| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/18/2007 1:07:57 AM | I'm considering going 90% vegetarian. I still plan on eating fish every once and a while.
I'm wondering how I can do this safely so that I do not starve my body of anything it needs. Any recommendations or resources I should have a look at? | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/18/2007 3:43:40 AM | Try this: http://www.vegsoc.org/newveg/index.html
Don't rely heavily on dairy, it's very bad for you.
Instead of meat-replacement + 2 veg, rethink your idea of a meal: make casseroles, curries and risottos with all kinds of mixed veggies and beans and experiment to find a herb/spice combinations you like. No rules -- you can be very creative with veggie meals if you let yourself.
If you're going to try tofu, try this: put it in the blender with herbs, garlic, turmeric & some yeast extract dissolved in hot water. Blend it and mix in finely chopped cooked red peppers onions and mushrooms and cooked peas and sweetcorn. Tip it all in a dish and bake it in the oven (it will set kind of like a quiche but tons healthier). Tofu is a cliché and I rarely eat it but if you're going to try it, do this rather than cubing the block and frying it as my mum first did (bleaugh, tasteless rubber). | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/18/2007 11:54:59 PM | Thank you for the link.
As for dairy, I'm lactose intolerant so that shouldn't be a problem. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/20/2007 10:52:16 PM | check out the Toronto Vegetarian Association. They are a nonprofit organization with a mission statement to educate people wanting to learn more about a vegetarian/vegan diet. Also, make sure you check out the TVA food fair second weekend in Sept at Queen's Quay in Toronto. It's huge!
Connecting with an organization such as TVA will help you in your transition to a veggie diet. If TVA doesn't reach out as far as Oshawa in terms of potlucks, events, and dineouts, they would certainly know what is available your neighborhood. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/21/2007 2:27:39 AM | I'm a very strict vegetarian. I have been a vegetarian for almost 9 years now. I started out the exact same way. I still ate fish and then after the first two years I cut out all meat, including fish.
What I eat is 80% soy products. Boca brand has all kinds of soy products that are healthy that you can make a dinner out of. The other 20% of what I eat is strictly salads and fruits and vegetables. I have ate like this for many years and I hardly ever get sick and I feel very healthy.
What I found when I first became a vegetarian is that for about the first week I was very sick. I would barf quite a bit until my body was able to get rid of all the bad toxins that had been stored in my body from eating meat before. Don't give up though is key, after you get past that point then you will feel much better.
My personal experience with being a strict vegetarian is that I have never felt more healthy in my whole life.
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/21/2007 10:56:48 AM |
I'm wondering how I can do this safely so that I do not starve my body of anything it needs. Any recommendations or resources I should have a look at?
Do your own dietary research. Been years for me but the biggest one is Folates and certain B vitamins, usually you can take supplements. Spirulina is one of the rare plant sources that has it. Iron is usually an issue for women.
I sure would question the barfing aspect. I went vegetarian for two years and still do not feel I need meat in every meal. But this sounds extreme and may have nothing to do with meat itself but the additives in the food. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/21/2007 2:17:03 PM |
I sure would question the barfing aspect. I went vegetarian for two years and still do not feel I need meat in every meal. But this sounds extreme and may have nothing to do with meat itself but the additives in the food.
You could be right. All I know for sure is that for the first week when I first cut out nearly all meat from my eating habits, I was very ill. After that first week though and the throwing up, then I felt a whole lot better. Now, after these years, I don't even think about eating meat anymore. It takes time though, I found the first 3 months or so to be the toughest. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/27/2007 2:23:24 AM | http://www.phmiracleliving.com (Dr. Young advocates a mainly veggie diet, but he does praise some benefits of specific fish)
http://www.welikeitraw.com (excellent raw vegan blog made and maintained by my buddy!!!)
http://www.simplyraw.ca
http://www.rawvolution.com/?q=why_raw | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/27/2007 11:41:17 AM | | Not that I have any interest in going veg, but do you think a person allergic to lentils, most beans, soy, wheat, and corn, could go veg? Just curious because it seems most vegetarians rely on them, and I'd be hospitalized if my diet relied on any of the above... | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/27/2007 1:42:47 PM | | I am just curious,What are the real benifits going vegetarian. If somebody can convince me its something worth doing,I might give it a try. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/27/2007 2:13:52 PM | Some buy into the whole thought of eating lower on the foodchain saves energy in the world. As if the energy is somehow ever going to come to a halt, it won't it doesnt. It's simply changing in form everyday all the time.
"Not that I have any interest in going veg, but do you think a person allergic to lentils, most beans, soy, wheat, and corn, could go veg?"
