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Natalie Portman is being ridiculed for giving up veganism during her pregnancy.
Anyone who has been pregnant will tell you that they changed their eating habits in some way. For most, appetite increases once morning sickness goes away. Some women crave specific food. When pregnant with my son, I craved meat… and I never did while pregnant with my daughters. But every pregnancy is different just like every mom-to-be.
So it’s ridiculous that Natalie Portman is getting heat over giving up veganism and giving in to her pregnancy cravings. Portman says that she has been craving things like cookies and pastries and has decided to eat them. She will remain a non-meat eater and is only engaging in dairy products and eggs, making her a vegetarian now instead of a vegan.
How do you feel about animal research now?
I like meat but I don’t like thinking about where it comes from. I know plenty of folks will tell me I owe the animals I’m consuming at least some thought if I’m insensitive enough to eat them, but the thing is that I’m not heartless and I do feel a little bad when it occurs to me that my burger once mooed, so I choose to block it out. It may not be right, but it is what it is.
I also don’t like to think that any medicine I take or makeup I use might have been tested first on an animal. While I’d prefer no animals were harmed in the process of bringing something to my medicine cabinet, since I don’t have a better solution to propose, I generally keep my mouth shut.
There are plenty of people who are adamantly opposed to animal research, but I wonder how they’re reacting to a new campaign that pits a rat against a little girl and asks which one should live.
Does eating meat during pregnancy really prevent colic?
Want to have a calm baby? According to a study published in the journal Early Human Development that involved nearly 3,000 pregnant women, moms-to-be who eat more meat are eight times more likely to give birth to babies who cry less, and it’s especially important during the first three months of pregnancy.
Specifically, the study says that the increase of vitamin B12 is exactly what is responsible for the less fussy baby, not necessarily the meat. It’s just that red meat contains a lot of the vitamin, so some media outlets are capitalizing on linking the meat intake to calmer babies.
Oprah and her staffers embarked on a vegan diet challenge for one full week.
As a relatively new vegetarian, I watched today’s Oprah show with enthusiasm. The show chronicled what happened when she and her 378 staffers went vegan for one full week. Guests on the episode included Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and most recently Food Rules, and Kathy Freston, author of The Veganist. They both discussed their views on their respective positions. Pollan fully believes that no matter what you choose to eat, you should know where your food comes from. Freston is a devout vegan but says she doesn’t push her agenda on anyone.
Lisa Ling also took a behind the scenes look inside a beef processing plant, which was difficult to watch. In fact, as Pollan pointed out, members of the audience were gasping and making faces as they saw how the cows are slaughtered (and they didn’t even show the actual killing). Pollan says it’s a sign of how little we connect what we eat, like hamburger, to the actual animals that go from slaughterhouse to our plates. It made me think about when my oldest daughter asked me what chicken was made from.
Would you savor a Gordita Simba Supreme? A 7-Layer Lion Burrito?
Call me a hypocrite, but I eat meat and yet wouldn’t ever hunt. I wear leather but don’t support the abuse of animals (although let’s be honest, who supports the abuse of animals?). As it turns out, my 2-year-old daughter is a self-imposed vegetarian, but loves bacon. We thrive on contradictions in our house, apparently.
And yet, lion meat will never pass our lips. It was never really an issue, but seeing that the meat of Mustafa is making its way onto menus (or a menu) has given me pause. After all, if I’ve eaten rabbit (Bugs Bunny?), venison (Bambi?), duck (Donald?) and pig (Wilbur?), why am I stopping at lion (Simba?).
Ever stop to think about where your meat comes from?
I recently became a vegetarian almost two months ago. My daughters, who are big animal lovers, joined me. It was a little more difficult than I expected in the beginning for me to find meat-free meals for the whole week. Sometimes, I wondered if we could withstand the lifestyle change long-term, but then there was always something that would remind me why I wanted to do it, like even last night’s question on Chopped about a deckle of beef. I had no idea what it was but just the word sounded sickening. In fact, a deckle of beef is the part of a cow that is often overlooked by diners and chefs alike because the cut contains a thick strip of fat and some connective tissue. The only thing worse than the thought of eating connective tissue would be serving it to my kids.
The decision to become a vegetarian started with my daughter. She became a vegetarian a full month before I did. In the end, my decision to do it was two-fold: I firmly believe in the protection of animals, and eating meat is just not something I could consciously continue to do. I also believe eating a meat-free diet is a healthier way to live. With all the recent talk about Taco Bell and their fake meat substitute blend, it only reaffirms my decision. Does anyone really think they are getting real meat at any of these fast food places?
Are child vegetarians on the rise?
There is debate over a study earlier this year put out by the Vegetarian Resource Group that claims that more kids are opting for a vegetarian lifestyle.
According to the group’s nutrition advisor, Reed Mangels, children are increasingly saying no to eating meat. Mangels says that vegetarianism “is definitely a more mainstream choice than ever before.”
The organization’s nationwide survey found that 3 percent 8- to 18-year-olds never eat meat, poultry or seafood, which would account for an estimated 1.4 million young vegetarians. Out of that number, Mangels claims that two-thirds of those kids are vegans, who never consume dairy or eggs.
Not so fast, says Greg Henderson, Editor of Drovers/Cattlenetwork who believes that the statistics are skewed.
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