Is this healthy?

Question

I have been thinking about becoming a vegitarian for a while now. But because of my weight being so low im afraid itll cause health problems. Im 17 years old and weigh 100 lbs. Would it be unhealthy for me to become a vegitarian? I know i can see a doctor and use vitamins, but i was wondering if i didnt go and get vitamins, if it would be unhealthy?

Answer 1

I'm only 77 pounds and I am a vegetarian. I actually have gained weight. One weekend I gained 3 pounds! I just stick to the vegetarian food chart and eat a lot of carbs and a lot of starch and you will be feelig great while getting yourself to the perfect weight.

http://www.vegsoc.org/news/2000/21cv/nut...

(website has A LOT of info about vitamins and more)

Answer 2

It really depends on what you eat now and what you'll eat if you're a vegetarian. If you eat more vegetables and fresh foods as a vegetarian, then it will be healthier than if, currently, all you eat is sugary, salty, precooked packaged c**p. But you should probably get a few professional opinions.

Remember- Knowledge is Power!

(Hooray for cheesy lines)

Answer 3

You don't need meat to get all of your recommended nutrients. You'll be just fine if you replace everything equally. Soy has plenty of protein, as do many other vegetarian foods.

Answer 4

I'm vegan..and although it's only been about a year, I have lost a lot of weight..I lost 30 lbs..but within the past 2 weeks, I've gained 10 back!

With your weight being so low, like you said, eating a lot of tofu and soy would be in your favor. (Trust me, tofu isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be).

And yes, something i need to do that i don't, TAKE VITAMINS!!!

That would help greatly too..I've got an iron deficiency..and it's only gotten worse..so i need to get some pills for that right away.

Also, a lot of doctors are now telling people to go vegan or vegetarian, depending on their health and weight..Your doctor would probably tell you that with your weight, not such a great idea..BUT, if you could get to a nutritionist, they could help you plan your meals and stay healthy.

Also, go vegan..vegetarians still feed the death cycle for animals..

oh, and check out www.vegweb.com

it's got a lot of kick *** recipes!

Answer 5

You'll be fine as long as you get good nutrition. This goes for omnis and veg*ns alike.

Make sure you are getting enough calories, and good fats.

You shouldn't need vitamins, but many people take them. Most omnis could use a vitamin as well.

Answer 6

It is unhealthy if you don't take a supplement, but if you do take one you would be fine.

Answer 7

No, not at all. Just gain some weight by eating more calories than you are now and be a vegetarian at the same time. Just eat lots of nuts and grains to gain weight. Organic Food Bars are good too.

http://organicfoodbar.com

Answer 8

A vegetarian diet can be very healthy as long as you are aware of what nutrients you need and their sources. You will not neccessarily loose weight becomeing a vegetarian - I actually gained weight when I became vegan when I discovered the joy of vegan baking :)

To stay healthy you should check that you are getting the essential nutrients you need, just like anyone else regardless of being veg*n or omnivore.

The most important nutrients to watch in a vegetarian diet are iron, B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. Calcium and protein intake is usually not an issue in vegetarian diets.

Iron:

Good plant-based sources of iron are cereals, legumes (peas, beans, chickpeas, lentils etc), tofu, and collard greens.

B12:

Bacteria are responsible for producing the vitamin B12 and so plant foods don't contain B12 unless they have been contaminated. Animal products (including milk and eggs) are good sources of B12 as they come from animals which eat contaminated foods. Nutritional yeast is a good non-animal source of B12, as are fermented drinks such as Kombucha.

Many foods are also fortified with B12 (such as yeast extracts, textured vegetable protein, breakfast cereals).

Omega-3 fatty acids:

Vegetarian sources of Omega-3s include flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, olive oil, walnuts, canola (rapeseed) oil, avocado, and eggs.

Calcium:

Sources of well-absorbed calcium include Blackstrap molasses, calcium-fortified soy milk, calcium-set tofu, soybeans, bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, and okra. Legumes also contain some calcium.

Be aware that although cows milk contains calcium, absorbency of this calcium is low. This is possibly due to the calcium leeching effects of the high amounts of protein in milk.

For an explanation of how high protein diets lead to calcium leeching visit: http://milk.elehost.com/html/why_does_ca...

Protein:

Beans, nuts, legumes, grains, tofu and more are all fantastic sources of protein. Most vegetarians, while meeting their recommended protein intake, do not consume excessive amounts of protein. This not only decreases calcium leeching as mentioned above but recent research suggests a low-protein diet could protect against cancer.

Source: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng...

For a full list see of foods and their protein content visit: http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html.

As you can see there are many plant-based sources of essential vitamins and minerals - it is easy to be a healthy vegetarian :) Best of luck!

Answer 9

Yes take a daily multi-vitamin.  Eat fish if you decide to cut out meat, but not seafood, and remember you can still have cake and ice cream and chips and such and you just might need to eat a protein bar to get enough protein. and don't starve yourself. tofu is good for you too.

Answer 10

You could still eat eggs. If you're becoming vegetarian because of belief, then eaten an egg really isn't eating an animal, because it was never fertilized, so life was never formed. So, you could get your protein from that, but you'd need like vitamin B12 if you stop eating fish.