent or reverse effects of many leading causes of death. It is truly eye opening that the western diet is so filled with cholesterol and fats and so lacking in the area of fruits and vegetables. The information about Alzheimer's was especially interesting to me. Someone on a diet filled with meat is two to three times more likely to develop dementia than vegetarians, and that amazes me. I really enjoyed watching his entire seminar because he was extremely educated on the topic, he was organized, and kept my attention with his humor. I am not completely convinced to turn vegan, but I have been encouraged to attempt a vegetarian diet!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about making this lifestyle choice known to as many people as possible. It may be easier than we think to convince people who actually are experiencing these health conditions or know someone who experienced them to change to a vegan diet and improve their health. It's not likely that every person informed about the benefits of a vegan diet will change to one, but the important part is giving them the information so they at least have the choice.
DeleteThis video made me very interested in becoming a vegan and helped me to understand what the benefits of a vegan or even just vegetarian diet are. To think that 14 of the 15 leading causes of death in Americans can be prevented by a vegan diet, and more than half of them can be treated by a vegan diet astounded me. Even more, a plant based diet was found to reverse the progression of the top three leading causes of death, and this fact shocked me the most. A normal diet in America consists of meat, and from this meat endotoxins, cholesterol, and other substances enter our bodies in an unhealthy amount and can eventually lead to the many causes of death on the list. This video made it prevalent to me of our society's dependency on meat and somewhat unwillingness to change. It was obvious that the benefits of a plant based diet outweighed the benefits of a diet including meat, and yet we worry about how it will affect the meat industries if people stop eating meat. I know I could never give up meat completely, but now I will always feel somewhat guilty or ashamed because I know what eating meat can lead to and that I'm increasing my risk. What was also interesting to me in the video is that poultry is the meat source that has the worst effects on our bodies. I tend to think of chicken as healthier than other forms of meat, but this made me realize that I haven't been informed enough about it. The breast cancer experiment showing the cancer growth while on a meat diet compared to the cancer growth while on a plant diet stuck out to me a lot. What was really intriguing was that eating a vegan diet for just two weeks significantly decreased the cancer growth and increased the cancer cell death in the patients bodies. Throughout the video, I was continually shocked by the effects a vegan diet can have on our bodies mostly because I didn't know how important and significant they are in our health. It caused me to be more aware of my health and what I can do to improve it. The speaker's humor made the seminar more interesting and I enjoyed him talking in a way that wasn't very technical and was easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteThe video was very interesting showing a side of diet that I had never really seen before. He not only suggests to switch to a vegan diet, but implores you to do so. He also says that vegan-ism is an almost magical cure to all (except accidents) of the leading killers. He even states that vegans' blood can kill cancer cells about eight times better than normal immune systems. While watching this I kept thinking "this is too good to be true" and most times things like that usually are. I don't wish to discredit all of the work Dr. Greger has done, for it is well sited. Though after seeing the 'Brzezinski' movie, I have to question the results. After a bit of research on Dr. Greger I found he was a good charitable man, but most interestingly he was a vegan sense 1990. This made me wonder if the data is skewed, and if so how much, because the whole presentation felt biased toward vegan-ism. His web site nutritionfacts.org also heavily promotes the vegan lifestyle. This makes me wonder what other data is out there that he may or may not be showing to us to prove his (vegan) lifestyle is the best. I have no evidence that it is not, but I would like to cover all of my bases before going "cold turkey" on meat. I also question the fact that such game-changing research on diets has arisen, why is this the first I am hearing about it? If it is so life altering to be vegan then why are we not categorizing meats and dairy products with candy on the food pyramid. I feel like this should be all over the news if it were true, but I have never heard of it (and I frequently watch the news). I hear all about cancer and possible treatments and causes for it, but never about eating vegan diets to have cancer-resistant blood. I am not saying that we don't still need fruits and veggies, but all things in moderation. He does have good points on the high caloric intake of average people and that can lead to a slew of heart conditions. Overall he produced a very entertaining presentation that was highly informative. I simply want to see the data presented by someone with a different point of view and without an underlying 'distaste' for meat.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you that the video does seem somewhat biased. I also feel inclined to believe that what Dr. Greger says is true, and as I stated in my post, I have actually seen the effects of a vegan lifestyle on cancer from a friend of the family. The Brzezinski movie has definitely made me more cautious of bias almost to a fault. I would like to see data on how bad for you non-processed meats are. Meats that have not had maggot paste added in as a preservative. This could possibly result in a diet that is more possible for me to participate in as giving up all meat and dairy is a bit unrealistic for me. By the way I liked your "'Cold Turkey' on meat" pun.
