Tips on becoming a vegetarian

[Firiel]

I don't eat meat. Here is what I do eat:

 

-beans and lentils

-loads of vegetables, especially kale, rapini, tomatoes, red peppers and sweet potato

-nuts and seeds of all kinds

-fruits

-quinoa

-cheese and milk

-eggs

 

If you don't like eating lots of legumes then you'll have to figure out how else to get the protein. Too much tofu isn't good for women, btw. Also, legumes are high in carbs so you may need to cut back of your intake of grains or you might be getting to many carbs in your diet, especially if you eat a lot of fruit.

 

Try to see a nutritionist or at least start researching and reading books.

 

Yeah, too much soy in general can be bad for women, so keep that in mind.

[pl3asehelp]

Yeah, too much soy in general can be bad for women, so keep that in mind.

 

Soy cultivation is also horribly destructive the the environment, which ends up affecting animals negatively as well. Soy is also almost exclusively factory farmed and GMO.

[Firiel]

Soy cultivation is also horribly destructive the the environment, which ends up affecting animals negatively as well. Soy is also almost exclusively factory farmed and GMO.

 

Makes me glad I don't consume soy so I don't have to feel guilty for it now.

[NorthDallas40]

Soy cultivation is also horribly destructive the the environment, which ends up affecting animals negatively as well. Soy is also almost exclusively factory farmed and GMO.

 

Maybe so, but animal cultivation is even worse.

 

link removed

 

Looking at the lesser of two evils, it's an easy choice.

[NorthDallas40]

Yeah, too much soy in general can be bad for women, so keep that in mind.

 

I've been told it's horrible for men, too, but I've yet to suffer any ill-effects... even though I consume soy products every day and have done so for 15+ years.

 

This link sums up my view on this silly "soy is bad!" idea:

 

link removed

[pl3asehelp]

Maybe so, but animal cultivation is even worse.

 

link removed

 

Looking at the lesser of two evils, it's an easy choice.

 

I already pointed out that she could just pay a higher price for meat that doesn't come from factory farms and doesn't have this negative environmental impact and where the animals are not treated as they are in factories.. I don't think that is an option regarding soy products, since 90% of the worlds supply comes from Monsanto patented seed. Marin county CA is chock full of family farms and the environment there is in pretty good shape. You can buy their products online or at any whole foods.

[pl3asehelp]

I've been told it's horrible for men, too, but I've yet to suffer any ill-effects... even though I consume soy products every day and have done so for 15+ years.

 

This link sums up my view on this silly "soy is bad!" idea:

 

link removed

 

Do you think supporting Monsanto is ok? It might not be bad for your body, but there is an avalanche of awful havoc this company wreaks on the environment that effects all living being negatively. I personally pay a premium for local non Monsanto products and avoid processed food that contain soy since it comes from Monsanto.

[sharky988]

I've been told it's horrible for men, too, but I've yet to suffer any ill-effects... even though I consume soy products every day and have done so for 15+ years.

 

This link sums up my view on this silly "soy is bad!" idea:

 

link removed

 

Yeah, I use miso almost every day -- in soup, in sauces and salad dressings. I love it and haven't had any problems in the 20+ years I've been eating it. Tofu, not so much -- not because of health risks, but because I don't need "meat replacements" so much anymore. But I enjoy a good tofu scramble or tofu "egg" salad on occasion!

 

I get that it's a touchy subject and people are really married to their beliefs about food, so just offering up my opinion as another longtime veg. I also find the worries about not getting enough protein to be a bit much. It's pretty much impossible not to get enough protein if you're meeting your calorie requirements with a healthy whole foods diet. You don't need animal products to get adequate protein.

 

OP I recommend you watch the film "Forks Over Knives" -- you can stream if for free if you have Netflix. There's a lot of really good information there about protein and a vegetarian diet from doctors who have been researching the field for many years.

[abitbroken]

Don't just "stop eating meat." Start learning new things to make one at a time and gradually get rid of meats so you establish good cooking/eating habits. I quit beef cold turkey. didn't miss it. I gradually eliminated pork. It was harder because of pizza and the family eats a lot of it when i visit with them. I eat seafood. I eat turkey on occasion. I have reduced chicken probably about 80%. you are better off eliminating over a period of time. that way you aren't just substituting and eating an artificial diet of "almost chicken" and "meat substitute flakes. I eat as little soy as possible as so much is non-GMO and because of plant estrogens. I am not saying anyone else is bad for eating soy, but I found it made a difference in me to not be so soy based and to have balance. I will eat edamame on occasion, but I found that I am a lot better off learning how to make things with chick peas, quinoa, etc, than just filling up on meat shaped soy, flakes, etc - you end up eating tons of processed foods or more potato and rice starch and salt than you realize that way.

