My friend doesn't eat dairy, meat, fish, eggs, or gluten......is this healthy?

Question

she found out she's allergic to a component in dairy (makes her stomach hurt) last month and so she decided to go vegan and completely eliminate it, along with every other animal product. (for personal reasons)

and then a few weeks ago, she found out she was ALSO allergic to gluten! (the stuff in flour and wheat, etc.) so like all of a sudden (in like a period of two or three weeks), she went from a completely normal diet to not being able to eat anything with any sort of milk, cheese, meat, fish, eggs, flour, or wheat in it. is this healthy to do that all so suddenly??? she can only eat these weird bar things, rice substitutes, fruit/veggies, and vitamins....

please explain if this is healthy or not... and if not, what would be a better alternative?

Answer 1

Thats very unhealthy but if she's allergic then... oh well, i guess. She is basically allergic to the whole food pyramid?!?!

Sorry but that's weird :\

Answer 2

anyone that sets a diet that has not been approved by a doctor is endangering their health.

Answer 3

All those items are not very healthy, while they also will cause addiction in a longer run (instincto).

Answer 4

Your friend is a gluten-free vegan!  This is healthy and easy to do.  Human beings are primates... we are evolutionarily designed to eat gluten-free, vegan diet.

This was an interesting experiment that people diet following the diet of apes for 12 days:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles...

There are people I know how have been vegan for decades... they are perfectly healthy.  And I have worked on research into gluten and casein (a milk derivitive) and they are, essentially, addictive toxins for human beings.

Your friend will be fine as long as she is getting lots of fresh nutrients... veggies, fruits, nuts.  She can also have soy protein, rice, potatoes.  And there is so much out on the market right now that is both gluten-free and vegan, she will not have trouble finding food that she can eat and that is fortified with plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Answer 5

With the exception that I eat fish, I'm on a pretty similar diet.  I also started this diet for health reasons, and it has really helped me a lot.

Wheat glutten and dairy, are not exactly the best things for anyone anyway.  

There are so many nutritious foods out there that are completely vegan, and most people don't even have them as part of their diet.

Amaranth, quinoa, millet, brown rice, buckwheat, are all excellent grains, with lots of protein, iron, calcium etc...

flaxseed oil,flax seeds are a good source of essential fatty acids

avocados, kale broccoli, dandelion, carrots, are all packed with nutrients.  

beans, nuts sesame seeds, provide tonnes of protein, as well as vitamins and minerals.

You don't need meat and dairy to be healthy.  In fact you're probably better off without it.

Congratulations to your friend for doing this.  It's not easy completely changing your diet.

Answer 6

It can be healthy,if you go about it the right way. There are lots of vitamins out there that help with the protein and other things your body needs to stay strong and healthy. I'm a Vegetarian and I take pills for fiber and protein. If your friend is already taking vitamins and you are still concerned,consult a doctor,I'm sure it's not quite as bad as you're thinking it is,but if you want to be sure,I would definitely suggest a trip to the doctor.

Answer 7

She can be perfectly healthy on such a diet.

I am on one very similar as I too am allergic & a Vegan.

She'll get better with her diet as time passes, biggie is to stay away from her food allergies. Untreated food allergies destroy ones health.

I do not understand the rice substitutes, unless she is allergic to Rice. Rice Gluten is okay it's very different from Wheat, Rye Barley,Spelt etc. gluten.

Answer 8

It's really not the best thing for her to do that, but if she won't/can't eat a regular diet, this is, basically, the best thing for her currently. Of course, I might be wrong. I would tell her to ask her doctor if that's a good idea for her to do that. If she questions it, just tell her that your concerned about her health.

Answer 9

no, its really not healthy, because she's missing most of her nutrients.

Answer 10

Yes. Actually contrary to what most people think, vegans and vegitarians are healthier than others if they do it the right way. I am vegan and i am perfectly fine. I just take vitamins and other supliments everyday but i replace the protein with soy and bean products. A person who doesnt eat red meat can live up to 15 years longer than a normal person. Just be sure she is doing it corectly or she could get very very sick. Talk to her about going to a nutitionalist to make a food plan. Hope i halped :]

Answer 11

It does stink that it is not healthy that she can not eat gluten/dairy. YET, a lot of people do have that same problem, and are vegans.

It is so important for your friend to get enough protein from nuts, legumes, etc. oh and QUINOA is soooo good for vegans/celiacs, a natural power food with good protein.

i suggest her to become a member of the celiac messsage board as they not only discuss gluten free foods, but dairy, nuts and meat free and have great suport.

http://www.glutenfreeforum.com/

You are a very good friend for caring! We need more caring people out there ;)

HEY!  and at least she can still eat nuts! :P

Answer 12

It can be perfectly healthy, as long as she is getting adequate nutrition, and has replaced the foods she cut out.  She'll need to eat lots of gluten free grains to make up for bread, especially since she's not eating meat and legumes, tofu etc. couldn't go amiss, and soy milk but there is no reason she couldn't be perfectly healthy with this diet, but she will need to think about it research it and do it properly until she gets used to it.