Vegetarians?

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
And since when are there different levels of being a vegetarian?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, it's like being a Christian. You might be the kind of Christian who goes to church on Christmas & Easter...or maybe you go to Sunday mass regularly...or maybe you do all that and also help out with the charity dinners...and so on and so forth. Most people would call anyone in that range a Christian, so the definition allows for different levels of commitment. It's the same thing with vegetarianism. A lacto-ovo-pisco vegetarian is like the Christmas&Easter guy, whereas a vegan who won't wear wool or use a shampoo which contains animal-derived ingredients (many mainstream brands do, even those which don't test on animals) is like a missionary. Also like Christians, vegetarians with different levels of commitment sometimes have trouble getting along & seeing that their common beliefs outweigh their differences.

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]
I dont think cutting meat entirely out of your diet is a good idea. Keep eating fish at the very least.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm sorry to be blunt but this is simply nonsense. see, e.g., the long-running framingham heart study.

[PassiveCaller]

There's always been.

[PassiveCaller]

This is like giving advice on how to play a hand without any logic.

It's met poorly on the poker forums and its just as stupid here.

[MarkL444]

im a semi vegetarian. i eat meat a few times a month, and usually small amounts when i do. i think its great. ive been doing this for only about 7 months, but i regret nothing and really hope to improve a more strict vegetarian diet in the future. my suggestion to you is to try to read up a bit before you start this. there is a book called becoming vegetarian by melina/davis that is just amazing for showing you how to make sure you are still getting all the proper nutrients, etc. also i think if you can cook this will be a lot more rewarding.

i think the reason one poster said he doubt you will stick to it (and i almost agree) is because you are waiting to new years to do this. if you really wanted to do it, you wouldnt need to wait.

[Blarg]

Sounds like he's doing the typical thing of taking himself as an adequate stand-in for the whole human race.

Steve, I'd be whatever level of vegetarian you feel like, which doesn't have to come immediately but can be done through stages. For instance, giving up red meat doesn't mean you have to give up all meat, not for a while. But it makes it easier to adapt. This being adaptable and not an idealogue also includes not alienating friends at dinner too much, and not starving as an alternative to having something to eat when you're out and about. It allows for having your way to a pretty good extent, but also for the occasional weakness or indulgence without counting yourself an abject failure in your goals.

The thing is, though, you'll want the occasional indulgence a lot less often once you're no longer as used to them. I've found all dietary urges to become much easier to handle when you're used to them, and eventually they really don't become very hard at all. That includes salt, sugar, and meat. At first it seems crazy to do without them, since more of them is never enough. So many people never even try to cut back nor are they willing to even entertain the idea that there might be a good reason to do so.

But good vegetarian food makes you feel better than those things do, so you come to like it quite a bit for that reason. And after a while you find recipes you like too.

If you're on the road, you don't have to make yourself miserable and lifeless or woozy by starving all day, but you don't have to eat a cheeseburger either. You can choose something light instead, choose fish instead of hamburger, mustard instead of mayonnaise, viniagrette instead of bleu cheese dressing, etc. If you're going to dinner at someone's house, it's fair to ask ahead of time if there will be anything prepared for vegetarians. And to enjoy without regret a little meat and dairy once in a while.

I think it's especially sane to not totally swear off dairy because it's used so much in preparing foods. Sauces, gravies, breads, pastries, desserts of all kinds -- if you really try to swear off dairy entirely, it will mean swearing off foods that wouldn't strike you as dairy products at all, and start to make your efforts at better health and/or morality become as much a crusade as a decision, where the effect is so much less than the intent behind it.

[PassiveCaller]

This is good stuff. And as a lacto-ovo for a year I agree.. I didn't cut out dairy because it just is so difficult to avoid. At the same time I wanted to switch the course of my thinking towards eating better (eating +EV!).. Eating more vegetables and foods with great nutrients that help your body do its own job of maintaining itself better.

I don't eat all that much dairy or eggs but it makes things easier not having to deal with it and it will make it much much harder for someone making the jump to lose it all at once.

To the OP: Be creative enjoy trying new vegetarian/vegan things. There's lots of interesting foods to try once you break from the confines of a meat centered diet.