I get my eggs from someone in my area that has a few pet chickens that hang around. I don't see anything inhumane about that.

[SapphireNoir10]

Moderators Note: This is not supposed to be a debate on vegetarianism. The poster is asking for advice of following that lifestyle. Please keep this thread on track and stay polite guys.

[Catherine_3]

Yeah, I use miso almost every day -- in soup, in sauces and salad dressings. I love it and haven't had any problems in the 20+ years I've been eating it.

 

Miso is a fermented soy and isn't bad for your health like unfermented soy.

[pl3asehelp]

Miso is a fermented soy and isn't bad for your health like unfermented soy.

 

If one is doing it for ethical reasons though, you have to be very careful where you get your soy as even brands like Silk and othrs using the organic label use beans from Brazil where large swaths of the rainforest were cleared to make room for the farms, which displaced many animals in the process as well as indigenous people, which would then be counter productive to your objective.

[happpybear]

Ok, I am not a vegetarian, I did go meatless for about a year when I was younger and I learned some things. I got really ill because I didn't do it right. When you cut out meat, you cut out heme iron--it comes from animals only and it is not found in grains or vegetables. Heme Iron is the easiest for your body to absorb over vegetable iron, which needs the addition of vitamin C in order for your body to process it. So, I would recommend going to your doc and getting your iron and b-vitamins checked for deficiencies prior to changing your diet. As a women, it will be harder for you to maintain iron levels if you cut out meat and eggs. So, talk to your doc about supplements and symptoms of vitamin/mineral deficiencies so that if you will know what to expect if your levels for iron or b-vitamins are low so you can get treated, and I also think you should work with a nutritionist or a dietician.

 

Also, beans/legumes--if you sprout them before you eat them, it greatly increases the nutrients--particularly iron and b-vitamins. I would highly recommend you sprout your beans often. Its easy to do but takes a little prep because it takes a few days.

 

. I eat as little soy as possible as so much is non-GMO and because of plant estrogens. I am not saying anyone else is bad for eating soy, but I found it made a difference in me to not be so soy based and to have balance. I will eat edamame on occasion,

 

This is true, my ND told me that organic soy products are the best option if you must eat soy. I don't like tofu, but I do eat organic miso, and organic soy beans (edamame).

[poetryandlyrics]

Huh. This makes complete sense. I'm not a vegetarian but I'm not a heavy meat eater. Just try to eat healthy, that's all, but my iron is low that I apparently cannot donate blood. Tried eating spinach and whatever for the whole week beforehand but no go. Hm. I guess I gotta stock up on meat if I wanna donate blood? Does it matter if it's red or white?

[happpybear]

Huh. This makes complete sense. I'm not a vegetarian but I'm not a heavy meat eater. Just try to eat healthy, that's all, but my iron is low that I apparently cannot donate blood. Tried eating spinach and whatever for the whole week beforehand but no go. Hm. I guess I gotta stock up on meat if I wanna donate blood? Does it matter if it's red or white?

 

I struggle with low iron and I do eat meat, I have never been able to donate blood. It takes longer than a weekend to up your iron levels, it can take up to a year or more even--especially f you are a women, because it builds gradually in your body, so eating some spinach for a few days will do nothing really. Red meat has more iron, liver from beef/chicken is high in iron and so are clams. Lentils, beans, oats are also high in iron. You should google iron rich foods so you know what to eat, and talk to your doc about supplements if you have low iron. It's not good for you to have chronic low iron.

[poetryandlyrics]

I struggle with low iron and I do eat meat, I have never been able to donate blood. It takes longer than a weekend to up your iron levels, it can take up to a year or more even--especially f you are a women, because it builds gradually in your body, so eating some spinach for a few days will do nothing really. Red meat has more iron, liver from beef/chicken is high in iron and so are clams. Lentils, beans, oats are also high in iron. You should google iron rich foods so you know what to eat, and talk to your doc about supplements if you have low iron. It's not good for you to have chronic low iron.

 

Hm. Will do. Thanks!

[faraday]

image removedsaw this and thought of this thread

 

 

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[faraday]

Also on the iron thing...you need to take vitamin c to absorb it...and spinach needs to be cooked for the iron to be absorbable...I like to wilt it and juice something citrus over it.

 

Also, dried beans are higher in iron than canned...you can soak them overnight in your fridge or boil them for an hour before you want to eat them.

 

 

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[oitnb]

Thanks everyone! You've given some great advice and I'm looking forward to making this change