Sad--Probably will have to start eating meat again (and feeding it to my kids)

[Guest guest]

I have been a vegetarian for 6-7 years (with a short time--about 2

months while pregnant with my daughter that I did eat some meat).

DH went to the doctor and found out his medical problems were due

most likely to being deficient in zinc and other vitamins/minerals.

He did his own research and spoke it over with his mom and they

decided it was best for us to start eating meat again (and introduce

it to our kids) as that is the " best " source. We are extremely poor

(but don't qualify for food stamps because of assets) and cannot

afford a lot of " whole foods " or " organic foods " and supplements.

It doesn't help that I only weigh 100 lbs (after 2 kids). I can't

even eat anything with " hidden " animal products (except milk/eggs)

such as broth or lard without becoming ill. Does anyone have any

suggestions? I don't want to be depriving my children of necessary

nutrition, but the thought of cooking and eating meat and serving it

to my kids turns my stomach.

[Guest guest]

Lentils & Quinoa are very high in zinc. I think lentils are the best

natural source of zinc. Buy them dried not canned & they are quite

cheap. Both these items cook up in 1/2 hr or less (Quinoa only takes

about 15 minutes...cook them both like rice 2c:1cup water.) Zinc boosts

your immune system so when we are getting a cold I make a big

quinoa/lentil soup or stew and often we don't succumb to the cold.

 

I also recommend eating a lot of different beans (buy them dried & soak

overnight before cooking them up. I make large batches and then freeze

for easy cooking. It's much cheaper this way & they taste better too.)

Beans have many different vitamins, and lots of protein. My favorites

are chickpeas (aka garbanzos source of : folate, vitamin E, potassium,

iron, manganese, copper, zinc and calcium.

kidney beans source of : folate, potassium, iron, manganese, copper and

zinc.

& black beans (calcium & iron). Eat two servings of beans, peas or

lentils everyday.

 

For " vitamins " : vegetables are a much richer source of all vitamins

except B12. May sure you eat a wide variety to cover your bases.

Every day make sure you eat a leafy green vegetable like broccoli, Kale

or spinach. (I recommend this to my meat eater friends too:) If you

eat dairy you're getting B12 anyway.

To increase iron absorbtion eat your leafy greens with a tomato or

orange juice (vitamin C increases iron absorption.)

 

Take a multivitamin. Buy flax seeds and grind them in a coffee maker

before sprinkling them on salads or in your baking. (For Omega 3s.)

 

Melanie

 

PS do your own research. There is lots of evidence that eating meat is

not healthy for you at all and contributes to many diseases such as

heart disease and cancer.

 

 

lfox_77 wrote:

 

>I have been a vegetarian for 6-7 years (with a short time--about 2

>months while pregnant with my daughter that I did eat some meat).

>DH went to the doctor and found out his medical problems were due

>most likely to being deficient in zinc and other vitamins/minerals.

>He did his own research and spoke it over with his mom and they

>decided it was best for us to start eating meat again (and introduce

>it to our kids) as that is the " best " source. We are extremely poor

>(but don't qualify for food stamps because of assets) and cannot

>afford a lot of " whole foods " or " organic foods " and supplements.

>It doesn't help that I only weigh 100 lbs (after 2 kids). I can't

>even eat anything with " hidden " animal products (except milk/eggs)

>such as broth or lard without becoming ill. Does anyone have any

>suggestions? I don't want to be depriving my children of necessary

>nutrition, but the thought of cooking and eating meat and serving it

>to my kids turns my stomach.

>

>

>

>

>For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

>

>edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

One suggestion I have is to go to the local library and do some research of your

own. Often, doctors and sadly even nutritionists don't know very much about

vegetarian diets. Of course, in the end you will have to do what you think is

right for you and your children.

 

I have a similar problem. I just found out last week that I have gestational

diabetes. Most of my diet is made up of complex carbs, which are now causing my

blood sugar to be high. In order to continue to eat the foods that I feel

better with I have to drastically reduce portion size. I feel like I am

starving. Besides having the diabetes I think I already said that I am on bed

rest. So, I can't even make food for myself. I would eat more tofu and tempeh.

My husband and my 10 year old have been preparing my food. I just ordered a

couple of books on vegetarianism and diabetes and one cookbook. I hope they

will be helpful. It certainly is challenging to maintain a vegetarian diet in

the face of these types of medical problems. Has anyone else had gestational

diabetes? If so, I would really like to hear how you dealt with it.

 

Carol

 

 

 

 

 

 

Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at HotJobs

 

 

[Guest guest]

Here's A brief article on increasing Zinc aborption:

 

http://nutrition.berkeley.edu/extension/efr/efr5_44.html

 

An from the " Vegetarian Society " website: Zinc Information:

 

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/zinc.html

 

- Melanie.