DeleteI feel as if it is actually fairly biased myself. As much as I want to believe everything he is saying, I do have the feeling because he's been a vegan for over two decades, he is willing to support his views more than actually account any possible benefits within meat. If we want to be quite morbid and honest, we're all going to become deceased, one way or another. The fact plants ALONE can be the "cure-all-end-all" is rather tough to believe. However, there is logical sense that consuming plants more often is healthier than consumer meat products all day. If anything, I'm willing to try and see if a vegan-based diet can really affect my life. 40 days.
DeleteHi, Daniel. I already commented on another post, but I didn't want you to feel like I was excluding you.
DeleteI eat a lot of meat. I'm concerned for my health. Needless to say, I don't think this will be enough to completely eradicate meat out of my diet, but eating plants more often certainly fits within the picture now.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed with how he is able to clearly state the information about beneficial a vegan based diet is. Especially since many diseases can be prevented simply by converting to a new diet (albeit difficult for some), and even cure said diseases. Seeing the amount of bacteria in the meat is shocking. Demoralizing, even. To think the FDA decided to hide most of this information leaves a rather bitter taste, but it is understandable in an economic sense. Considering how meat-eccentric a normal American diet is, it's a wonder future generations can survive with all these rouge bacteria are able to catalyze a majority of major cancers and diseases.
On the topic of the video, everything seems is credible: websites, journals, and statistics. Dr. Greger is knowledgeable, organized, and very funny, which leads to a successful presentation. However, I do think the information is somewhat biased. He's been a vegan longer than all of us have been alive. That more than likely influenced him to be in favor of this topic, and mostly research only against the malefactors of meat. Also, the rates of which cancer cells being lowered is rather extremely quick; almost 'magical.'
Regardless, there is logical sense that meat does store some harmful bacteria (some can't even be killed), which does mean plants are usually better for our human bodies as they don't normally hold extremely potent bacteria toward us. As professional as this presentation is, not many will be willing for drastic changes in their diets. This will at least help open the eyes toward a closer step toward a balanced diet, which should still be beneficial overall.
I agree with your assessment on the potential dietary change. I think that the body should be able to handle a certain amount of meat and the bacteria that comes with it at this point in the evolution of humans. I do think as well that it does make a lot of logical sense to increase the amount of plants we ingest, but I am not sure of the need for a complete dietary change. So in other words, keep eating meat John Kim... keep eating meat. (with maybe a nice side salad).