Does it happen even with organic pesticide free stuffs? I wouldn't try it but I ate a lot of potatoes and pasta when I did. Wheat would definitely be the tough one, I would think. Do you react that way to all kinds of wheat from the soft cake flour wheat to the super hard semolina wheat?
Maybe it doesn't apply to you but often I think/wonder if the biggest problem with people who think wheat is bad is not the wheat itself but the lack of balance brought about by its manmade processing. B complex vitamins are processed out, the wheat "germ" or heart is removed which has the Vit E in it(a natural source of a very powerful antioxidant) which is well known to be the healthiest part of wheat. But what if the removal of these items makes the remaining less digestible and even potentially troublesome in the long run?
With a little common sense it doesn't seem like much of a stretch.
Plus most storebought flour has lots of barley flour included it. I'll bet most people do not even realize this but if you read the label you will see it along with niacin/thiamine added -- artificial B vitamins to replace the good ones brought about by processing it to have a long shelf life.
I buy GMO flour now and I notice a huge difference with it. Better crunchy crusts, softer inside. While travelling I ran across their deli which looks like a grain silo, has superb sandwiches and excellent homemade huckleberry soda pop, btw, and now I've found some of their more basic products are sold in grocery stores across america.
http://www.wheatmontana.com/
great source for superb quality wheat flour, 7 grain cereal mix, and whole barley. The flour doesn't keep as long, though, so buy smaller amounts and I use sealed rim crocks the kind with the rubber gasket, to keep the flour inside the refridge. I'm eating a homemade cinnamon bun made from it right now! yum!  | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/27/2007 2:55:24 PM | wheat of any kind makes me ill. Whole wheat is even worse. The part of the wheat that affects me is more concentrated in the germ. I have a slice of white bread I'll be sick for a day. Whole wheat and I'll be sick for four days.
Processing or not, I think wheat is terrible and is responsible for many people's health problems, but they don't know it. (And yes, this is bias from experience)
My personal experience with diet is the more grain reliant it is (spelt, kamut, oat, rye, amaranth, rice, etc) the pudgier and less energetic I am. (And yes, the above mentioned grains are all organic and all whole grain). Diet of fruits, veggies, lean protien and limited dairy (can't seem to give up cheese...) and I do best. | |
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Mr H2O
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Joined: 10/31/2006
Msg: 13 | |
| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 2:27:38 PM | The fact is that if most strict vegans were 100 % honest to themselves and society
they would say they "cheat" on their so called a diet a bit to be healthy.
A long term, strict vegan diet is likely to lead to the development of nutritional
deficiencies and significant health problems for most people.
http://www.beyondveg.com/nicholson-w/hb/hb-interview1a.shtml
A webpage set up by the New Zealand government AGAINST SOY based products.
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
Soy is linked to infertility, breast cancer, hypothyroidism,
thyroid cancer, and many other disorders.
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/07quietconquest.htm
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html
I'll be real, real, curious to know how this long term study pans out
http://www.vegsource.com/klaper/study.htm
Alternate view :
http://www.beyondveg.com/cat/frank-talk/index.shtml
Nature simply IS, and it is not bound by our simplistic ideas and delusions.
Nature also does not care how "nice" or "logical" our theories appear to be.
Simply put - can you actually STAY on the diet - that means NO CHEATING !!
-Lassitude or "being hungry all day" and "not feeling satisfied,"
-Poor sex drive or poor-quality sleep
-Behavioral effects such as not being able to get one's mind off food
-The yo-yo syndrome of not being able to stay on the diet consistently due to cravings
-Emotional effects such as a vague, nonspecific loss of zest for life
-Actual deficiencies in some cases.
Most people who try vegetarian diets usually do not stick with them
for a long period of time, and go on to something else.
Many more people are ex-vegetarian than currently vegetarian.
http://www.stronghealthmag.com/node/20
There were no statistically significant differences between the vegans
and the regular meat-eaters for any cause of death.
http://www.eatwild.com
Meat and dairy products from grass-fed ruminants are the richest
known source of good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" or CLA.
CLA may be one of our most potent defenses against cancer.
In laboratory animals, a very small percentage of CLA—
a mere 0.1 percent of total calories—greatly reduced tumor growth.
There is new evidence that CLA may also reduce cancer risk in humans.
In a Finnish study, women who had the highest levels of CLA in their diet,
had a 60 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels.
Meat from grass-fed animals has two to four times more
omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain- fed animals.
Omega-3s are called "good fats" because they play a vital role
in every cell and system in your body.
The Cholesterol Myths
http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm
The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics
http://www.thincs.org | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 3:57:13 PM | I agree that a lot of vegetarian and even vegans aren't the healthiest - often they are consuming a lot of cooked foods, also known as "acidic foods".
