Guest guest Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 Hi, I just joined this group and noticed lots of yummy recipes that I plan to try. I have some questions, and I hope it's okay to ask them here since they're not recipe-related. I've always been a " meat eater " , though I have never been really big on meat. I've always loved fruits and veggies and grains, so I figure the transition to becoming a vegetarian will be somewhat easy for me. I do have questions, though, on how to get started... 1. What kind/brand of vitamin do vegetarians have to take (if any) in order to get any nutrients they miss by not eating meat? 2. Are vegetarian foods readily available in most grocery stores, or do you have to shop at a specialty market? 3. Is there a period of " withdrawl " when you stop eating meat, while your body adjusts to your new diet? 4. How do you deal with a spouse that's a big " meat eater " and has no desire to change? I want him to eat what he wants to eat, and since I do the majority of the cooking, I just wonder how others are able to cook separate meals for both themselves and their spouses. 5. Are there any other " secrets " or " rules " I should know about when I make the switch? Thanks so much in advance for your help! I'm looking forward to starting this journey... Lori C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 > > 1. What kind/brand of vitamin do vegetarians have to take (if any) > in order to get any nutrients they miss by not eating meat? You don't really miss nutrients unless you're going vegan, then you'd need a B12 supplement if you weren't adding it to your food in some way. > > 2. Are vegetarian foods readily available in most grocery stores, > or do you have to shop at a specialty market? > You can find them in most supermarkets, except for some obscure ingredients. I can't find agar-agar around here unless I go to the health food store. > 3. Is there a period of " withdrawl " when you stop eating meat, > while your body adjusts to your new diet? It's been hard for me because I do crave it sometimes. But it's not really a withdrawl, more like a craving of the taste for me. You may have more bowel movements for a while because your diet will be higher in fiber. > > 4. How do you deal with a spouse that's a big " meat eater " and has > no desire to change? I want him to eat what he wants to eat, and > since I do the majority of the cooking, I just wonder how others are > able to cook separate meals for both themselves and their spouses. I cook what I cook and he can eat it or not, his choice. He keeps some cooked and frozen meats in single serving sizes in the freezer so it's easy to nuke it and add it to his food if he likes. > > 5. Are there any other " secrets " or " rules " I should know about > when I make the switch? > Do it gradually instead of cold turkey. Cold turkey only set me up to fail when I tried it. > Thanks so much in advance for your help! I'm looking forward to > starting this journey... > > Lori C. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 Hi Lori, Not sure how much help this will be, but...... see responses below lncslp <lncslp wrote: Hi, I just joined this group and noticed lots of yummy recipes that I plan to try. I have some questions, and I hope it's okay to ask them here since they're not recipe-related. I've always been a " meat eater " , though I have never been really big on meat. I've always loved fruits and veggies and grains, >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Sounds like me, I have never really been much of a meat eater either. I decided to adopt a vegetarian diet after reading “Alkanize or Die”. Although I don’t totally agree with all the authors conclusions, a lot of it made sense to me. And since meat is very acidifying I decided to give it up, well mostly. I still eat dairy and I do use eggs in cooking. <<<<<<<<<<1. What kind/brand of vitamin do vegetarians have to take (if any) in order to get any nutrients they miss by not eating meat?>>>>>>>>> I can’t really comment on this yet, I am still researching that. <<<<<<<<<2. Are vegetarian foods readily available in most grocery stores, or do you have to shop at a specialty market?>>>>>>>>> Depends on what you mean by ‘vegetarian food’ , I mean if you are looking for pre-made frozen vegetarian dinners, I would guess a health food store. Since my diet consists of grains, veggies, fruits, tofu & tempeh…I get all those at my local market, mostly. I do get my millet, dried beans and a few other things from the health food store, only because they sell in bulk and it’s actually cheaper there, lol. <<<<<<<<<3. Is there a period of " withdrawl " when you stop eating meat, while your body adjusts to your new diet?>>>>>>>> I didn’t eat that much to start with, so I haven’t noticed much of a difference. <<<<<<<<4. How do you deal with a spouse that's a big " meat eater " and has no desire to change? I want him to eat what he wants to eat, and since I do the majority of the cooking, I just wonder how others are able to cook separate meals for both themselves and their spouses.>>>>>>>> Hmm, well my dh is a meat eater, and I usually cook separate meals, but then I work from home which makes things a lot easier. And I cook ahead. <<<<<<<<<5. Are there any other " secrets " or " rules " I should know about when I make the switch? >>>> Well, if there are, I am not in possession of any of them, but then I a pretty new to this. Di Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 Hi Lori, Good luck. I am goint to try to answer your questions. You definately have come to the rigght place to get started and learn. 