I know that this article is going to get me in trouble with some people, because this tends to be quite an emotional debate, but here goes. From the research I have done, and hence my understanding of what our bodies require, it is quite clear to me that we are designed to eat meat. There is no doubt that we humans began as hunter-gatherers and meat made up a significant portion of our diet. Over time, our bodies evolved to be perfectly suited to our environment and our dietary intake. Research tends to back this assertion up as well. In particular there are certain fats (Omega 3s, EPA and DHA) that we can only get from a diet of meat. Also be aware that many of the meats that we eat nowadays are not healthy meats, and this is one of the reasons some studies will show meat-eating to be bad for you.
Having said that, many people are not vegetarian for health reasons - they have chosen a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle for ethical or environmental reasons, and these are legitimate concerns.
The question then is, if you are not going to eat meat, how do you make sure you are still healthy?
The most important thing to get right is the balance between proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Many vegans and vegetarians are chronically out of balance. I see lots of vegetarians who take meat out of their diets and replace it almost entirely with carbohydrates. Often they will be eating large quantities of breads, grains, cereals, sugary food and processed foods. This is really dangerous for your health in so many ways, as I have covered in previous articles.
So if you are a vegetarian or vegan, it is really important that you balance out your diet. By all means keep eating plenty of healthy carbohydrates - that is, those that you get from fruits, and in particular, vegetables. But remember to balance them out with healthy proteins and fats. Foods like mushrooms, nuts and seeds, beans, avocados and eggs (if you eat them) will help to make sure that you keep the balance right.
So whilst I do recommend a meat-eating diet, I also understand why people choose to be vegan/vegetarian and I feel that if you do it right, you will still be eating more healthily than 99 per cent of the population!
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