I highly recommend Dr. Robert Young to anyone interested in optimal health. Check out his pH Miracle book series, or visit his website: http://www.phmiracleliving.com
I consume a vegan diet, that is mainly raw. Nutritional deficiencies occur if one is eating food that is void of enzymes, which occurs when food is cooked higher than a specific temperature. There is an abundance of excellent information out there, you just have to look!
Here is a taste of what I make and eat:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=13255&id=629401264&l=88285 | |
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Mr H2O
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Joined: 10/31/2006
Msg: 15 | |
| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 4:38:26 PM | An informative scientific article, with illustrations, explaining in detail
what happens to our blood and biochemical processes during hard prolonged exercise.
http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/%7Eedudev/LabTutorials/Buffer/Buffer.html
Department of Chemistry, Washington University St. Louis, MO
Protein and minerals are not destroyed by heat.
Some vitamins are lost in cooking, but you still get plenty
--if you have a reasonably varied diet.
In your stomach and intestines, food is separated into carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Then enzymes made by your body break the carbohydrates, fats and proteins
into their building blocks, and only these building blocks can be absorbed into your bloodstream.
Your stomach is so acidic that no food can change its acidity.
Citrus fruits, vinegar, and vitamins such as ascorbic acid or folic acid
do not change the acidity of your stomach or your bloodstream.
All foods that leave your stomach are acidic.
Then they enter your intestines where secretions from your pancreas neutralize the stomach acids.
So no matter what you eat, the food in stomach is acidic and the food in the intestines is alkaline.
Your bloodstream and organs control acidity in a very narrow range.
Chemical reactions in your body are started by chemicals called enzymes.
All enzymes function in a very narrow range of acidity called pH.
If your blood changes its acidity or alkalinity for any reason,
it is immediately changed back to the normal pH or these enzymes would not function
and the necessary chemical reactions would not proceed in your body.
For example, if you hold your breath, carbon dioxide accumulates in your bloodstream very rapidly
and your blood turns acidic, and you will become uncomfortable or even pass out.
This forces you to start breathing again immediately, and the pH returns to normal.
Foods can change the acidity of your urine, but that's irrelevant since your urine is contained in your bladder
and does not affect the pH of any other part of your body.
When you take in more protein than your body needs, your body cannot store it,
so the excess amino acids are converted to organic acids that would acidify you blood.
But your blood never becomes acidic because as soon as the proteins are converted to organic acids,
calcium leaves your bones to neutralize the acid and prevent any change in pH. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 4:52:42 PM | Mr H2O,
Please, please check out Dr. Robert Young. I think you may change your mind on some of your views on body pH and alkalinity.
Cheers! | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 4:54:07 PM | | Cucumber, lemons, limes, and avocado are the most alkalizing fruits out there :) Enjoy! | |
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Mr H2O
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Joined: 10/31/2006
Msg: 18 | |
| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 5:05:41 PM | We'll trade - I'll do a deeper dive into the chemistry he proposes
and you can take a look at my posted link.
pH is kept to very, very tight tolerances in the body
The pH scale is logarithmic and as a result, each whole pH value below 7
is ten times more acidic than the next higher value.
For example, pH 4 is ten times more acidic than pH 5
Raw foods are great - I agree on that part.
Support the local farmers markets whenever possible.
The normal pH of blood running through arteries
(large elastic-walled blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body) is 7.4;
the pH of blood in the veins (vessels that transports blood to the heart) is about 7.35.
Normal urine pH averages about 6.0.
Saliva has a pH between 6.0 and 7.4.
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 5:12:48 PM | Sounds good, water-man!
I think you will really like "the New Biology"...it's really fascinating! The foods we eat, the thoughts we think, and much more - all have an effect on the integrity of the fluids in our bodies...which in turn affect the quantity and the quality of our lives.
I love farmers' markets!
I also love WATER :) YUM!!! | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 5:38:35 PM | Here's some handy reference information from Dr. Young:
I believe the most important factor for maintaining incredible health, energy, and vitality is the "pH factor". If you maintain the alkaline design of your body and keep your body fluids free from acid at:
1) Blood pH - 7.365
2) Lymphatic fluid pH - 7.365 to 7.4
3) Extracellular fluid pH - 7.365 to 7.4
4) Urine pH - 7.2 or better
5) Bowel elimination pH - 7.2 or better
6) Saliva pH - 7.2 or better
7) Stomach pH - 7.2 or better
8) Small intestine pH - 8.2 or better
9) Large intestine pH - 7.2 or better
10) Sweat pH - 7.2 or better
11) Tears pH - 7.2 or better
you will live a long, vibrant, fit, and healthy life.
There is only one cause of ALL sickness and dis-ease and that cause is the over-acidification of the blood and then tissues due to an inverted way of living,
eating, and thinking.
