Veganism and the pursue of nursing

Flyboy17 · Jan 22, 2015

Chances are you will have patients or coworkers that have a background in agriculture (which highly depends on the area of the country you are in), and typically those people don't take kindly to someone making comments or even slight inferences to them being involved in cruel or inhumane treatment of animals. It is a really fine line that you need to be cognizant of, especially if you have your own strong feelings against the use of animals for meat.
People who are involved in ranching or farming also have a "profound love for animals", so be really careful on assuming that your love is higher than the rest of us because you choose not to eat meat or animal products.
Like religion or politics, as a professional, you need to completely shelve all of your personal opinions.

Very Well said. As a Beef cattle farmer myself and member of one of the largest Ag producing counties in the state of VA you hit the nail on the head.

Pink Magnolia, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2015

If you are vegan and are against using animal products, it may find it troubling to administer vaccines that use animals during production. Here is an interesting read that contains a brief discussion on vaccine production. Also, I do advocate for people to vaccinate their children... Are Vaccines Vegan? What Are They Made Of and How Are They Produced?

estrellaCR, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2015

I think the issue with veganism is that people are not properly informed of the benefits and/or do no eat properly. Once you stop eating meat , you find out all the other food is available that you never knew existed. That is if you research it. If not then you find yourself very limited. And broccoli (as brought up by another poster) has protein but not as much as beans, or nuts, broccoli is used mostly for the vitamins. So trying to eat many cups of broccoli is ridiculous. I am working on becoming vegan (was vegetarian for many years and a few months ago cut out eggs and cheese after more research, that being scientific and medical websites) and have a few coworkers that are vegan. And our blood tests are always withing normal limits, have energy, and are quite healthy. There are professional athletes including marathoner winners that are vegan so you will not turn to jelly if cut out animal products :)

In terms of working with patients, I do not bring up vegan unless they ask me do i eat or like certain food. I give them information but do not push the viewpoint on them. They have some info...either they can use it or continue their usual. Also people think veg diet is unpalatable, well if you know how to cook it...it is tasty. But most places cafeterias at school, work, etc present veggies as boiled tasteless greens...no wonder many people have the concept of veggies = yuck.

As an aside, I found through research that animal products cause many chronic illnesses diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers. I believe this is due to excess eating of meats, eggs, and dairy. And of course many of these products come from factory farms , where animals are not raised in a natural way, have substances inject into them, and often mistreated. Organic farms where animals are treated well, fed natural diets, no hormones/antibiotics injected into them are a much better option for those who eat animal products. Unfortunately the government does not subsidize organic farmers so organic products are many times out of reach for those of low to middle income

I think products such as eggs used for medical necessity is valid as there is no other option for the flu vaccine. However meats as necessary for health is not quite valid. People can be in great health without need for meats and dairy. Medical schools teach limited nutrition and also the USDA food pyramid is not very accommodating to alternative diets as non-animal proteins are not promoted like animal proteins are. Animal proteins if someone decides to eat them, should be in moderation a few times a week at most... excess meats/dairy/eggs have shown to cause chronic illnesses and cancers as per many medical journal articles.

This is some info i have learned in my search for alternative eating. I respect all people regardless of their food choice. As healthcare workers, we are there to support the patients. We can always answer their questions if we are asked however we should not lecture them on that is not good for you. You can give helpful advice in a non-offensive way...for example, patient that often eats fried chicken (family brings in from outside) we can guide them to better and variety of choices to help with their diabetes and/or hypertension. Basically people are misinformed about veg/vegan but it is not our job to lecture them however we can offer information in an unbiased manner if patients request it...if they want to use it or not, its up to them.

