I recently became a pescetarian [vegetarian] but my mom says it is unhealthy for me?

Question

okay well i recently converted to pescetarianism and i've been having stomach cramps lately. My mom says that its from not eating meat and if i want to be a pescatarian then i am supposed to consult a doctor first. I see her point but is it really unhealthy for me? im not sure if i should eat regularly again if its going to affect my body is serious consequences but i rly want to prove a point as to being part of vegetarianism! plz help and thanks a lot :D

Answer 1

On the contrary. Humans are not designed to consume meat. Our bodies are much closer related to that of herbivores. Simply because our bodies CAN digest something, doesn't mean it should.

Example: You could eat cardboard and digest it. But why would you?

Your mother needs to realize, much like the rest of society, there is nothing you can get from meat that you can't get from another, healthier source.

Answer 2

I'm also a pesco-vegetarian (even though I do not like the taste of fish) and my parents too get worried and say that not eating meat is really bad for me. Firstly, realise that your mum probably doesn't want you to be a vegetarian and that these stomach cramps you've been getting lately could be down to anything else. C'mon it's not like you never had stomach cramps before you became pescetarian right? I really doubt it's because of you not eating meat yet if iut doesn't stop you should consult your doctor.... Good luck!

Answer 3

I know what pescetarianism is.  The people who follow this way of eating eat fish.  I don't eat fish because they are killed for food also.  I used to love fish but I became a vegan and it was very hard to give up but I did it.  It is not an unhealthy way to eat.  As long as you are getting enough protein then you are healthy.  Your body may just have to adjust to a new way of eating.  When I first became a vegan I had the worst gas and diarrhea but now my body has adjusted.  Everyone who is uninformed and ignorant thinks that you need meat in your diet to be healthy.  Who wants to eat something that has been injected with antibiotics and hormones.

Answer 4

hi there, won't correct you on termonology use whatever word you like.  :)  Mom know a little, your body will go thru a transisitional stage - do not try to cold turkey go veggie.  what you & Mom need most is EDUCATION.  the stomach cramps could be from a variety of things.  am a Mom & a long time (over 25 yrs.) veggie & raised 4 healthy veggie boys & 2 healthy veggie girls.  all atheletes, grown, still veggies & raising veggie grand kids healthy.  NO being a veg is not unhealthy, you just need all the right tools/info.  do you pass stool regular - that could be part of tummy ache - when was the last time you had some yogurt - builds friendly intestinal flora, helps with digestion.  do you drink enough water?  and make sure you chew well.  there is alot of info - it can actually be alot of work to be veggie, you have to really want this - check out "Anne Wigmore's" website - TONS of info on transisioning you diet safe & healthy.  also "Whole Foods" has a very informitive site with alot of recipes.  might i suggest you invite Mom to try some of the stuff - get her involved so she doesn't feel alienated by your choices - you know it IS good for her HEART HEALTH- site Mom may like "Go Red for Women"- you will need her support along the way so why not help her be more healthy too.  offer to help in kitchen so as not to make Mom's load more.  by the way all my kids were taller than all their meateating classmates & they missed far less school due to illness.  hope this helps - thanks for trying to eat a plant-based diet!  Good for your body-Good for the planet-Good for every one!  a veggie Mom in your cornor.  :)

Answer 5

well your mom is right you should keep eating meat

Answer 6

A "pescetarian" is not a *type* of vegetarian.

Vegetarians do not eat animals.

How could you get cramps from eating meat when you still eat meat?

If your mom wants you to see a doctor about your diet, she has no idea what she is doing as "doctors" usually know very little about nutrition. DIETITIANS are people that earned a degree after studying specifically to learn about healthy eating and nutrition.

If you needed mammal flesh to be healthy, why would the American Dietetic Association say that you can be perfectly healthy without any animal products whatsoever?

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada...

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""However, these terms are controversial and lesser-used, in part because they imply that pescetarianism is a type of vegetarianism." - Wikipedia"

Looks like gibberish. That quote from wikipedia says that implying pescetarianism is type of vegetarianism is erroneous.

Vegetarians do not eat fish.

Wikipedia is not a reliable source of information.

Answer 7

Is your mother a registered dietician specializing in vegetarian diets?  NO?  Then she doesn't know what she's talking about.  Most doctors don't either.  They have to take like a five minute nutrition seminar in med school.  I know more about nutrition than a doctor.  I've been reading about it for 25 years.

You do NOT get stomach cramps from not eating meat.  It's preposterous.

Answer 8

Pescetarians aren't vegetarians(unless you use the Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary,11th ed). Vegetarians don't eat animal flesh.

