My 7 Day Vegetarian Journey- With Pics!

[julibob]

I have nothing against vegetarians and vegans. Everyone makes thier own choises. But the thing that I have always found funny about it is that you need to take special vitamins and minerals that you would normally get in meat to stay healthy. I have a vegetarian friend, not for morall reasons, she just doesnt like meat. She doesnt believe that she needs to take anything - no iron or anything. She is always sick. her doc keeps telling her to take stuff, but she wont.

I think as long as you are carefull about it, and make sure you give your body what it needs, thats cool.

How did the week go?

It is the same with any diet; no matter what you eat as long as you have a varied and balanced diet then you do not need to take supplements. As a vegetarian, I get all the protein I need from Quorn and many vegetables are full of iron, zinc etc (eg, Spinach), meat is not the only source of these necessary vitamins and minerals. Contrary to popular belief, red meat is not all that good for you. Unless it is organically farmed then it is full of toxins. Red meat will stay undigested in the intestines and stomach for weeks, sometimes even years. This isnt the reason I am vegetarian, but being one, it is amazing what you find out along the way

Julia

 

[pica_nuttalli]

actually, spinach is a very poor source of minerals as they are chemically bound with oxalates such that the body can't access them. broccoli, however, is an excellent vegetable source for iron, zinc and calcium.

--EDIT--
i wanted to post this earlier, but for some reason they expect to attend classes at university...

there is no one food that can supply 100% of all the good things we need to eat and 0% of all the bad things. most non-vegetarian diets are deficient in one or more vitamins/minerals and most are deficient in fiber. if you take the standard meat-based diet and just directly replace all the meat with tofu, then you still retain all of the previous vitamin deficiencies and you still don't add any fiber. similarly, if you rely largely on refined grain products as a staple of your vegetarian diet, then you are even lacking the vitamins/minerals found in tofu and other meat substitutes.

"so-and-so went vegetarian and now they don't get enough vitamins" isn't too far off from the common complaint "i bought two angelfish for my community aquarium and all of my neons disappeared!" i can't refute that meats are a good source of some vitamins; a traditional diet does make good use of meat as a vitamin source. but meat does not supply all necessary nutrients and it is not our most concentrated source of vitamins. the key is to research what makes a good diet and discover what foods are the superior sources of the nutrients our bodies need beyond protein, fats, and carbohydrates. whole grains, nuts, beans, vegetables... these are key elements to include in any diet, vegetarian or not.

 

[julibob]

See, as I said, you learn something new every day . I forgot all about broccoli!

Julia

 

[big mick]

I have been veggie for 16 years! Up until the day I became vegetarian I used to enjoy a nice bit of Medium Rare Fillet steak once a week. It was my treat. One day, all I saw was a slab of dead cow, and have not eaten meat since. I do NOT shove my opinions down the throats of others, I cook meat, and my husband and children are NOT vegetarian. We are NOT all trying to "make a statement". I do not like the inhumane way that a lot of animals are slaughtered, and for that reason, and that reason alone "I" choose not to eat it.

MY rant over

p.s. Not all animals are carnivores/omnivores.

Julia

If we arent meant to eat cows why are they made of steak? (only joking!)

Im not a vegitarian but my mum is and has been for as long as I can remember, I agree totally with Julia as my mum cooked meat for me and my siblings, only problem was her gravy was crap coz she couldnt have a taste while she was cooking mince and tatties!


I have every respect for vegitarians and vegans but Ive often thought being a strict vegan is just making a rock for your back?.....I dont mean that in a bad way, hats off to anyone sacraficing anything for something they believe in strongly enough but it isnt it a bit dull?

.....I liove Peperami too much to be veggie.
Ive tried her variouse quorn products but, no offence but its like eating polystyrene.

 

[Dany]

I have not been eating meat since sunday. Lol, I know it hasn't been that long but it has been very easy so far. I don't really feel like I'm missing out on anything and I feel pretty proud of myself for being able to do it. I have only planned on doing it for a week but if it goes well and I don't mind not eating meat I just might become a vegetarian.

i also turned a veggi on sunday!!!! i was a veggie for 6 years then stopped last year. now im a veggie again!

 

[CutieWitBooty]

I don't really eat too much meat. I eat chicken once and a while, but i mostly eat alot of veggies and rice with soy sauce yumm. But i really don't like red meats and i don't like pork. The only cow i eat is a cheese burger every 6 months or so. I just wish that they would come up with more humane ways of killing and raising food animals, thats what really makes me feel so bad. The government should really step in more and regulate the slaughter and raising of these animals, it's really sick how these animals are treated. I wish i could become full vegetarian, but i have 2 kids and a husband so it is hard, plus i love chicken and fish too much lol

 

[bennett]

the government should look at how much effort it puts into farming food that gets wasted and the resources it in turn wastes.