vegetarian?

Question

I'm a vegetarian and i was wondering if it is healthy or not. My parents and sis says it isn't but are they right?

Answer 1

it's healthy as long as you have a good diet.

Answer 2

The American Dietitic Association and Dietitians of Canada both say that an well planned vegetarian diet is appropriate for people of all ages. Statistics bear out the fact that vegetarians have lower instances of heart disease, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, kidney disease, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, diabetes and obesity. Vegetarians live longer than omnivores.

Note that the ADA comes down in favor of a "well planned" vegetarian diet. This is true of all dietary choices, vegetarian or meat-eating, and this is where most people, vegetarian or omnivore, stumble. Most people just know very little about nutrition and what they've learned is confusing and contradictory. If you want to be the healthiest vegetarian you can be, you should do a little research on nutrition ("Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina is really good, both are registered dietitians and the information is very thorough.) Once you have a working knowledge of nutrition, you can not only plan a balanced diet, but you can prove to your parents and your sis that you are on the right track.

Answer 3

A vegetarian or vegan diet is proven to be healthy by the US Government, and is proven time and again to combat disease and bad health. The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have “lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer” and that vegetarians are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese. The healthiest diets include lots of unprocessed, whole foods, whole grains, and adequate amounts of all vital nutrients.

As a vegetarian, you will need to get reliable sources of calcium (the best sources being leafy dark green vegetables, or if you eat dairy, low fat milk). Try to stay away from soy protein isolates like most fake meat substitutes and get your protein instead from unprocessed beans (tofu is very healthy), nuts, and legumes. If you're vegan, you'll need to find B12 in the form of a supplement or enriched foods like soymilk.

Try not to listen to dissenting voices in this area, there is a TON of misinformation about vegetarian diets out there since the meat industry is so powerful in our country. You're doing a great thing for the environment and saving the lives of about 100 animals every year. It's a healthy and great choice!

Answer 4

I receive brochures from a couple different medical health organizations (health care providers), and they pretty much say everyone needs to eat more fruits and vegetables, and the only meat they mention is fish, but mainly because of omega-3 (which can be found in non-meat sources, which they also mention). They tell this to people because they see all the sick people and how much it costs to treat them. They would rather have healthy patients so their costs go down too.

Answer 5

I'm a vegetarian too. I think it's healthy as long as you eat right. Make sure you still get protein and other things that other people get from meat. This way it isn't unhealthy.

Answer 6

It is healthy because all of the vegetables you just get your protein in a different way i used to be a vegetarian for a while til i quit not too long ago.

Answer 7

It can be very healthy, but you have to eat a well balanced diet of vegetables, fruit, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. Soy, rice, and almond milk are all fortified with Vitamin D, B12, A and calcium.

vegetarianteen.com
vrg.org

Answer 8

if you eat the right things yes, but you have to be careful and make sure you get enough calcium and protien, ive been a vegetarian for almost 5 years and im fine, not eating red meat reduces the risk of getting certian diseases and stuff

Answer 9

Yes Its Healthy But You Need To Somehow get some protein into you diet. maybe though peanuts?

Answer 10

vegetarians can be healthy to.

just make sure you get the right nutrients, this site can help you - http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes/

these are important:

milk - for protein, calcium
nuts, pulses, grains - for nutrients
vegetables for vitamins
quorn or soya protein for protein
rice and pasta - for all the right carbohydrates

here are some more sites:

http://www.cauldronfoods.co.uk/CMSPage.aspx
http://www.quorn.co.uk/CMSPage.aspx
http://www.eatandtwoveg.com/eatv.php
http://juliangraves.com/?PageID=525
http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html

Answer 11

Your parents and sis are right. Follow what they say and when you move out of the house you can try the vegetarian crap. This way when you get seriously sick, you won't have to blame your parents.