Vegetarianism ... for a growing kid? (cyst, cold, doctors, vitamins)
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Thank you so much for this very thoughtful post. I will take your advice and read up. By the way, my daughter is one of those people who doesn't gain weight no matter what she eats and her appetite is strong. If anything she is too thin, and I'm expecting her to be even thinner on a vegetarian diet, am I right?
She has a high metabolism which is partly due to genetics and also because she is still growing. There is no reason why she would get thinner if her calorie intake remains the same. The trouble many people have when they go on vegetarian diets is that they are essentially high-carbohydrate diets. In fact, most people gain weight because they binge on carbs. Certain people have the metabolism to handle lots of carbs, while others need lots of protein and fat to feel satisfied and keep blood sugar stable. I recommend the book The Metabolic Typing Diet if you're interested in learning why some people can stick to a vegetarian diet while others thrive on an Atkins-type diet.
I personally think it's dangerous for a growing child or teenager to be experimenting with diets. I'm a big advocate of eating healthy but I also believe that the body knows best when it comes to macronutrient ratios. You should ask your daughter the reason why she wants to go vegetarian...whether it's because she is concerned about her health? her weight? Is it concern over the ethics of eating animals? or perhaps the inhumane treatment of animals raised on factory farms? Knowing the reason is important because perhaps the solution is not in changing diet but a matter of gaining knowledge about her body or how food is grown.
Another excellent book is The Yoga of Eating, and I would give this book to every teenage girl interested in nutrition if I could.
Lastly, I forgot to mention before that you shouldn't try to sneak meat into food behind your daughter's back. If she finds out, you will lose her trust and that's the last thing you want with a teen, ya know
It depends what she eats. The post you are referring to only shows a slim view of vegetarianism and weight and body issues.
I have known vegetarians who eat french fries, sodas, chips, white flour products piled with various condiments etc. and who commonly will eat empty calorie/high fat meals. Being a vegetarian does not give one carte blanch to eat poor quality foods.
Of course I also know and am the type of vegetarian who generally eats very high quality, fresh foods.
I suggest you visit the vegan/vegetarian forum under the "food and drink" section. There you can read about recipes, what most vegetarians and/or vegans eat daily etc.
You're totally right, vegetarianism can be healthy but not eating meat does not automatically make one so if they are continuing to eat junk foods. Whenever I shop I am a little saddened at how many vegetarian candy bars, cookies, chips and whatnot I see lining the shelves. I know of a girl who said she had been a vegetarian her entire life, and she was practically obese! But I don't know when the last time was she touched a vegetable
I have been a Veggie/Fruity ism, for 54 years. My mom did not like the American ways of eating and I became a veggie/fruityism since i was 6 Years young. If you know anything about foods, foods supply a variety of vitamins and minerals. But we lack the most is Vitamin B12, tell her to take the active form which is the Methyl type, Life Extension sells it or Jarrow. And God made the foods that would have protein in small tiny tiny portions of FRUITS and Veggies. &&&&&& TELL her to stay away from SOY PRODUCTS. Soy Products have been promoted as a hoax, because it is a cheap ( it is not even considered a " food". Some toxic bean. Soy s so cheap and soy is the leading causes of THYROID DAMAGES for people and pets. Soy is put into Cats dry and wet foods. Cats are always coming down with THYROID PROBLEMS. IT is terrible. SOY does produce depression. DO RESEARCH HOW BAD IS SOY. Your daughter can live without meats. Beans are much better than SOYBEANS. SOYBEAN OIL is considered the next toxic oil to CANOLA OIL. SAY AWAY FROM SOYBEAN OIL and CANOLA OIL= produces LUNG CANCER and HEART DISEASE and BLINDNESS= CANOLA OIL. I read a lot so I know what I am talking about.
Can you list your sources for soy being bad? I don't see why people should necessarily take your word because you "read a lot." This is not, I repeat, not meant as an attack. I'm genuinely curious. I have a feeling it will boil down to anything in extreme can be bad for you ... even chocolate.
And ExPit, sorry I haven't any advice for you. Thanks again for yours earlier.
Being a vegetarian, as long as they stick to mainly complex carbs, which are whole grains, vegetables and fruits and take a B12 supplement(the methylcobalamin is the one the body absorbs the best) won't have any problems getting the essential vitamins and minerals they need.
