Need help starting a vegetarian diet

wonnder1

My elderly mother has severe gall pains. The doctor has her on pills that weren't working, in fact, I think they were making her worse. Went to the local health food store and got some really good advice that worked almost immediately. Seriously, she ate a cucumber and was good enough to walk less than an hour later.

So, the other thing the lady said at the store was that a vegetarian diet was a really good idea for her. Now, we're really from a looooong line of meat eaters, and this is going to be a very hard sell.

She can't eat beans, or nuts for a couple of weeks. I like to use the Yves soy hamburger type stuff myself, and I think she wouldn't know the difference. We love fish anyway, so that's a good protein source.

So, any advice starting off? Keeping in mind the "no beans or nuts" rule?

Leela30

vegetables vegetables vegetables! And fake meat - Morning star is a must in my opinion and Tofurky makes the best sausage like things from soy. Just add vegetables to everything, rice, quinoa, pasta! Make a mushroom burger instead, or.. hmm no beans of any kind? that is going to be hard.. so I'd say lots of fish for protein, greek yogurt, cottage cheese.

I'm a vegetarian so you are more than welcome to friend me and look at my diary.

superhippiechik

Stir fry veggies, sweet potatoes sauteed in a skillet with fat free spray,watermelon flushes out toxins,fresh veggie cole slaw,tamari,and taboulli. Love and luck!

jamiek89

Ummm well for starters fish is meat! So thats not vegetarian lol
But besides that it ill be pretty tough not being able to eat beans & nuts, but tofu is always an option, as well as 'fake meat' products such as quorn although they can be sneaky with sodium! Also yoghurt, milk & cheese just watch your portion sizes & make sure you eat plenty of grean leafy vegies.

Jade_Butterfly

Ummm well for starters fish is meat! So thats not vegetarian lol
But besides that it ill be pretty tough not being able to eat beans & nuts, but tofu is always an option, as well as 'fake meat' products such as quorn although they can be sneaky with sodium! Also yoghurt, milk & cheese just watch your portion sizes & make sure you eat plenty of grean leafy vegies.

Actually for the record they don't consider fish to be meat.

superhippiechik

Ummm well for starters fish is meat! So thats not vegetarian lol
But besides that it ill be pretty tough not being able to eat beans & nuts, but tofu is always an option, as well as 'fake meat' products such as quorn although they can be sneaky with sodium! Also yoghurt, milk & cheese just watch your portion sizes & make sure you eat plenty of grean leafy vegies.

Actually for the record they don't consider fish to be meat.

pesketarian. Why do we need labels?

wonnder1

The problem is the gall complications...
Everything I read touts the benefits of the lentils and the beans etc, which she can't have at all.
Has to be gluten free, which I can live with (I looked at gluten free bread and it was over SIX DOLLARS!!)
Dairy has to be skim because fat (with the exception of flax oil) will aggravate it.
Dark green vegetables are also banned...

Yeah...


(okay, so it's a part vegetarian! (Fish is meat too I guess!) Since it would be cruel to fry up some nice salty bacon and then give her her nice plate of veggies and rice crackers, this will have to be my diet as well. But I tell you, after one (part) vegetarian meal she already looks better and walked up the stairs herself.

milaxx

if I understand you correctly you want to transition her to a pescatarian diet, nit a vegetarian diet. I can't eat fish, but I've read salmon is a good, healthy fish and also (I think ) tilapia which is a white fish. Other than that it shouldn't;t be too difficult since you would simply be switching her protein to seafood. I think the only caution I would exercise is to watch your salt & try to season with herbs and spices instead. I would check with her doctor first, but personally I would avoid any gassy veggies like broccoli and such since they might cause her discomfort when trying to digest. Stick to green, leafy veggies instead. I would avoid fake meats except on occasion. The are often just as bad as any other processed food and often high in sodium despite being low in fat.

If she enjoys meat you may want to instead simply try to switch her to a clean diet. This means no refined foods. Instead eat whole grains. Do a bit of googling and again, I highly recommend talking to her doctor before making any drastic dietary changes.

milaxx

pesketarian. Why do we need labels?

1. Because there are many reason why people are vegetarians, not just for health.
2 .It identifies what you will and won't eat. I am a (ovo) vegetarian who happens to be severely allergic to all seafood. I don;t need someone accidentally giving me fish because they confused pescatarian with vegetarian.

Leela30

pesketarian. Why do we need labels?

1. Because there are many reason why people are vegetarians, not just for health.
2 .It identifies what you will and won't eat. I am a (ovo) vegetarian who happens to be severely allergic to all seafood. I don;t need someone accidentally giving me fish because they confused pescatarian with vegetarian.

