Any vegetarians who added fish back in?

victoriavoodoo

Hello all, I have been a vegetarian for six years and LOVE it. It has pretty much removed fast food from my diet, with the exception of the occasional taco bell run lol.

I never want to eat a burger again, or bacon, or hot dogs or steak. I am content with substitutes and absolutely prefer some to the real thing, such as eggplant parmesan over chicken and grilled portabella mushrooms over steak.

However, my hair has thinned and I am often anemic. I fall short of my protein goal more than I would like. Since seafood grosses me out the least, I am thinking about adding it back in. My questions for those who have done this/know someone who did are:

1. Did you have any sickness from it/how slowly do you think I should go?
2. Were there enough benefits to be worth it? Any change at all?
3. Which sea critters are the most beneficial? I know I really liked scallops and salmon way back when but I hear salmon is a high-fat fish?
4. Anything else you think would help, thanks!

padfoot3179

I went vegetarian for a bit but found it difficult living with several other non vegetarians. That may change soon. People who consume fish as their only meat are called piscatarians. When I was eating only fish I ate a lot of salmon, trout and tuna. Salmon is considered a super food and can be broiled, seared, baked or dried out for lox. It has a ton of omega 3 and fatty acids which are very good for you.

victoriavoodoo

I went vegetarian for a bit but found it difficult living with several other non vegetarians. That may change soon. People who consume fish as their only meat are called piscatarians. When I was eating only fish I ate a lot of salmon, trout and tuna. Salmon is considered a super food and can be broiled, seared, baked or dried out for lox. It has a ton of omega 3 and fatty acids which are very good for you.

That sounds promising, I do remember liking salmon. And I forgot about tuna completely! thanks =]

abrahamsitososa

The reason why it's not recommended to eat fish is because of the high mercury levels thanks to pollution. But if you still decide to eat fish I would suggest Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. Salmon has lot's of protein and a very high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also happens to be less contaminated than most other fish. Just make sure it's wild caught.

PapaverSomniferum

I'm a recovering vegan. I eat fish every now and then for three reasons:

I really should eat more protein.

Tilapia is cheap.

If I go to a restaurant, fish is usually the healthiest option, as if there is a vegetarian option at all, it's often just loaded with cheese.
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I've noticed absolutely no difference in my health since I started with sea-food (and eggs and raw milk) after 4 years vegan on top of 8 years vegetarian.

But I never had any negative health consequences, such as anemia or hair loss.

victoriavoodoo

The reason why it's not recommended to eat fish is because of the high mercury levels thanks to pollution. But if you still decide to eat fish I would suggest Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. Salmon has lot's of protein and a very high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also happens to be less contaminated than most other fish. Just make sure it's wild caught.

Well that's scary, maybe I don't need fish. I could just eat more eggs or something..

Firefox7275

Eggplant and mushrooms are not meat (protein) substitutes, they are produce containing little more than fibre, water and a few micronutrients. Virtually no protein, fat or indeed calories! By all means eat fish, but vegetarian friendly meat substitutes include reduced fat cheeses, yoghurt, eggs especially whites, nuts, seeds, protein powders. You absolutely should be eating a ton of certain nuts and seeds as a veggie to get enough short chain omega-3s (conversion to long chain can be as low as 10%) and plenty of dairy for minerals.

The health benefits of long chain omega-3s (essential fats in certain fish) FAR outweigh any small risks of pollution, just choose your fish carefully if you are concerned. You can purchase omega-enriched eggs and marine algae supplements but you still need to take huge 'doses'. Are you getting enough vitamin B12, iron, calcium or vitamin D if you don't eat much dairy or eggs and no meat or fish? Protein is only one issue with a poorly balanced vegetarian diet. There is loads of sensible advice on various vegetarian and vegan charity or society, not too much silly scaremongering.

amyplaysflute

Unless you're eating a ton of fish, there's really no reason to worry about mercury.

perezke

I have been a vegetarian for 15+ years and I am thinking about adding fish back into my diet as well. I have PCOS and cannot lose weight because my diet is not as high in protien as it should be. Have you been checked for PCOS--it does come with an accompanying hair loss....unfortunately..... My issue is that I because a vegetarian for reasons that it is hard to overcome--namely I don't like the texture of muscle (sorry....I know that's gross!). I would love to hear how you proceed and it you have success.

abrahamsitososa

The reason why it's not recommended to eat fish is because of the high mercury levels thanks to pollution. But if you still decide to eat fish I would suggest Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. Salmon has lot's of protein and a very high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also happens to be less contaminated than most other fish. Just make sure it's wild caught.

Well that's scary, maybe I don't need fish. I could just eat more eggs or something..

Oh no if you have to chose between fish and eggs I would recommend fish. Eggs are loaded with cholesterol. But if you do eat eggs I think you probably already know the least unhealthy ones are the organic free range chicken on a vegetarian fed diet eggs. And be careful with everything you hear about mercury not being bad. Its extremely bad for you even at microscopic levels. It's probably one of the reasons doctors sometimes tell pregnant women not to eat fish.

Firefox7275

Oh no if you have to chose between fish and eggs I would recommend fish. Eggs are loaded with cholesterol. But if you do eat eggs I think you probably already know the least unhealthy ones are the organic free range chicken on a vegetarian fed diet eggs. And be careful with everything you hear about mercury not being bad. Its extremely bad for you even at microscopic levels. It's probably one of the reasons doctors sometimes tell pregnant women not to eat fish.

Far more doctors tell pregnant women not to take most prescription and over the counter medications, eat unpasteurised dairy, drink any alcohol, use many essential oils and a host of other things - are you suggesting we all adhere to this restrictive lifestyle? A rapidly dividing embryo/ foetus or even newborn is not an adult human. There is plenty of evidence linking omega-3s and healthy development.

abrahamsitososa

Oh no if you have to chose between fish and eggs I would recommend fish. Eggs are loaded with cholesterol. But if you do eat eggs I think you probably already know the least unhealthy ones are the organic free range chicken on a vegetarian fed diet eggs. And be careful with everything you hear about mercury not being bad. Its extremely bad for you even at microscopic levels. It's probably one of the reasons doctors sometimes tell pregnant women not to eat fish.

Far more doctors tell pregnant women not to take most prescription and over the counter medications, eat unpasteurised dairy, drink any alcohol, use many essential oils and a host of other things - are you suggesting we all adhere to this restrictive lifestyle? A rapidly dividing embryo/ foetus or even newborn is not an adult human. There is plenty of evidence linking omega-3s and healthy development.

Well that's great. And you think only eggs and fish contain omega 3's? You can get those nutrients without the cholesterol and mercury.

caroleannlight

I was vegetarian for about 20 years and added fish in about 10 years ago. It is highly recommended to eat oily fish and it is a great source of protein and likely to help with your hairloss etc. The person who is scaremongering about mercury is way over the top. unless you are eating excessive amounts of fish this is not a problem.

abrahamsitososa

Ok well I didn't come in here telling people not to eat fish or egs. Everyone can do whatever they want with their body. Matter of fact I told her what the least unhealthy fish and eggs options are. Anyways if you(Victoria) would like to learn more about the vegan health benefits I recommend you watch a documentary on netflix called "FORKS OVER KNIVES" I think you can also watch it for free on their website. It's very interesting and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Firefox7275

Well that's great. And you think only eggs and fish contain omega 3's? You can get those nutrients without the cholesterol and mercury.

Can you? Long chain omega-3s (DHA and EPA) are only in useful amounts in oily fish and some eggs, short chain are converted to the useable long chain format at rates which can be as low as 10%, tho may be higher in vegetarians eating a balanced diet. If you do the maths it means eating prohibitive amounts of raw ground flax seeds so I generally recommend my nutrition clients eat omega eggs AND take a marine algae supplement.

The amount of long chain omega-3s in other wholefoods like seed or grass fed dairy are paltry, of course you can purchase algae supplements or flax oil, processed foods to make up for a diet that is inately deficient. By all means be vegan or vegetarian for moral reasons but don't fool anyone it's easy to eat a truly nutritious and balanced diet without the intervention of food scientists.

BTW it's been known for years that the cholesterol in eggs has no effect on our own cholesterol levels or balance.

marie_2454

I've been pescetarian for a year and a half. I don't eat fish every day, but try to get it in a few times a week. I get most of my protein through whey protein powder, dairy (mainly Greek yogurt), and eggs. Feel free to add me or look at my diary (although today is my first day back logging in about a week). My protein goal is around 130g and I'm usually pretty close to that

abrahamsitososa

Well that's great. And you think only eggs and fish contain omega 3's? You can get those nutrients without the cholesterol and mercury.

Can you? Long chain omega-3s (DHA and EPA) are only in useful amounts in oily fish and some eggs, short chain are converted to the useable long chain format at rates which can be as low as 10%, tho may be higher in vegetarians eating a balanced diet. If you do the maths it means eating prohibitive amounts of raw ground flax seeds so I generally recommend my nutrition clients eat omega eggs AND take a marine algae supplement.

The amount of long chain omega-3s in other wholefoods like seed or grass fed dairy are paltry, of course you can purchase algae supplements or flax oil, processed foods to make up for a diet that is inately deficient. By all means be vegan or vegetarian for moral reasons but don't fool anyone it's easy to eat a truly nutritious and balanced diet without the intervention of food scientists.

I get my omega 3's from shots of wheatgrass, Spirulina, chlorella, flax seeds and certain cereals containing hemp seeds.

Jul158

I've been a pescatarian for about 2 years, and was a vegetarian for 6 years before that! Your questions (just to make it easy so I don't keep scrolling back up!)
1. Did you have any sickness from it/how slowly do you think I should go?
I started slowly and would it eat once a week, usually from a restaurant and didn't notice anything different. I did feel like I had more options though and it made going out to eat much easier.
2. Were there enough benefits to be worth it? Any change at all?
For me, yes! I still struggle with wanting to go back to vegetarian but I find I can eat more whole foods (only one ingredient is how I define it) such as grilled shrimp or broiled salmon and not rely so much on processed veggie burgers/proteins. Salmon is my favorite and provides healthy fats too : ) I do notice that with my hair and my overall energy, too. Very versatile too! I don't get do bored when cooking on my own.
3. Which sea critters are the most beneficial? I know I really liked scallops and salmon way back when but I hear salmon is a high-fat fish?
Salmon has great fats for you! Definitely a good choice. I always opt for wild salmon rather than farm raised because it is noted to have more benefits and its just overall more animal friendly : ) though a little more $. I also eat shrimp because of low calories, but the cholesterol is high so I limit it to once a week. Canned tuna in water is another easy one, just check up on the company online to note mercury content!
4. Anything else you think would help, thanks!
I'll go through phases where I'll eat a lot of fish and then none at all. I mostly eat fish at restaurants and then stick to vegetarian meals at home. However, I just bought some salmon to change it up a bit! I like the protein and the taste. Hope this helps!

lozadee

i was vegetarian for 10 years and something just changed and i started eating meat again, I would say my hair and skin has improved...theres a lot more healthy versions of fish ect than most veg dishes when eating out.

I'm not sure I would recommend it as an instant solution - ie i have eaten some salmon my hairs better now, it takes a while to kick in but theres no reason to not eat it if you like it

Firefox7275

I get my omega 3's from shots of wheatgrass, Spirulina, chlorella, flax seeds and certain cereals containing hemp seeds.

So short chain omega-3s from processed/ food science products then? Have you calculated how much omega-3 you take in, and done a rough conversion to the useable long chain format? Do you know what the critical omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is given you eat hemp and cereal grains? Too much omega-6 inhibits conversion (as does an excess of saturates in a meat-centric diet).

cfregon

I recently started eating fish again after a couple years veggie (not much, I remember maybe every two weeks to try to eat it, so I'm a failed pescetarian convert most of the time). I got a bit of an upset tummy the first two times, but nothing horrible. Just eat small amounts- single servings to start.

*Also- The poster saying oh no don't eat eggs, they have cholesterol....Yes, they do, and cholesterol is an important part of any diet. GOOD cholesterol is necessary for many bodily functions including the production of sleep hormones. I was getting barely any cholesterol or saturated fats in my diet for a while and I wasn't getting restful sleep, I was tired all the time, etc. Integrating healthy cholesterols through eggs, nuts, legumes, etc might help op with some of the issues she's been seeing. All in moderation.

22Holliday22

I've been a vegetarian for just under 8 years. During this time I have occassionally eaten food-- mostly soup-- without asking if any animal products were made using it and have consequently suffered from a very sick stomach. Even if I can't taste the chicken broth in something my gut can't handle it after going so long without eating meat. So if you decide to add fish back into your diet do it very slowly-- don't eat a whole fish right off the bat or you may be very sick! If you decide to stick to your vegetarian lifestyle you can look into fruits & veggies with high iron content-- sundried tomatoes, dried apricots, and spinach are some foods packed with iron. Also you may want to look into taking an iron supplements-- I've read that if you take the supplements with orange juice the vitamin c helps the iron stay in your body. Good luck!

abrahamsitososa

There's good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. HDL and LDL.The body naturally produces cholesterol on its own and there's no need to supplement it with cholesterol.

rlmiller73190

The reason why it's not recommended to eat fish is because of the high mercury levels thanks to pollution. But if you still decide to eat fish I would suggest Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. Salmon has lot's of protein and a very high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also happens to be less contaminated than most other fish. Just make sure it's wild caught.

Well that's scary, maybe I don't need fish. I could just eat more eggs or something..

To increase your likelihood of getting mercury poisoning, you would have to be eating fish with high mercury levels (usually top predators, such as tuna steaks, shark, and swordfish) at every meal. There are a number of low mercury level fish options available out there! I am a vegetarian who occasionally eats fish, but I prefer my fish to be local or sustainably caught, as I am a bit of an environmentalist. Monterrey Bay Aquarium released a "Seafood Watch" guide for sushi and seafood. It's pocket sized, or there's an app for iPhone (not sure about android). I personally love hogfish, salmon, and tilapia!


