Vegetarians: Beware That Glass of Wine

A butcher, hunter, and rancher discuss the ethics of eating animals

(NEWSER) - For long stretches of their lives, Nicolette Niman, Tovar Cerulli and Joshua Applestone were all vegetarians or vegans. Now, they’re a rancher, a hunter, and a butcher, respectively, who “firmly believe food from animals can be healthful, environmentally appropriate, and ethical,” they write in the Atlantic . Their stories:

• Nicolette: She became vegan “after hearing that beef was deforesting the Amazon,” but eventually “learned that animals were essential to sustainable farms.” They increase soil fertility and convert otherwise inedible vegetation and uncultivated land into food.
• Tovar: He became a vegan after listening to Buddhist teachings, but eventually “realized that all food has its costs. From habitat destruction to combines that inadvertently mince rabbits … crop production is far from harmless.” What matters, he decided, “wasn’t what we ate, but how that food came to our plates.”
• Joshua: He was a vegetarian until he met his wife and opened a meat company. “Once I saw how the meat we were selling had been raised, and met the farmers who were striving to raise animals sustainably … I realized I didn’t have a problem with meat. I had a problem with the inhumane practices of the commercial meat industry."

Those who undertake diet to lose weight are at risk

(NEWSER) - For most vegans, their diet is a way to avoid animal products, but for some, it’s become a way to avoid food—period. Veganism is becoming more popular in America, where 5% of the population follows the no-animal-products diet. Most of those people are making a healthy choice, writes Danielle Friedman for the Daily Beast . But for those prone to eating disorders, veganism can quickly become dangerous, because it can mask or trigger anorexia or bulimia. More»

Drop meat once a week: Mark Bittman

(NEWSER) - "Lose weight" tends to make a whole lot of Americans' lists of New Year's resolutions. But Mark Bittman has a news flash for you: What we all really need to do is not obsess over dieting, but "eat better." And to do so, all we need to do is turn a little bit vegan. If the thought of avoiding all animal products, from meat to eggs to honey, strikes fear into your heart, don't worry: First of all, if you've ever eaten peanut butter and jelly for lunch, you've eaten a vegan meal. And going "semi-vegan" is as easy as cutting meat out of your meal once a week, writes Bittman for the New York Times . More»

Plus: five famous meat lovers

(NEWSER) - Tobey Maguire wasn’t happy with the luxurious Mercedes he was given to use while filming in Australia, so he sent it back—but not because he’s a spoiled Hollywood star. Rather, Maguire is a vegan and took issue with the car’s leather seats, Australia’s Daily Telegraph reports. Maguire, who is filming The Great Gatsby, requested vinyl upholstery instead. But though he doesn’t eat meat, many of his colleagues do— The Frisky lists five who seem to particularly love it: More»

Couple's baby died after being fed only soy milk, apple juice

(NEWSER) - In April 2004, the 6-week-old son of Jade Sanders and Lamont Thomas starved to death, and Georgia’s top court today upheld the couple’s murder convictions and life sentences from 2007. A court initially found the first-time parents guilty of murder after investigators discovered they fed the boy mostly soy milk and apple juice in an attempt to adhere to a vegan lifestyle, the AP reports. More»