going from ALMOST vegetarian to vegan??

Question

i've always wanted to be a vegetarian coz i'm pro defending animal rights and i feel terrible knowing so many animals are being slaughtered or exploited daily on our bahalf. unfortunately, so far, i have only managed to be a semi-vegetarian. i dont eat beef, pork or seafood. but my mother is worried that if i dont consume certain products (like dairy or meat) i will become malnurished and thus be much less healthy than i would have been by having a balanced diet based on ALL things that are edible.

what i'm asking basically is: can i be healthy (NOT skinny - coz i'm an athlete) and be vegan at the same time? how can i accomplish to get all the proteins and vitamins by body needs without taking suplimentary pills (i dont like the thought of having something sinthetic in my body)? are soy, rice, etc products really as healthy as the real thing?

i appreciate the help. i dont want to have to quit on my whole belief system, but i'm afraid if it means i become anaemic, i'll have to...

Answer 1

first thng, it GREAT to hear this baby!!
well, yeah, i mean, im a vegan and i aint gt no prbs all ma life(regarding nourishment, the heart thngy was nt concerned with this)......yeah, its diff when u switch frm bein a non vegan to a vegan.......u can consume dairy and milk products baby, animals are nt killed for it....as for meat, u can take other protein supplements like green peas, and soya and stuff...rice helps a LOT too........QUITE a few veggies have actually gt mre nutrition thn meat....as a matter of fact the human digestive system is mre comfy w/ vegan stuff......ofcourse the change maybe be a lil disturbin but its gnna b allright in no time...^_^

all the best sweety!!
^_^

Answer 2

I'm vegan, not skinny and I compete in martial arts training 4 or 5 times a week and also do running and weights. Protein - tofu is the best and also quinoa, lentils and nuts are good sources and beans are quite a good source. Calcium - dark green veg and soya milk, soya yogurt provide this. Carbs and vitamins you get from grains, fruit and veg like everyone else. The main thing vegans can lack if they're not careful is B12 and iodene as these are added to animal feeds. I take a supplement (a vegan supplement actually contains much less vitamins etc than one intended for meat-eaters), but you can get iodene from iodized salt or from seaweed (such as sushi wrap.) Not sure about B12 but I'm sure someone will know a good vegan source of that. My diet is completely balanced and I'm at no risk of becoming anaemic!

Answer 3

me and my wife feel exactly the same about the poor animals!! There is a lot u can have instead of meat! You can go from vegie to vegan by consuming soya, products, milk, fake chicken....tastes like the real thing. If u dont like the taste of pure soya milk try the flavoured ones, they do have sugar in the thought so being a athlete u might have to cut down on sugar in something else. Tofu is also a good product to replace protien, usualy available in the chinese food section of the store. STICK TO YOUR SUPLIMENTARIES AS WELL AND YOU WILL BE PERFECTLY HEALTHY!! Dont forget veggies and fruit!!! All the vitamins you need is in there!! The Planet belong to the animals we have to spek up for them.....no one else do

Answer 4

All these answers are great but I wanted to add that B vitamins can be found in a variety of supplements (capsules, sublingual tablets, even sprays that you just take a squirt of once a day!) and naturally in nutritional yeast and dark beer, though I'm not sure if you're old enough for the beer yet! Also better to use soybean or rapeseed oils in cooking to get your essential fatty acids. The links listed below will help with some great info too!

Answer 5

Yes, you can be a perfectly healthy athlete on a vegan diet (runner Carl Lewis is an example). Your mother's worries come being a mom (caring about you), and from from decades of propaganda and advertising from the meat and dairy industries telling Americans they need their products.

If you do it right, vegan diets are MORE balanced than omnivores, not less. When 70% of your plate at every meal covered with flesh, you miss out on all of the nutrients in the other foods you can't fit there. You won't need to take supplements as long as you eat a healthy, varied diet, with plenty of whole grains, green leafy vegetables, legumes, fruits, etc.

Don't be too hard on your mom. She wants to help you, but doesn't have all of the information. Educate her (and yourself) and you'll be fine. Good luck!

Answer 6

I have been given into bodybuilding decrease back in my omnivorous days, so i became eating huge parts of meat, dairy, and eggs on a on a regular basis foundation. A pound of meat became in many circumstances fed on as area of a meal, and that i became that guy or woman who mixed uncooked egg whites along with her whey shake. I became completely disabled interior the U. S. Marine Corps and study veganism ought to help, so I became vegan day after today. That became it. there became no easing into it, I in basic terms did it. by way of fact i became very acquainted with foodstuff, I knew the place to get all my nutrition and in no way had any issues/withdraws from it.

Answer 7

First of all I just want you to know I think Vegans are over the top as far as their beliefs. However I agree with conservation of resources and I am not a vegetarian. I do however have a good friend who is Vegan and is very healthy. She has told me that you really can't make up your own rules about what to eat though you need to follow the "vegan rules" to the letter. I recall a vegan couple who's baby died of malnutrition going to jail. After reading more about it found out that they did not breast feed the baby which prevented the baby from getting necessary fats for survival. Fats are essential for some stuff.

Answer 8

Soy and rice food are real foods. And you can be healthy on a vegan diet.

Check out www.vrg.org; they should have information on vegan athletes.

And check this out: http://www.idausa.org/worldgovegandays.html

Vegan athletes!

Answer 9

I'm not trying to discourage you but I can tell you.... you are making quite a jump. From ALMOST vegetarian to vegan is an interesting choice. I'll be pulling for you... good luck.

Answer 10

http://veganfitness.net/ is a good site if you want to check it out.