New Member Introduction - mariahzwind

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone. I am Shanan and I live in Australia. I've been interested

in a vegetarian diet for many years now but have never really focused

on it to make it happen. But I have met someone who has inspired me to

seriously think about it and I really do want to make it happen. I am

married with one child, a 22mo old girl. My husband is not against

this choice and will eat what I give him to eat but he won't

necessarily not eat meat when it is placed before him outside the

home. So I guess I need some real support and that's what I've come

here for. Along with recipe ideas, and some people willing to give me

some success stories :-) I am obese with high blood pressure and high

cholesterol (of course not looking for medical advice) I just want to

hear about others who have had seen improvement in their health

(please email me privately)

 

kind regards,

Shanan

[Guest guest]

Welcome, Shanan! We have had quite a few Australians join us here - where are

you located? I used to live in Sydney (for 25 years) before retiring back to

Canada.

 

Well how good that your husband is supportive of your becoming vegetarian. It is

undeniable that you will feel better for it (as well as helping the animals and

the planet) and that your health will improve IF (and this is a big 'If') you

eat good, wholesome food (lots of green vegetables and no refined carbohydrates)

and seriously restrict the fats. Blood pressure tends to go down nicely if one

adopts a vegan diet - no eggs or dairy - too.

 

I am sure you know this but I can't emphasize enough how easy it is for

vegetarians to gain weight by eating all the wrong things - just as omnivores

gain weight by eating all the wrong things LOL That said, the facts seem to be

that most people like yourself who change to a vegetarian way of eating do

indeed start losing weight straight away and do start feeling better! It's a

lovely side effect of the lifestyle!! Have you considered possibly becoming

vegan? It is something to think about - for health as well as ethical reasons.

 

As for support, which you ask for, we are always happy to encourage anyone to

change to the vegetarian or vegan way And recipes???? Oh we have LOTS of

those (check our Files section on our homepage!) from all around the world.

Remember, though, that they are not really devised for weight loss - some have a

lot of calories in them. However, I'm sure you can sort those out from the rest,

and there are lots of lovely recipes there that should help you reach your goal.

 

Meanwhile, may I suggest that you consider ALSO joining our sister group:

 

vegetarianslimming

 

You will get lots of success stories there (and some here of course) and more

chat about health and weight loss than here. I'll send my own 'success story'

along later No need for private replies - we chat about anything of relevance

to vegetarians and vegans here!

 

Hoping to chat with you more later. Please write in often and let us know how

you're doing and let us know if we can help in any way.

 

Best, Pat (Group Owner)

----

My blog: http://beanvegan.blogspot.com

" Atrocities are not less atrocities when they occur in laboratories and are

called medical research. " (George Bernard Shaw)

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Thank you for the welcome Pat!

 

I appreciate what you've said about easily eating wrong as a

vegetarian can be just as unhealthy. I mean all my favorite bad foods

are fleshless! For now I am concentrating on eliminating flesh. I too

dearly love my dairy. But that being said I am willing to cut down

significantly if I can utilize the alternatives satisfactorily.

 

I've read a few comments online from vegetarians saying that they

wouldn't have turned vegetarian for health reasons but rather it was

the ethical reasons that made them make the transition. For me the

health reasons are the motivating factor with the ethical reasons

being important and supportive of my decision.

 

I live north of Newcastle, at Port Stephens. But I was born and raised

in Iowa!

 

kind regards,

shanan

[Guest guest]

Hi Mariah!

 

Not to worry about the alternatives to dairy - there are lots and lots. All

kinds of soy milks (different brands tend to taste a little differently), butter

substitutes such as Earth Balance buttery spread which is very tasty and has no

hydrogenated oils or transfats, faux cheezes, faux creme cheez, faux sour creme,

faux ice creme, soy yoghurt. Some cheezes are made from rice rather than soy,

and of course you can also buy almond milk and rice milk - both of which are

delicious. Best to watch the fat content, though. And a warning: if you ever get

so you object to any dairy in your diet, watch the labels on so-called non-dairy

products - some have casein, which comes from dairy

 

As for your reasons for going vegetarian - any reason is fine by me as long as

you get there! Just as many lives are saved if you avoid flesh because of the

animals as if you avoid flesh because of health.

 

Port Stephens? I've not been there (have I? No, I'm sure not, actually.) -

although of course Newcastle I've visited It's a long way from Iowa!

 

Love and hugs, Pat

 

----

My blog: http://beanvegan.blogspot.com

" Atrocities are not less atrocities when they occur in laboratories and are

called medical research. " (George Bernard Shaw)

 

 

 

______________________________\

____

Be a better friend, newshound, and

know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