Should I go vegetarian?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

For health reasons.

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. I tried going veggie, I failed miserably.

If anything, the best thing to do is cut out red meat as much as possible and up your fish and poultry intake. I think the occasional veggie meal is refreshing, but I just couldn't make it a permanent lifestyle.

[PatriotGames]

3. I did it for a year...

I felt great and didn't get sick or a cold once. My mouth always felt "clean", if you know what I mean. If you eat fish, you are not a vegetarian, IMO.

Good luck!!! :)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

4. Of course you're not and welcome!

:hi:

[Beware the Beast Man]

9. Thanks!

Did I mention I could not prepare tofu to save my life?
By the way, welcome to DU, PatriotGames! :toast: :hi:

[jukes]

12. Hi, PatriotGames

welcome aboard!




:hi:

[Spinzonner]

2. How about going Veg-out instead

eliminates a lot of those difficult decisions

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

5. No. Go for meats with little fat. Avoid things fried. (nt)

[GumboYaYa]

6. I was a strict vegan for years.

I did not wear leather or anything made of animal products. I stopped that about ten years ago b/c I was becoming too damn militant about it. I dropped all my isms and decided just to live the most environmentally efficient life I personally can without having to identify with an ideology (if that makes any sense at all).

I still eat almost nothing but veggies, but I do own some leather products (and I'll leave it at that :) ).

One thing that is as important as what you eat is where your food comes from. Eating avocados from Argentina is almost as bad for the environmment as eating beef from Omaha. I buy all my food from small non-chain groceries or the local farmers market. We can and freeze veggies during the summer so we don't have to eat imported stuff over the winter.


<ON EDIT> I didn't see the "for health reaons." It is hard to get enough protein as a vegeterian., You can only do it if you are very conscious of what you eat. It requires combinations of legumes, nuts and grains to have a balanced diet. Some fish makes it much easier.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

7. Yeah - there's an organic healthfood store in town - that's where I shop

I just love the veggies

[chicaloca]

51. Actually, most people don't need as much protein as they think.

Plus, if you get too much protein, it inhibits your absorption of calcium, and a lot of omnivores get too much protein. That's why osteoporosis is so rare in Asian countries, even though they don't consume as much dairy. (Dairy has loads of protein as well as calcium, so it's not actually as good for calcium as most people think. But I still eat it.) :dunce:

[johnnie]

8. I was for about a year and a half

It was too hard to keep up with it because I didn't find the western world to be vegan friendly. I felt a lot better then, physically and emotionally. I eat meat now, but limit my intake. Maybe one day I will go back to it.

[phillybri]

10. Hell no!!!

Here's your first reason why:

http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com

Mmmmm.....Bison burger.....:9

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

11. I do love good barbecue. I'm not doing this as some sort of ideology

I wouldn't mind breaking the rule when good barbecue was on the menu.

[jukes]

13. Chav

i've been a vegetarian (except dairy) for 36 years, psychological reasons.

there are many drawbacks:

valid protein @ appropriate levels are hard to find, sans supp's.

dairy proteins are fat-rich & contain poisonous levels of cholesterol.

you have to answer *really* stupid questions all the time.

primates are omnivores, & you'll prol crave flesh.

you'll be very limited in some restaurants & dinner parties.

+, you'll get *so* bored w/ people saying, "i'm *almost* a vegetarian", i bet 75% of people i discuss it w/ make that ridic statement; veg'ism isn't quantitative.


if you don't have a compelling reason, don't bother

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

14. I did it for almost a year when I got together with my fiance

everybody said she got me to do it. People get VERY sensitive when you stick to a concept of eatingthat they don't subscibe to. Geez!

[jukes]

15. almost as bad

as discussing religion!




:evilgrin: :bounce: :evilgrin:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

16. I love it!

I just love the things people say!

Now talking music - oy vey!

[HuckleB]

18. Yes. Heck, some get very sensitive when you use an old push-reel mower...

instead of gas or electric. I never once advocated for others to do the same, but, oh, the nasty and snide comments that have come my way.

Bizarre.