In regards to the labels, the only people who what I eat, are myself, family, and friends. Most people don't take the effort to call it pescatarian (what I am) because then you have to explain the whole darn story. If you have dietary restrictions it is just much easier to give a list of what you can't eat then give the person some fancy name that they don't understand.
And IMO labels create boarders and boundaries that some people do not want to be forced into. So I think we should get past that stuff and let's all come up with ideas to help this woman and her family!

If would stick with the skim milk. I love almond milk but that's a nut, and soy milk can causes a lot of gas in some people, so I would actually have soy in moderation. Eggs are a great source of protein (yes they want to be vegetarian/pescatarian whatever, but not vegans) so make omelets for some dinners. Dates are also high in nutrients (and calories) but those are good to eat sometimes... hmm without dark green veggies, that leaves the starchy ones, but I'd eat those in moderation. I would try and focus on squash, eggplant, cauliflower? Since her diet is very restricted I too would advise asking the doctor googling ideas too.

CookieCatCatcher

Almond milk. Huge lifesaver here- son is allergic to both dairy and chicken. Eggs too. Almond milk has been amazing. Whole grains, Flax meal, tofu for protein if you can't do beans. Feel free to friend me and follow my blog for veggie recipes.

Also- soy milk, rice milk, coconut milk, hemp milk - all viable and wonderful options.

Losingitin2011

Does coconut milk count as a nut? (Yes i am seriously asking this question because I don't know) I have heard good things about the So Delicious coconut milk, but haven't tried it myself.

CookieCatCatcher

pesketarian. Why do we need labels?

1. Because there are many reason why people are vegetarians, not just for health.
2 .It identifies what you will and won't eat. I am a (ovo) vegetarian who happens to be severely allergic to all seafood. I don;t need someone accidentally giving me fish because they confused pescatarian with vegetarian.

Totally agree. Went to a friends house, said she was vegetarian and proceeded to serve fish as the main course. I couldn't eat it, and since she smothered it in eggs an deep fried it- my son couldn't either.

Vegetarian means no Animal Flesh. Period. The end. No debate or discussion needed. Pescatarian would have been useful information to have before that dinner party. It was embarrassing for both her and I. She just assumed we ate fish too, since we were veggies. Nope. Not true. So now, I am strict vegetarian who regularly flirts with veganisim. More vegan now, actually...

Leela30

Once again, there are certain things you CAN'T eat, I would never assume that a label is clear and is universal.. because it's not. If for certain health reasons you can't eat anything, I would make sure that people know those restrictions if you know you are eating over there. Never expect anyone to know what you mean by a label. If you were allergic to something wouldn't you be certain that someone knows you have a peanut allergy, not just say, I don't eat nuts?

beccasetsfire

I'm a Vegan. But here's what I ate today, maybe this will help you a bit:
Breakfast - Fiber One Cereal w/ Almond Milk & Banana
Lunch - Banana & Almond Milk Yogurt
Snack - Starbucks
Dinner - Spinach, Corn & Wild Rice

I am so stuffed it's not even funny! I'm working to get more raw food into my diet, that's super hard...
I would avoid eating too much fake meat, although yummy, like anything that's been processed a lot it should really only be treated as a sometimes food...

wonnder1

Hey-no fighting in my thread!

I don't feel the need to name it, it was merely for descriptive purposes.

I've always been interested in the no-meat diet, but to be 100% honest, it's always been a little intimidating talking to people about it for the reasons above. For me, it's not about ethics, it's about health. I don't understand the big deal if you go to someones house for dinner. I'm not particularly fond of pork, if it was served I wouldn't be offended, I just don't eat it. And if it's allergies, I would assume you would mention that beforehand.

A couple said to stay away from the packaged meats, and while I don't have a real aversion to packaged foods, it did make me look at the ingredients closer. Sadly--there's wheat.

I did talk to the doctor beforehand, and his words were "well, I suppose it can't hurt." My mom loves him, but he's a big fan of the drug solution. What I'm trying to do is avoid her having it removed. At 75 I'm sure that wouldn't be the ideal solution. But teaching an old(er) dog new tricks is not an easy thing. I can't just throw in a completely new diet. 1. She'd be miserable. 2. She wouldn't do it and I'd catch her at 3 in the morning eating a peanut butter sandwich on white bread. Or, I'd find her after she'd fallen down the stairs trying to get said peanut butter sandwich.


So I thank everyone who actually read the post, and the particular restrictions in this case.

Now, meatarians, sectarians, vegetarians and episcopalians....shake hands.

beccasetsfire

Honestly Any reason to cut or limit meat is a okay by me. I'm not gonna fight anyone about anything cause well that's just not the way I roll do what you want, but I am always happy to help out with anything! :-D

jamiek89

Woops I didnt mean to start anything! Sorry! =/
I would probably go to a dietician/nutritionist if I were you, it sounds like your mum has very specific dietary needs & they would be abke to help her specifically, rather than the general info that is usually on the net.
Good luck with it all!