1) I take " More than a Multiple " vitimin. They are a big green pill with powdered greens. I also take a vitimin B-12. It is the only thing necessary for complete nutrition that we cannot get from vegetables. It is particularly important for proper brain function and anylitical thinking. If you eat eggs and cheese, you don't can get B-12 from them. 2 )About the readily available part, it depends on what you call vegetarian foods. Grocery stores are full of things that aren't meat. If you mean things like TVP and Morning star products, that depends on how big the city you live in is. Most places even that stuff is readily available. The Fred Meyre store here has more than their competitor, Safeway, but organic foods and health foods are available in either. Costco has some vegetarian friendly foods, too. 3) A lot of people, particularly men, feel that they can't live without meat. Somehow meat eating got equated with strength and virility. For many, it is also equated with having the best, which many men feel is their right. This makes it an emotional thing for many, particularly men. Most people have a hard time when they first decide to quit eating it. It is like an addiction. In fact, it is an addication, but not to the meat. People are addicted to the chemicles and hormones that are pumped into the meat at the stores. You may think you crave meat for the first 3-4 weeks where actually you are craving the chemicles your body is used to. Once your body is free of those additives, you will find that you loose your taste for it. When we do out to eat or are invited to friends house, I sit right next to people eating a big juicy steak and just think, " UGH, and YUCK! " 4) My husband is an omnivore. When I do the cooking I cook vegetarian. Once every 6-8 weeks I will make him some non-veg meal, but most of the time he just eats what I make. When we go out, he eats what he wants to eat, which is always meat. He likes what I fix, so he doesn't gripe about it. He really likes the variety of new and different things I can make. I don't cook seperate meals. Om those rare occasions I cook meat or fish for him, I just eat the side dishes. My husband always thought of vegetarian eating as denying yourself the good stuff. Now he agrees that the good stuff is still on his plate. Vegetarianism isn't about giving up anything; it is about different choices. If your husband is like mine, he will have to learn and more appetizing and satisfying the food is for the first couple of weeks, the more he will joyfully and hungrilly eat what you prepare. You may find that you get hungry sooner than you do when eating meat. That is because our bodies were designed to eat vegetables and we process our food within a couple of hours. When we put meat into our bodies it slows down the digestion because your body wasn't meant to digest meat. It also plugs up the illimination system. Your body digests the vegetables and illiminates the waste quickly. When you put meat in, it slows down everything and it is 3-4l days, during which time the meat is rotting in your intestines, before it is illiminated., 5) Make the switch when you can arrange to have time in the kitchen. You will find that vegetarian cooking takes a little longer than meat cooking. It takes time to cut up vegetables and steam then nicely than it takes to slap a piece of beef in a hot pan. It is worth it in the taste department. Most of this is what works for me. Other people have other ideas and what works for them. You definately have come to the right place to learn and get meal ideas and tried and true " TNT " recipies. Katie in Anchorage lncslp <lncslp wrote: Hi, I just joined this group and noticed lots of yummy recipes that I plan to try. I have some questions, and I hope it's okay to ask them here since they're not recipe-related. I've always been a " meat eater " , though I have never been really big on meat. I've always loved fruits and veggies and grains, so I figure the transition to becoming a vegetarian will be somewhat easy for me. I do have questions, though, on how to get started... 1. What kind/brand of vitamin do vegetarians have to take (if any) in order to get any nutrients they miss by not eating meat? 2. Are vegetarian foods readily available in most grocery stores, or do you have to shop at a specialty market? 3. Is there a period of " withdrawl " when you stop eating meat, while your body adjusts to your new diet? 4. How do you deal with a spouse that's a big " meat eater " and has no desire to change? I want him to eat what he wants to eat, and since I do the majority of the cooking, I just wonder how others are able to cook separate meals for both themselves and their spouses. 