Discussions

Cattle farmers are under attack from Vegetarians, Vegans and animal activists. To strengthen their arguments against meat they claim that eating meat is bad for our health as well as the environment.  
 
I googled PETA to learn their reasons why we should stop eating meat. Even pledge to not eat meat ever again!  
 
One of the reasons they say why we should immediately stop eating meat is because it causes type 2 diabetes!  
 
That meat consumption causes type 2 diabetes is an outright lie!  
 
Type 2 Diabetes is a "modern" disease caused by our "modern" diet. It is caused by sugar, sugary drinks and refined carbohydrates. When we consume sugar or refined carbohydrates (refined carbohydrates quickly break down into simple sugars) our bodies secretes insulin which drives the sugar into our cells where it is being used to fuel our bodies. It is when we consume sugars several times a day over a long period of time that our bodies stop producing insulin and now we have type two diabetes.  
 
About fifty years ago and earlier when a medical doctor suspected type two diabetes in a patient they asked the patient to pee in a glass container. The doctor would then smell the pee and even dip a finger into the pee and taste it. If the pee smells and taste sweet it is a clear sign that the patient's body does not make insulin anymore.  
 
In my mother language type 2 diabetes is apply called "Sugar sickness" And this is what type 2 diabetes is, a sickness caused by overconsumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates.  
 
Type 2 diabetes can never be reversed. It can not be cured. The symptoms can be treated though with insulin or a much better way, eating meat! By replacing sugars and refined carbs with meat and animal fat, a type two diabetic can live a normal live without the need of insulin injections.  
 
Our livers are engineered to break down animal fat and slowly releases it as a very effective form of energy for our bodies that does not need or involve insulin. And this is why a type two diabetic can live symptom free as long as he/she avoids sugars and refined carbs and eat meat and animal fat instead.  
 
O and just in case you do not know it, sugars and refined carbs are 100% plant based. Thus saying that, all plant based diets are healthy and all meat based diets are unhealthy is a far cry from the truth.  
 
The question that comes to mind is, why would PETA and Vegetarians and Vegans revert to lies in order to promote their eating habit?

You're spot on about sugar.  
 
In regards to diet, it seems a low carb mainly plant based diet with some small animal protein portions is ideal for longevity. Paired with fasting this could greatly increase your lifespan.  
 
But i understand that can feel a little too restrictive for people. So perhaps just eat whatever diet makes you comfortable and avoid added sugars, especially juice =)

I would hesitate to lump in PETA with vegetarians on the whole, as a pretty big percentage of, well, anyone is aware PETA is both unreliable and extreme.  
 
Most vegetarians/vegans I know don't avoid meat because PETA says it causes diabetes - there's a lot of individual reasons to do so, and I don't exactly see what your issue is with that.  
 
Lately I see the two biggest pulls of meat reduction are ethical (they don't like animals being killed), and environmental (beef in particular is an incredible source of CO2). Don't really want to get into these, but I just wanted to point out that you seem pretty laser focused on the diabetes thing, which is maybe a bit of a strawman since it makes it easy to dismiss them as silly and uninformed when that isn't the case.  
 
Also out of curiosity, why does it matter? Beef farmers are not 'under attack' they are facing criticism, much like vegetarians do. You are welcome to eat meat if you want, why does somebody else's diet matter to you? The biggest short term change that could happen is higher prices due to lower demand and shifting subsidies, but I expect it'll be a while before that becomes dramatic.  
 
Lastly, and this is a personal one, I'm diabetic, and want to point out a couple issues with your des:cription. First off, when you describe type 2, your des:cription is more in line with type 1 (which is what I am.) Type 2's are pretty often not insulin dependent, as type 2's do still produce insulin, just process it less efficiently and have a resistance to it. Type 1's are the ones with absolutely no insulin produced, as their pancreas is dead. Type 1 is not caused by eating sugar (though that will increase your risk), in fact the causes are broadly unknown. Also, most meat, beef in particular, still contains carbohydrates and sugars.  
 
I'm not telling anyone not to eat meat, and I'd caution you against making sweeping generalizations that are maybe a bit misleading.  
 
Edited by MEPETAMINALS, 2020-10-07 07:29:08

The environmental benefits of raising cattle in western Canada have been researched and proven on a number of occasions and are clearly promoted by many organizations including Ducks Unlimited, Manitoba Habitat and heritage cooperation etc etc. The benefits are clear no question about it. Cows convert forages, grains and grass into palatable , healthy, nutritious food for humans, they are effectively solar powered.  
As far as diet is concerned health Canada guidelines clearly state that most people ( and I know some people have allergies) should consume a balanced diet consisting of items from all of the food groups and avoid highly processed foods, excessive sugar intake and reduce salt and alcohol consumption. Physicians have already noted that red meat and dairy products contain important minerals and nutrients that should be i:ncluded in your diet especially that of children.  
The problem as already noted is extremist misinformation from either end of the spectrum, people’s poor attitude and knowledge towards their food purchasing, preparation and eating habits and a propensity for convenience products.  
The popularity of fast food outlets and the fact that many people are not physically active enough doesn’t help either.