Barelmy

Vegetarians don't eat fish.

Seitan is a good substitute for the taste/texture of meat in most dishes. It's fairly cheap and unprocessed if you make it yourself. Mushrooms, too, can be used to add bulk in things like chilli and lasagne.

jamiek89

Oh and I totally get being intimidated by the whole vegwtarian thing, its confusing & people can be really full on! A great way to start is to have one meat free day a week and then as you get use to it, slowly increase the number of days, much easier to achieve a a few meat free days per week means you still get the health benefits!

Barelmy

Ummm well for starters fish is meat! So thats not vegetarian lol
But besides that it ill be pretty tough not being able to eat beans & nuts, but tofu is always an option, as well as 'fake meat' products such as quorn although they can be sneaky with sodium! Also yoghurt, milk & cheese just watch your portion sizes & make sure you eat plenty of grean leafy vegies.

Actually for the record they don't consider fish to be meat.

pesketarian. Why do we need labels?

Because if you're going to tell me something is suitable for vegetarians, I don't want to get a mouthful of fish.

When you're describing what you do or do not eat in public - like, for example, on a public forum - it's important to be clear and precise, otherwise it screws over the rest of us. Or, at the very least, respect the right of others to expect precision when discussing dietary needs. Someone asking for advice on vegetarian meals when she means pescatarian means she won't get the advice she needs.

Barelmy

Ummm well for starters fish is meat! So thats not vegetarian lol
But besides that it ill be pretty tough not being able to eat beans & nuts, but tofu is always an option, as well as 'fake meat' products such as quorn although they can be sneaky with sodium! Also yoghurt, milk & cheese just watch your portion sizes & make sure you eat plenty of grean leafy vegies.

Actually for the record they don't consider fish to be meat.

Yes, we do. Please stop giving out blatantly false information. It just creates situations like the poster above described.

Barelmy

Oh, my bad, seitan won't work with a gluten allergy. Try googling 'vegan paleo recipes' or vegetarian paleo? The paleo diet avoids grains and overly processed foods.

fteale

I think for gall pains you are supposed to cut almost all fat out of the diet. Which is easier as a vegetarian than a meat eater. Dry fried vegetables with whole grain rice or noodles are good low fat, low calorie meals.

fteale

pesketarian. Why do we need labels?

1. Because there are many reason why people are vegetarians, not just for health.
2 .It identifies what you will and won't eat. I am a (ovo) vegetarian who happens to be severely allergic to all seafood. I don;t need someone accidentally giving me fish because they confused pescatarian with vegetarian.

I agree. I think there is a pretty real need for appropriate labelling. I can't count the number of times I have been presented with fish as the vegetarian option. FISH ISN'T A VEGETABLE! Vegetarians don't eat fish. If you eat fish, you shouldn't be calling yourself veggie. It does the rest of us a huge disservice.

torregro

I hope you're getting clear information from your doctor. Having a gall bladder issue means that there are problems with fat absorption and breakdown. There would be no reason to be avoiding nuts and seeds and beans.
Having diverticulitis, on the other hand, is a problem with tiny little outpouchings (known as diverticuli) in the intestine which can cause nut particles and seeds to be lodged in there and create little pockets of infection.
Just want to be sure your mum is avoiding the right foods for the right reasons. Good luck on your journey.

CookieCatCatcher

My first Cardio told me at 22 that I would be on statins for the rest of my life to control my ultra high cholesterol. I went home and did the research on statins. NASTY things those little pills are. While researching I came across a paper written by a man who was convinced that eating a vegan diet could cure cancer. I thought he was a nutter, but, I figured if there are enough people out there saying that a veggie or veggie diet is able to help cure cancer - then a diet devoid of animal fats might help cure my heart problems. 3 months after becoming a veggie - cutting out all eggs/meat/fish/and almost all dairy - my cholesterol had dropped by 40 points. 3 months after that, I had lost a total of 35 pounds, and my cholesterol was under 200, 2 years later - I've lost a total of 50 pounds, my cholesterol is under 100 - and four arterial blockages are gone. As in, disappeared. I'm still fat, sure - but then I haven't been doing ANY exercising or calorie counting what-so-ever until the last month. The diet works IF you make it a lifestyle, its not restrictive at all. You just need to educate yourself and figure out what you can swap for. I make my own vegan twix bars, and eat soy yougurt, and love coconut milk ice cream. You can do it. I'm walking proof. Oh, and coconut is a fruit, not a nut - I think?

anrose

HI! I have been a vegetarian for more than half my life and I am still loving it.

I suggest for protein, I eat 0% fat greek yogurt (by fage) for breakfast everyday, it has less sugar than american yogurts and way more protein (sometimes a little 6 oz container will have 18g of protein!