I was vegetarian for a year or so, "for health reasons," about a decade ago. Since then, I eat meat about once a week or so, though, when I first started eating it again, it was much less often. I do eat fish a couple times week, as well. Do what you want to do, but I think there's a definite balance that can be found by eating some meat. I don't think that vegetarians are necessarily healthier than folks who eat some meat now and then. In fact, from a variety standpoint -- and variety of foods is one key to health -- a sometime meat eater does have more options, giving his or her body a bigger variety of types of protein and other nutrients.

Good luck in your search on this one.

[Mara Steele]

38. Have you ever heard of, or practiced macrobiotics?

I think there's a chance you might really appreciate it -- it's just a feeling I got. :)

Let me know if you're interested, I can recommend a few books for you.

(And it can be vegetarian or vegan, or include fish, depending on your preferences.

-- A lot of people who aren't ready for total vegetarianism will follow it w/fish.)

[curse10]

17. I'm vegetarian for moral reasons

I personally think that we'd all be better off as vegetarians. I don't have a problem getting protein. I don't need leather. And I found that most products that haven't been tested on animals are better quality.

I think people that do it for health reasons have a harder time sticking to the lifestyle. It's easier to slip up and say, oh, this one piece of bacon isn't that bad. I have a much easier time keeping with the diet. I've seen the pictures and read the stories and know the stats associated with meat eating. I don't even have cravings anymore. I get physically ill if I discovered that I accidently ingested an animal product.

If you are serious about sticking to it I say go for it. I think it's a wonderful lifestyle. And I have gotten wonderful health benefits as a result. I have more energy. My rheumatological conditions improved greatly when I gave up animal products. And I feel good about myself. I like knowing that animals didn't have to die because of me.

[SiouxJ]

21. And of course there's things like this

http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/nspills.asp

One of the reasons I've been veggie for over 10 years.

[chicaloca]

50. OMG, I love your Scott Adams sig!

I used to have it on my e-mail! :bounce:

[amazona]

19. it depends on your health issues but probably not

I was on a veggie diet for 3 years to fight allergies, and it did help immensely. However, it was a struggle to maintain a healthy weight without consuming tons of cheese, which is getting very expensive these days. A vegan diet is for many people part and parcel of anorexia, which kills many of its victims decades before its time. If going veggie is going to make you a food hysteric, I beg you, please don't do it. You get in a circle of being grossed-out by more and more foods, and it becomes very difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Underweight people don't stand a chance if they develop cancer and need chemo, and lots of anorexia victims die very young -- even in their 20s and 30s. So be very careful.

It really depends on your health issues. If you are overweight, certainly a low-fat vegan diet will cause you to lose weight. However, a low-fat diet has links to depression...ever notice how women who are lopsidedly more inclined to diet are also lopsidedly victims of depression? Be careful. A vegetarian diet can be good or bad, depends on you.

If you are going to continue eating fish and seafood, you are NOT a vegetarian, however, you are at a high risk for mercury, PCB contamination, and more which affects your brain if you consume too much farmed fish, especially Atlantic salmon. In any case, eating farmed Atlantic salmon is contributing to the destruction of the species, so please don't eat this species. You really have to be alert to be an informed fish buyer, and it is probably too much bother in the long run.

Don't eat trans-fat whatever you do. Butter and olive oil are the way to go. Avoid created fats.

On Edit-- Maybe I should make this more explicit but the only time I experienced more urges to commit acts of violence or even suicide was when I was on the vegetarian diet. It was comparable to what I experienced in my teen years when experimenting with amphetamines. Believe me, everyone around me was grateful when I recovered enough from my allergies to be able to eat meat again. I don't think we pay enough attention to the link between low fat diets and severe depression. If you do go veggie, I really can't stress enough how important it would be to add nuts. I couldn't afford nuts back then -- they are expensive -- and I didn't understand their importance. You need those Omega 3s. We didn't know that then. I might have been fine with nuts but I hope you understand that I am not inclined to experiment at the moment! If you must pursue a low fat diet to control obesity or other health issues, monitor your moods carefully. Do not blame those around you when you feel bad. It might be better to be 10 pounds heavier and not to be planning your firearms stockpile. I think my reaction is less rare than we imagine but who knows. Just keep an eye out.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

20. I think a vegetarian diet can be...

extremely healthy.

