Going Vegetarian?

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  • tecallahan
    tecallahan Posts: 732 Member
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    You can do some research on "Eat For Life" by Dr. Joel Furhman. I tried it for quite some time. I loved the food and felt pretty good while I was on it.
  • clocklady
    clocklady Posts: 111 Member
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    I went vegetarian in April and recently switched to vegan. I first started flirting with the idea when I started learning about Buddhism. Then I watched Food Inc and never ate meat again.

    It is a very common misconception that you need meat or any animal products to be healthy. A great book to read is Eat to Live by Dr. Fuhrman. He explains the nutrition of a plant based diet very well.

    As far as those around you, expect that they won't be so supportive. My parent's made some rude comments at first and my in-laws looked at me like I was weird, nothing new there :), but everyone got over it eventually.

    I don't rely on faux meat products and rarely eat soy. Two fantastic cookbooks to try out are Jae Steele's Get It Ripe and Ripe Around Here. I just had my blood tested a few weeks ago and the only thing I was low on was vitamin D. I don't supplement so I guess my vegetarian diet isn't depriving me.

    Physically I feel so much better since going vegetarian. I guess I should also mention that I avoid all processed products (grains, flour, sugar).

    Good luck to you! You are doing your body a favor!
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
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    The reason i stopped being a vegetarian is I wasn't sure how to get all the amino acids meat gives you. What I read later is you have to make sure you eat a special verity of food to get the essential amino acids that a slice of meat gives you. I now only eat fish and poultry because, I can't keep up with a balanced meal schedule. But that's me.

    Being vegetarian is great, i loved it. There are tons of food out there that will give you better protein and less fat and calories then meat. But the key for me was amino acids. Just make sure you do your research and talk to a doctor to find out what nutrients you are missing so you can tailor your diet to it. That is what is important.

    OP - As long as you eat a generally varied diet (not a special varied diet - just a normal one - in which you should be eating a variety of veggies, legumes, grains - basically like anyone should be doing whether you eat animals or not) and are not a junk food vegan, one shouldn't have to worry about eating vegetarian.

    I would highly recommend doing your own research - through books and valid websites - rather than just taking the advice of people on forums. The more educated you are, the more likely you are to stick to it and be able to articulate why you want to be vegetarian and be able to stand your ground with family and others.

    Here's a book you might find helpful about nutrition:
    http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Vegetarian-Complete-Adopting-Healthy/dp/1570670137

    I also recommend Eating Animals, already mentioned. You could also check out The Kind Diet (might help you transition). And while I haven't listened to it, I have heard many times that Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's podcast can be very helpful for new vegetarians or for anyone needing some support. Good luck to you. Vegetarianism has become so much more common nowadays that it's pretty easy to fit into your life.

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