I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian?

Question

i jsut saw somoene killing a fish to eat, when i saw it and saw it open its mouth, oh my God my heart just broke! it jsut broke! and i cried...this is like 10 min ago...what do i need to expect when making this decision...any vegetarians out there? any advice?

To Giglly Giraffe!!! LOL!!! LMAO!!!

Answer 1

Make certain you are gradual with it, as you still have to consider the pritein needs of your body.

Answer 2

First of all, I'm going to express my amazement for how many people on here are against your going vegetarian... It's unbelievable!

Anyway, I'm a vegan and have been for ten months. It's not as hard as everyone above is saying it is.

Craving meat is not "your body's natural way of telling you you need protein". Craving meat is part of the cleansing process your body goes through, much like giving up cigarettes (though meat is not technically addictive). There are very, very few vegetarians who are protein deficient. More common are vitamin D deficiencies and B12 deficiencies. Take a vegan multivitamin with both of these things in it, and you should be fine.

It's going to be really hard at first. You won't know what to eat. You're going to want to go back... Trust me. I was vegetarian on and off for a year. When I finally switched to veganism, that was it... I don't want any animal products anymore, at all. Anyway, if you need support, try veggieboards.com. There are tons of helpful people there who will help you stick with what you believe in, and help you figure out what to eat.

You're going to get a lot of crap from omnis, too. In the beginning, you won't know how to back yourself up very well, but you'll get better. So in the beginning, just stop them before they get too ahead of themselves and tell them that this is your choice, and if they're going to treat you this way, you'll treat their beliefs the same exact way.

Some suggestions for eating:

Quinoa (I think that's the right spelling) is absolutely delicious. It's a whole grain rich in protein. I put a little olive oil and salt on mine, and chop up mushrooms so it has a little more flavor.
"Chicken" patties. Gardenburger has a delicious one made with textured vegetable protein. It's great if you like chicken, and also very rich in protein.
Tomato sandwiches. These have got to be the best things on Earth. I love them. They're even better toasted.

Those are a few of my favorite things. I'm sure you'll get tons more advice if you go to veggieboards.

Good luck, and I hope you decide to choose vegetarianism!

"My friend laura's answer:yes my sister is a vegiterian, its a good decision, becuase it is saving animals. But dont become one when you are to young, because you have to be at least 18 {thats the healthy age}"

I'm 15, and I'm fine. There are some people who are vegan/vegetarian from birth. I know them, and they're normal people. They have no severe health problems or mental defecits... I have no idea where you got this information.

Answer 3

Most all of the vegetarians I know saw something dramatic and got upset and *thought* about becoming vegetarian. Very few did so specifically because of this single instant. If you really feel vegetarianism is right for you, think about doing these things.

Do some research first. Read up and find out what type of vegetarian you want to be. Learn how to read a product label and what the terms actually are. Look a vegetarian cookbooks to see what is easy, healthy and tasty. Find out what vitamins and minerals you will have to supplelement and research how to do so. Understand what makes up a complete protein, and how you can get them as a vegetarian. Remember, getting protein as a vegetarian isn't that hard, but getting a COMPLETE Protein with all the amino acids you need is a different thing entirely. Vegetarinism can be really heathly, but it takes knowledge and work.

Do it in stages. I wouldn't recommend going vegan in one day. Go in stages and learn to supplement the foods you are cutting out of your diet with healthy alternatives that can offset the nutritional losses you'll have from not eating that food. Try to be balanced about your diet at all time. I would also suggest talking with a doctor, nutritionist or other reputable and knowledgeable person to make sure you're on the right track.

Listen to your body. Often vegetarians crave meat when they first stop eating it, but be careful of this. Cravings are often a sign that you are missing a nutritional component in your diet. Also, don't expect vegetarinaism to be a weight toss fix. Depending on the type of vegetarian you become, you may end up eating carbs, eggs, dairy and a host of other fattening foods. Similarly, remember that anyone touting vegetarianism as such may be promoting something less than healthy. Be aware that not all vegetarian diets are created equal. Be aware that foods are chemicals and that by changing your diet, you are changing the chemical makeup of your body. This may have subtle effects on your emotions, energy, and a host of other things. Remember balance.

