New vegitarian - health risks?!
New vegitarian - health risks?
I decided to become a vegitarian, and im liking it. My parents are concerned about the health risks, my dad mentioned not getting complete proteins without meat.
Are there things i need to make sure to eat, things to watch out for? Any advice?
Answers:
If you're specifically concerned about protein, see below:
PROTEIN IN LEGUMES: Garbanzo beans, Kidney beans, Lentils, Lima beans, Navy beans, Soybeans, Split peas
PROTEIN IN GRAINS: Barley, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Oatmeal, Rye, Wheat germ, Wheat, hard red, Wild rice
VEGETABLE PROTEIN: Artichokes, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green peas, Green pepper, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard green, Onions, Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnip greens, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini
PROTEIN IN FRUITS: Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Grape, Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon
PROTEIN IN NUTS AND SEEDS: Almonds, Cashews, Filberts, Hemp Seeds, Peanuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts (black)
A good vegetarian diet is perfectly healthy, and should be no cause for concern. Check out the link below (happycow.net) but also have a good look at the Vegetarian Society official website for more info - get your dad to take a look too!
Source(s):
http://www.happycow.net/vegetarian_prote...
http://www.vegsoc.org/
There are certain food combinations you can eat and you'll get all your protein. I think http://goveg.org/ has info on their site. My husband is a vegetarian. I'd ask him for you, put he's asleep.
All I know is if you're avoid meet all together, you need to take a multi-vitamin or at least plenty of B vitamins.
Congrats on your new vegetarianism. My husband loves it. I eat vegetarian or vegan meals about 70% of the time. It can be very tasty, healthy, and there are lots of prepackaged options at health food shops and regular grocery stores now days. Your choices are endless!
Good luck!
A sound decision .....keep up.
There are no health risks involved.
Legumes & beans aside of cheese are good sources for healthier proteins.
Make sure you get enough vitamin B12.
A vegetarian diet is not as healthy as advertised, since care must be taken to make sure you get enough of the protein, vitamins and minerals you need.
Soy is also a very bad source of protein, as it contains massive amounts of isoflavones and other harmful chemicals. It can destroy your health (Thyroid, liver, prostate and other problems).
There are many more risks involved with a meat-containing diet than a vegetarian one (increased risk of heart disease, cancer, etc).
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) and Dietitians of Canada (DC) approve of vegetarian diets for all periods of the life cycle. The ADA and DC are *the* nutrition authorities in the US and Canada, respectively.
As for the complete protein myth; it is complete rubbish. As long as you are eating a variety of foods every day, this will not be a problem (ie. you can't eat just bread all day every day and be healthy - but that is a problem for more than just protein). Common food combinations provide all of the essential amino acids (that make up proteins); think of peanut butter sandwich and beans and rice, etc. As long as you are eating a somewhat healthy diet, protein is not an issue.
The ADA/DC position paper (linked below) gives an excellent review of the nutrients that may be missing in a vegetarian diet. Keep in mind that amonivores (people who eat meat) tend to have more nutrient deficiencies than vegetarians.
Most people actually get MORE protein then they ever need so the risks of a vegetarian NOT having enough protein in their diets is very, very slim. If you become vegan, you will want to supplement your diet with a B12 vitamin--it's the only vitamin a human body needs that is not produced in any vegetable/fruit/grain source, however many fortified soy milks have B12 in them for this very reason.
Becoming a vegetarian is a great way to also start exploring fruits/veggies/grains that you haven't ever had before--quinoa, exotic veggies, barley, etc. Explore and have fun!