Any vegetarians out there??

I have been doing alot of research latley regarding the life of a vegetarian. For years I've wanted to switch to this type of lifestyle and was wondering if anyone out there could pass along some tips to help make it a healthy transition.

talk to your doctor, make sure you are getting all the right vitamins and minerals that meats give you. and good luck :-)

I actually try to (keep in mind, I have some health concerns that prevent my apporach from being pure 100% of the time, as I have separate blood and bone/cartilege issues that require occassional dairy and non-vegan pharmaceuticals) live vegan. But I am always 100% vegetarian, along with not purchasing or using leather, fur, any kind of skin or cosmetic or household product that either contains animal products or has been tested on animals. This includes most types of wool.

What kind of help do you need? I'd be more than happy to field any questions you have and give you some tips and recipes.

Congratulations on choosing this for yourself! It's very rewarding!

I agree to talk to your dr. there are some vits and minerals you get from meat that you need. but they can be gotten in other places. Good luck

third talk to the dr... it can be done for most folks ... but you need a dr to help ya along

The best non-meat place to get nutrients is going to be soy...I keep a bunch of boca burgers, some kashi Go-Lean (it's cereal), edamame (A very cool Japanese snack), tofu, Luna bars (best. protein bar. ever.)...all of these are ALWAYS in my fridge. The funny thing about protein that your doctor normally omits is that as adults, our bodies get rid of any excess protein we consume...so the excess we get in eating too much meat (and America generally speaking eats too much meat) is passed.

Even if you're a meat eater, it's a good idea to always take a multi-vitamin and a calcium supplement every day. On days when you're taxing yourself, take a B-vitamin. Double check with a blood test to make sure nothing is completely out of whack, although, I'm incredibly hypoglycemic AND I tend to have pretty low iron (even when I ate meat, which was most of my life), and I haven't had any major issues with it.

All over, I actually think it's easier to make sure that you're getting your vitamins and eating healthy when you choose to be vegan or vegetarian. After all, you pay very close attention to the nutrition facts and ingredients of everything that enters your body (or gets slathered on it, in the case of hygeine products and cosmetics). You'll also find yourself in health food stores, where the offerings are better for your health anyway.

Good luck! Personally, I don't think talking to your doctor is necessary, assuming you're in good health and have no pre-existing conditions. Although, it can't hurt to get a blood test to determine your specific nutritional needs.

And start small. First, start by cutting out red meat (the biggest culprit). Then white meat and poultry. Then seafood. From there, continue with dairy, etc, if you decide to jump off the deep end and go vegan. Never try to go cold turkey with this stuff. Your body will need time to adjust.

Not me, I have considered it from time to time however

I don't eat meat (chicken, pig, sheep, cow, goat, horse, deer...you get the idea) but I do eat fish on the odd occassion. Basically, I'll eat anything that I could kill myself if I had to.

It's really not that hard to be veggie anymore, there are so many alternatives compared to what was around 10 years ago. Just replace anything meaty in your diet with a veggie alternative, most of them taste just as good (or so I remember, it's been so long since I ate any meat!) Like others have suggested, just make sure you get the requisite amount of vitamins and minerals!

I'm a quasi-vegetarian. I pretty much only eat meat when I'm eating at someone else's place and I also don't worry about very small amounts of meat (I do eat the occasional chicken noodle soup... not sure if there's much that really qualifies as meat in there!)

If you still eat dairy and eat some soy products and beans as well, you shouldn't have to worry about getting enough proteins.
One thing that I do find difficult though is to get enough iron. Women between puberty and menopause need more iron than men or children. Most of the iron is found in red meat. If you cut that, you can get iron in seeds or in enriched cereal (I think you can find iron-enriched oatmeal) or supplements. I take special multivitamins made for women (most multivitamins contain very little iron). Don't overdo it with the supplements because too much iron can be toxic.

Hope I didn't scare you. If you find after cutting red meat that you lack energy, it could be a lack of iron. Talk to your doctor and see if you should take some supplements.

Also, you don't necessarily have to switch to vegetarianism all at once. Do it at your own pace. I've seen so many people who suddenly decide that meat is bad and decide to stop eating it all at once... and that usually doesn't last. It's a very big change and it can be overwhelming to try to learn about all meat by-products and how to avoid them.