Also, lentils are good, whole grain brown rice or quinoa, and eggs definitely are a good source of protein.

I also eat a lot of tofu and tofurkey items (my favorite is tofurkey italian sausage!) and add those to my meals with a grain and lots of grilled vegetables.

Hoped this helped and goodluck!

milaxx

A quick google came up with http://www.gallbladderattack.com/gallbladderdiet.shtml#gallbladderdiet . I also came across an article that said cucumbers are good for gallbladder issues, which may be why she felt better after eating some.


Beets
Cucumbers
Green beans - are NOT the same as dried
Okra
Sweet potatoes
Avocados - a good way to get needed fats directly from food
Vinegars all types
Garlic and onions help with liver cleansing but not processed types like flakes or powder. But some people have trouble digesting them so pay attention
Shallots
Tomatoes - ripe
cold water fish- salmon, trout
Lemons (lemon juice in the morning with hot water helps to clean the liver)
Grapes and fresh organic grape juice
apples, berries, papaya, pears
Omega 3 oils like flax or hemp. Use these with fresh lemon juice or vinegar on your salads. DO NOT COOK flax oil.

Vegetable juices - Beet and cucumber are especially helpful to gallbladder You can add other green vegetables like tender baby greens, swiss chard, dandelion greens, beet greens, celery, carrots -- avoid the cabbage family)

Avoid all fruit juices except organic grape juice and organic apple (self-juiced is best).

All the vegetables listed above for juicing are good. Use baby mixed organic greens for salads and avoid the bitter greens for now.

Fiber such as found in fruits and vegetables and guar gum
Eggs (Research showed that eggs caused symptoms in up to 95% of patients. Try substituting flax seed gel in recipes that require eggs for the "glue". That's 1 TBSP ground flax seed to 3 TBSP hot water. Let cool and add.)
Pork
Onions
Fowl (turkey, chicken)
Dairy (milk, cheese, cream)
Gluten (wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, etc.)
Corn
Coffee
Oranges, grapefruit
Nuts
Trans fats, Hydrogenated, partially-hydrogenated oils
Margarine
Fried Foods
Saturated fats
(even coconut oil until feeling better)
Red meats
Coffee, regular or decaf
Spicy foods
Chocolate
Ice cream
Black tea
Alcohol, beer, wine, liqueur
Fruit juice
Carbonated water
Tap water
Turnips
Cabbage, cauliflower
Colas and all sodas
Oats (for some people)


Avoid all artificial sweeteners, sugar, preservatives, refined and bleached foods (like white flour)

Avoid smoking if possible as it can exacerbate the symptoms.

Avoid all possible food allergens.
Many steamed greens like collard, mustard and kale, also brussel sprouts and broccoli seem to be a problem for some people. Greens (and especially kale and brussel sprouts) are used by the liver to detoxify. It may be necessary to avoid these until you have done some work with the products and flushes as well as diet. Your goal should get to the point where these foods do not cause distress, as they actually target the root of the problem.


GALLBLADDER DIET TIPS

DO NOT OVEREAT

DO NOT EAT UNDER STRESS


EAT ONLY FRESH FOODS - DO NOT
EAT PACKAGED FOODS ORGANIC FOOD IS IMPORTANT
ORGANIC IS IMPORTANT - The liver is the root of the problem here, and the pesticides and herbicides used in commercial fruits and vegetables causes extra burden on the liver and therefore, the gallbladder.

rlyoungers

Why no beans? Is this going to be a long term thing? I just can't imagine how a vegetarian diet can be healthy without beans of any kind - that would rule out my major source of protein. Do beans just bother her digestive system? If so, some beans are easier to digest than others. Red lentils are a very gentle bean and they cook up very quickly. Also, when preparing beans, if you soak the dry beans and then rinse off that soak water and cook them in new water, that helps them be more digestible as well.

Also, tofu tends to be easier to digest as all of the fiber is removed in the processing.

Good luck to your mother, I think it is awesome that she is interested in healing herself through a change in diet and that you are willing to help her and change your own diet in the process!

milaxx

Why no beans? Is this going to be a long term thing? I just can't imagine how a vegetarian diet can be healthy without beans of any kind - that would rule out my major source of protein. Do beans just bother her digestive system? If so, some beans are easier to digest than others. Red lentils are a very gentle bean and they cook up very quickly. Also, when preparing beans, if you soak the dry beans and then rinse off that soak water and cook them in new water, that helps them be more digestible as well.

Also, tofu tends to be easier to digest as all of the fiber is removed in the processing.

Good luck to your mother, I think it is awesome that she is interested in healing herself through a change in diet and that you are willing to help her and change your own diet in the process!

OP's mom has a gall bladder issue which makes eating beans not a good thing. However, you can maintain a vegetarian diet without eating beans.