Flyboy17 · Jan 22, 2015

" And of course many of these products come from factory farms , where animals are not raised in a natural way, have substances inject into them, and often mistreated. Organic farms where animals are treated well, fed natural diets, no hormones/antibiotics injected into them are a much better option for those who eat animal products. Unfortunately the government does not subsidize organic farmers"

EstrellaCR- I must say that this is not the place to have proper food debate and I in no way am disregarding your knowledge. But I must say your quote regarding animals given hormones and antibiotics and being mistreated unless they are organic is horribly untrue bad information that you are giving out. I have been a beef farmer for 20 years. I do not use hormones on any of my cattle and goats because it is an unnessary exspense. But I will tell you that the hormone given is estrogen which increases bone growth in livestock. Many vegatables have some times 100 times more estrogen like molecules in them than beef or dairy products treated with estrogen (i.e. soy products.) I only say dairy and Beef cattle because it is against the law to give hormones to chickens per USDA guidlines

Antibiotics are given to animals but only when needed. The USDA also has extremely strict guidelines for animals given antibiotics. This however is untrue in the poultry industry which is given antibitocs for gut flora to digest foods better, even back yards chickens sometimes need these antibiotics for their gut. The neat thing about this is that it never leaves the gut and is not absorbed into the meat.

I am all about a healthy vegetable rich diet. But be sure that you have all data available before you bad mouth an entire industry.

I recommend that you at least read a very eye opening and accurate blog.

https://thetruthaboutag.wordpress.com/

resqbug · Jan 22, 2015

As an aside, I found through research that animal products cause many chronic illnesses diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers. I believe this is due to excess eating of meats, eggs, and dairy. And of course many of these products come from factory farms , where animals are not raised in a natural way, have substances inject into them, and often mistreated. Organic farms where animals are treated well, fed natural diets, no hormones/antibiotics injected into them are a much better option for those who eat animal products. Unfortunately the government does not subsidize organic farmers so organic products are many times out of reach for those of low to middle income

You could not be more misguided on your assumptions of modern agriculture. 98% of farms in this country are family owned, not factory farms. The substances you speak of them being injected with would be antibiotics or medications to help with acute illnesses. SOME cattle producers still use hormone implants, but many do not. Guess what? Cattle raised by family farms can be entirely grassfed (or, as you like to say, "natural") and either finished on grass only or grain-fed only prior to being harvest. Furthermore, your quote about "often mistreated" is way off base and incredibly insulting.

Organic farmers DO use antibiotics, and honestly, as a nurse I don't know how you wouldn't see the cruelty in letting an animal suffer from an illness that could be treated with antibiotics. All meat animals that have been treated with antibiotics have a mandatory withdrawal period before they can be harvested. Organic farmers CAN and DO use pesticides on crops, the only difference being that organic chemicals are not synthetic. Because these chemicals are not nearly as effective as synthetic ones, organic farmers actually have to use MORE product on the fields to yield the same result.

I grew up in production agriculture and hold two bachelor's degrees in the field. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why organic food lovers can't help but slam an industry they know nothing about and cite baseless "facts" to promote their agenda. If you are a vegan or if the "natural" or "organic" labels make you feel warm and fuzzy inside about your eating choices - fine - but know your facts before resorting to demeaning one side of the industry as inferior.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 22, 2015

unfortunately not quite. :/ flu shots contain egg protein, and depending on the type are incubated either in egg or mammal/insect cells.

The FACT remains, that no one is going to penalize one who is a vegan, that was my point, especially if you were paying attention to my follow up post and the OP's question and the poster I responded to. :)

Again, still a non-issue...

tyvin, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2015

Hopefully you're watching your oxalate intake and being watchful of goitrogens as many who start their road to being vegan often don't investigate the downfalls of said pursuit. Don't get me wrong, I am what I call a dirty vegetarian, meaning; since I can't afford an all vegan diet I will include greek yogurt, scrambled eggs, glass of milk here and there, etc... to be able to get my total protein in. Where I live a vegan diet is super expensive.

None the less, I try as I can to get my raw green smoothies in. When I started my raw diet about 6 months into it I started feeling extremely tired. I have hypothyroidism and have had a recent bout with kidney stones. After a lot of research I found out about goitrogens and oxalates.

It was the kale that was doing me in. Kale is a goitrogen and is also very high in oxalates when not cooked for 25" or more (throw water out to get rid of oxalates and goitrogen stuff). I couldn't believe my beautiful dark raw curly kale which I was putting in all smoothies due to it's protein content was actually hurting me; plus the other goitrogens and high oxalate fruits and veggies.

