Vegetarianism...not bad

blueheaven · Post by **blueheaven** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:01 am

OK, for those who don't know, I have been trying out a vegetarian (or pescatarian, I suppose) diet for the past three months. To my surprise, it is not that difficult. Let me say right from the start, I did not do it for the animals. I happen to believe that cows and chickens taste great. However, I just turned 32 and it is time to start doing something about my health. Since starting, my bad cholesterol is down 28% (it wasn't high to begin with) and my good cholesterol is up 19%. My blood pressure has gone down and I have lost 17lbs. Rest assured, I did my homework before starting. I take a GNC vitapak every day (multivitamin, fish oil, etc), along with a calcium supplement. I also make sure to get enough protein in my diet. I still eat eggs now and then for breakfast, and occasionally (once a week) I'll eat some fish if it is farm raised (less mercury). No shellfish, though.

So, has anyone else here adopted a similar diet, and how has it been going for you?

Kasi · Post by **Kasi** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:51 am

I've been a vegetarian since I was 13. Obviously I haven't found it hard at all since I don't like the taste of meat. I often forget that I am a vegetarian.

My health, I'm not really sure, I would have to visit a doctor which I never really do. I'm probably low on Iron, but I feel fine otherwsie =)

evilgordo · Post by **evilgordo** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:49 am

I've been vegetarian for almost 8-9 years. Which is really easy to do in California. My motivation is part health / part I don't trust regulations of the government/industry. There is still food that I miss (fish-n-chips,sushi,pepperoni) but I've since discovered food that I would probably never even considered trying (Thai/Indian). The other thing that I like about being vegetarian, is the lack of convenience, seriously. I can not just go to the drive thru and get a "quick bite" on the way home. Yes, it does become inconvenient for more social gatherings where the only thing you can eat is the over priced salad. I eat at home more and brown bag my lunch, which has health benefits for my wallet

For the most part I feel being vegi has been a plus for my health being raised with an English menu, though, sugar is vegetarian and I have a notorious sweet tooth

so now it is a battle of input vs. output and having an hour commute from the 'burbs and a desk job are not helping...guh! I need to move back to a real city and ditch the car...

Oh, one funny story. One time I booked a flight and forgot to request a vegatarian option. So I tell the stewardess I can't eat this burger sandwich thing, she wispers to me that they are not made of meat. I thought to myself that it made sense for them to be not real meat, since if stored/trasported poorly, it could make passengers sick. So I ate it. It tasted like a Boca soy patty

Belldandy16 · Post by **Belldandy16** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:08 pm

id really like to start a vegetarian and organic diet. i know that meat is very very bad for your body (along with other things like High Fructose corn syrup, and all the other artificial sweeteners).
on my birthday this year im going to really start working on what i eat and exercising.
i really want to start getting my health in order again. These past few years have been so stressful and ive just let my health decline badly.

ReiTheJelly · Post by **ReiTheJelly** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:30 pm

Anyone who eats fish should be aware of over-fishing and/or ecological damage done by purchasing/eating certain kinds of seafood. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an excellent website dedicated to this subject: Seafood Watch

Here are links to their 2009 regional seafood guides:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/c ... nload.aspx

blueheaven · Post by **blueheaven** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:37 pm

ReiTheJelly wrote:Anyone who eats fish should be aware of over-fishing and/or ecological damage done by purchasing/eating certain kinds of seafood. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an excellent website dedicated to this subject: Seafood Watch

Here are links to their 2009 regional seafood guides:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/c ... nload.aspx

Again, another reason I eat only farm raised fish.

sailorsv13 · Post by **sailorsv13** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:47 pm

I love being a vegetarian!!! ^.^

blueheaven · Post by **blueheaven** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:20 pm

One thing I was surprised at is how much the world accommodates vegetarians now. Supermarkets have meatless alternatives to just about everything, and they taste pretty damn good. Even my local burger joints have veggie burgers. It certainly makes it easier. Oh, by the way, for those who eat fish, remember two things:

1. Buy farm raised fish

2. Make sure they are fed using organic feed (some feeds are made using other fish as proteins). Personally, I stock up on Tilapia, organic Salmon, Catfish, etc).

ReiTheJelly · Post by **ReiTheJelly** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:37 am

Actually, you have to be equally as careful about which farm-raised fish you eat, as certain method of farming are actually worse for the environment than if they had used traditional methods.

And BH is correct: you need to know where they were farmed and be familiar with all methods, as some types of fish are fed unsavory things...

toonybabe · Post by **toonybabe** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:12 pm

I would love to try out a vegetarian diet. I don't like much meat anyway (especially the texture of it), so I think I could go vegetarian if I had enough choices as to what to eat. When I lived in San Francisco there were so many vegetarian options, it was overwhelming. Now I live in Ohio and there is almost nothing.