 

 

 

lfox_77 wrote:

 

>I have been a vegetarian for 6-7 years (with a short time--about 2

>months while pregnant with my daughter that I did eat some meat).

>DH went to the doctor and found out his medical problems were due

>most likely to being deficient in zinc and other vitamins/minerals.

>He did his own research and spoke it over with his mom and they

>decided it was best for us to start eating meat again (and introduce

>it to our kids) as that is the " best " source. We are extremely poor

>(but don't qualify for food stamps because of assets) and cannot

>afford a lot of " whole foods " or " organic foods " and supplements.

>It doesn't help that I only weigh 100 lbs (after 2 kids). I can't

>even eat anything with " hidden " animal products (except milk/eggs)

>such as broth or lard without becoming ill. Does anyone have any

>suggestions? I don't want to be depriving my children of necessary

>nutrition, but the thought of cooking and eating meat and serving it

>to my kids turns my stomach.

>

>

>

>

>For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

>

>edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm new to this family website, but not new to being a vegetarian(I've been

one since the age of 13, & I am a very healthy 45 years old now! I'm very seldom

sick.My daughter is also vegetarian(we are lacto-ovo veg, we eat eggs & dairy

products) for 13 years now(her entire life - even in utero) She has never had

any meat in her life & she is extremely healthy! I would certainly get more

info, before eating meat again, as it is full of so many harmful substances.

Your family needs to eat green leafy veggies, like broccoli, dark green

lettuces(like romaine & curly leaf lettuces) spinach, kale, etc. Also oats,

wheat germ(a jar of wheat germ is not too expensive, goes along way, because a

little bit packs a lot of nutrition!) Here is a quote I found:

 

 

Zinc is a constituent of over 80 enzymes, works with many vitamins and

proteins, and plays a key role in immune response. Deficiency, generally seen in

conjunction with other conditions including alcoholism and rheumatoid arthritis,

causes retarded growth and wound healing, nervous disorders,and impairment of

the senses of taste and smell. Sea vegetables, oats, pumpkin and sunflower

seeds, dark leafy greens, nutritional yeast, and some whole grains and legumes

are among the best vegetarian sources of zinc. At least one study has suggested

that phytates, present in some grain products such as unleavened breads, block

zinc absorption, but this connection is still theoretical. Other studies, such

as one using 56 female vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists as subjects, have shown

normal levels of both zincand iron, in spite of avoidance of flesh foods (from

which these minerals are purportedly better absorbed) and a high level of

phytates in the diet.

Good luck & healthy eating!

 

 

lfox_77 <lfox_77 wrote:

I have been a vegetarian for 6-7 years (with a short time--about 2

months while pregnant with my daughter that I did eat some meat).

DH went to the doctor and found out his medical problems were due

most likely to being deficient in zinc and other vitamins/minerals.

He did his own research and spoke it over with his mom and they

decided it was best for us to start eating meat again (and introduce

it to our kids) as that is the " best " source. We are extremely poor

(but don't qualify for food stamps because of assets) and cannot

afford a lot of " whole foods " or " organic foods " and supplements.

It doesn't help that I only weigh 100 lbs (after 2 kids). I can't

even eat anything with " hidden " animal products (except milk/eggs)

such as broth or lard without becoming ill. Does anyone have any

suggestions? I don't want to be depriving my children of necessary

nutrition, but the thought of cooking and eating meat and serving it

to my kids turns my stomach.

 

 

 

 

For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

 

edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

The pcrm.org website has always been a help to me. You can even contact them,

through their website and/or telephone, and they will answer all your questions.

Please try their website. --Tracy

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

I just wanted to say that lentils have zinc, iron, vitaminas, fiber,

protein... and they are inexpensive, easy to cook and delicious.

 

You can also buy a supplement (multivitamin) and take one every 3-4

days just in case. Since you are not going to be taking it every

day, it won't add much to your expenses, but it will give you a

boost in a nutritional sense.

 

And add vegetable oil to your meals (after cooking is best) for more

calories...

 

Good luck

Anna

 

 

> DH went to the doctor and found out his medical problems were due

> most likely to being deficient in zinc and other

vitamins/minerals. We are extremely poor

[Guest guest]

> " lfox_77 " <lfox_77

> Sad--Probably will have to start eating meat again (and feeding it to

my kids)

 

> I can't

> even eat anything with " hidden " animal products (except milk/eggs)

> such as broth or lard without becoming ill. Does anyone have any

> suggestions? I don't want to be depriving my children of necessary

> nutrition, but the thought of cooking and eating meat and serving it

> to my kids turns my stomach.