ETA: I should include more info about the "Seafood Watch Guide." The guide is color coded: red, yellow, green, with choices that are best for you and best for the environment!

Ely82010

The reason why it's not recommended to eat fish is because of the high mercury levels thanks to pollution. But if you still decide to eat fish I would suggest Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. Salmon has lot's of protein and a very high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also happens to be less contaminated than most other fish. Just make sure it's wild caught.

Well that's scary, maybe I don't need fish. I could just eat more eggs or something..

Sorry but the statement that fish is not recommended due to mercury contamination is very over stated. Big fish (sword fish, shark, etc) may carry more mercury; but tilapia, tuna, mackerel, and salmon are smaller fish so the amount of contaminants is much reduced. Eating fish 2 or 3 times a week is beneficial (great amount of protein and good fats).

Don’t let the fear of mercury contamination drive you away from eating fish, if you would like to incorporate it in your diet. Or you can also increase your protein intake by adding one or two protein smoothies a day, and still be a vegetarian.

_VoV

I went vegetarian almost 40 years ago, and listened to some bad advice about B12 supplementation. Consequently, I became B12 deficient and anemic. I added fish back for about a year, but I hated all the little bones in the flesh, reminding me these were living, breathing animals once.

So, I did my research this time and took a multi-vitamin. That was 1974, and I have no regrets.

sunsnstatheart

The reason why it's not recommended to eat fish is because of the high mercury levels thanks to pollution. But if you still decide to eat fish I would suggest Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. Salmon has lot's of protein and a very high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also happens to be less contaminated than most other fish. Just make sure it's wild caught.

Well that's scary, maybe I don't need fish. I could just eat more eggs or something..

Sorry but the statement that fish is not recommended due to mercury contamination is very over stated. Big fish (sword fish, shark, etc) may carry more mercury; but tilapia, tuna, mackerel, and salmon are smaller fish so the amount of contaminants is much reduced. Eating fish 2 or 3 times a week is beneficial (great amount of protein and good fats).

Don’t let the fear of mercury contamination drive you away from eating fish, if you would like to incorporate it in your diet. Or you can also increase your protein intake by adding one or two protein smoothies a day, and still be a vegetarian.

Actually, you have to be very careful when picking low mercury level fish and big/small is not a good guide. For example, most charts and discussions I've seen pretty much give an absolute "no" to mackerel. And tuna is absolutely not a "small" fish by any means and is one of the ones usually cited as very high in mercury. Just be careful to look at the sources of information.

VelociMama

This is directed at pregnant women, but you may find it useful for knowing which fish are highest and lowest in mercury content.

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm

FredDoyle

The reason why it's not recommended to eat fish is because of the high mercury levels thanks to pollution. But if you still decide to eat fish I would suggest Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. Salmon has lot's of protein and a very high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. It also happens to be less contaminated than most other fish. Just make sure it's wild caught.

Well that's great. Except that farmed salmon generally have less mercury than wild caught.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20080605/mercury-low-in-wild-and-farmed-salmon

yourenotmine

I will never go back to eating any kind of meat unless I have to, because my vegetarianism is an ethical rather a health decision. My protein levels are lower than I would like sometimes, too, but I supplement that with protein drinks. I have also added some dairy back in (was largely vegan), because I found being vegan made me crave meat, whereas being lacto-ovo veg didn't.

If you're worried about the cholesterol in eggs, you don't have to eat the yolks. Or you could eat 1 or 2 yolks with several whites (because the yolks have a lot of other good things that the whites don't). Having said that, if you don't have a cholesterol problem, most doctors would not tell you to avoid eggs entirely for that reason.

I also don't think most drs tell non-pregnant or -lactating women to avoid fish because of mercury. Most seem to agree that the benefits outweigh the risks.

The times that I've accidentally eaten meat or had broth (I've not eaten any on purpose in over 10 years) have not made me sick, so I assume bodies can be different on that front. I'd do it slowly just in case.

SuperSexyDork

Ok well I didn't come in here telling people not to eat fish or egs. Everyone can do whatever they want with their body. Matter of fact I told her what the least unhealthy fish and eggs options are. Anyways if you(Victoria) would like to learn more about the vegan health benefits I recommend you watch a documentary on netflix called "FORKS OVER KNIVES" I think you can also watch it for free on their website. It's very interesting and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Documentaries should not be taken as truth as they are often biased opinion pieces.

Also, I would like to point out that much of the information you've provided is outdated at best and scaremongering at worst. If you would like to continue posting such things, could you please provide peer reviewed scientific evidence on behalf of your stand points?