And if there is only one cause of ALL sickness and dis-ease then there is only one treatment - alkalize and energize the body with green foods, green drinks
and green living. | |
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Mr H2O
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Joined: 10/31/2006
Msg: 21 | |
| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 6:32:15 PM | I hate to put all my eggs in one basket so I'm going to rain a bit on the party.
Reviews of the book had issues with the references listed :
a.) Dr. Robert Young considers footnotes inappropriate
b.) The book has a long list of references in the back (approximately 150 titles),
including citations to many scientific papers, but the citations are not keyed to the text in any way.
c.) The cited titles are mostly about microorganisms, particularly fungi, and their potentially adverse effects on human health.
These topics are not the main thesis of the book.
d.) The references list includes several titles on hypercoagulability of the blood
and disseminated intravascular coagulation, but there is no mention
in the index of these topics.
e.) The book is written to sell product through MLM distributors
f.) Throughout the book, "sources" are deferred to, but simply refer to them as an expert or authority
g.) The author went straight to the public - lack of peer review in science community
Until I can find scientific evidence to the contrary in university and scientific journals,
I personally will stand my comments previously posted = Message # 15
As a kayaker - the hold your breath, change your blood ph example rings very true. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/28/2007 7:19:33 PM | Although that could be valid depending on perspective, I suggest reading his material, listening to his audios before slamming him. A lot of those "quackwatch" sites pay supposed "experts" to rebuttle information that is not in their best interests. This is how big corporations and companies (eg. phamaceuticals) with vested interests protect themselves. They use fear to control people.
As I said earlier, it's not fair to cut him down without seeing what he has to say first. How can you be certain that what you just cited is even accurate? Don't let the negativity of other people's manipulative tactics bring you down! | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/29/2007 5:19:24 AM |
I'm considering going 90% vegetarian. I still plan on eating fish every once and a while.
I'm wondering how I can do this safely so that I do not starve my body of anything it needs. Any recommendations or resources I should have a look at?
I think the question is:Why?
What do you hope to gain from vegetarian diet that you cannot from a traditional omnivorous one?
It's been proven that longer life and better health are mostly genetic or influenced by external issues rather than diet.
How many of the 100+ yr old people you read about in the paper are vegetarians?
Unless you no longer enjoy the taste of meat (or have some objections about how it's processed) you may want to reconsider abruptly changing your diet. | |
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Mr H2O
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Joined: 10/31/2006
Msg: 24 | |
| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/30/2007 11:31:29 AM | Everything in moderation - avoid excess in any one direction .
Rawgirl has the right idea to incorporate a Wide Variety of items available to the public
Far too many of us reluctant to try new dishes with new ingredients and new spices.
We'll buy a CD for $ 10 or $ 15 dollars without flinching , yet many will avoid
spending a few dollars to try something new in our diet.
Big deal..you bought something for a few bucks that sucks...at least you tried it.
Out of 10 new things you try, you'll probably like 7 or 8 , that's a decent percentage.
Do you really want pasta every Wednesday and fish every Friday....mix it up a bit.
Perhaps an attempt to avoid high fructose corn syrup along with more variety
in purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables whenever possible is a reasonable start.
Brown Rice Syrups consists of approximately
50% soluble complex carbohydrates, 45% maltose and 3% glucose.
Barley Malt Syrup is approximately
76 % maltose, 16 % glucose, 6% sucrose, 2% fructose and some lactose
Dates and Raisens go a long way in sweetening cereals and baked goods
Honey - 100's of varieties from dark Buckwheat to light golden Clover
Maple Syrup - get the real stuff and or mix it 50/50 with brand name store bought
to get some of the goodness without going broke
Turbinado Sugar- natural molasses remains in the crystals.
Demerara / Muscovado / Rapadura are all similiar alternates. | |
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| Considering going vegetarian
Posted: 12/30/2007 1:20:43 PM | Not to be a PITA, but mixing real maple syrup with the fake stuff is rather silly. The fake stuff is generally 80-100% corn syrup.
Demerera is a kind of brown sugar, which is not the same as rapadura, which is just generally, evaporated cane juice. They aren't "similar" alternatives. And generally, the molasses isn't left in turbinado sugar, it's put back in after the processing. It's almost like using white sugar and molasses. (And that's what you do in a recipe if you don't have brown sugar!:)
Agave nectar is a fantastic alternative sweetner. Dark agave and vanilla in whipping cream? Soooooooooooooo divine.
And also keep in mind, that in Cda, very few goods are labeled "HFCS" but "glucose-fructose" IS HFCS and in almost everything processed. While glucose and fructose naturally formed are sugars found in a variety of foods, when it has been added as an ingredients, it is a form of corn syrup, and always high fructose. | |
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