Guest guest Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Hi Drew, Welcome! Most doctors are not well informed about a vegetarian diet. Believe me, it is a more healthful diet than what a typical person eats (processed foods, fast food, no whole grains, and little or no fruits and vegetables). It's easy to get all the nutrients you need from a vegan or vegetarian diet if you eat a variety of nutritious foods. Taking a natural multi-vitamin (from the health food store) can help you get more of what your body needs. Bean, lentils, peas, leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc...), brown rice, seeds, and iron fortified foods (cereal) are excellent veggie sources for iron. Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-meat sources of iron. Sources of B-12 inlcude dairy products and eggs if you are not vegan. Fortunately, many vegan foods are fortified with B-12. I think nutritional yeast is also a good source of B-12. You can also take a supplement. A B-Complex supplement is something that can benefit almost everyone. There is so much information out there about vegan/vegetarian diets. Read all you can and share what you find out with your doctor next time you visit him. Hopefully, he will be open-minded enough to learn something new. Also, your health will be an outstanding example. Good luck to you. Susie --- On Sat, 10/31/09, EAH <evanhe3 wrote: EAH <evanhe3 New vegetarian Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:20 AM Thanks for the welcome. I'm Drew, a new vegetarian, transitioning to vegan. My doctor is on my case about this decision, claiming it is impossible to get B12 and iron as a vegan. If anyone can point me to a good book on vegan/vegetarian nutrition that would be much appreciated. My doctor is trying to scare me to death, even though my blood work so far is perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Hi Drew, Welcome! Most doctors are not well informed about a vegetarian diet. Believe me, it is a more healthful diet than what a typical person eats (processed foods, fast food, no whole grains, and little or no fruits and vegetables). It's easy to get all the nutrients you need from a vegan or vegetarian diet if you eat a variety of nutritious foods. Taking a natural multi-vitamin (from the health food store) can help you get more of what your body needs. Bean, lentils, peas, leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc...), brown rice, seeds, and iron fortified foods (cereal) are excellent veggie sources for iron. Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-meat sources of iron. Sources of B-12 inlcude dairy products and eggs if you are not vegan. Fortunately, many vegan foods are fortified with B-12. I think nutritional yeast is also a good source of B-12. You can also take a supplement. A B-Complex supplement is something that can benefit almost everyone. There is so much information out there about vegan/vegetarian diets. Read all you can and share what you find out with your doctor next time you visit him. Hopefully, he will be open-minded enough to learn something new. Also, your health will be an outstanding example. Good luck to you. Susie --- On Sat, 10/31/09, EAH <evanhe3 wrote: EAH <evanhe3 New vegetarian Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:20 AM Thanks for the welcome. I'm Drew, a new vegetarian, transitioning to vegan. My doctor is on my case about this decision, claiming it is impossible to get B12 and iron as a vegan. If anyone can point me to a good book on vegan/vegetarian nutrition that would be much appreciated. My doctor is trying to scare me to death, even though my blood work so far is perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Great post, Susie, and so true! I hope your doctor falls off his chair when he sees how healthy you have become by your next visit, Drew. So many doctors are not informed at all about nutrition. Hang in there and stay the course. Between Donna's group and ours here you will have all the support you need, plus great recipes to try so you will never find this diet dull. ~ PT ~ , " artichoke72x " <artichoke72x wrote: > > Hi Drew, > Welcome! > Most doctors are not well informed about a vegetarian diet. Believe me, it is a more healthful diet than what a typical person eats (processed foods, fast food, no whole grains, and little or no fruits and vegetables). It's easy to get all the nutrients you need from a vegan or vegetarian diet if you eat a variety of nutritious foods. Taking a natural multi-vitamin (from the health food store) can help you get more of what your body needs. > > Bean, lentils, peas, leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc...), brown rice, seeds, and iron fortified foods (cereal) are excellent veggie sources for iron. Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-meat sources of iron. > Sources of B-12 inlcude dairy products and eggs if you are not vegan. Fortunately, many vegan foods are fortified with B-12. I think nutritional yeast is also a good source of B-12. You can also take a supplement. A B-Complex supplement is something that can benefit almost everyone. > > There is so much information out there about vegan/vegetarian diets. Read all you can and share what you find out with your doctor next time you visit him. Hopefully, he will be open-minded enough to learn something new. Also, your health will be an outstanding example. > > Good luck to you. > Susie > > --- On Sat, 10/31/09, EAH <evanhe3 wrote: > > > EAH <evanhe3 > New vegetarian > > Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:20 AM > > > > > > > Thanks for the welcome. > > I'm Drew, a new vegetarian, transitioning to vegan. My doctor > is on my case about this decision, claiming it is impossible > to get B12 and iron as a vegan. If anyone can point me to a > good book on vegan/vegetarian nutrition that would be much > appreciated. My doctor is trying to scare me to death, even though my blood work so far is perfect. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Great post, Susie, and so true! I hope your doctor falls off his chair when he sees how healthy you have become by your next visit, Drew. So many doctors are not informed at all about nutrition. Hang in there and stay the course. Between Donna's group and ours here you will have all the support you need, plus great recipes to try so you will never find this diet dull. ~ PT ~ , " artichoke72x " <artichoke72x wrote: > > Hi Drew, > Welcome! > Most doctors are not well informed about a vegetarian diet. Believe me, it is a more healthful diet than what a typical person eats (processed foods, fast food, no whole grains, and little or no fruits and vegetables). It's easy to get all the nutrients you need from a vegan or vegetarian diet if you eat a variety of nutritious foods. Taking a natural multi-vitamin (from the health food store) can help you get more of what your body needs. > > Bean, lentils, peas, leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc...), brown rice, seeds, and iron fortified foods (cereal) are excellent veggie sources for iron. Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-meat sources of iron. > Sources of B-12 inlcude dairy products and eggs if you are not vegan. Fortunately, many vegan foods are fortified with B-12. I think nutritional yeast is also a good source of B-12. You can also take a supplement. A B-Complex supplement is something that can benefit almost everyone. > > There is so much information out there about vegan/vegetarian diets. Read all you can and share what you find out with your doctor next time you visit him. Hopefully, he will be open-minded enough to learn something new. Also, your health will be an outstanding example. > > Good luck to you. > Susie > > --- On Sat, 10/31/09, EAH <evanhe3 wrote: > > > EAH <evanhe3 > New vegetarian > > Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:20 AM > > > > > > > Thanks for the welcome. > > I'm Drew, a new vegetarian, transitioning to vegan. My doctor > is on my case about this decision, claiming it is impossible > to get B12 and iron as a vegan. If anyone can point me to a > good book on vegan/vegetarian nutrition that would be much > appreciated. My doctor is trying to scare me to death, even though my blood work so far is perfect. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 MDs tend to think they know *everything* but GPs actually receive virtually NO training in nutrition (which speaks volumes about the state of preventive medicine in America). Just in case you every deal with someone who is anti- vitamin supplements, it's worth pointing out b12 is actually produced by bacteria so really every source is " fortified " with it one way or another. This article will supplement (no pun intended) what everyone has said: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm What's really sad is that I bet if you told your doc you were on the Atkins diet and ate nothing but meat and cheese, s/he wouldn't raise concerns about your vitamin intake at all. Peace, Dave , " patchouli_troll " <patchouli_troll wrote: > > > Great post, Susie, and so true! > I hope your doctor falls off his chair when he sees > how healthy you have become by your next visit, Drew. > > So many doctors are not informed at all about nutrition. > Hang in there and stay the course. Between Donna's group > and ours here you will have all the support you need, plus > great recipes to try so you will never find this diet dull. > > ~ PT ~ > > , " artichoke72x@ " <artichoke72x@> wrote: > > > > Hi Drew, > > Welcome! > > Most doctors are not well informed about a vegetarian diet. Believe me, it is a more healthful diet than what a typical person eats (processed foods, fast food, no whole grains, and little or no fruits and vegetables). It's easy to get all the nutrients you need from a vegan or vegetarian diet if you eat a variety of nutritious foods. Taking a natural multi-vitamin (from the health food store) can help you get more of what your body needs. > > > > Bean, lentils, peas, leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc...), brown rice, seeds, and iron fortified foods (cereal) are excellent veggie sources for iron. Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-meat sources of iron. > > Sources of B-12 inlcude dairy products and eggs if you are not vegan. Fortunately, many vegan foods are fortified with B-12. I think nutritional yeast is also a good source of B-12. You can also take a supplement. A B-Complex supplement is something that can benefit almost everyone. > > > > There is so much information out there about vegan/vegetarian diets. Read all you can and share what you find out with your doctor next time you visit him. Hopefully, he will be open-minded enough to learn something new. Also, your health will be an outstanding example. > > > > Good luck to you. > > Susie > > > > --- On Sat, 10/31/09, EAH <evanhe3@> wrote: > > > > EAH <evanhe3@> > > New vegetarian > > > > Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:20 AM > > Thanks for the welcome. > > > > I'm Drew, a new vegetarian, transitioning to vegan. My doctor > > is on my case about this decision, claiming it is impossible > > to get B12 and iron as a vegan. If anyone can point me to a > > good book on vegan/vegetarian nutrition that would be much > > appreciated. My doctor is trying to scare me to death, even though my blood work so far is perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 MDs tend to think they know *everything* but GPs actually receive virtually NO training in nutrition (which speaks volumes about the state of preventive medicine in America). Just in case you every deal with someone who is anti- vitamin supplements, it's worth pointing out b12 is actually produced by bacteria so really every source is " fortified " with it one way or another. This article will supplement (no pun intended) what everyone has said: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm What's really sad is that I bet if you told your doc you were on the Atkins diet and ate nothing but meat and cheese, s/he wouldn't raise concerns about your vitamin intake at all. Peace, Dave , " patchouli_troll " <patchouli_troll wrote: > > > Great post, Susie, and so true! > I hope your doctor falls off his chair when he sees > how healthy you have become by your next visit, Drew. > > So many doctors are not informed at all about nutrition. > Hang in there and stay the course. Between Donna's group > and ours here you will have all the support you need, plus > great recipes to try so you will never find this diet dull. > > ~ PT ~ > > , " artichoke72x@ " <artichoke72x@> wrote: > > > > Hi Drew, > > Welcome! > > Most doctors are not well informed about a vegetarian diet. Believe me, it is a more healthful diet than what a typical person eats (processed foods, fast food, no whole grains, and little or no fruits and vegetables). It's easy to get all the nutrients you need from a vegan or vegetarian diet if you eat a variety of nutritious foods. Taking a natural multi-vitamin (from the health food store) can help you get more of what your body needs. > > > > Bean, lentils, peas, leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc...), brown rice, seeds, and iron fortified foods (cereal) are excellent veggie sources for iron. Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-meat sources of iron. > > Sources of B-12 inlcude dairy products and eggs if you are not vegan. Fortunately, many vegan foods are fortified with B-12. I think nutritional yeast is also a good source of B-12. You can also take a supplement. A B-Complex supplement is something that can benefit almost everyone. > > > > There is so much information out there about vegan/vegetarian diets. Read all you can and share what you find out with your doctor next time you visit him. Hopefully, he will be open-minded enough to learn something new. Also, your health will be an outstanding example. > > > > Good luck to you. > > Susie > > > > --- On Sat, 10/31/09, EAH <evanhe3@> wrote: > > > > EAH <evanhe3@> > > New vegetarian > > > > Saturday, October 31, 2009, 10:20 AM > > Thanks for the welcome. > > > > I'm Drew, a new vegetarian, transitioning to vegan. My doctor > > is on my case about this decision, claiming it is impossible > > to get B12 and iron as a vegan. If anyone can point me to a > > good book on vegan/vegetarian nutrition that would be much > > appreciated. My doctor is trying to scare me to death, even though my blood work so far is perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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