I have been a lacto/ovo (dairy and some eggs in baked goods) vegetarian for 16 years now. As with any diet, I think it is about moderation.

Any protein issues (worries about which can be a bit alarmist) can be addressed fairly easily with a good daily soy shake or bar and a good variety of nuts, legumes, and whole grains that create complete proteins. Contrary to protein myths, you do not have to work at having a completely protein in each and every meal (i.e., you must have rice and beans together), but eating the foods over the course of a day will allow your body to combine them naturally.

As for fats, if you are planning on eating fish, if you eat three servings of salmon a week, that should take care of your Omegas nicely. You can always suppliment with a tablespoon of flax seed oil a day, which is what I do.

As is always advised, eating a good variety of fruits, veggies, nuts, grains and, if your case, fish is the key to a good diet.

Dean Ornish has some great books/research out on the health benefits of the vegetarian diet. Though he does advocates a fully vegetarian diet, he says if you are going to be eating fish or chicken, use it almost it a compliment to a meal, not as the focus.

There is so much out there today in the meat/poultry industry that freaks me out -- the hormones, the antibiotics, the slaughterhouse conditions, the diseases -- that I am very happy I eat veg these days.

[tigereye]

22. I was a vegetarian for several years, as was my so

I even lived in a all vegetarian group houses. I think it is easier now to be one, than it was 15-20 years ago with many more options in the market and restaurancts, but I like poultry and meats occasionally and I got kind of bored after a while. I think there is a balance if you can attain it and there are certainly more recipes than there were back then.

I also like fish. I wasn't an ovolactarian, that would have been too hard. Just be flexible, that seems to work best.

One think, other people tend to smell like meat. Used to drive my so crazy.

[porphyrian]

23. Fish are horrible little insects. Eat the shit out of them. - n/t

[Gothic Sponge]

24. I've been a vegetarian for about 17 years

I lost count. I don't regret it. It's just hard at first trying to change your diet.

[sbj405]

25. I have been veggie for 5+ years

I am very active(including having trained for a marathon) and have never had a problem getting enough protein or other nutrients. I've never craved meat. Depending on where you live, it may be harder. I was just in Mississippi and had real problems finding anything decent to eat. There are enough protein substitutes and widely available products that I think it's a lot easier to do than 10 or 20 years ago. You don't even need to know how to cook tofu if you don't want to.

As for the stupid questions, you'll get used to them and have stock answers.

If you are unsure about going all the way, I recommend easing into it. Stop buying meat to prepare at home. Only eat it when out and then maybe only fish when you're out. Ease into it and I think you'll be happier and more successful.

Good luck with whatever you decided.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

29. The problem is I love to cook. So I can't do your eat out thing

But I will ease into it. Thanks!

[sbj405]

41. Oh, I cook most of the time. Totally, yes then.

Seems like no one really cooks anymore. That's usually the complaint I hear about being veggie - "It's too much work." I have a ton of veggie cookbooks and several years worth of Vegetarian Times. I just select stuff at random. Or I just grab things at the co-op and then find a way to prepare it.

Actually, I find that I eat more diverse foods since becoming veg.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

44. I am a proponent of the slow-food movement

I like to make EVERYTHING from scratch - I really put my love into it!

[Mara Steele]

26. Veggie w/fish... sounds like macro, maybe??

Have you read much on the macrobiotic diet? That's basically what I follow...

Though I'm not strict, 'cause I eat crap at parties & when I travel. :D

[Gothic Sponge]

27. Macro is when you only eat foods that are in season....correct?

[Mara Steele]

28. Yep, pretty much, and locally grown when possible.

There's also a big emphasis on whole grains like brown rice and barley; legumes; sea veggies; and naturally fermented foods like miso, sauerkraut, and sourdough bread.