It's the best way to eat there is.
Never ever try and sneak some meat into someones veggie burgers because you feel they are lacking in nutrition like meat is some great thing. (it's not, it's dead.)
fjtee, I keep hearing the horrors of soy. I think what most people are referring to about soy being bad for you is the "soy protein isolate" they use in fake meats, soy shakes, some soy milks,etc. The soy protein isolate and hydrolyzed soy protein is supposed to be the waste products of soy, and the food manufacturers don't want to waste a drop, so they market it as delicious and nutritious stuff, when in reality, we haven't a clue if they are right or wrong.
Also, the isoflavones, (the plant estrogens) can wreak havoc with some women that are pre-menopausal.
My daughter has recently announced, the way a twelve year old girl will, that from this day onward she will be a vegetarian. For her it's an ethical decision, but for me it's one that raises a nutritional question.
With all respect - while I can admire your daughters desire to change the world, it is not her place, at her age, to make such a decision, unilaterally.
May I suggest that you get to agree to visit your family physican to get their input as to the pros and cons for a girl of her age?
No one should ever do a DRASTIC dietary change without consulting with a physican IMO.
With all respect - while I can admire your daughters desire to change the world, it is not her place, at her age, to make such a decision, unilaterally.
May I suggest that you get to agree to visit your family physican to get their input as to the pros and cons for a girl of her age?
No one should ever do a DRASTIC dietary change without consulting with a physican IMO.
I totally disagree with asking a doctor about changing the diet. The traditional family doctor's are schooled in the notion that you've got to have meat and dairy to be healthy, because they were taught by dietitians that were taught by the meat and dairy industries. See where I'm going with this?
If the daughter wants to make healthier choices, and being 12 is a good age to start by the way, then let her do her own thing. The worst that will happen, she will be healthier, have less colds, flu, etc. And not miss school so much.
With all respect - while I can admire your daughters desire to change the world, it is not her place, at her age, to make such a decision, unilaterally.
May I suggest that you get to agree to visit your family physican to get their input as to the pros and cons for a girl of her age?
No one should ever do a DRASTIC dietary change without consulting with a physican IMO.
I disagree. Please respect your daughter's sentiments. Be supportive, and DON'T sneak in meat into her food. I was contemplating vegetarianism when I was 12. I had no support from the family initially, only ridicule and snide comments about the daughter who wouldn't eat meat. It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to do, and finally turned vegetarian when I was about 14. Haven't looked back at meat, ever, and I think that the decision I made was one of the best in my life.
Now, coming to the OP's question- yes, you should monitor her diet a bit to make sure that she is having a balanced diet. A regular blood test would reveal any deficiencies (if any). I am currently anemic (I'm 28, btw) and taking supplements for it.
I was in competitive sports when I turned vegetarian. My performance didn't suffer, but I was making sure that I was getting enough protein (not with soy, but with beans & lentils).
I continue to be healthy and fit. I run, hike, play sports, etc and in general lead a very active life. In no way has my diet hindered my health (except for the iron def., which I'm not sure about anyway)- which I believe is your biggest concern.
Just to assure those of you who took me a bit too literally, I would never sneak meat or poultry into her food. I was just joking with that. Trust is something I have with my daughter and would never intentionally undermine it. One of the limitations of this kind of voiceless communication is that you don't get voice inflection. My mistake for not taking that into consideration.
But thanks again to all. I have some homework to do and your posts have set me in motion. Thanks.
On the plus side, she is thinking about what she eats, so she is not mindlessly stuffing herself with all the wrong basic food groups. If she is going to go through a rebellious eating phase, vegetarianism is certainly better than Bulemia. She will be OK. You might remind her that the Buddha refused to eat any food that was prepared for him, as an ethical gesture, but didn't mind cleaning up other people's plates, because that would have been prepared anyway. The animals were already dead, he just kept it from going to waste---as an ethical gesture.
My daughter has recently announced, the way a twelve year old girl will, that from this day onward she will be a vegetarian. For her it's an ethical decision, but for me it's one that raises a nutritional question.
For those of you who might know, can you help me decide whether to sneak some ground filet mignon or lean chicken breast into her soy burgers? Short of that can you tell me what vitamins, minerals she will be lacking as a result of this decision? She's obviously still growing so that's a concern of mine...
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