Vegetarian diet not for everyone? - Page 3

[Marlet]

DH is an o type and while he could easily just eat red meat we've been vegetarian for awhile now. He recently went vegan and is loving it.

I know when we first made the switch we ate lots of grains and what not. It was just the easy fill. It took a bit to break the habit. It also took a bit to get in the habit of making sure we had foods that would fill us. We went through a phase with lots of avocados. It's an adjustment I think.

And I agree with the other posters. Just because you're eating vegetarian doesn't mean you are eating healthy.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Sounds like you have a lot going on, probably more than just your diet alone to make such drastic changes occur. Not sure what is going on, I would consult a holistic nutritionist or dietitian in your case though.
I know some people who say they are vegetarians, but do not eat properly. I know some people who are omnivores (eating both vegs and meat) but do not eat properly at all either. Neither is ideal and both do damage.
I have not eaten red meat since I was a young child (by my own choice) and have experienced great health. Out of my family who all ate red meat, I was the least likely to get sick (still am as an adult).
I am not vegetarian since I do eat liberal amounts of fish and sometimes (rarely) poultry from a good source.
I try to eat whole foods and try not to eat much processed foods at all. I cook Japanese type meals often.

[fresh_veggie]

You'd need a dietitian to assess your current diet and why it's not working the way you want it to. Just giving up meat and replacing it with too much of the wrong stuff can cause a series of problems :/

I'm blood type O and vegan. Been that way for years. I think it's how you do veg. I know vegetarians that sit around and eat bread, mac and cheese, potatoes, and pastries all day.

You probably should be eating very little grain, and more and more and more green and colorful veggies.

I believe veggie is for everyone!

[es1967]

I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years. My weight is close to what it was when I was a teenager and I am now 41. I try to eat alot of veggies-raw and cooked. I don't eat alot of pasta - maybe once a week. I try to get beans, lentils and nuts into my diet as much as possible. I also juice and do green smoothies often. Of all my friends from highschool I am the only one that is of normal weight. They are all extremely overweight eating the typical American diet. I also have a friend who is close to 50 that is a vegan and and has been most of his life. He looks 10-15 yrs younger than he is. He eats mostly raw foods. I think that many people who go on a vegetarian diet eat alot of processed foods, omit the meat and think that they are eating healthier. Don't get me wrong my toddler and DH eat meat so I am not saying I am against meat. But I make sure that they are getting lots of fresh fruits,veggies, grains etc. Really, I can't see blaming a veg diet for weight gain. Weight gain is the result of eating more calories than one is burning.

[LisainCalifornia]

I am 43 and now weigh the same as I did at 16. I am 5'5 and 124 pounds, and am even postmenopausal. When I tried to go vegetarian I DID gain weight, despite eating healthfully. It made me feel bloated and headachey and just not well in general. I now eat meat (all kinds--from red meat to chicken to fish), and have a healthy diet. I live in the Bay Area and many of the people I know also eat healthy diets with meat, and are healthy weights for their height. So I really think it depends on the person.

I stopped being a vegetarian after a long bout with illnesses. My friend's Italian Grandmother came to visit, and nursed me back to health with her chicken soup--otherwise known as the nectar of the gods.: I later spent the summer in Greece, eating a primarily Meditaranean diet--full of fish and lamb and stuffed grape leaves. I felt great eating like that, and still love that kind of food. Many cultures all over the world eat meat, chicken and fish healthfully. Just because you are an American doesn't mean you have to eat crappy food. I live close enough to Chez Pannise to know good food when I taste it!

[PlayaMama]

another o type vegetarian here. i've been veg for 15 years and i'm the same weight i was in high school.

i'm researching the tf diet and i hang out there often, i do eat eggs and cheese and milk (all pastured and raw- now that i've found it) and i do ferment and all that good stuff.

i think there's stuff to be taken from every type diet and you have to figure out what works for you. i now make our yogurt but i still sprout things like i learned when i was raw vegan, interesting that it correlates to tf's ideas of sprouting too!

personally? meat doesn't make me feel any better and i really and truly dislike the taste, so it's more or a flavor objection rather than a moral one.
i've started eating some fish now and then and i don't notice a big difference. i did however notice i HUGE difference in my personality once i started taking clo.

try different things and see what works for you, i don't believe there is a one-size fits all diet... i just have to look at my mate to see how well we function on different types of foods.

[Ammaarah]

I am another person who did not do well on a vegetarian diet. I believe it helped kick my PCOS into high gear.

[mamadelbosque]

I don't think any one diet is 'right' for everyone. We come from SO many different backgrounds, with SO many "traditional" diets from vegetarian to almost completely carnivorous, and everything inbetween. To say that any single diet will 'work' for everyone just seems really naive' to me. Personally, I like a more middle road, and tend to follow Micheal Pollans way of eating more than anything else, which he sums up nicely, I think: Eat food. Mostly Plants. Not too much. But, thats me, and I certainly don't expect everyone to eat just like I do, because, lets be honest here, everybody's a little bit different.

[bella_stranger]

Originally Posted by Ammaarah

I am another person who did not do well on a vegetarian diet. I believe it helped kick my PCOS into high gear.

me too!

[thismama]

I am an O positive also. Veg since age 14, but ate pretty poorly. Insulin resistance, PCOS, substantial weight gain.

Saw a wholistic doc who got me off sugar and onto limited whole grains, lots of veg, fruits and meat. Corrected my PCOS and insulin issues and I dropped a lot of weight. Went around telling everyone vegetarianism was crap for me and meat is important blahblah.

