If you decide being a vegetarian is good for you, then here is some basic information about different ways to go vegetarian in a fulfilling and healthy way. Do whatever works for you and makes you feel best about your body. It is most important to be healthy, so be sure to consult your doctor.
What color is your broccoli?
Changing from a meat intensive diet to a strict vegetarian regime is a big decision. It should not be done quickly or taken lightly. Think carefully about your lifestyle and consider this question: What kind of vegetarian do you want to be? If you are going vegetarian purely for health reasons, I would recommend trying a semi-vegetarian diet.
Semi-vegetarian diets encompass three subcategories: casual vegetarians, pollo-vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians. Casual vegetarians refrain from eating meat during the week but indulge in meat on the weekends. Pollo-vegetarians will eat chicken and fish. Pesco-vegetarians eat fish but no other meat.
Any of these three choices will most likely lower your blood pressure (experts believe the artery clogging fat found in beef is one of the leading causes of high blood pressure) and promote weight loss without making you or your family feel deprived of the foods you love. Some liken casual vegetarianism to following a strict diet with “cheat days” on the weekends. Pollo- and pesco-vegetarianism are more similar to following a responsible, low-fat diet at all times. Experiment and decide which method works best for you.
If your reasons for going vegetarian expand beyond the realm of simple health concerns into a feeling of environmental responsibility or a moral issue with eating animals you will want to consider a stricter vegetarian regime. The most common type of vegetarian diet today is termed a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. This allows for the consumption of dairy products and eggs but rules out all meat choices completely. While eggs and dairy are certainly still animal products, they can be produced without causing mortal harm to the animals, which many people find comforting. Someone who eats dairy but not eggs is considered a lacto vegetarian and someone who eats eggs but not dairy is considered an ovo vegetarian.
Going beyond lacto-ovo vegetarianism the next step is becoming a vegan. Vegans are vegetarians who eat no animal products of any kind. Many vegans state their motive as a grave concern with not only the slaughter industry in this country, but the dairy industry as well. They don’t want to see animals kept in inhumane or unsafe conditions for any reason.
Additionally, they don’t want to interfere with the life cycle of another species on this planet. This extends into not using any animal derived products, such as honey, gelatin, soaps made with animal fat or any products tested on animals such as certain cosmetics or antibiotic drugs. They will also avoid wearing animal products such as fur, leather or wool.
Beyond veganism are dietary preferences such as fruitarian and raw foods diets. These diets are highly specialized. Fruitarians will only eat fruit (obviously!), which may include nuts, seeds, some whole grains and olive oils. Following a raw food diet means you are a vegan who will not consume any food product heated to more than 104 degrees.
These diets are very extreme and require extensive research and extreme mindfulness to ensure they are carried out in a healthy manner.
Don’t be a “French-fry-atarian”
Conducted properly a vegetarian diet can reduce your risk for heart disease, lower the risk of adult onset diabetes, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, clean out your intestinal track and assist with weight loss. However you must keep in mind that whatever kind of diet you choose you are accountable for making healthy eating choices.
When you become a vegetarian you must make responsible decisions about how you will replace the calories in your diet once reserved for meat products. You cannot replace the meat in your diet with sugar, grease and simple carbohydrates. It will make you gain weight and feel lethargic. Over time it will malnourish you to the point of anemia (severe iron deficiency). Do not use vegetarianism as an excuse to eat French fries and candy because “it’s just too hard to find anything else most places.”
If you are eating in establishments where there are no vegetarian options except French fries and candy, then you are eating in absolutely the wrong places. Run away! In most reasonable eating establishments your server will be happy to suggest vegetarian substitutions if you explain your eating choices.
When you begin a vegetarian diet you need to substitute meat choices with healthy nutrient-packed, vegetarian options such as soy products, beans, kale, bok choy, dried fruit and root vegetables. Get familiar with the produce aisle of your supermarket and challenge yourself to make each meal as colorful and tasty as possible.
The skinny on protein
Protein is essential to the healthy functioning of the human body. Protein is crucial in building muscle. It is also responsible for strengthening and repairing red blood cells; one of the human bodies most important building blocks.
It is a common myth that it is difficult for vegetarians to get enough protein in their diets. With the limited diet faced by vegans, protein intake is a concern but semi-vegetarians and lacto-ovo vegetarians should have no problem getting the recommended daily amount of protein.
The issue with vegetarian protein consumption is the availability of complete proteins. A brief biology lesson from Veggie 101 goes like this: Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. It takes many amino acids bonded strongly together in a chain to compose a complete protein. Complete proteins are only available from animal sources. However, if two incomplete, complementary protein sources are combined at the same meal or in the same day they can be digested together and they will form a complete protein. Some good vegetarian examples include: rice and beans, tofu and beans, pita and hummus, milk and cereal, peanut butter and bread.
Adults need a minimum of .8 grams of protein per every kilogram of body weight to keep their tissues strong and healthy. This converts to roughly 7 grams of protein for every 20 US pounds of body weight. So, a 160-pound adult female requires about 56 grams of protein a day.
In a day of lacto ovo vegetarian eating this could include low fat milk and protein fortified cereal for breakfast, a piece of fruit for a morning snack, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch, cottage cheese or yogurt for a snack and tofu and brown rice for dinner.
Pill poppers
When you are first starting out on a vegetarian diet it is not a bad idea to take a multi-vitamin while your body adjusts to your new diet. A good multi will have trace minerals as well. Generally, once you get started on a vegetarian diet you will find you are eating enough of most vitamins and minerals through fresh fruits, seasonal vegetables and whole grains. After all, why do you think meat is a good source of vitamins and minerals? Those animals eat plants!
Editors’ note: Be sure to consult a physician before becoming a vegetarian; stay healthy with care!