 

I don't get it - you can't even eat hidden meat because it makes you ill,

yet DH expects you to eat meat because *he* has a deficiency?

 

What part am I missing?

 

At any rate, a good multivitamin can be cheap. You don't have to supplement

with lots of expensive vitamins. 100 tablets of zinc is $8. That's over 3

months' worth. At Whole Foods Market, their one-a-day, food-based

multi-vitamin is $11 for a 3 month supply. Online vitamin discounters can

be surprisingly cheap, and so is Vitamin Shoppe and other discounters that

may be local to you. I know that when you're poor, even $11 is a lot. But

if you have assets enough to disqualify you from food stamps, and your/your

dh's health is suffering because of it, perhaps it's time to consider

liquidating some of those assets.

 

Your DH is not the only person in the equation. Don't let him and his

" research " bowl you over.

Good luck.

Doh

---------

" We have enough youth. What we need is a Fountain of Smart. " ~Anonymous

[Guest guest]

Hope this isn't being too nosey, but what medical problems did DH have that

were likely due to deficiencies. Also, assuming DH is a child, how old is

he/she? Also, why couldn't DH's deficiencies be corrected by vitamin

supplementation? I'm asking these questions b/c my children are babies and

I don't want them to experience deficiencies.

 

Original Message:

-----------------

lfox_77 lfox_77

Sat, 01 May 2004 02:37:55 -0000

 

Sad--Probably will have to start eating meat again

(and feeding it to my kids)

 

 

I have been a vegetarian for 6-7 years (with a short time--about 2

months while pregnant with my daughter that I did eat some meat).

DH went to the doctor and found out his medical problems were due

most likely to being deficient in zinc and other vitamins/minerals.

He did his own research and spoke it over with his mom and they

decided it was best for us to start eating meat again (and introduce

it to our kids) as that is the " best " source. We are extremely poor

(but don't qualify for food stamps because of assets) and cannot

afford a lot of " whole foods " or " organic foods " and supplements.

It doesn't help that I only weigh 100 lbs (after 2 kids). I can't

even eat anything with " hidden " animal products (except milk/eggs)

such as broth or lard without becoming ill. Does anyone have any

suggestions? I don't want to be depriving my children of necessary

nutrition, but the thought of cooking and eating meat and serving it

to my kids turns my stomach.

 

 

 

 

For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

 

edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

DH - means dear husband.. and dear husband probably has a mind of his own and

probably doesn't need much persasion from his doctor to start back eating meat

again. And force it on his kids too. I take a zinc supplement myself but 2-3

servings of oatmeal.. you know you need 2-3 servings to fill a bowl.. will

provide almost a full days supply of iron. An equal amount grits will provide

several times the DV. Long term and her dh will have the same problem my dh

did.. too high iron.. they won't even take your blood if your iron levels are

too high. Well my rant wasn't exactly nice... I'm sorry if I offended anyone..

 

" admartin " <admartin wrote:

Hope this isn't being too nosey, but what medical problems did DH have that

were likely due to deficiencies. Also, assuming DH is a child, how old is

he/she? Also, why couldn't DH's deficiencies be corrected by vitamin

supplementation? I'm asking these questions b/c my children are babies and

I don't want them to experience deficiencies.

 

Original Message:

-----------------

lfox_77 lfox_77

Sat, 01 May 2004 02:37:55 -0000

 

Sad--Probably will have to start eating meat again

(and feeding it to my kids)

 

 

I have been a vegetarian for 6-7 years (with a short time--about 2

months while pregnant with my daughter that I did eat some meat).

DH went to the doctor and found out his medical problems were due

most likely to being deficient in zinc and other vitamins/minerals.

He did his own research and spoke it over with his mom and they

decided it was best for us to start eating meat again (and introduce

it to our kids) as that is the " best " source. We are extremely poor

(but don't qualify for food stamps because of assets) and cannot

afford a lot of " whole foods " or " organic foods " and supplements.

It doesn't help that I only weigh 100 lbs (after 2 kids). I can't

even eat anything with " hidden " animal products (except milk/eggs)

such as broth or lard without becoming ill. Does anyone have any

suggestions? I don't want to be depriving my children of necessary

nutrition, but the thought of cooking and eating meat and serving it

to my kids turns my stomach.

 

 

 

 

For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at

http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to

http://www.vrg.org/family.This is a discussion list and is not intended to

provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a

qualified health professional.

 

edical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health

professional.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

If you are in the US, the government has printed a vegetarian food

pyramid which you might find helpful in presenting information to your

doctor, etc. We don't have a lot of money either, but we did find a

group similar to co-op called Good Food Boxes into which we pay $15 and

we receive about $25 - $30 worth of food because of the combined buying

power. You could look around to see if your community has something

like that.

 

BL