[Ed Miller]

[ QUOTE ]
Which type are you Ed? How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

Big Steve [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm lacto-ovo. I have no trouble eating out ever. If I were vegan, I could see how eating out might be a problem sometimes.

[craig r]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Which type are you Ed? How difficult is to eat out when you travel?

Big Steve [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm lacto-ovo. I have no trouble eating out ever. If I were vegan, I could see how eating out might be a problem sometimes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Eating out isn't really a problem in most metropolitan cities, but going on a long road trip where there are nothing but fast food is really crappy. Its not that you can't find something vegan, its just that it is really unhealthy and only makes you feel worse. Like you would be better off just staying hungry.

As far as health concerns, I think the thing most vegans don't get enough of is B-12, but if you take a supplement you will be fine; plus if you get the really good kind you will get a "niacin flush" which is real nice. Its like take ephedrine without the shaky feeling. Plus, you can take it a few times a day since it is water soluble.

Another thing vegans don't get enough of is Omega 3 (mainly found in salmon, tuna, etc..), but you can substitute olive oil in certain foods or flax seed oil.

It is definitely easier being vegan now than it was a few years ago and being vegetarian is really easy. Being vegan is much much tougher than being vegetarian. Like, I will crave ice cream or something like that, but I have been vegetarian for 13 years, and other than the first few months, I haven't craved any type of meat at all.

If you do go vegetarian BigSteve, please don't be one of those self-righteous vegetarians. I sometimes want to shove a fucing burger in their face. But, I doubt, because of your Buddhists reasons behind it, this would be a problem.

craig

[LittleOldLady]

First of all, there are no vegetarian police. PETA is not coming to your house to monitor your fridge and cupboards. Reduce/eliminate animal-derived foods as it suits you. However, as a diabetic, you have an additional problem. Legumes, for example, are mainstays in vegetarian/vegan diets as protein sources, but legumes have carbs and have to be carefully fit into a diabetic diet. Ditto fruits, grains, and dairy products. You may want to consult a dietician or at least a book on diabetes and vegetarianism to be sure you are meeting your nutritional needs as well as keeping your blood sugar where it is supposed to be. I am not a vegetarian, but I am a diabetic. I do eat meat, but much less than I used to keep cholesterol levels down.

Members of my family, however, are vegetarian, and when I eat with them, it's all veggies, eggs, and dairy products. I just had my first vegetarian Thanksgiving and I almost didn't miss the turkey, almost. The meal consisted of cheese, crackers, corn chips, salsa, and guacamole; pastry puffs with creamcheese/portobello filling; butternut squash bisque; green salad; spinach tart; a casserole of nuts, rice, eggplant, and numerous other veggies; mashed potatoes; homemade cranberry sorbet; homemade pumpkin pie; store-bought berry pie; cake; cookies, and fresh fruit. The food was delicious and filling, but I had to pick and choose carefully and watch my portions because many of the foods were high in carbs. I had enough to be satisfied, and my blood sugar was OK when I checked.

The best bets for dining out are ethnic restaurants--Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Italian. Upscale restaurants usually have a vegetarian option and will make vegetarian meals upon request. The other day we ate at a family-type chain restaurant, and the vegetarians had vegetable soup and grilled cheese and tomato sandwich on sour dough and pasta with a non-meat sauce and a salad. These meals were on the high-carb side for me--I had a big joint of meat, steamed veggies, and a bit of mashed potatoes and corn bread (I took half the meal home for another day).

I strongly recommend, Steve, that you do your homework about how to meet your nutritional needs while keeping your blood sugar under control. Given the high risk of heart disease that diabetics face, I would also ask your doctor about whether you need a low fat/low sodium diet as well (or perhaps that has already been recommended). I will say that my vegetarian family members are in robust health and that the vegetarian diet has been very beneficial in keeping weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels all where they should be.

Finally, it is ridiculous to speak of "failing" at vegetarianism. If you try it, and it's not for you (perhaps you have trouble keeping your blood sugar down), then you go back to eating meat and/or fish and/or poultry. It's not a test, and PETA will not give you an F on your report card.