Vegetarian

I'm considering going vegetarian to see if it helps with some issues I've been having. Some foods tear my stomach up so bad. How can I go from meat eating to a vegetarian?

 

One meat group at a time. Start by not eating meat that 'tears [your] stomach up'. Give up that meat group for one month. Then drop another. You'll find that after a time (depending on your motivations and gastrointestinal tract) eating meat will be repulsive for one reason or another.

For reference, the order I eliminated meat and a time line(and I'm not quite done yet):
1. Pigs. December.
2. All other mammals (sheep, cows). January.
3. Chicken and all other poultry. Mid-January.
4. Fish and gelatin. May.
5. Everything else with a face. (crustaceans, squid, octopus...). July.
6. Next thing to go will be all dairy products. I'm hoping to start that at the beginning of September when I move out again.

As you eliminate meat from your diet, be sure to replace your protein intake from healthy sources. Increased dairy consumption has its faults since it is a very fatty food group. Eggs have high levels of cholesterol. I'd suggest finding a milk replacement that you might like such as soy milk or almond milk (rice milk is pretty nasty, if you ask me) and eating plenty of legumes. I eat lentils and beans like they are going out style. Also, be sure to take a good iron supplement as you may not find the perfect diet right away and you want to avoid becoming anemic (like what happened with me initially).

I think that's all I can say on the topic.
Why are you thinking of becoming a vegetarian, if you don't mind me asking?
Or is it just body function issues?

 

Just body function issues. I'm also considering just cutting out the kinds of meat that tear my stomach up and eating more of other kinds. But I do need to include more vegetables in my diet regardless. I'm mainly just trying to find a way to eat healthier.

My diet consists of alot of beef & pork, little vegetables & no seafood. Maybe I could just mix it up better

 

I like soy milk, so I'm gonna try it. No promising though. I love me a glass of milk

 

check out this you might get a kick out of it
http://www.themeatrix.com/

as for tofu i have no problem with it the same with soy milk knowing how and what they do now is really gross to me

 

I've been a vegan for a little over a year now and it's really helped my health out and I've been a lot happier. I didn't have an issue with cutting things out slowly because I've never really liked meat, but when it came to dairy products and such it took a while. I had to get used to not baking with egg and milk, which was kind of hard. Lol. And since my family didn't support it much I was stuck with pb sandwiches for like...4 months. After that, my mom started buying me a lot of good veggies and flax, which is something you need to help regulate yourself if you aren't eating meat. Also if you are going to cut out meat entirely you'll need to start taking a small dose of B12 everyday. Usually you can get this from a multivitamin (which you are probably taking anyway), but you need it because it helps build muscle and you won't have the B12 you are used to getting from meat products. Hope this helps.

 

Whoa whoa. Don't freak out. Let me explain myself.

Dairy can be a healthy source of protein, for sure. But increasing your consumption of things like cheese is bad for you. Have you ever taken a look at the fat content of cheese? It's horrific. Dairy should not be used as a REPLACEMENT for the protein you are losing in your diet. As in I think it would be unwise to up your intake beyond the recommended levels in order to make for lost meat products. Otherwise, you will be consuming far too many calories worth of fat.

And the whole egg thing depends on who you ask and at what time of year. I wouldn't say there is consensus. Last year, eggs were bad for me. This year they are good. I say you should moderate your consumption to play it safe. Follow me?

And besides all that, both the egg and dairy industry support the meat industry. Which is something I'm against on a personal level.

 

Well, I suggest it simply because that is the way I did it. And I found less temptation to stray from my new diet when I started it slowly. In much the same way that starting a workout plan shouldn't include going to the gym every day initially (unless you happen to have an iron will(most people don't)).

So no. It is not necessary. But it is very helpful.

 

You should tell your friends/family about your decision. They may give you some flack for it at first, but they will have to support you eventually. And that way, if you happen to be having supper at their homes, they can prepare well in advance.