Since you ARE eating animal flesh, not eating animal flesh cannot be the cause of your malady.

I think i might be retarded.

Answer 9

Pescetarianism, vegetarianism and veganism all count as eating "regularly."  There is no nutritional requirement for meat and there is no reason why you need meat to be normal.

Nobody can diagnose your stomach cramps online, and while a doctor can give you advice about them, don't expect them to know much about nutrition or about pescetarianism.  Doctors get little to no nutritional education in med school.

Pescetarianism, in and of itself, is not unhealthy and your mom is just displaying her lack of knowledge if she thinks you have to eat dead land animals to be healthy or that doing so automatically confers health.

What you need to do is some real research.  This means more than asking online if it's healthy and taking answers from anyone who wants to offer an opinion, informed or not.  It means reading books, reviewing scientific studies and the like.  I highly recommend reading "The New Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.  Both authors are registered dietitian, which means that they have many times more nutritional education than a doctor.  Read and learn; there are no nutrients that are not available on a pescetarian diet and you will learn where to find all of them.  Go over it with your mom and prove to her that you know how to do this right.  There will be specific information in there geared to growing vegetarians.

And, just as an aside, pescetarianism is not a form of vegetarianism.  Vegetarians, by their very definition, do not eat any dead animals.  Like none.  At all.  Including fish.  Pescetarianism is separate from vegetarianism and is a from of omnivore.

Answer 10

Any radical change in diet should be approved by a dietician. Make your mother happy and go. Hopefully, he'll calm her fears and she'll let you go on your merry way. There is really no reason for her to worry because you went from eating meat to......ummm eating meat.

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but a pescatarian is not a vegetarian. You are a pescatarian, which is a form of omnivore, and that is all. You consume flesh. Fish flesh is that same as all other types of flesh. It is produced in a cruel and insensitive way. Fish are also farmed in factories where they are abused. If they do not come from factories then then are snatched from the ocean and suffocated to death. Sorry, but death is death whether or not the creature is warm blooded

Please don't cite wikipedia as a sueful source of information. It can be edited by anyone. The sad part is many sources will mislead you and tell you that you are a vegetarian if you eat fish. Believe what you want. In the end you are still eating meat and if that can sit on your conscience without a problem who am I to judge.

This is the definition of a vegetarian

a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

See how it clashes with the whole pescetarian thing.

Answer 11

well, It CAN be unhealthy. You have to make sure that you are getting everything you need, and that you are going to stick with it. You can see a doctor (nutritionist) and that would help you, but you can also do some research.. much cheaper.

, and you learn more. Stomach craps are probably from something else.

Answer 12

Fish is very healthy in my opinion, and yes you can call yourself vegetarian if you eat fish if you want....forget people who will argue about it..it's not like it's your religion, just your diet, and I'm sure you pay for what you eat, so who cares.

Answer 13

Gone phishing...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Enjoy!

Answer 14

Pescetarians aren't vegetarians. Vegetarians don't eat animal flesh.

Since you ARE eating animal flesh, not eating animal flesh cannot be the cause of your malady.

Answer 15

the first thing you have to understand is that your body is used to having meat so the change might be a bit difficult at first. you need to balance your meal well with vegetables that have the same nutrients as meat. the cramps are probably due to the sudden change. if the pain continues you should go see a doctor for some tips on what to eat and so on.

hope this helps!

Answer 16

Here is a thought about being a vegetarian.  Cats will die if put on a meat free diet.  They literally cannot thrive without meat.  Cats don't have any moral issues about eating meat - they eat or they die.  Think about it.

Answer 17

A pescetarian is not a type of vegetarian so please don't call yourself vegetarian.  Not eating other meat won't cause cramps but an increase in certain foods may.  If you are eating a lot more veggies and fruits and not used to it, that may cause distress.

What degree does your Mom have to be an expert in nutrition?

Wikipedia is not even allowed to be used at many schools because of all the wrong information it contains.  Go to the Vegetarian Society website and see for yourself what a "vegetarian" is.  It's had the same meaning since the 1800's and it's not up to you to change it.

BTW...do you even know what "Imply" means?  It certainly does not mean something that is factual.  It's people like you that believe everything they read and spread misinformation.  Believe what you want but you are not a vegetarian.

Answer 18

actually it is one of the healthiest things you can do. dont know why you are having stomach cramps lately but it isnt pescetarianism in and of itself.

oh and dont mind the word police. its not vegetarian, but its related and it is hardly something to pick an arguement over. I especially love "it is a form of omnivore" as if vegetarianism isnt an omnivore diet. its funny for someone to get all bent out of shape about the use of vegetarian and then turn right around and missuse omnivore.