5. Are there any other " secrets " or " rules " I should know about when I make the switch? Thanks so much in advance for your help! I'm looking forward to starting this journey... Lori C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 Lori, I'm a new vegetarian also, but this is not my first attempt, so I'm not finding it too difficult to transition. I've always cooked some vegarian meals (soups and such) so I have some recipes to rely on. I may eventually go completely or nearly vegan, but right now I'm taking it slowly. I think that my husband may eventually make the switch as well, but he isn't quite ready to do so. I've been reading the China Study by Colin Campbell--he makes a very convincing case for the health benefits of this way of eating. According to his book, if you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables you really don't need any supplements except B12 and maybe a small amount of D (you only need D if you are inside ALL the time, less than an average of 15 minutes every two days). , Katie M <cozycate wrote: > > Hi Lori, > Good luck. I am goint to try to answer your questions. You definately have come to the rigght place to get started and learn. > 1) I take " More than a Multiple " vitimin. They are a big green pill with powdered greens. I also take a vitimin B-12. It is the only thing necessary for complete nutrition that we cannot get from vegetables. It is particularly important for proper brain function and anylitical thinking. If you eat eggs and cheese, you don't can get B-12 from them. > 2 )About the readily available part, it depends on what you call vegetarian foods. Grocery stores are full of things that aren't meat. If you mean things like TVP and Morning star products, that depends on how big the city you live in is. Most places even that stuff is readily available. The Fred Meyre store here has more than their competitor, Safeway, but organic foods and health foods are available in either. Costco has some vegetarian friendly foods, too. > 3) A lot of people, particularly men, feel that they can't live without meat. Somehow meat eating got equated with strength and virility. For many, it is also equated with having the best, which many men feel is their right. This makes it an emotional thing for many, particularly men. > Most people have a hard time when they first decide to quit eating it. It is like an addiction. In fact, it is an addication, but not to the meat. People are addicted to the chemicles and hormones that are pumped into the meat at the stores. You may think you crave meat for the first 3-4 weeks where actually you are craving the chemicles your body is used to. Once your body is free of those additives, you will find that you loose your taste for it. When we do out to eat or are invited to friends house, I sit right next to people eating a big juicy steak and just think, " UGH, and YUCK! " > 4) My husband is an omnivore. When I do the cooking I cook vegetarian. Once every 6-8 weeks I will make him some non-veg meal, but most of the time he just eats what I make. When we go out, he eats what he wants to eat, which is always meat. He likes what I fix, so he doesn't gripe about it. He really likes the variety of new and different things I can make. I don't cook seperate meals. Om those rare occasions I cook meat or fish for him, I just eat the side dishes. > My husband always thought of vegetarian eating as denying yourself the good stuff. Now he agrees that the good stuff is still on his plate. Vegetarianism isn't about giving up anything; it is about different choices. If your husband is like mine, he will have to learn and more appetizing and satisfying the food is for the first couple of weeks, the more he will joyfully and hungrilly eat what you prepare. > You may find that you get hungry sooner than you do when eating meat. That is because our bodies were designed to eat vegetables and we process our food within a couple of hours. When we put meat into our bodies it slows down the digestion because your body wasn't meant to digest meat. It also plugs up the illimination system. Your body digests the vegetables and illiminates the waste quickly. When you put meat in, it slows down everything and it is 3-4l days, during which time the meat is rotting in your intestines, before it is illiminated., > 5) Make the switch when you can arrange to have time in the kitchen. You will find that vegetarian cooking takes a little longer than meat cooking. It takes time to cut up vegetables and steam then nicely than it takes to slap a piece of beef in a hot pan. It is worth it in the taste department. > > Most of this is what works for me. Other people have other ideas and what works for them. You definately have come to the right place to learn and get meal ideas and tried and true " TNT " recipies. > Katie in Anchorage > > lncslp <lncslp wrote: > Hi, > > I just joined this group and noticed lots of yummy recipes that I > plan to try. I have some questions, and I hope it's okay to ask > them here since they're not recipe-related. I've always been a " meat eater " , though I have never been really big on meat. I've always > loved fruits and veggies and grains, so I figure the transition to > becoming a vegetarian will be somewhat easy for me. I do have > questions, though, on how to get started... > > 1. What kind/brand of vitamin do vegetarians have to take (if any) > in order to get any nutrients they miss by not eating meat? > > 2. Are vegetarian foods readily available in most grocery stores, > or do you have to shop at a specialty market? > > 3. Is there a period of " withdrawl " when you stop eating meat, > while your body adjusts to your new diet? > > 4. How do you deal with a spouse that's a big " meat eater " and has > no desire to change? I want him to eat what he wants to eat, and > since I do the majority of the cooking, I just wonder how others are > able to cook separate meals for both themselves and their spouses. > > 5. Are there any other " secrets " or " rules " I should know about > when I make the switch? > > Thanks so much in advance for your help! I'm looking forward to > starting this journey... > > Lori C. > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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