It's a very complete nutritional philosophy, and I recommend that anyone who is seriously interested in nutrition look into it. :hi:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

30. I eat alot of brown rice and seaweed - so I think I'm on my way

My fiance and I make miso soup from scratch ALL THE TIME. Its our ichiban breakfast! :)

[Mara Steele]

33. Sounds excellent...can I come over?!? :-)

Miso's my favorite breakfast food, too.. :9

If you're interested, there's a really good intro to macrobiotics cookbook called "The Self-Healing Cookbook", written by Kristina Turner.

There are a lot of copies available used on Amazon.... I recommend it to all. :)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

39. Thank you, my dear

I'll check it out. How's your soap opera coming along, btw?

[Mara Steele]

42. Oh, as confusing as ever! Thanks for asking, though...

She's taking an ESL class at the tech college this summer, and I think I'm going to surprise her at the bus station when she arrives this afternoon.

She's only visiting for the summer, so even if she's just a buddy I sort of want to adopt her and give her a taste of American life, (the good stuff that is... Action movies, and good mexican food... :D)

Of course it doesn't hurt that she's a major cutie... :evilgrin:

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

43. It never does does it?

Sending my vibes your way - have fun!

- peace

[Gothic Sponge]

31. Sounds pretty much like my diet.

Can i come over to eat? Your post made me hungry! :)

[Mara Steele]

34. Sure, be sure to bring your appetite! :-)

....I make generous portions! :D

(Where do you live, anyway?)

[Gothic Sponge]

35. New York, Long Island (a repug haven)

Should i bring a trampoline? ;)

[Mara Steele]

36. Actually, I'm a lot stronger these days --

I was going through a weak period at the time of the injury, but now I think I could manage a trampoline pretty well, since I've been hiking quite a bit lately.

Hey, maybe you and ChavezSpeaks should hook up for eats! Sounds like us 3 all have similar tastes, but he's closer to you geographically... :hi:

[Gothic Sponge]

37. One of these years we should all have a big DU meet up.

Good to hear your leg is better. I walk about an hour a day, but i have to be careful...I hurt me leg on the treadmill once and it's never been quite the same.

[Mara Steele]

40. That would be great...

It might be hard to decide on a location, but I'd make the effort to attend, wherever it was. :)

[Gothic Sponge]

46. BTW

Why did you change your name?

[Mara Steele]

47. I never did like my old name...

And besides, when I get famous some day... I want everyone here to recognize me and buy my books and articles. :D :D

[Nikia]

32. Depends on what you like

I don't think that I ever could be vegetarian by choice. I don't like tofu or other soy products. I think most commercially made meat substitutes are disgusting. I don't like most legumes either. I feel drained when I don't eat for a few days in a row. If you are alright with that stuff that I don't like, which will give you enough protein, go for it.

[Kali]

45. # 6 gumboyaya had the best piece of advice in the whole string

"One thing that is as important as what you eat is where your food comes from. Eating avocados from Argentina is almost as bad for the environmment as eating beef from Omaha. I buy all my food from small non-chain groceries or the local farmers market. We can and freeze veggies during the summer so we don't have to eat imported stuff over the winter."

[chicaloca]

48. Why not?

I've been vegetarian for nine years, and I think most reasonable diets -- such as vegetarianism -- can be good if they're done right. For me, going vegetarian has made me pay a lot more attention to what I eat. Before, I knew shit-all about vitamins, and I wasn't getting nearly enough of anything until I gave up meat. I've also diversified my diet a lot since going vegetarian, because I now have to be more creative about what I eat. I've started eating Indian, Japanese, West African, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Ethiopian and Kurdish food, which I never would have done if I kept on going to burger joints. Plus I eat less now and don't feel like I'm digesting a brick after I've eaten. Ugh.

I also never missed meat very much after I went veggie. For a while I missed chicken, but now I don't.

Edited to add: Also, every time I go in to donate blood and they test my iron level, it's at something like 42 or 43 percent, which is the highest amount you can safely have. Leafy greens have loads of iron, so flip off anybody who tells you vegetarians don't get enough iron!

[Marvelous_Smarty]

49. Don't do it!

That will just leave that many more animals around that I'll have to eat!