DeleteI really enjoyed this video. It was very interesting how explained the rising and falling of inflammation of our arteries in comparison with our meal times. My family has seen the effects of a vegan diet on cancer. One of our friends was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. She switched to a vegan diet and was able to fight of the cancer with no use of chemotherapy in a relatively short time with little issues caused by the cancer. At first, I was very surprised by the fact that exercise was less effective than diet. However, looking back, it does make sense. Tons of people do exercise but that is not all that is important. As Dr. Greger showed with his graphs, exercise can do quite pretty good at counteracting the average American diet, however actually changing that diet works better. Who would have thought. This diet works not only for heart disease, but the spectrum of health for being a vegan is wide enough to even prevent cataracts. Looking at the information that Dr. Greger displayed it is more of a wonder that anyone is not vegan, than that anyone could do such a "strict" diet. Another thing I enjoyed about this video was seeing the things we have learned in class being used in "real science". Growth factors, apoptosis, and many other concepts that we have learned about in the past can be seen and Coach C's job security seems a little more realistic. I think it is very disappointing to see such corruption in the FDA. I have heard from many places about the corruptness of the FDA with drugs, but now to see that candy and fast food companies are also paying the FDA is very troubling. However, Dr. Gerger is somewhat biased toward being a vegan as he himself is a vegan. While I do believe that being a vegan will solve almost all of a person's health problems, i would like to see the perspective of someone who participates in a diet like the paleo diet. I do not believe that all meats are bad for you because humans have been eating meat since the beginning of time. Maybe I am wrong, but it would be interesting to see the perspective of someone who does not represent McDonald's, but non-processed meats.
ReplyDeleteI come from a very Southern family. We love meat. We like it fried, we like it greasy. Not suprisingly my family history is painted with the colors of heart disease, cancer, stroke, etc. I have often lived in fear of dying young from a condition like these. I have made the effort to exercise and not overeat. Although the knowledge that I can reduce my risk by eliminating animal byproducts from my diet, is rather exhilarating. I had also been under the impression that people switched to being vegan for purposes like the "meat is murder" campaign or allergies. I knew it was healthier but I did not suspect the margin of difference to be as great as it was. The presentation was entertaining. I'm embarassed to admit that I paused the video multiple times to laugh at a joke. Also all the research was well founded. I was so enthralled I have decided to go on a 40 day vegan trial.
ReplyDeleteBeing an athlete I always figured meat and protein was the key for me building strength. I never even considered that how much that the different meats I eat could cause so much problem in my future. The thought that eating one burger at McDonalds with my friends could shorten my life, whereas the strictly vegan diet could keep me living a substantial amount longer. The charts and graphs that the doctor presented made a very real thought to eliminate animal by products from my diet. The fact that my family has a very extensive history of cancer and heart disease is all the more reason that I really should consider the change to a vegan diet. Unfortunately for me I dislike many vegetables. I would like to find out if there are any alternative diets like this, that I may find more attractive.
ReplyDeleteOn the topic of the video, the saddening subject of misguided FDA policy is again recurring theme. the combination of the FDA's involvement with the meat markets and the bacteria killing spray is a little too sketchy, especially for a for a federal agency. I believe the FDA usually has the right idea of human safety but they seem to be more concerned with their personal benefit when it comes to these matters. I see a similarity with the Burzynski video. Not only the FDA involvement but the possible great bias displayed by the producer of the film. I feel like even with the bias I am still swayed by the video. Overall it was a very well presented film and really caught my attention when I did not expect it to.
I agree with you on how you feel about how the FDA is misguiding and after personal profit. I think it is awful that a federal organization created to better the health of the people has been absorbed into only wanting profit, even if their decisions are harmful defeat the purpose of the organization. I also liked how you mentioned that being an athlete you thought that meat was the best way to get protein and strength, since thats what I also believed before watching the video. Since I learned that "fact" from health class, I think one solution to some of these issues would be changing education on diet and exercise to stress that fruits and vegetable really help to benefit a persons overall health.
DeleteWow this video really made me think. I can honestly say a am a carnivore, so watching this honestly scared me. I thought for about 5 minutes after this video that I would try to be vegan but let's be real.. there's no way that could ever happen. I like no love milk, chicken, bacon, and come on, we all know butter just makes life a little better. I can't imagine a life without butter. But anyways Dr. Greger really held my attention, making jokes and providing really thought provoking comments.It's amazing to me that he could prove that all these leading causes of death could be prevented and/or treated by a plant based diet. He used so many studies. Like study after study after study to prove his case. I was blown away by the effects meat and animal products can have on your body. For example, when he showed the effect one serving of meat has on your arteries, I instantly felt guilty about the grilled chicken I had for dinner an hour before. Overall, I loved the concept of keeping people alive through plants, but I honestly feel as though America is too stubborn and meat happy to ever consider the switch to a plant based diet even if it means staying alive.