Finally, understand what you are getting yourself into. Vegetarianism is a commitment and it isn't always fun. There'll probably be a day where you really want a burger without "Morningstar" in its name. There'll probably be a time when you are sick of ordering the same "safe" item off the menu every time you eat out with your friends. There'll probably be a time when you want to scream at the 1021st person to remind you that "Hitler was a vegetarian." You may get sick of fielding animal rights questions from the mother and her toddler watching you buy silken tofu in the grocery aisle. You may also find yourself defending what you eat to other vegetarians who don't *agree* with the route you've chosen It'll happen, so be patient with people about it and learn when to recognize a valuable opportunity for communication and when to take it all with a grain of salt. Realize that vegetarinism is slightly outside the mainstream, and that people may be curious or uncomfortable with it, and, by extension, you. Basically, you'll have to beome a bit of a PR person for vegetarinaism, because, unless you live in Berkeley, many people are going to see you as a vegetarian first and a person second.

Answer 4

Go for it! I read a book called Diet for a New America by John Robbins about 18 years ago. He was the heir to the Baskin Robbins fortune but gave it up. He studied nutrition and factory farms. After reading about the incredible cruelty in factory farms I swore off meat for good. My health is excellent because of it, even though I have some bad habits. Just make sure to educate yourself about healthy eating.

Try Aveline Kushi's book Macrobiotic Cooking - macrobiotic is the opposite of antibiotic, macrobiotic = big life, antibiotic = anti life. It sounds extreme, but her book has very good information about the qualities of different foods and I use it as a basis, but don't follow it completely. Although, when I did I lost ten pounds without even trying.

And as for man being a carnivore, we have the same teeth and digestive systems as grain eating animals not carnivores.

Also think about this, why do people get so defensive about eating meat??? I have had people get very upset about the topic and I have never pushed it on anyone, I don't even like telling people. But, why do they get so upset if eating meat is so great???

Answer 5

My friend laura's answer:yes my sister is a vegiterian, its a good decision, becuase it is saving animals. But dont become one when you are to young, because you have to be at least 18 {thats the healthy age}

My answer: She is right, if u do become a vegetarian wait until u are at least 18 so u will be healthy, but if it bothers u that much that animals r being killed 4 u 2 eat, then become a vegetarian, only if u really want 2.

Answer 6

I wish I could ... I've tried, so far I can only go 4 days a week without meats, fish, or poultry.

Leonardo DiCaprio is a vegan ... he's hot ... Moby (music dude) is a vegan too ... plus it sounds like the farts from cows (methanole) is more dangerious to the enviroment than the SUV that suffocates me in my convertable ... You're great if you can avoid eating meats!!!

Oh, being a woman, don't forget to find "Iron" supplements or else you'll have major cramps (blush).

Answer 7

Go for it! I went veggie for health reasons alone. In two years the very sight of meat made me feel ill at ease and I could see so clearly then that eatting meat was disgusting and the farming of animals as if they were carrots even more disgusting. So there's both health and ethics involved.

I know you'll get tons of suggestions. Here's mine lol. A teaspoon of flax oil a day for omega 3. Lots of varietys of fruits especially little berries of every kind. Very little wheat products, they make you fat. A multivitimin.

When you need that filled up feeling, eat boiled potatos.

Welcome to the 21st century, it looks good on you. Peace :D

Answer 8

I was a vegetarian for about a year in high school but I stopped because it was really hard for my mom to cook two meals for three people.

A mistake that a lot of beginners make is that they just eat whatever, as long as it's not meat. I ate tons and tons of carbs and ended up putting some weight on. Carbs are okay in moderation, but they don't have enough nutritional value. It's really the same kind of diet as before, but make sure you replace the meat with another protein. Tofu is a classic example. Tempeh is good, too. Boca burgers and veggie burgers are pretty good. Certain kinds of beans have a lot of protein. Chick peas, also. Fake meats are sometimes okay, but you have to shop around. Don't forget eggs (if you plan on eating them -- some vegetarians do, some don't). Also, take a multivitamin to make sure you're getting the right nutrients. They make specific ones for vegetarians.

