Amy:

Most likely it means you've chewed your food well.  The corn kernels you see in poop are mostly just the cellulosic shell of the kernel, which humans don't have the enzymes to digest.  (No animals do.)

However, zein is still poor quality protein which we don't digest well, and corn, like most grains, is chock-full of phytate and other antinutrients (there's a reason corn gluten meal is used as an herbicide) -- so I can't recommend it as a food source even if you tolerate it well.

JS

Jake:

You're correct that my statement was somewhat unclear: CGM isn't an herbicide because of phytate, it's an herbicide because of the properties of the protein.

Yes, there are studies about phytate's anti-cancer properties...but there are myriad other compounds in vegetables, fruits, and meats (see:carnosine) which have stronger anti-cancer properties AND which don't prevent us from absorbing essential dietary minerals.

JS

Rebecca H:

We weren't "meant" to eat anything.  Evolution doesn't work that way.  What archaeology makes clear is that:

-We've provably been eating meat for millions of years (see: Bouri, Gona, Koobi Fora).  Even chimpanzees and bonobos eat monkeys, with great violence and relish.

-Eating meat allowed us to leave the tropical rainforests.  If we were vegetarians, we'd still be stuck in the trees of equatorial Africa.

-Eating meat allowed our brains to quadruple in size, at the expense of our ability to extract meaningful nutrition from raw plants (see: Expensive Tissue Hypothesis).

-Therefore, eating meat is, quite literally, what made us human. 

As far as improvements from your diet, I don't doubt you've experienced them.  But as the statistics clearly show, "vegetarianism" is far more closely associated with a lower intake of sugar, sweets, and processed junk, and a higher intake of vegetables and fruit -- which is a healthy practice for anyone -- and most "vegetarians" eat lots of meat anyway!  (Fish isn't a vegetable.) 

Given the myriad of positive dietary changes (no seed oils, no sugar, no refined grains, maximize vegetables, minimize whole grains) recommended by people like Ornish and Esselstyn, it's silly to ascribe the benefits to the lack of meat.

As far as "being vegetarian was the best diet for preventing heart disease", you might find this study interesting:

Mayo Clin Proc. 2003 Nov;78(11):1331-6.
Effect of a high saturated fat and no-starch diet on serum lipid subfractions in patients with documented atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
Hays JH, DiSabatino A, Gorman RT, Vincent S, Stillabower ME.

(This is just a starting point: I've got pages of references.)

And given the nutritional emptiness of grains relative to animal products, it's clear that you'd be even healthier if you ditched the grains altogether and incorporated some nutrient-rich animal foods in your diet (egg yolks, fatty fish, organ meats, etc.)

JS

Bec:

I can't possibly give useful advice without more information.

What kinds of meat have you experience this with?  Beef, pork, chicken, lamb?

Does the form of the meat make any difference?  Steak vs. hamburger vs. pot roast vs. chili?

What about broth?  Does soup made with beef or chicken stock cause problems?

What about collagen?  Does gelatin cause problems?

Finally, I assume you've been vegetarian or vegan for some time: how long?

JS

Molly:

Like I said above, "I'm not saying that no one should eat vegetables — I'm just busting a silly myth."

If your gut flora are healthy and in good balance, gut fermentation of a reasonable amount of vegetables (not beans or grains!) can produce some quantity of beneficial SCFAs (e.g. butyric acid).  And that's what's behind the recommendation for fermented vegetables: first, the bacteria that ferment them are (for the most part) beneficial, and can help populate your colon (or at least temporarily outcompete the bad ones, like Clostridium).  Second, they're pre-rotted — instead of having to ferment in your gut, they've already been fermented in a tank!

I love the Perfect Health Diet, by the way, and count the Jaminets as friends.  Note that they don't recommend you actually consume unlimited amounts of vegetables AFAIK — just that they don't count towards carbohydrate intake.

I haven't seen any evidence that insoluble fiber is good for you…the only controlled studies show either no effect or (not quite significant) increased mortality.  And the scare stores about toxic waste building up in your colon are complete baloney designed to sell you overpriced mixtures of psyllium husk, bentonite clay, and diuretics — or, even worse, high colonic enemas.

JS

Carol:

I'm glad I've been able to help you -- that's a big motivation for me to keep writing.  Do stick around!

JS

Mark:

I can't find any research that indicates pork is digested differently than other meats, and I can't think of any biochemical reason why it would be.

You might ask your friend where he found that particular piece of "information".  I guarantee it's of a piece with the other vegetarian myths, such as "John Wayne died with 40 pounds of meat in his colon" -- pure baloney made up to scare the uninformed.

JS