NationStates Jolt Archive

First of all let's get a few things straight:
1.I have no moral qualm about killing animals, I recently bought a suede jacket.
2. I know for a fact that humans are omnivores.
3.See #1

I am considering adopting a vegatarian diet.
The primary reason is for health benefits, I am over-weight and its unhealthy. I barely consume meat anyway and I figure by cutting out the fat and cholesterol in meat I can lose weight and be healthier. I also have concerns regarding how meat is processed, and what is added to it; Pesticides, preservatives, Dyes etc.

I am looking for advice from vegetarians on how to adhere to a vegetarian diet. I have heard that vegetarians have to structure their diet in order to get a sufficient amount of protein and amino acids. How do I do this? I eat more fruit and grains than vegetables, but I do like Corn, Carrots, Potatoes, Peas, lettuce and beans....

Just don't expect your diet to miraculously solve your weight problems. It takes a combination of healthy eating and a solid routine of regular exercise. Just watch out for DOMS, it hurts like a motherfucker.

Just don't expect your diet to miraculously solve your weight problems. It takes a combination of healthy eating and a solid routine of regular exercise. Just watch out for DOMS, it hurts like a motherfucker.

what is DOMS? and yes I am going to start a gym routine...

On the positive side, you won't have to eat Spam anymore.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Happens when you haven't done any really strenuous physical activity for more than two months and then try to jump right back into it. At first you feel fine, but about ten to fifteen hours later, your leg muscles become horribly inflamed and you become a virtual cripple for 72 hours or so.

First of all let's get a few things straight:
1.I have no moral qualm about killing animals, I recently bought a suede jacket.
2. I know for a fact that humans are omnivores.
3.See #1

I am considering adopting a vegatarian diet.
The primary reason is for health benefits, I am over-weight and its unhealthy. I barely consume meat anyway and I figure by cutting out the fat and cholesterol in meat I can lose weight and be healthier. I also have concerns regarding how meat is processed, and what is added to it; Pesticides, preservatives, Dyes etc.

I am looking for advice from vegetarians on how to adhere to a vegetarian diet. I have heard that vegetarians have to structure their diet in order to get a sufficient amount of protein and amino acids. How do I do this? I eat more fruit and grains than vegetables, but I do like Corn, Carrots, Potatoes, Peas, lettuce and beans....

I've known some very fat vegetarians. The key is to eat a variety of things but not too much of anything.

Vegetarian diets aren't necessarily healthier. You can make them healthy by making sure that you get enough vitamins and so on from certain foods, but you can go through the same process with an omnivorous diet. The healthiest diet is a balanced diet that avoids trashy food, maybe cutting down on certain fats as well. And drink lots of water.

Vegetarian diets aren't necessarily healthier. You can make them healthy by making sure that you get enough vitamins and so on from certain foods, but you can go through the same process with an omnivorous diet. The healthiest diet is a balanced diet that avoids trashy food, maybe cutting down on certain fats as well. And drink lots of water.

The american Dietic association disagrees with you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian_nutrition

I've known some very fat vegetarians.
Yep. Meat (unprocessed meat, not hot dogs and the like) does not automatically have lots of calories. You can do a very low calorie diet with lean meat and veggies (even more so with fish), and you can do a very high calorie diet with strictly vegetarian casseroles smothered in cream.

So go vegetarian if you want to, but don't fool yourself into thinking you will lose weight by doing that.

I've known some very fat vegetarians. The key is to eat a variety of things but not too much of anything.

Consider that the primary food sumo wrestlers eat in large quantities to gain weight is plain rice.

Honestly, your best bet is to consult a doctor. He or she will be able to tell you what you need and how to get it on a vegetarian diet. Just don't let them prescribe away your troubles with a bottle of supplement pills.

Some general advice; iron is one of the big problems on a vegetarian diet. For the first few months, you can ride your iron from your previous diet if your levels are decent, but if you don't make sure you get a regular intake after that, it'll leave you feeling fatigued and run down.

So, what you can do is make sure you get plenty of vitamin C from oranges and the like, as this helps with iron absorption. Then, some vegies that are good for iron are spinach (or silverbeet, depending on where you live), brocoli, beetroot, kidney beans. There are others, but I find these are my main sources. For protein, you can hit eggs if you'll be keeping them in your diet. Nuts are also an excellent source as are soy products and dairy (again, if you'll be having dairy.) Even grains like wheat and barely are good for protein. But the trick is that most of the proteins you'll be getting are "incomplete" proteins, which means they will lack one or more essential amino acids, so you'll need to eat a balanced variety of these foods to get what you need.

Remember, though, that a vegetarian diet can still pack a LOT of carbohydrates, so you will need to watch that as well as the raw fat if you want to get your weight down.

Hope that helped a bit. Good luck!

I am considering adopting a vegatarian diet. . How do I do this? I eat more fruit and grains than vegetables, but I do like Corn, Carrots, Potatoes, Peas, lettuce and beans....

Don't worry. Have curry. :)

Don't worry. Have curry. :)

I was about to say, that if vegetarianism was bad for your health, there wouldn't be so many people in India.

If you want to loose weight, go for a lot orf raw veggies and fruit. You will need to keep dairy in your diet as a source of protein, but cut down on it as far as possible.
Eat raw veggies, and eat lots of them. They have very little calories, eat as much as you like. It'll help you not to feel hungry and then eat unhealthy stuff. Always keep the carrot sticks, apples, celery, grapes, oranges, tomatoes, cucumbers, pears, mangoes and all the other goodies at hand :)

Honestly, your best bet is to consult a doctor. He or she will be able to tell you what you need and how to get it on a vegetarian diet. Just don't let them prescribe away your troubles with a bottle of supplement pills.

Some general advice; iron is one of the big problems on a vegetarian diet. For the first few months, you can ride your iron from your previous diet if your levels are decent, but if you don't make sure you get a regular intake after that, it'll leave you feeling fatigued and run down.

So, what you can do is make sure you get plenty of vitamin C from oranges and the like, as this helps with iron absorption. Then, some vegies that are good for iron are spinach (or silverbeet, depending on where you live), brocoli, beetroot, kidney beans. There are others, but I find these are my main sources. For protein, you can hit eggs if you'll be keeping them in your diet. Nuts are also an excellent source as are soy products and dairy (again, if you'll be having dairy.) Even grains like wheat and barely are good for protein. But the trick is that most of the proteins you'll be getting are "incomplete" proteins, which means they will lack one or more essential amino acids, so you'll need to eat a balanced variety of these foods to get what you need.

Remember, though, that a vegetarian diet can still pack a LOT of carbohydrates, so you will need to watch that as well as the raw fat if you want to get your weight down.

Hope that helped a bit. Good luck!


Thanks,

I've heard that egg yolks are terrible for you, do the whites have protein? My doctor said that milk and other dairy products are also unhealthy...

again, I have NO qualm about animals, if my neighbor was planning on running an endangered manatee through a woodchipper in his yard, the only problem I would have is if the giblets got in my yard...

The american Dietic association disagrees with you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian_nutrition

They don't quite. They just emphasise different points. The Wiki article talks of the need for a well-planned food intake, and many of its claims are qualified by "if" clauses. For example:

The typical vegetarian and vegan gets adequate protein if caloric intake is adequate and a variety of foods are eaten.

In general people - vegetarian or otherwise - tend to do less proper food planning than they should. Eating a normal omnivorous diet requires little effort of thought and planning and is perfectly healthy. Eating a vegetarian diet requires that you watch the intake of some of your vitamins (e.g. B12) on a daily basis in order to be healthy.

I didn't say that vegetarianism was less healthy, only that switching to vegetarianism will be no healthier unless you improve your food discipline - and you can probably get similar benefits by simply improving your omnivorous food discipline.

Thanks,

I've heard that egg yolks are terrible for you, do the whites have protein? My doctor said that milk and other dairy products are also unhealthy...

again, I have NO qualm about animals, if my neighbor was planning on running an endangered manatee through a woodchipper in his yard, the only problem I would have is if the giblets got in my yard...

Get another opinion, perhaps from a nutritionist. Most doctors are not trained in that area, and your doctor's contention that milk and other dairy products are unhealthy is untrue. Egg yolks are not terrible for you, they contain proteins and, it's true, fats, but in moderation (no more than three a week) they are fine.

The american Dietic association disagrees with you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian_nutrition

Not really... balanced vegetarian diets are 'good for you'... but then so are 'balanced' anything diets... it is the balance that matters.

The idea that the veggie option is BETTER for you, hinges on an assumption that has yet to be proved... that is - that the better average health of vegetarians is CAUSED by their diet.

The problem is - many people switch to vegetarianism as PART of a program... exercise, diet, cutting out sugar and popdrinks, etc... thus, it is hard to accurately assess just how much of their 'fitness' is caused by their choice to be vegetarian.

The one thing that seems to have remained consistent over many years of changes in dietary advice, is that EXERCISE is important. So - get regular and effective exercise, eat a reasonable and balanced diet, and try to cut out the 'processed' foods.

Thanks,

I've heard that egg yolks are terrible for you, do the whites have protein? My doctor said that milk and other dairy products are also unhealthy...

again, I have NO qualm about animals, if my neighbor was planning on running an endangered manatee through a woodchipper in his yard, the only problem I would have is if the giblets got in my yard...

I believe they're fine in moderation. Some people, even if they are taking up a vegetarian diet purely for health reasons, will cut these things out. It's not strictly necessary. The main problem with both eggs and dairy (and, indeed, meat) in a "normal" Western diet is that we tend to eat so bloody MUCH of it. There is a reason non-Westerners say we smell like cheese!

Egg yolks are fine, as far as I know, as long as you limit your consumption. Whites do have protein, but less than the yolk, and they are less full of packed-ib energy, so if you'll be wanting egg product a lot, stick to whites most of the time. Otherwise, a couple of whole eggs a week isn't going to do any damage.

while too much red meat and other fatty stuff can lead to gout and other problems, meat has as much protein as a huge amount of vegetables, so you should eat it occasionally.

Eat alot of celery. Celery has negative calories because it takes more energy to digest it than to consume it. For protiens, eat nuts as a snack and the occasional protien shake (or multivitamins if you can afford them). Read vegetarian recepies on the internet (goveg.com), most are very simple to make and dont take much time. If you go out to eat alot, stick with Thai places, most thai food is completely vegan with no meat (which is very good for you). Note that tofu is the most versatile food ever, and one of the healthiest things you can eat (water and pomegranite juice being the healtiest things you can drink).

Also drink lots and lots of ice cold water. Ice water is good for you because it lowers your body temperature and your body has to burn calories to warm it back up. Exercise is good too but don't just jump into it, just take it real easy for a while till you're ready to step things up. Exercise will make you really hungry so be sure to eat like a granola bar or two afterward (but always have a waterbottle with you)

I've been vegetarian for 4 years now (actually, lacto-vegan) for mainly animal reasons but I think the health benefits are the best perks you can recieve. I am very glad you have considered becoming vegetarian and I hope I could help you!

As a vegetarian, I have this to say:

Being vegetarian is not healthier.

If you want to be in better shape, and that means weighing less, you should cut out all junk food, all processed foods, and dairy foods.

Just doing that will make you feel a lot better.

Other diet tips include eating whole foods. That means eating the skin of the fruit, if edible; eating whole wheat, brown long-grain rice, and other whole grains, no juice, etc.

Raw fruits and vegetables: it's very hard to eat too much of these. Some may not agree with your system. In fact, many vegetarians have more gas than omnivores. You may want to watch which foods give you gas.

The most important thing to do is watch how your body reacts to different foods and diets.

As a vegetarian, I have this to say:

Being vegetarian is not healthier.

If you want to be in better shape, and that means weighing less, you should cut out all junk food, all processed foods, and dairy foods.

Just doing that will make you feel a lot better.

Other diet tips include eating whole foods. That means eating the skin of the fruit, if edible; eating whole wheat, brown long-grain rice, and other whole grains, no juice, etc.

Raw fruits and vegetables: it's very hard to eat too much of these. Some may not agree with your system. In fact, many vegetarians have more gas than omnivores. You may want to watch which foods give you gas.

The most important thing to do is watch how your body reacts to different foods and diets.

Exactly. I was vegetarian for a couple of years. It isn't whether you eat meat or not that seems to be important... it's how well you eat in terms of quality of foods, how much crap is added to them, etc... and how much exercise you get.

Things like whole grains, and cutting out the heavily processed foods, makes a world of difference... along with cutting out all that extra sugar we eat... in everything from candy (obviously) to baked beans.

Get another opinion, perhaps from a nutritionist. Most doctors are not trained in that area, and your doctor's contention that milk and other dairy products are unhealthy is untrue. Egg yolks are not terrible for you, they contain proteins and, it's true, fats, but in moderation (no more than three a week) they are fine.

Yolks have loads of cholesterol, and my doctor said milk(and concentrated milk solids, cheese) is extremely high in fat, and is meant for babies and small children. He said a high diary diet in adults can lead to high cholesterol, hypertension and obesity....

Yolks have loads of cholesterol, and my doctor said milk(and concentrated milk solids, cheese) is extremely high in fat, and is meant for babies and small children. He said a high diary diet in adults can lead to high cholesterol, hypertension and obesity....

Doctors do differ, mine says that a diet with moderate amounts of low-fat dairy is not unhealthy.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/bigpot6.jpg

Just thought that would make a nice addition to this thread.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/bigpot6.jpg

Just thought that would make a nice addition to this thread.

I was expecting that one, what took you so long?

Egg whites are virtually completely protein. They are also the highest quality protein, with a 96 compatibility score. Most meats are in the 80's, and grains/legumes are in the 60's and 70's. The Yolk in mostly fats; it also has a lot of vitamin E and cholesterol.

Dairy products are usually very healthy foods. They're by far the best source of calcium in the diet and they also have many other important nutrients and vitamins. Milkfat, however, is one of the most unhealthy fats. It is high in saturated fats and lactic acid, which is the worst of the saturated fats. Cheese is so unhealthy because it's so high in milkfat. A lot of vegitarian dishes use cheese instead of meat, so I'd watch out for that.

If you're going to go vegitarian make sure to eat soy or beans (or lentils...lentils are so delicious..mmmm). This way you'll probobly get all the amino acids you need; make sure to eat both legumes(beans/soy/lentils) and grains to get both complimentary proteins. Some of the soy substitutes(soy chees, soysauge, etc) are also high in fat and calories, so watch out for that.
There are also some foods, like nuts, that are very healthy but are very high in calories. If you just want to lose weight you might avoid them, but once you get near your goal they could be a good food to have in your diet.

Good luck to you on your vegatarianism. I've considered it myself before and still toy with it sometimes. I mainly would just do it to try something new though, not for any ethical or health reasons.

just look at the multitudes of vegetarian health sites online.

also, enjoy all the ridicule and constantly explaining (and again reexplaining) your diet to people.

btw I am vegetarian too

So go vegetarian if you want to, but don't fool yourself into thinking you will lose weight by doing that.


Actually, (s)he might. I find that most vegitarians (including myself) are healthier because you actually have to notice what you are eating and when you don't get enough protien/iron you notice because you get weak and dizzy which makes it a lot harder to ignore.
I recommend a vegitarian cookbook. Vegitarian buritos are good (try for homemade) and pasta with salad is easy and quick and all that. Beside the peanutbutter and jam sandwhichs are your friend.

Actually, (s)he might. I find that most vegitarians (including myself) are healthier because you actually have to notice what you are eating and when you don't get enough protien/iron you notice because you get weak and dizzy which makes it a lot harder to ignore.
I recommend a vegitarian cookbook. Vegitarian buritos are good (try for homemade) and pasta with salad is easy and quick and all that. Beside the peanutbutter and jam sandwhichs are your friend.



yep my wife lost 20 pounds in 3 months after going vegetarian

.
The primary reason is for health benefits, I am over-weight and its unhealthy. I barely consume meat anyway and I figure by cutting out the fat and cholesterol in meat I can lose weight and be healthier. I also have concerns regarding how meat is processed, and what is added to it; Pesticides, preservatives, Dyes etc.

If you barely consume meat, doesn't that make it kind of obvious that meat is not the cause of your poor health?

If you barely consume meat, doesn't that make it kind of obvious that meat is not the cause of your poor health?

hhmmm... I don't know, Whats the average rate of consumption of meat.....I typically have it once per day

hhmmm... I don't know, Whats the average rate of consumption of meat.....I typically have it once per day

*shrug* I eat meat at 100% of my meals (...then again, I only eat once per day...), and I'm pretty healthy.

How much do you exercise?

*shrug* I eat meat at 100% of my meals (...then again, I only eat once per day...), and I'm pretty healthy.

How much do you exercise?

about a 45 minute to an hour bike ride everyday, but i'm getting raped by genetics, almost all my family is over-weight if not obese(how typically american:mad:) My grandfather died when he was 51 of a heart-attack.
My other grandpa has had 3 minor heart-attacks.

About six years ago, I developed moral issues with eating meat, so I've been a vegetarian for a quarter of my life. I think that qualifies me to give an opinion.

Personally, I like soy milk. Soy is going to be your chief source of complete proteins, so grow to like it. Some people think there are estrogens in it, but I haven't sprouted a pair of tits.

If you want to go fully vegan, beans and corn combine to form complete proteins. I haven't gone that far, but I'm not ruling anything out at this point.

I find that Arab and Indian cuisines are very friendly to vegetarians, so look into them (but watch out for the ones with meat!)

Good luck in your conversion to vegetarianism.

Why??

Why??

nice knee-jerk, read the title only eh?

read the OP

It was the bacon buttie that did for me.

I lasted 6 months as a veggie and realised that I actually quite like meat and food in general. Doesn't mean I won't eat veggie...food is food....

I really do think the most important things are moderation and exercise. Physical and mental.

how much soda do you drink?

soda is a huge contributing factor to obesity.

i knew a guy that lost some weight (he was HUGE) by cutting soda out of his diet.

how much soda do you drink?

soda is a huge contributing factor to obesity.

i knew a guy that lost some weight (he was HUGE) by cutting soda out of his diet.

Actually, not a bad notion. Look for those things that you eat that are empty calories - soda, donuts, things containing massive amounts of refined sugars and so forth. Start eliminating them from your diet one by one. For instance, I started with donuts and cokes. I lost weight, albeit slowly. I stopped using sugar in my tea and coffee and started using Equal. The weight loss continued. It doesn't have to be a big change, just a well-though-out change.

how much soda do you drink?

soda is a huge contributing factor to obesity.

i knew a guy that lost some weight (he was HUGE) by cutting soda out of his diet.

Cornstarch....evil evil evil

Actually, not a bad notion. Look for those things that you eat that are empty calories - soda, donuts, things containing massive amounts of refined sugars and so forth. Start eliminating them from your diet one by one. For instance, I started with donuts and cokes. I lost weight, albeit slowly. I stopped using sugar in my tea and coffee and started using Equal. The weight loss continued. It doesn't have to be a big change, just a well-though-out change.

I have a friend who consistently lost impressive amounts of weight JUST by cutting out the carbonated drinks, coffee, potato chips (crisps - he's English), and chocolate from his diet. He maintained his normal diet and 'exercise' apart from that.... which wasn't too healthy, but not ridiculous. A lot of pasta and rice in meals, and he cycled to and from work, as he had been doing... maybe a couple of miles each way.