But it sicked me out so I stopped eating meat again. Now I eat whole grains, very limited sugar, lots of veg, fruits, protein with every meal... and I am dropping weight and my PCOS and insulin are STILL corrected.

IMO you can't say 'the vegetarian diet' is this or that. Eat limited whole grains, lots and lots of veggies, fruits, good fats, and protein at every meal. There is no one vegetarian diet and if you take out meat and replace it with bread, you will have a problem. I can't stand meat and I'm happy to finally know that I do not have to eat it to be healthy.

[bella_stranger]

Originally Posted by thismama

But it sicked me out so I stopped eating meat again. Now I eat whole grains, very limited sugar, lots of veg, fruits, protein with every meal... and I am dropping weight and my PCOS and insulin are STILL corrected.

IMO you can't say 'the vegetarian diet' is this or that. Eat limited whole grains, lots and lots of veggies, fruits, good fats, and protein at every meal. There is no one vegetarian diet and if you take out meat and replace it with bread, you will have a problem. I can't stand meat and I'm happy to finally know that I do not have to eat it to be healthy.

I'm glad that worked for you... alas, it didn't for me.

I agree, replacing meat with bread is a disaster for many!

[thismama]

Originally Posted by bella_stranger

I'm glad that worked for you... alas, it didn't for me.

I agree, replacing meat with bread is a disaster for many!

Curious though... did you eat mostly veggies? All whole grains and limited portions? Decent amount of good fats? Protein with every meal and a decent amount? No or limited sugars?

[MyLilPwny]

Originally Posted by purplemamaturtle5

I've really been looking into the "Tradition Foods Diet" and seem to like what I'm seeing. For those of you who do a TFD....How do you like it? Were you veg. and then switched to a TFD? I'm just a little timid to take the plunge right now, but I desp. want to be thin/healthier.

I love eating Traditional Foods. If you check in the Traditional Foods forum, there is a thread called "Have you lost weight with coconut oil?" here it is http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1007064 and lot of people mentioned they are eating no grains or very low grains, and they became thin doing that. The whole idea is to increase healthy fat and protein intake, and do low-carb (carbs coming from mostly vegetables, and some fruits). They key is eating enough healthy fats (such as coconut oil, butter, animal fat, etc.) which will help you lose weight along with satisfying hunger. I was never vegetarian before, but I'm imagining if I was vegetarian, I would have filled up on grains, carby breads, pastas, etc., all stuff that causes weight gain.

[thismama]

Originally Posted by ThereseReich

I was never vegetarian before, but I'm imagining if I was vegetarian, I would have filled up on grains, carby breads, pastas, etc., all stuff that causes weight gain.

This is the problem IMO, at least it was for me and I think it is for a lot of people, veg or no. Gotta fill up on *vegetables*, and fruits, and protein, and complex carbs in moderate quantities. Carbatarian does not equal vegetarian, kwim?

[bella_stranger]

yep! all whole grains (and rarely at that), very minimal dairy, green smoothies, ton of veg and leafy greens, olive oil, flax oil, sugar only in the form of berries or apples... but getting my protein from legumes was still too starchy.

I think some people can thrive on well-planned mostly vegetarian diets...I am just not one of them.

I did learn alot about the importance of respecting the animals one eats, so that was a plus. It took me a while to come around to eating meat again, I made sure to watch animal butchery on Anthony Bourdain's tv show and the River cottage show. That was tough, but it helped.

[thismama]

Originally Posted by bella_stranger

yep! all whole grains (and rarely at that), very minimal dairy, green smoothies, ton of veg and leafy greens, olive oil, flax oil, sugar only in the form of berries or apples... but getting my protein from legumes was still too starchy.

I think some people can thrive on well-planned mostly vegetarian diets...I am just not one of them.

I did learn alot about the importance of respecting the animals one eats, so that was a plus. It took me a while to come around to eating meat again, I made sure to watch animal butchery on Anthony Bourdain's tv show and the River cottage show. That was tough, but it helped.

Huh! Well just goes to show that nothing works for everyone. If I needed to eat meat I would choose ethically raised meat as much as possible, ITA with that. I do eat eggs and dairy, eggs pretty much daily. And tofu. Beans as well of course but not as the only source of protein.

[bella_stranger]

Originally Posted by thismama

Huh! Well just goes to show that nothing works for everyone. If I needed to eat meat I would choose ethically raised meat as much as possible, ITA with that. I do eat eggs and dairy, eggs pretty much daily. And tofu. Beans as well of course but not as the only source of protein.

yeah, my body can't handle dairy (sadly! so delicious) or soy. (not as upset about that one )

[RasJi7]

is it possible you have celiac? not sure how to call it but you would have to cut out wheat rye and barly if it is so. i am looking into it too. i have been way upping my intake of raw foods and that has had a tremendous effect on my energy level.

[Pookietooth]

You could look into the Chinese medicine aspects. Rosacea is a sign of "heat" so eating foods that reduce that heat (cooling foods) might help. Also, have you tried eliminating gluten and dairy as well as soy? They can be pretty inflammatory.
I have a friend who has had complete relief from her rosacea by doing a mostly raw diet. She's not 100% raw or all vegan, but eats no grains, no cooked beans, only fish and honey as far as animal products, and seems to be happy on it. I don't know if it's because that's the right diet for her (she's A), or what, but she had been a veggie and then into TF and hadn't found healing with either.