What Are Some Good Things && Bad About Becoming A Vegetarian?
I am 18 years old and i currently decided that i wanted to become a vegetarian. some people are saying that i should not do it because it is dangerous but this is something that i really would like to do. if i can hear some points of view from vegetarians themselves or some one that has studied vegetarianism it would be really helpful. Thank you so much for your time. =]
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January 28th, 2010 at 9:26 am
A vegetarian diet is supported by the American Dietetic Association as a
healthful, nutritionally adequate diet, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm
January 28th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Plan on knowing how to cook because your family will probably still prepare some foods you cannot eat and you should not expect them to prepare special meals for you,
Plan on buying your own foods sometimes.
Plan on understanding how to get the necessary nutrients
Ordering in some restaurants may require the chef to make a special dish.
Holiday dinners with families need to be planned for in terms of foods you can eat.
All of the above become even more important/difficult if you become a vegan. Obviously the more restrictive your diet, the more thought and planning needs to be done.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Pros:
A well done vegetarian is healthier then an omnivore diet, and much healthier then the Standard American diet (the FDA released a study stating that 90% of Americans need a better diet.) There is nothing you can only get from meat.
A vegetarian diet is:
Lower cholesterol.
Lower risk of heart disease (the number 1 killer in the US)
Lower risk of some forms of cancer.
Lower risk of developing diabetes type 2, and better ability to control it if you do get it.
Lower risk of obesity.
Less hormones, less unneeded antibiotics, no arsenic (which is in 70% of the chickens you eat)
Lower need for calcium (too much protein strips your bones of calcium)
Lower risk of kidney problems (too much protein damages the kidneys)
The average American is deficent in folic acid, vitamin C, magnesuim, fiber, and vitamin A, among others. All of these are found in vegetarian food in abundance.
Iron deficiency, on the other hand, is no more common in vegetarians then it is in omnivores. In both groups it is a concern for women pre menopause
Protein deficiency, despite the uneducated comments you will hear from people, is not something a vegetarian has to worry about unless they’re eating junk food only. Everything has protein – vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts, seeds, bread, grains, pastas, etc. There is not a single nutrient in meat that we need – everything can be found from a vegetarian source.
You can still make your old favorites, just without meat.
There are hundreds of new foods to discover.
Cons -
Like any diet if you do it badly it’s not healthy. White bread, french fries, many kinds of candy and junk food are vegetarian.
For some people the cravings, especially, can be hard. After all you’ve eaten meat for years, and it’s as hard to stop that as it is from some people to stop drugs or alcohol. Personally i found it to be easy – I think it helps to think of vegetarianism as a different way to eat, not eating the same way without meat.
Many people are misinformed, and will tell you that you "need meat" or that a vegetarian diet is stupid.
January 28th, 2010 at 9:26 am
Cons – other people that do not understand or say rude things
Pros – it is can be healthier, good for the environment, I swear I am a better athelete because of it, can help prevent more diseases