Veg*n New here...

ReginaFalls · Jun 20, 2007

Okay, I have a question. I've been trying to figure out how to get myself into better health food wise. I have friends that are vegetarian, have done some things in the past for friends who have had gasteric bypass surgery that did not contain meat in them and it was incredible. I wish I hadn't lost the recipe for the soup....darn was it good! I know I want to plan a dinner party, so that's part of how I joined this group. I heard about it through a friend who has guinea pigs who isn't a member of the forum but...had visited it before.

Every time I have to go into the doctor and they do blood work, and the once a year I have my TSH levels checked, I keep getting told I am anemic. I need to eat more red meat. Get more iron in my system. I have a hard time taking pills, I forget to take them (sigh). If I cut out the red meat entirely, how do I get that iron and the proteins that I get from the red meat in some sort of substitute form? Any positive and helpful suggestions are greatly appreciated. I find it is so convenient to just stop and get certain things from the stores or fast food restaurants because it's easy and I can get my protein in. I work night shift, so with sleeping during the day and being a college student as well, there's not much time left for me to really do much cooking. And salads do not keep me satisfied for long.

I do know I have found myself craving carrots more often and some things like fruits. I tend to listen to what my body tells me in that regard. I know if I'm thinking about how good something would be for a number of days, there's part of my system that needs it, so I listen and fulfill that need.

sarahnmadison · Jun 20, 2007

Welcome to the forum! I will try to find some resources on you for what would be really good high protein snacks/meal ideas and post them for you soon. There is a recipe thread in the sticky section of this forum that has some great recipes in there - it is worth looking through. Again, welcome!

evilnumberlady · Jun 21, 2007

I have had to battle with iron since becoming a vegetarian. My levels have never dropped to unhealthy lows, but I like to donate blood at the Red Cross and they require rather robust hematocrit levels for donation. Sadly, iron is one of the few nutrients that are more difficult to obtain as a vegetarian, as human bodies don't absorb iron from plant food as well as we do from meat.

Here's some things that might help:

You may want to start eating a cereal that is fortified with iron. I eat SmartStart which gives 100% of your daily requirement. Beans, dark greens and dried fruit also tend to have a lot. Just start looking at labels to get an idea of the food's iron contents and start picking out more high-iron things.

Also, whenever you eat iron-rich food, also consume some vitamin C. It will help your body absorb the iron. The opposite for teas. There is something is tea that blocks iron absorption, so never drink it at mealtimes.

evilnumberlady · Jun 21, 2007

Also I wanted to mention that if you are eating a variety of plant foods, protein deficiency won't be a concern. It's very hard NOT to get your daily requirement in developed countries.

Susan9608 · Jun 21, 2007

Soy is a great source of protein. Soy milk, soy cheese, even edemame.

As for iron, green leafy vegetables, eggs, fortified breads, etc. are good sources. Probably better ... and better for you ... than red meat.

If you're serious about converting to vegetarianism, please check out GoVeg.com: Vegetarian and Vegan Information. That's a section of PETA that's dedicated to vegetarianism; you can even sign up for a free veggie starter kit.

Your other best bet would be to consult a dietician/nutritionist about what specific requirements your body needs. Your doctor or insurance company can most likely recommend one to you, and a lot of insurance companies will now cover a consultation with one. You can also find a dietician through the American Dietician's Association.

Good luck ... and welcome to the dark side.

ReginaFalls · Jun 24, 2007

Costs on consulting a nutritionist are what I cannot afford. I requested the kit. We'll see how things go. I know I need to do something to help lose the weight I want to lose and get into a better/healthier place.

sarahnmadison · Jun 25, 2007

I have problems with iron defiency as well. I take multi-vitamins to help out with iron aspect that have 100% daily value for iron.

Even when I ate meat though, I had the problem. I was fainting, dizzy, tired, etc. and so my choosing to go vegetarian worried some people. However, my iron defiency has never gotten as bad as it was (fainting spells) when I was eating meat.

I think just the nature of the diet makes me more aware of what I am eating and to make sure we are getting everything we need. Before I went vegetarian, I hardly ever ate meat anyways, it was more of convenience (like Mom saying "Stay for dinner") because I didn't cook it at home.

Here is a couple of links to look at for Iron/Protein rich foods as related to vegetarians:
Iron Rich Foods
Protein Rich Foods

You would be surprised how you can easily get some iron, such as baked potato skin.

You can make little changes and see an impact. I switched from plain pasta noodles to whole wheat, which offers more protein.

It's one of those things where you do have to do some research and learn some basics but it is very rewarding for your health.

Good luck!

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