Reports from veterans of vegetarian and raw-food diets, veganism, fruitarianism, and instinctive eating, plus new science from paleolithic diet research and clinical nutrition. What's New on Beyond Veg Latest upload: ** 23 September 2012 ** FRANK TALK ABOUT VEGETARIAN, VEGAN & RAW-FOOD DIETS FROM LONG-TIME INSIDERS RESEARCH-BASED APPRAISALS OF ALTERNATIVE DIET LORE PALEODIET & PALEOLITHIC NUTRITION RETHINKING NATURAL HYGIENE (are the heavens falling?) WAKING UP FROM THE FRUITARIAN DREAMTIME BASIC INSTINCT FOR ANOPSOLOGY (Re-examining instinctive eating / instincto) SPECIAL TOPICS: NUTRITION PSYCHOLOGY OF IDEALISTIC DIETS DIETARY PROBLEMS IN THE REAL WORLD (Bios of vegetarians, ex-vegetarians, and others in search of health, not dogma...) EDIBLE EDITORIALS (on ethics, environment, and other things to make you go "hmmm...") BOOK REVIEWS COMMENTS & REACTIONS FROM READERS (hey, that's you) HUMOR & SATIRE LINKS TO OTHER SITES / LISTGROUPS SITE CONTRIBUTORS & ARTICLES BY AUTHOR CONTACT BEYOND VEG Response and reaction to site material sent to us will be considered as intended for possible posting and further comment from the editors of the site, unless you explicitly state otherwise. Be sure when you write with such commentary that you take care to represent your views as if intended for public consumption. A few abbreviations you will see on the site: SAD denotes "standard American diet" (a sad diet indeed), and its equivalent, SWD, signifies "standard Western diet." Veg*n (with an asterisk) is shorthand for "vegan and/or vegetarian." Why Beyond Veg was created-- (SOMEBODY finally had to) The material presented on this site comes from individuals with years of hard-won experience either practicing alternative diets or observing those who do. As you'll find, no two writers will necessarily agree on all topics. A unifying theme, however, is the intent to squarely acknowledge and discuss the sometimes serious problems that can occur on alternative diets but often go unreported, and to go beyond the simplistic dogmas readily available elsewhere--in fact almost everywhere--to "explain them away." A sense of admirable idealism is often a motivating factor encouraging people to take responsibility for their own health and to explore different diets. However, the development of emotional attachments to philosophies underlying such diets can often end up becoming far more important for some individuals than the results they obtain--or fail to. One result has been widespread refusal in the alternative diet community to face health and behavioral problems that may arise on these diets. A common thread in what you'll read here is that a kind of subjective, "blinded naturalism" has become more or less endemic in the vegetarian, raw-food, and alternative diet movements, which can lead to serious health troubles. We hope the range of views presented here will encourage--perhaps even force--you to think for yourself and go beyond the need for reliance on any single authority in evaluating the worth and workability of a diet. Especially if you have experienced problems yourself, you will know how crucial it is to remove the proverbial rose-colored glasses and face the issues discussed here openly, rationally, and realistically. Have suggestions or something to contribute? Although our time for email discussions is limited, we are interested in hearing your reactions to the material here. We would particularly like to hear from you if you see article ideas or topics we have missed that you believe could use investigation. We are also interested in expanding our section of case histories of people who have had significant problems on raw, vegetarian, vegan, or other alternative or "natural" diets, and how they solved them, whether by modifying the diet in some "unapproved" way while remaining vegetarian, or by moving on to a non-vegetarian one. (See our Dietary Problems in the Real World category, for examples of bios.) If the material on this site is of particular interest to you, and you are knowledgeable in science (esp. anthropology, nutrition, primatology, etc.) and/or you have relevant experience in alternative or vegan/vegetarian diets, and want to write for the site, we invite you to contact one of the site editors to discuss. (Use the link just below.) Serious inquiries only, please--we reserve the right to ignore queries that are frivolous or otherwise inappropriate for the thrust of this site, as stated just below. Please note that we specifically want articles that go beyond the typical "party line." Scientific research is preferred, but fair-minded anecdotal evidence is acceptable in areas where no relevant research is available. Note to hard-line types: Despite claims to the contrary, remember that anecdotal research is sometimes used (though perhaps more informally) in professional nutrition and even medicine, where it's referred to as "case studies." Also, the publication of anecdotal evidence is frequently responsible for uncovering areas later pursued in peer-reviewed research, and has its value when little formal knowledge of any kind is available. As many of the topics discussed on this site have been little-studied as yet in terms of rigorous research, it is our belief that anecdotal evidence in these areas is worthwhile, at the least, to stimulate interest and uncover topics worth a further look. All material that we use will be credited as appropriate. Send email to Beyond Veg (who to contact). C O P Y R I G H T S T A T E M E N T The articles on this site are copyrighted by their respective authors. Unsigned material including category page copy, article link blurbs, site logo, and site design is copyright © 1997-2002, 2007, 2010-2012 by the Beyond Veg site editor. Contact each writer directly for permission to republish in other media outside the Internet, such as print. Queries about reproduction elsewhere on the Internet itself should be directed to the site editor. Reproduction without permission is expressly prohibited. Reproduction of figures, graphs, and charts that have been reprinted within articles on this site by permission from other sources requires separate permission from the original publisher(s). # # # # # Obligatory medical disclaimer: Folks, it should go without saying, but we know and you know that you take full legal responsibility for whatever decisions you make regarding your own health care. What we offer on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The whole point here is that you think clearly for yourself and make your own decisions, with the input of a licensed health professional should you choose to consult one. So if you try to come back on us saying we attempted to convince you otherwise, you don't have a legal leg to stand on. Got it? What we all need is more individuals like yourself who will own up to their own doings and resist the temptation to contribute further to our ridiculously litigious society. (Spread the word!) Feedback | Links