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Old 04-19-2013, 07:17 PM
 
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My husband tried to become a vegetarian. He gained at least twenty pounds and his cholesterol went up 30-40 points. This was pretty disappointing to him. The only thing that helps him maintain his weight (the guy cannot lose weight very easily) is almost always adhering to a low carbohydrate diet. With the exception of one bad day every 3-4 weeks, he eats under 30 g of carbs everyday, which he couldn't do as a vegetarian. I think he needs to maintain a low carb lifestyle due to his body type and biochemistry but I don't think he's necessarily the norm.
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Old 04-19-2013, 10:42 PM
 
Location: Prospect, KY
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[quote=PurpleLove08;29207160]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cattknap View Post

The local co-op has chia seeds, and I buy them from there. I'm not exactly sure if it's cheaper than buying them pre-packaged but I do like buying them from the bulk section; that way I can get as much as I want/need. I use chia seeds about once a week and maybe a tsp or so a week.

I think chia and flaxseed are very close in terms of their nutritional content. I think it all boils down to personal preference. I like flaxseed meal because it easily blends into liquids.
They are not that close in nutritional content...chia is better by far...do your homework....and a tsp. a week...why bother? You should be eating at least a tablespoon a day...and they should be hydrated ......chia needs to be hydrated in water before being consumed.
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Old 04-20-2013, 07:20 AM
 
Location: Chicago, IL
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[quote=Cattknap;29209747]
Quote:
Originally Posted by PurpleLove08 View Post

They are not that close in nutritional content...chia is better by far...do your homework....and a tsp. a week...why bother? You should be eating at least a tablespoon a day...and they should be hydrated ......chia needs to be hydrated in water before being consumed.
I have done my homework.
If you know a better website, feel free to post the link.

This is my main source: Which is Healthier: Chia Seeds or Flax Seeds? | Prevention
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Old 04-20-2013, 08:31 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by city living View Post
My husband tried to become a vegetarian. He gained at least twenty pounds and his cholesterol went up 30-40 points. This was pretty disappointing to him. The only thing that helps him maintain his weight (the guy cannot lose weight very easily) is almost always adhering to a low carbohydrate diet. With the exception of one bad day every 3-4 weeks, he eats under 30 g of carbs everyday, which he couldn't do as a vegetarian. I think he needs to maintain a low carb lifestyle due to his body type and biochemistry but I don't think he's necessarily the norm.
Was he eating alot of fatty dairy, cheese & eggs when his cholesterol went up 30-40 points?
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Old 04-20-2013, 02:31 PM
 
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I like flaxseed because you only have to soak it if you're making an "egg" out of it, and it's much easier to find. The main advantage to chia seeds is that you can use them on your chia head collection.
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Old 04-21-2013, 12:42 PM
 
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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Originally Posted by FlowerPower00 View Post
Chia and flax will help some of the challenges with Omega fatty acid etc?
Maybe, but only long-term. The issue is that plants only contain the short-chain (ALA) omega-3, not the longer chain (EPA and DHA). Your body needs all three, it can to a limited degree create the longer chain from the shorter chain but nobody is really sure about the conversion rates. Short term consuming ALA doesn't seem to increase the conversion, but long-term studies (especially those down on vegans/vegetarians) seems to suggest that over time the body will increase the conversion rate. Another factor is the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6, since the same mechanism are used to convert short chain omega-3 and short chain omega-6 to their longer counterparts the two compete with each other and high levels of omega-6 can reduce the conversion of short chain omega-3 to long chain omega-3. So adding flaxmeal, etc to your diet may not help much if you're also eating a lot of omega-6 which is very common for western vegetarians.

Also, nobody really knows if "low" levels of omega-3 is actually bad for you and if it is bad, what are the confounding factors? So its not even clear if one should be concerned with "low levels" in the first place.

Flaxmeal, chia seeds, etc are just today's snake oil, a lot of promised benefits but little research backing the claims. Its best just to focus on consuming an overall healthy diet and part of that is making sure you're getting enough omega-3 and not too much omega-6. But in terms of trying to get your omega-3 levels up, if that is a goal you really want to achieve, the best thing is probably going to be a supplement that contains DHA (or DHA and EPA). Most are from fish oil, but you can find vegan ones made from algae (the omega-3's in fish are ultimately from algae so this is just as natural).
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Old 04-22-2013, 06:03 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KristyD View Post
I'd be curious if the people who have answered are vegetarian or vegan. And if vegetarian - how much fatty/fat-free dairy and eggs they eat or how often. Also do they eat alot of starches (ie whole grains, potatoes etc.).

I'm not sure yet, but I feel better. I plan on getting my cholesterol and vitamin levels checked in a couple months.
This, but when I eat a vegan diet (fruit, veggies, beans, whole grains) I lose weight. And I eat a lot of whole grains (carbs).
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Old 04-24-2013, 06:58 AM
 
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Originally Posted by KristyD View Post
Was he eating alot of fatty dairy, cheese & eggs when his cholesterol went up 30-40 points?
No. He eats considerably more eggs and cheese on a low carbohydrate diet than a vegetarian one because those are one of the few things he can eat. They are a mainstay in our household when he is adhering to the low carb lifestyle. So is bacon. He is not a big milk drinker either.

I lean toward the research that shows low carbohydrate diets like Atkin's are considerably better for your cholesterol and glucose than those full of processed carbohydrates. Most people would think eating tons of cheese, eggs, bacon, etc would drive your cholesterol up quite a bit but there is a lot of research that shows the opposite.
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Old 04-24-2013, 07:10 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by city living View Post
No. He eats considerably more eggs and cheese on a low carbohydrate diet than a vegetarian one because those are one of the few things he can eat. They are a mainstay in our household when he is adhering to the low carb lifestyle. So is bacon. He is not a big milk drinker either.

I lean toward the research that shows low carbohydrate diets like Atkin's are considerably better for your cholesterol and glucose than those full of processed carbohydrates. Most people would think eating tons of cheese, eggs, bacon, etc would drive your cholesterol up quite a bit but there is a lot of research that shows the opposite.
The long-term issues with Atkins diet are heart and kidney problems. In the short term healthy adults seem to show no health problems but Atkins and other high protein, low carb diets are not something you want to stay on too long. They are definitely a diet rather than a change of lifestyle.

Interestingly, people who have been on Atkins for years often develop osteoporosis despite a high intake of dairy products.
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Old 04-24-2013, 10:17 AM
 
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Originally Posted by missik999 View Post
The long-term issues with Atkins diet are heart and kidney problems. In the short term healthy adults seem to show no health problems but Atkins and other high protein, low carb diets are not something you want to stay on too long. They are definitely a diet rather than a change of lifestyle.
Ditto. I never understood why someone would think cheese, sausage, and bacon is healthier than oats and quinoa. I personally think these low/no carb Atkins type diets are just an excuse to eat all the meat and dairy you want and think you're being "healthy."

Quote:
Originally Posted by missik999 View Post
Interestingly, people who have been on Atkins for years often develop osteoporosis despite a high intake of dairy products.
There has been some research indicating that humans don't get as much absorption of calcium from dairy as once thought. Possibly because we didn't evolve to digest and absorb nutrients from another species milk.
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