ReplyDelete-Laurel Fox
I really liked this video because it taught me a lot on why vegan is better for your health, but not only that – that it can cure and prevent SO many diseases. I thought I’d give veganism a try, so I had dinner and watched the rest of the video. Haha, now I’m not so sure about it because (not to discredit him or anything as he’s obviously done his share of research) his bias toward the no meat lifestyle means there’s a likely chance he’s not showing the possible good things about being an omnivore. Throughout the later half of the video this made me kind of reluctant to believe every statistic he pulled up despite them seeming legitimate. However, overall I think moving toward a more plant-based diet is a great idea and should definitely be encouraged even though it is ultimately the individual’s choice to do so. America getting to be like Finland is going to be way in the future if at all seeing it’s dependency on preserved meats and fast food (Mcy D’z). At least getting the message out that HEY, EAT YOUR VEGGIES is something that should be done. Also, the stress he put on how poultry is the worst offender was kind of surprising because I’ve been told white meat was better than red, though it’s not too surprising considering how many chemicals are pumped into them.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know how to choose who I should reply to, so I figured I'd go with the one that was short and next to mine. How scientific are we supposed to be in these things? Does the internet make us more casual? Do I say things in text that I wouldn't say in person? How many questions can I ask before I start doing what I'm supposed to do? How much will these questions pad my response? Will Coach C notice that my response is padded with questions? Will he care if it is, as long as I have legitimate content after the questions? Time to find out. I agree with a lot of the points you make here. Dr. Greger is a source who is hard to trust completely. He certainly has some indisputable evidence, but he has some that seems like it could come from skewed studies. I really like your point about how he failed to mention the benefits of an omnivorous diet. I wish I had said something like that in my own post, and it is very true. He could be more convincing if he gave some consent to the opposite party, even if he refuted their ideas. Instead he seemed to be interested only in ridiculing meat eaters. This was entertaining, but made him seem pretentious and snobby. I am also surprised that poultry is so dangerous. I would often eat chicken instead of red meat, because I thought I was making a healthier decision. I won't be doing that any more! Though I won't stop eating chicken either. While I see your point when saying that there need to be more people out there promoting consumption of vegetables, I think there is a pretty good deal of that out there. In my opinion, the issue lies in the domination of the food industry by fast food companies and how much more convenient it is to get a burger at McDonald's than it is to go to the grocery store and buy some fruit. Idea alert: Fast Fruit Restaurants! (And veggies too)
DeleteYes!! I didn't feel guilty really because well, so many people eat meat and live relatively healthy lives! The video made me fully understand how much of an affect the animal products in our lives have. And some of the result definitely seemed iffy, but they came from sOMeWHERE and proved the point. Watson, I totally agree how the jokes did make him seem a bit snobby about his vegan habits. Yeah the poultry being unhealthy really made me just rethink my life! My family was always pushing, "Oh chicken's better!" So everything I learned is wroNG. I'm reading watson's response too.. I hope I get credit for responding to yours and his... But THE FAST FRUIT RESTAURANTS!! I've always always wanted those. Like a restaurant or a fast food place that served healthy food like fruits and salads or gluten free cake or something! But yes, sorry I'm all over the place, but I agree we should all try to collectively move toward plant based diets or strongly plant dependent diets. The facts are pretty straightforward and all point to this solution. However, if we were to, we would still need to balance our nutrients! Like you can be a vegetarian and just eat pasta all day, but that's not right either.