A goitrogen suppresses the thyroid gland by stopping iodine uptake. People who have thyroid concerns or people who want to be smart shouldn't be loading up on raw goitrogens everyday (do a search for goitrogens, usually dark green leafy veggies, soy products). People can cook them but who wants a cooked mushy kale in a green smoothie. You could supplement with iodine and steam partially to get more of the bad stuff out and reduce the goitrogens to twice a week...so sad, my super veggie with protein, Ca+, Vit C, etc... I just cut it out and now post 2 weeks I'm starting to get back some of my zing back; the raw kale almost did me in due to me eating it everyday.

Oxalates are common in all fruits, nuts, veggies, etc... It seems curious that my kidney stone introduction started a year after I cut out meat and was for the most part doing green smoothies daily. My kidney stones are oxalate/Ca+, which almost 75% of people who have stones are oxalate/Ca+ or phosphate. The research indicates that it's the meat eaters that are the stone makers and that's it's low for the green smoothie crowd. Due to my bout with now 2 bouts of kidney stones I am electing to do low oxalate smoothies and balance everything with Ca+, Mg supps.

Being an RN I had no idea how much I didn't know about food! Veggies and other foods also contain phytonutrients, flavonoids, and antioxidants, which research is showing their ability to heal the body. It's a fascinating field! Just be careful with the oxalates and goitrogens; know your food. :)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.todaysdietitian.com%2Fnewarchives%2F090313p70.shtml&ei=U3LBVIm7NNLqoASXyYKoCw&usg=AFQjCNFJ0ZbGzADvG7jVzLM06YBZnDT8Cg&sig2=8D-_hS7rCya0zIVySVQkgg&bvm=bv.84349003,d.cGU

To answer your question, why in the world would you think the way you eat has anything to do with your profession...this is America. It's your health that has to do with the way you eat....later

Don't forget the fluids!

estrellaCR, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2015

When I mean "organic farmers" I mean those that do not do the work of factory farms. So organic farmers to me are the local family farmers with traditional methods of farming. Factory farms are those that are industrial based, keep animals in cages and extremely tight quarters therefore making a breeding ground for diseases which is why they get antibiotics (frequent antibiotic use leads to diseases becoming resistance to antibiotics which is dangerous), and hormones and feed the animals are given makes them way too heavy for their legs to hold. That is what I meant when I say factory farms. I do not understand why people feel attacked as obviously the local and family farmers are not factory farms. It serves to be informed on the other types of farms that supply food. Im sorry if anyone felt insulted but please note i stated factory farms and not any other type of farmer.

And this thread is about nursing as a vegan. So i just gave my two cents and I did not disrespect anyone's food choices. We let the OP know that being a vegan does not interfere with her job as long as she does not push her views. If asked her views she can state them in an unbiased way.

As i respect the good family local farmers, please also respect me. Im am not pushing an agenda. I said there should be more farmers that follow proper animal raising which in turn provides better food product for those who choose to eat that.

estrellaCR, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2015

Tyvin, i think u had too much raw veggies that's why it lead to some issues. Too much of anything, even a good thing is not good. Eat variety of vegan food (if you are pursuing vegan). Limiting food (for example, only raw veggies, only bread and butter and chips, etc) is what causes many people on alternative eating to fall ill...you have many proteins to choose from as well as calcium sources (a science article on milk not being all that good was out i think 3 months ago, dairy people please dont bash me. If people really want dairy, in small amounts it is ok but too much has bad effects). If patients ever ask any advise on vegan or veget, we can give them advise to not limit themselves to only a few foods because that is when the benefit will not last. People also need some oils in their system...a little fried food is not bad.

Sisyphus_01 · Jan 23, 2015

*pursuit

Crumble · Jan 23, 2015

I was forced to eat a full steak before they let me in to my nursing program...

Red Kryptonite · Jan 23, 2015

I was forced to eat a full steak before they let me in to my nursing program...

Sign me up! :up: