What are the health benefits of being a vegetarian?

Question

Once I give birth to my baby, I'm considering becoming a vegetarian, and perhaps bringing my child up as a vegetarian, but before I do, I was wondering if someone could please tell me the basic advantages and disadvantages of being a vegetarian?

I probably would eat fish, so I guess a pescetarian lol..

But would I be lacking in iron and feel more tired or weak?

I probably eat red meat around once a week, and white meats like chicken around 5/6 times a week.

Thanks (:

Answer 1

thats a bad idea dont force it on your kid at that age he/she needs the meat give him/her their own choice when they get older but for now dont do it to your kid and their realy are no health advantagees meat as a whole isnt that unhealthy its all in what kind

Answer 2

Well, a vegetarian has a lot of health benefits because usually they aren't prone to certain types of cancer. Vegetarians are expected to live longer. Plus, vegetarians aren't likely to have osteoporosis.

It's a little hard at first to make the transition from a non-vegetarian to a vegetarian since your diet has a lot of meat in it.

I would start off by slowly cutting down on the chicken and meat you eat. Since you eat red meat once a week, don't eat it at all one week. Then the next, only eat chicken for four days a week, and the next three and etc. ..

As for the health benefits of being a meat eater, it's a whole lot easier to find iron. Of course, if you eat a lot of different kinds of veggies, fruits, nuts, fish, etc . . . then you won't have this problem.

The advantages of being a vegetarian is that you aren't prone to certain kinds of health risks, and your body generally feels better, but you can get lethargic and weak feeling if you don't eat what you are supposed to.

Overall, going vegetarian is an excellent choice for you and your baby! =)

Answer 3

There is no health benefit over an omni diet that includes animal products reasonably.

If you eat fish, that's fine if it works for you, but pescetarians are not a type of vegetarian.

You can be perfectly healthy on any type of diet, whether you eat meat or not.

If you are curious to know why most vegetarians choose not to eat animals, the documentary, "Earthlings" goes over almost all of the issues.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...

If you want to know if people sacrifice physical potential when they become vegetarian, the answer is no.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sto...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.macdanzig.net/bio.php

http://www.scottjurek.com/career.php

Here are some resources that will be very helpful if you choose to lean towards a more plant-based diet.

http://www.veganhealth.org/sh

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo

Answer 4

Cows are force fed corn. Cows were meant to eat grass. The corn the cow eats is grown using pesticides, and many other cancer causing chemicals and other toxins. The cows are also injected with up to 14 anti-biotic agents. The cow is then slaughtered. You will be eating all the junk the cow was fed and injected with..That is why many people are so fat, unfit, cancerous and have little energy. If you are going to eat cows, eat cows that eat grass on the fields. iow organic cows.

Answer 5

I doubt that there will little benefit over any other balanced diet.

Answer 6

if you really want to go vegetarian, you'd give up all meats. pescatarian is healthier than a non-veggie diet, and it is a step towards ending animal cruelty

i post this on like, everyone's question, but it is seriously awesome. Vegan Outreach's 'Guide To Healthy Eating' is absolutely wonderful, i read it from front to back [it's a pamphlet, l0l] and it's the best vegetarian/vegan starter guide. it doesn't push animal rights into your face, simply health reasons to go veg. consider ordering it, you'll need it.

as long as you have a healthy plant based diet, there are numerous, endless health benefits. one mistake alot of my veg friends made -- replacing meat with junk. [ex: don't order a burger, but order fries instead]. the healthiest approach would be to rule out junk, and it is wonderful that you're considering your child's health, this will be very rewadring in the future.

  

Answer 7

I am a vegetarian. Since I have become one, I have slimmed up alot, as well as feeling healthier. You should probably take it slow. Cut red meat out and take alot of vitamins. This article might help you pack lunches when your child getGet either a laptop lunch lunchbox or an awesome retro or movie metal lunch box. Bring some cool metallic markers to school and have your friends sign your lunch box and write stuff on it.

Take a look at the organic section of your grocery store. That's usually where they put all the fake meat (products like imitation coldcuts made from soy). Try to look for the best deals possible and don't over do it. Organic foods can be much more expensive.

Learn to cook food. There's nothing lamer than not knowing what you're having for lunch since your mom packed it. It's also really cool if you can tell everyone you made the food yourself. Buy a vegetarian cookbook, watch cooking shows and search the web for recipes.

Cook food over the weekend in advance, particularly things like tofu lasagna or vegetarian chili which can be made in large batches and frozen.

Eat healthily and know your stuff. People will envy you and want to be like you if you eat really healthy food and know a lot about nutrition.

[edit] TipsLook in the canned food section too. There's a lot of good stuff there that can be made to be great.

A thermos is great for bringing hot stuff into school like homemade soups...yummy!

If you have a microwave at school, you can heat up things like bean soup, vegetarian chili, rice and beans, baked potatoes or vegetarian burritos (NOT in a metal lunch box).

Food suggestions:

Hummus (chickpea spread) can also be found around the organic food section and can be served alone with veggies or in a pita.

Soy chips and certain brands of granola bars are good sources of protein. Be sure to read the label to check for the number of grams of protein.

Give meat substitutes a try, but if you don't like them, drop them after a few days and a few different brands.

Morning Star, Quorn, and Veat are all really yummy vegetarian brands with lots of fake meats, like corn dogs, chicken nuggets, and even ribs!

If anyone asks you about your food, don't be afraid to tell them that you're a vegan/vegetarian and be proud of it. A lot of people will actually think it's kind of cool that you're not embarrassed (even if you're a guy). Confidence is key. If you're scared of your difference, the bullies (who are usually insecure) will target you with ridicule. If you act confidently and can rationally explain yourself, you will command respect and you might even win people over. A good policy is not to flaunt your dietary habits; instead, explain yourself with confidence when confronted about the issue.

[edit] WarningsDO NOT use metal lunch box in a microwave!

Don't be a snob! People will resent you if you're flashy about how healthy you are and how much you care about the animals and stuff like that. If anyone asks about your lifestyle, respond modestly.

Don't rely on cheese for protein. Make sure you get protein from beans and soy and don't just eat pizza and mac 'n cheese all the time.

I really hope I could help. Let me know if you need anything else, and wikihow has lots of vegetarian recipes. Good Luck

Answer 8

There are a lot of benefits of being a vegetarian:

-including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals, Vegetarians tend to have lower body mass index,  lower blood pressure, and less incidence of heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, renal disease, osteoporosis, dementias such as Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders.

Some disadvantages are definitely temptation (at first at least), and if you don't keep up with your vitamins, then you can get really sick.

I'm a vegetarian myself, and I wouldn't recommend dropping meat cold turkey, (haha.) It's not good for you body. You'll definitely need to take vitamins, eat lots of beans (baked, lima, anything!) for protein. Usually vegetarian receipes have the things you need.

Good luck & I hope this helped!!