DeleteYes i agree with you that a vegan lifestyle is a better lifestyle choice and the Health benefits are fantastic. Also, i think Dr. Greger was a little biased so his charts and diagrams were a little iffy. Then, if people continue to consume too much meat we may go the way Finland has which is not good. In my response to the video i was also surprised how poultry was worse than red meat. Overall, we should change our lifestyle a little bit like include more vegetable to reduce our risk of the 15 most leading cause of death.
Delete-Megan D'souza
I am not sure what to take from the video. It presents some scary information. I eat lots of meat and animal products. It was hard for me to believe that cutting out animal products could have such significant health benefits. I still don't really want to believe it. However, Dr. Greger seems to be very well informed, and he uses a large number of sources to back up his claims. On the other hand, he is a biased party as a vegan himself, and presents no evidence contrary to his. His view is very strong and somewhat conservative. We have also seen in the past that medical studies can be botched or skewed and provide inaccurate results. This being said, I am still inclined to believe what Dr. Greger says. The effects of a vegan lifestyle may not be quite so dramatic as he would have people believe, but I feel certain that a vegan lifestyle is a healthier lifestyle. The question I propose is this: Is it worth it? Is it worth it to you to have a chance of living 5, 7, even 10 years longer for the sacrifice of all animal products in your diet? For me the answer is no. This isn't a blanket answer that applies to everyone. Some people are more acclimated to a vegan lifestyle than others, and some value their life more than others. My personal philosophy is live well, not long. My elderly years won't be as exciting as my young ones anyway, how valuable are a handful of extra ones? It seems almost miserly to cling to every last bit of life. What is the worth of my life if I do not enjoy it? Why preserve something that I do not care for? Why live less, to live longer? This is just how I see things. I completely understand anyone who thinks otherwise. I don't intend to make stupid decisions or gamble with my life, but I want to make the most of it. I will take my chances eating meat. I know plenty of people in my life who are meat eaters that have lived long, and relatively healthy lives. I enjoy meat too much. It's not quite as simple as I have put it here, but nonetheless, it's just about how I think. Despite all this, I will not be able to get these scary meat thoughts out of my head, and probably will eat less meat than I normally would have, but I will not be becoming a vegan.
ReplyDeleteThis video was very informative on how meat was the main cause of the 15 leading causes of death and helped me understand what a vegan is and the health benefits of being one. Before watching this video my opinion of a vegan was weird people who were against the consumption of meat but, after watching this video i have a new perspective on the lifestyle of a vegan. Dr.Greger showed charts and diagrams in the video of how removing meat from your diet drastically lowered your chances of getting the 15 leading cause of death in just a couple of weeks after going vegan. I was surprised to here the meat poultry gave you a higher chance of Lymphoma as i thought poultry was more a healthier and lean meat to consume. The one thing that made me mad was how meat packing company's had a problem making meat safer when it would affect them economically more than how it would affects the consumers who buy the meat. This video showed how careless the meat company's are and the FDA cant fully be trusted. After watching this video i wouldn't mind going vegan and eating a lot more vegetables because of all the benefits i would have form this lifestyle.
ReplyDelete- Megan D'souza
I thought it was interesting to learn how much a plant based diet could effect the health of a person. Previously, I thought that just regular diet and exercise, including animal products, would be the healthiest lifestyle. I was surprised to see that not even a vegetarian diet had nearly as many benefits as a vegan diet. What really made an impact was the data comparing these diets to risks of the different leading causes of death. Not only did it help to prevent diseases like heart disease and brain cancer, but could also help prevent things like suicide, since plants have chemicals that boost overall happiness. I was also angered because of how much the food industry, specifically the meat industry, covers up. I already knew that there were some sketchy things going on, but the fact that they are trying to use maggots as a preservative was very disturbing. Although this video was very convincing, and the facts were pretty amazing to think about, it does not make me want to become vegan. I am not going to lie, my family loves meat. We like our hot dogs crispy and our steaks rare. My great great grandma is still around today, at 101 years old, and she's eaten meat her whole life, so the most I will do after watching this is try to cut down on meat a little and exercise more.
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