Vegetarian..........................................................................?

Hipolito Rightmire: Hazel Eye,It really isn't that hard when you know what to do. Firstly, I agree with the others in taking it slow. The body has been used to eating a certain type of diet and changing that too quickly could cause you to become ill.Secondly get yourself a book or program that teaches you how to do it properly. The reason I say that is so that you know how to do it the right way, the first time. A lot of the time that people change from meat to vegetarian they don't do it properly and they don't replace all the essential amino acids etc that they need to replace. So getting some information on the right foods to eat and how to eat them could really help you.In regards to your body and its reactions. That can vary from person to person. Just make sure to monitor the changes going on in the body. You could even see a naturopath to guide you along the way.I hope that helps :)~ Charlotte...Show more

Idell Syed: First off, i'd like to point out that vege! tarian means no meat, poultry, or FISH.When you eat fish, you are a pescetarian, not a veggie..For me i just stopped eating meat all together...started eating more beans (mostly refried), soy burgers, etc..If you actually like the taste of meat (i personally dont) you can get soy burgers/chicken/bacon that have a meaty taste to them..Vegetarianism is very good for the body. All those drugs they pump into animals are terrible for you....Show more

Von Houskeeper: What works for some may not work for others.Unlike Megan, I became a vegetarian overnight (i.e., no transition period, while you slowly eliminate one type of animal flesh, then another, then another) - with no ill effects from doing so - and that was over 3 decades ago. I can recommend it because it worked for me, yet Megan's approach might work better for you. Only one way (or rather two ways) to find out!With changes to the body, blood cholesterol levels would be the main one. Have it checked before you go ve! getarian, and then maybe 6 months down the track, to compare t! he results. As long as you don't just substitute cheese, butter, ghee, cream and eggs for the animal flesh you were eating before, the cholesterol levels should go down. At the same time, have a general checkup - weight, blood pressure, blood iron level, glucose, etc., so you can compare those results too, and tweak your diet accordingly if something has gone amiss.Depending on what (and how much) you eat, you may either lose weight or gain weight as a result of the change of diet.Becoming a vegetarian will not make you immune to cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, etc., but it may reduce the likelihood of your getting one or more type (e.g., vegetarians are generally less likely to get bowel cancer, breast cancer and a few other diseases than non-vegetarians, but this doesn't mean that you *can't* get them).EDIT: Cliff knows nothing about vegetarianism other than the word itself, so you can safely ignore any answer he gives in this forum. I've been a vegetari! an for around 34 years and I do not have diabetes. I do not have anaemia either - I'm a regular blood-donor, so my iron is checked before each donation. My weight and blood pressure and blood cholesterol are all very much in the healthy range too. Cliff, why don't you go and troll in the religion & spirituality forum? It's more fun in there....Show more

Verdie Wollen: For me when I was a vegetarian I always had a sort of empty feeling but you get used to it. To be a vegetarian just don't eat meat, you can still eat dairy, fish, and unfertilized eggs to still be a vegetarian. And it helps maintain a constant weight.

Blair Abdi: Get the Vegetarian Starter Kit from - Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicinehttp://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vskVegetarian Foods: Powerful for HealthPhysicians Committee for Responsible Medicinehttp://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vegetarian_food......Show more

Ulrike Hert: By not eating meat.Some changes to the body are prote! in deprivation, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deprivation, and not being! able to get all the essential amino acids in the diet. As a result, muscle mass loss, anemia, and weakened immune system are inevitable.Vegetarians also must get more calories from fat and carbohydrates. Carbs turn into fat in the body and cause the pancreas to be stressed. The spike in blood glucose levels from eating too many carbs can cause type 2 diabetes if it occurs too often. This is more likely with vegetarians since they must eat more carbohydrates to make up for the calories they're not getting from protein/meat....Show more

Tillie Wynott: Being vegetarian is quite easy once you get the hang of it. I have been vegetarian for a year and a half and ill share my expirence transitioning with you. Don't go cold turkey (don't stop eating meat all together) at first. Tapper off the meat. Start with the really bad stuff like red meat and seafood. These to meat often contain hormones and can be dirty. Then, after you no longer crave these, stop eating chicken. A! fter that, stop eating fish. Some vegetarians eat fish, but they are not real vegetarians if they eat a living organism. The benefits are: weight loss of uneccesarry pounds. Healthier heart and organs. Increased eating of fruits and vegtables which is always good.One thing you must know is to replace the proteins you used to eat in meat with: beans, nuts, spinach, pasta, etc. This is fairly easy because most people already eat these. What is even better is that you can eat more and still lose weight! If you replace fatty animal meat with vegtables you will have one hot body without even trying, not to mention your body (and the animals you save from slaughter) will thank you!...Show more