I think you need to be organized to be a vegetarian if you live in a city without a lot of vegetarian restaurants, because you will be cooking most of your own food. You would have to plan out your meals ahead of time and make sure you are doing it right. Right now I am in school and I just don't have the time. I commend anyone who is organized enough to stick to a vegetarian diet.

And if I did go veggie, it would definitely be for health reasons. I don't mind killing animals for food, as long as they live happy lives and are not tortured before they are killed. Also, I am really concerned about all of the hormones and antibiotics in the meat nowadays, not to mention the GMO feed. And pretty soon we will have to worry about livestock that is genetically engineered.

If you really want to get scared about eating meat, buy a couple of books written by the "Mad Cowboy."

duotrouble · Post by **duotrouble** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:34 pm

I'm not a vegatarian but I'm often mistaken for one. I'm frequently ordering the meatless options at restaurants and it's rare if I actually have meat in my fridge at home. However, I love my greasy hamburgers every now and again so I don't plan on turning veggie. Congrats on your new lifestyle choice, BH! I hope it's everything you want it to be and more.

Belldandy16 wrote:i know that meat is very very bad for your body (along with other things like High Fructose corn syrup, and all the other artificial sweeteners).

Actually, that's not true. Eating a lot of meat or anything really is bad for your body. Eating meat and other foods in moderation is perfectly fine, especially since you're a female. Females tend to get amenic and red meat easily replenishes your iron needs. As my veggie friends keep tellng me though, there are veggie alternatives for iron. Although, one of them has been a veggie for 15 years and every month to this day she still craves a steak. She doesn't eat it but still wants it.

Just research your foods first before making a lifestyle switch like BH. I spoke with a dietician before changing my eating habits. I feel great as long as I follow my routine. I have low blood sugar so I'm always reading up on nutriution.

blueheaven · Post by **blueheaven** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:52 pm

Yeah, I still crave steak when I smell it, but I get over it. Another thing women have to watch out for is calcium. While, like iron, there are several non meat or dairy ways to get calcium, it is always good to take a calcium supplement just in case.

Startyde · Post by **Startyde** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 12:47 pm

BH, good for you. I admire the integrity. My GF has been a strict Vegan for 1 and a half years now. Absolutely no dairy, no animal product at all. She just decided 18 months ago out of the blue...was quite odd. I thought she would break, but she has stayed strong and now I'm pseudo flexitarian where I don't give up dairy all that often, but I definitely stay away from red meats more than I used to.

I think if you can get past the whole "what on earth am I going to eat that's new" you can make it far.

Liek a few have said, places like Trader Joes, Whole Foods (whatever else is on the east coast) make the lifestyle easy. Even Shaws and Stop and Shop have sections.

All in all, I think it's something people should dabble in when it suits them.

I'll have to look up the brand, but there is a company that makes soy protein chicken strips that feel and taste exactly (and I mean exactly) like chicken when used in stir fry's et al. Stuff is addicting.

moonrabitt · Post by **moonrabitt** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 10:21 pm

I don't really eat much meat lately...
It all started like 4 years ago after I saw fruits basket...I'm not sure why...but when I see red meat I get disgusted....(I don't to eat stake, or that grey meat)
Yet I still can eat ground meat, chicken,some pork,fish and sometimes hamburgers...
don't ask why...It just happened....I sometimes wonder too @_@

On that note, I should probably take vitamins...I don't take anything besides Fishoil (which is suppose to help me make tears).....

frozentime · Post by **frozentime** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:48 am

ReiTheJelly wrote:Actually, you have to be equally as careful about which farm-raised fish you eat, as certain method of farming are actually worse for the environment than if they had used traditional methods.

And BH is correct: you need to know where they were farmed and be familiar with all methods, as some types of fish are fed unsavory things...

As stated, you have to be very careful about farm raised fish. It's advertised as being healthier and better for the environment, but that is not actually the case with the vast majority. Ocean farmed fish create a breeding ground for lice and certain diseases. To counter this they sometimes use high levels of antibiotics, and even then the fish are often not particularly healthy. As far as health benefits, farm raised salmon has very little, other than the protein. The Omega 3 fatty acids come from the ocean food they eat, and the ones fed on grain have almost no benefit over anything else. They even have to die them to get the flesh to a similar color to the wild ones. One other concern is that the grain they are generally fed (fresh or saltwater) is very often grain that is rejected for high levels of PCBs, and labeled unfit for human consumption. I'm not sure why food that we aren't allowed to eat can be fed to animals that then concentrate the toxins before being fed back to us. Farm raised salmon in particular has been shown to have between 10 and 16 times the level of PCBs as wild, and around 3 or 4 times the levels in land animals in the US.

Of course, overfishing is also real problem, so I don't know what the best answer really is. It just concerns me that many people who have moved to farm raised fish diets for health concerns, in some cases (like fighting cancers), can be doing more harm than good. We really need more truth in advertising for foods marketed in this country.