Good luck!

Oh, and a good recipe book can help get you started. Find one with simple recipes you can use every day.

Originally Posted by marie-p

One thing that I do find difficult though is to get enough iron. Women between puberty and menopause need more iron than men or children. Most of the iron is found in red meat. If you cut that, you can get iron in seeds or in enriched cereal (I think you can find iron-enriched oatmeal) or supplements. I take special multivitamins made for women (most multivitamins contain very little iron). Don't overdo it with the supplements because too much iron can be toxic.

Click to expand...

Leafy green veg is also a great source of iron, things like spinach, spring greens and the like

I am vegetarian and I don´t miss any meat.

Originally Posted by Purity

Leafy green veg is also a great source of iron, things like spinach, spring greens and the like

Click to expand...

Only trouble is the iron in these is far less absorbable than that of a protein

Originally Posted by lionessrampant

Good luck! Personally, I don't think talking to your doctor is necessary, assuming you're in good health and have no pre-existing conditions. Although, it can't hurt to get a blood test to determine your specific nutritional needs.

Click to expand...

I agree. I think a nutritionist may be a good idea though. I think that iron is the major concern. Unless you become a vegan, you probably won't need to worry about getting enough protien.

I became a vegetarian in '87, but started eating fish (not shellfish though) in '97. When I became a vegetarian it was a riot. My (then) husband and I watched a TV show about it and he decided he wanted to try it. I just knew that he couldn't last, so I said ok. I made "zucchini burgers" the first night. He loved them. I thought they were terrible.

Morningstar Farms puts out a lot of meat substitutes. I like them better than the Boca brand, but try them all. Experimenting is fun!

Good.. I was on the Peta boards and felt obnoxious even asking this question - so I'm glad there's this thread.

I may have a very stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyway.

I've heard people refer to vegetarian and vegan in the same sentence. Is there a difference? If so, can someone please tell me what that is?

I've also been thinking of doing this. I am doing it more because of animal rights but I also want to learn more about the health attributes for living this kind of lifestyle.

TIA!

Originally Posted by xomycatsxo

Good.. I was on the Peta boards and felt obnoxious even asking this question - so I'm glad there's this thread.

I may have a very stupid question but I'm going to ask it anyway.

I've heard people refer to vegetarian and vegan in the same sentence. Is there a difference? If so, can someone please tell me what that is?

I've also been thinking of doing this. I am doing it more because of animal rights but I also want to learn more about the health attributes for living this kind of lifestyle.

TIA!

Click to expand...

Vegans eat no animal products at all. Lacto-Vegetarians eat cheese & milk products. Ovo-Lacto Vegetarians eat eggs as well.

Thanks Rockcat...

Here's another, possibly stupid, question -

Keeping in mind that I am actively becoming more and more of an animal activist, which of these types of vegetarians would I want to more consider? I am NOT extreme by any stretch of the imagination but I also care about animals and want to do what I can.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by xomycatsxo

Thanks Rockcat...

Here's another, possibly stupid, question -

Keeping in mind that I am actively becoming more and more of an animal activist, which of these types of vegetarians would I want to more consider? I am NOT extreme by any stretch of the imagination but I also care about animals and want to do what I can.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

If I were better disciplined and wanted to take the time to prepare the food I would be a vegan. You may want to start with the easiest type (ovo-lacto) and then move on to a more disciplined type when you feel ready.

Originally Posted by xomycatsxo

Thanks Rockcat...

Here's another, possibly stupid, question -

Keeping in mind that I am actively becoming more and more of an animal activist, which of these types of vegetarians would I want to more consider? I am NOT extreme by any stretch of the imagination but I also care about animals and want to do what I can.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

You could also look into where your food comes from. We have a lot of local, small farm shops here, and you can be sure that the animals were treated with as much care and concern for their happiness as is possible. They sell everything you can think of, and it's all organic and fresh - makes me feel ok about eating cheese, butter and milk bought from them!

Remember, if you cut out dairy...milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, etc. - make sure to get your calcium from another source. Very important for your bones and in the prevention of osteoporosis.

Susan

Thanks everyone! =)