Do we need supplements?

[ranebowchild]

Hi. This is the first time I've ever posted anything. I have been poking around here for over a year! lol
Anyways, do me and my daughter (she's two) need supplements? I'm worrying a lot! I want to move forward so I can begin to enjoy food instead of worrying about it.

My diet:
whole foods ovo vegetarian
eat 2 eggs roughly three times a week.
I drink one cup of fortified rice milk per day

Daughter's diet:
whole foods ovo lacto vegetarian
eat one egg roughly three times a week (sometimes she'll eat two)
has a small amount of goats cheese everyday
drinks a cup of fortified rice milk per day

Is it a good idea to find a nutritionist who supports a vegetarian diet?
I'm especially curious about B12, zinc, omega 3's (we eat plant sources, but some say that's not good enough) and vitamin D.
Please help me! I've been watching for a year and I know you guys are awesome.

[ranebowchild]

i forgot to mention that my daughter still nurses about 5 times a day, some long some short
let me know if you need anymore info

[ranebowchild]

anybody??? pplleeaassee

[nj's_mom]

From what I've read, it really depends who you ask. There are raw food vegans who advocate getting all your nutrients from your diet through fruits, veggies, and nuts; there are also many people who think EVERYONE should be taking a vitamin. I just watched "Food Matters" and the nutritionists in this documentary reccomend the same.

I am whole foods vegan, and should be taking a multi. I keep meaning to grab one. My daughter, who is mostly whole foods veggie with minimal dairy but sometimes eats little bits of meat or kefir or something... she takes a whole foods multi. Two a day.

[germin8]

I think if you are not getting them from food, you should at least supplement. IMO.

If you are drinking/eating fortified/enriched foods, that is like taking supplements. IMO.

Absolutely, it's a good idea to find someone who supports a vegetarian or vegan diet! IMO. Although, nutritionists are pretty healthy and they probably know about a veg diet. (...that is, if we're not talking about a registered dietitian... that would be different.)

Yes, it is more than the omega-3s. You also need Omega-6, and if by chance your body is not making omega-9, you need that too.

B12 is so important for the nervous system and red blood cells.

Zinc? Why would you need to supplement that... I thought you could easily get that in diet... like garlic.

Vitamin D? Get out in the sun for 15 minutes a day. The palms of your hands/feet should get exposure to sun. Even your face/eyes ...just don't go looking straight into the sun

[ranebowchild]

A website said that vegetarian/vegans have a hard time getting enough zinc. ??? I don't know.
I asked about vitamin D because winter's coming and I I'm not sure I'll be getting enough from the sun.
Thanks for the replys. It's all a little overwhelming. Especially with my little one in the picture.

[germin8]

You can get vitamin D from sun shining through the clouds and through windows (however reduced).

Sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds are high in zinc. Sesame seeds are also high in calcium... which I am surprised you didn't mention.

[nicky85]

We are high raw foods and don't do any supplements. We have three green smoothies a day each with 1-2 servings of greens a piece for my husband and myself. Our vitamin and mineral consumption is very, very high without any supplements. We get out for walks every day for our sunshine vitamin D and get fresh, organic, local greens whenever possible and leave a little dirt on for vitamin B12. (I know vitamin B12 is a hot button topic, don't flog me for saying we don't do supplements and leave a little dirt on our greens! My husband researched it at length and we came to the decision that that was best for us. If you really feel you need B12 supplements for your family then go for it! An intro to this idea can be found here: http://greensmoothiesblog.com/victor...amin-b12-vega/ but there is a lot of other stuff out there we looked at.) I'm OK with brewer's yeast, but my DH is kind of anti-anything fortified. We are all very healthy. Contrary to the drs' warnings that breastfed babies need Vit D supplements, our son is thriving and very healthy. So this is just what we do and we've found to work well for us. =)

[germin8]

Originally Posted by nicky85

...leave a little dirt on our greens!

Where's the LIKE button?
Excellent 'on the dirt'. Plus you get the probiotic benefits.

Yes, raw, organic food is high in nutrients... especially sprouted/germinated food.

[ranebowchild]

Thanks for the replies. I had no idea it was so easy to get zinc and that vit D was available even on cloudy, darker days. So awesome!
I love the idea of not needing supplements at all. We eat a really healthy diet, but not organic. I will research that. I feel that if I need a bunch of supplements then the vegetarian diet must be inferior, although I'm very aware that studies prove it's MUCH healthier and more than sufficient. I've been considering eating fish lately for the omegas, but it's just because I'm not confident yet. "Gracie, it's wrong to eat cows and pigs and chicken but it' s okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings." That'll confuse her and rightly so.
I've always been super careful to wash my greens super well, but I will research that also. I'm afraid of contamination. Should I not be?
I was a vegan in the past and all I ate was sugary peanut butter and sugary jam sandwiches on white bread, with potatoes and hardly any veggies, NO nuts and seeds at all and only a small cup of sugar beans every other day. I suffered health consequences for that began eating meat for a while and now I'm ready to take the plunge again. Please don't flame me. I've learned alot and feel great eating properly like I do now. So you can understand the extra concern and eagerness to hear from you guys on this topic.

[germin8]

Originally Posted by ranebowchild

...I've been considering eating fish lately for the omegas, but it's just because I'm not confident yet....

Flaxseed and walnuts are excellent sources of omega-3. I recommend germinating the walnuts to remove enzyme inhibitor - tannin. Plus, if they are truly raw (dormant, biogenic), then germinating should increase their nutrition... sometimes by 4x!!! This is why sprouts are so nutrient dense when sprouted to a a small tail length. Also, germinating walnuts removes the bitter flavor... some people don't like that.

As for flaxseed, make sure it is fresh and grind your own. Flaxseed meal can go rancid sooner. Fresh is better.

Borage is good for omega 6.

I take Barlean's for my omega supplementation. They recently came out with a Total Omega (-3, -6, & -9) which goes great on veg yogurt, waffles, or fruit.

Originally Posted by ranebowchild

I've always been super careful to wash my greens super well, but I will research that also. I'm afraid of contamination. Should I not be?

Well, you can be less afraid. I know it's best... but, I don't like it either. You can get B12 from fermented foods like raw sauerkraut... also nutritional yeast (Brewer's is best), seaweed, blue-green algae, and (vegan) yogurt!

[clovergirl]

If you are concerned about you nutrient levels you can always get a blood test done. Vitamin D is something that most people in North America are deficient in, and all it takes is a simple blood test to find out your levels. If your levels are low then you can supplement, there are several vegetarian/vegan options for Vit D.
Personally, I have been lacto-ovo vegetarian for almost 15 years (with a few vegan and raw vegan stints in there) and the last half of that I have eaten very well. I was very low in Vit D and I am glad I found that out and started supplementing. I get outside almost every day with the kids (and we don't use sunblock) but my levels were still not in the good range. So it can happen, even if you think you are doing all the right things.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by ranebowchild

I love the idea of not needing supplements at all. We eat a really healthy diet, but not organic. I will research that. I feel that if I need a bunch of supplements then the vegetarian diet must be inferior, although I'm very aware that studies prove it's MUCH healthier and more than sufficient.

Inferior to what? As an omni, I'd argue that most omni diets could be improved by some supplementation. I don't think that deciding to supplement your vegetarian diet (if you decided that, I mean) implies that the lack of meat is the problem.

[ranebowchild]

Good point tanyalynn! I was thinking the same thing just today!