Vegetarians, why do some beginners have dangerous side affects?!

Don't listen to these people. that was one of the reasons why i didn't stay being a vegetarian the first time i wanted to do it when i was little. As i got older i learned more about being a vegetarian than I did when i was 5. Now Im 6 years into being veg and I haven't had any problems. People think that being vegetarian you become malnourished. You wont if you take care of yourself and replace the meat you're not eating with veg. replacements.

Theres no dangers, I've been a vegetarian for about 13 yrs and I've heard it ALL from people,... as long as you eat healthy. And it sounds like you are...you have vegetables protein etc. As you go along you can learn new dishes too, if you like tofu you can incorporate vegetables with it. Theres no reason any vegetarian would not get every vitamin/nutrient etc. needed.

They make the same initial mistake I did; Being junk food vegetarians. I ate lots of sweets and chips and got really unhealthily and all around sick and went to my doctor who told me that if I wanted to stay healthy and keep my diet I had to change my eating habits. So I did, and I still have sweets for a treat every so often but the majority of my food is healthy greens, grains, at least 4 different fruits a day, and many other things. If people eat healthily, they will not find a problem with vegetarianism or veganism, its the shortcuts and the junk food that screw you over.

Vegetarian

Because they're unaware that when you change your diet radically, your body will react for a few days or weeks.

They're unaware of the nutrition involved, so they fail to replace the nutrients they previously acquired from meat with other, plant-based sources.

If you're going to be listening to "people" yak about nutrition, shouldn't those people be...uh....NUTRITIONISTS?

"It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes."

First off, I think a lot of false info is coming from omnivores who assume that red meat is the only source of iron and protein, that fish is the only source of omega-3s, and the milk is the only source of vitamin D and calcium.

Some vegetarians do bomb out, but from what I hear it's usually because they either eat mostly junk foods or mostly salads. Being healthy should be high priority, and its pretty easy to educate yourself on getting appropriate amounts of vitamins, minerals, and calories with a plant-based diet. The two big concerns are iron and vitamin B-12: iron because it would be so stereotypical of you to develop anemia, and vitamin B-12 because there is no reliable whole-food plant source of it (take it as a pill or foods fortified with it). Iron shouldn't be a problem if you eat plenty of beans and other legumes (and tofu!).

See links for more info.

http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-health-ti…
http://www.veganhealth.org/

It's not just beginners who have trouble being vegetarian. People start a vegetarian diet every day and people quit it every day. According to TIME magazine, there are about three times as many former vegetarians as vegetarians in the US.

People quit because it's not easy. Humans evolved eating meat. We get some things from meat easier and use it more efficiently than from veggies. Yeah, I know veg*ns will tell you getting protein is not a problem. But it is, or can be.

Protein is made up of amino acids. Your body makes some of the amino acids needed for complete protein, the others you have to get from your diet. Meat, eggs, dairy contain all the amino acids needed for complete protein. Most veggies contain only some (or weak versions) of a few amino acids. You'll need to eat a wide variety of a lot of different veggies every day so your body can combine the amino acids from each one into the complete protein it needs to grow and function. And you need at least one serving a day, three is better, of legumes (beans, peas, etc.) because it's the only vegetable source of the amino acid lysine.

Iron in meat, eggs, dairy is heme iron. It's much easier for your body to absorb and use than the non heme iron in veggies.

That's just a couple of nutrients that you'll have to be concerned about when you give up meat. The omega vitamins are also hard to get as a vegetarian, Vitamin D (D3) from animals is more useful to your body than the Vitamin D (D2) from plants, if you eat a lot of soy, be sure to take an iodine supplement every day to protect your thyroid. Beef is high in zinc. You need to watch that you're getting enough zinc if you give beef up.

You need the Vitamin D to absorb your calcium. Some of the green veggies high in iron also contain oxalates which inhibits your body's ability to absorb iron and calcium. http://www.livestrong.com/article/155502…

Can you do it? There are many healthy ovo lacto vegetarians out there, but it does take time and planning to be sure you have vegetarian food when you're hungry. If not, many people turn to junk food...potato chips and sodas are vegetarian.