Look around the internet for tips on being a vegetarian. Also, if you find yourself craving meat, it's usually your body's way of telling you that you need protein.


Here's a decent site, but there are lots more out there.
http://bms.brown.edu/nutrition/tips.html

good luck!

Answer 9

Asia has a large vegetarian population so stop by one of those markets like Ranch 99 (California) and buy some imitation meat products made from soy. My parents and sister have been vegans for over ten and fifteen years. These quasi-meat products stem the craving of meat I think lots of carnivors have. I believe its better rather than going cold turkey on meat, try less karma ridden meat like chicken or fish.

Answer 10

I have been a vegetarian for 17 years now(was a teen when I became one and I cooked all my meals), and I feel I was destined to be a vegetarian because as a child, eating any animal always disturbed me. Many times I wouldn't eat the food at all, or just a couple pieces to appease my parents.
It is very easy to be able to follow a vegetarian lifestyle.
It's not just about eating steamed vegetables or raw carrots and lettuce, like some ignorant meat eaters tend to believe.
Not only can you eat pasta prepared in so many different ways, there are thousands of vegetarian recipes to choose from!
And do not fall for the lies that some meat eaters like to 'inform' others with. They know nothing about being a vegetarian , therefore their advice is ill-equipped not to mention false.
Amino acids are not solely found in meat! They're also found in cheese, eggs and other protein enriched foods.
The FDA recognizes a vegtarian and vegan lifestyle as being much healthier than an omnivore's diet.
Heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes to name a few are much more prevailent amongst meat eaters. In fact, vegetarians and vegans have much lower, healthier blood pressures and cholesterol levels than our meat eating friends.
Therefore, not only is choosing a vegetarian lifestyle much more ethical and humane,but it's also a much healthier choice that you're making for yourself.
When I first became a vegetarian, I found that purchasing several vegetarian cookbooks helped me to jump into the lifestyle much easier and I realized that by being vegetarian, I am not limiting my choice of foods! I also ended up opening my mind to more vegetables that I hadn't tried before!
Oh yes-another argument by the ignorant crowd of meat eaters is that the vegetables and fruits we eat can feel pain.
A ridiculous, grasping at straws argument b/c it's been proven COUNTLESS times that plants do not posess a central nervous system that allows animals and humans to feel pain. Yet you're bound to find an idiot every so often touting that stupid claim that has no validity.
And regardless of what meat eaters tell themselves and tell others, humans are not made for meat consumption.
Not only do we not have the teeth for it, but we also do not have the digestive system for it! Our systems cannot even completely digest the meat, which ends up sitting in our intestines, rotting! Which is also why meat eaters have a higher colon cancer rate as well!
And you'll notice how many people become ill and/ or die after consuming tainted beef, yet omnivore animals do not.
Why is that? Because those animals have the appropriate stomach acids to not only assist in it's digestion, but more importantly, to kill off those dangerous bacteria!
I'd like to recomend a few of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks that should really help you get into the vegetarian lifestyle:
http://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Broccoli-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081266/ref=sr_1_1/104-3935605-6801531?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182099268&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081304/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-3935605-6801531?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182100150&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Linda-Mccartneys-Home-Cooking-McCartney/dp/1559701609/ref=sr_1_2/104-3935605-6801531?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182100188&sr=1-2

good Luck with your newfound healthy lifestyle!

Answer 11

Oh please, don't become a vegetarian because of this nonsense, just check any animal planet show or Planet Earth or Blue Planet from Discovery, animals die so other animals can get their food, animals kill animals to eat all day long, if you are going to become a vegetarian do it for the right reasons, like your health or because you just don't like meat, not because of some hippy nonsense. Fish don't even have a sophisticated nerve system, the fish probably didn't even notice it was dying. Don't get sentimental over it, it's a normal natural process, if some human didn't eat that fish problably some other animal in the sea would have eaten it anyways.

I don't know, personally I think it's wrong to become a vegetarian over sentimental nonsense, is it kinda lame to have to kill to eat?, true, but no matter what you eat you'll be hurting something, or do you really think all those carrots and potatoes don't feel a thing?, trees and plants are alive too, you know? so as you can see getting emotional over it doesn't do you any good.