After being a vegetarian for 15 years or so, a few months ago I began eating fish. Only salmon so far ..... Basically it was the protein . I have been working out with a personal trainer for about a year and felt like I either needed to get more protein or quit weight training as my muscles simply would not grow. She convinced me to try fish and the results muscle-wise have been astounding. I also have found that it has helped my hypoglycemia problem. I was always careful about getting in enough protein before but I seem to be able to control my blood sugar better since I began incorporating the fish protein into my diet. I think that maybe I am getting in more total and combining in carbs less. Anyways, am glad I did it and may try to broaden my selections to include other meats but right now am still trying to mentally get through actually eating salmon!

I was lacto-ovo for my teenage years, started eating meat again late college, and then went vegan as an adult.

Goes to show you... diets have a way of fluctuating over the years.

When I started eating meat again after being lacto-ovo, it was because I craved it. I also thought nutritionally I needed it, because I was bruising a lot.

Later, when I went vegan, it was for ethical reasons. And I was much better informed about nutrition, so I understood what I needed to eat to stay healthy.

If you're only vegetarian for health reasons, I can very much understand why you eat meat. In fact, IMHO, the healthiest diet humans can eat is probably one that is a vegan diet that includes fish.

To the OP, if your diet is based on health, there's no reason to not eat fish for "variety." But if you chose your veg diet because of ethical reasons, you may want to consider it long and hard. One of the biggest regrets are the years I spent eating meat between my lacto-ovo and vegan diets.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by smallcurd:
Thank you for that link. I am not one who believes eating animal products is morally wrong per se, but the way animals are farmed in the country is. I simply won't support vendors who do so. It's been a huge project of mine to find local grocers who specialize in organic foods. I've gone mostly vegetarian, and only eat fish when I feel like my health is suffering. It's a tough thing to do, sometimes, but I'm learning as I go.<HR>

Sorry, couldn't pass the hijack by. Free-range meats sound very pleasant, but of course do nothing to alleviate the environmental problems of raising meat, nor change the other cruel practices involved, such as taking veal calves from their mothers or suffocating male chicks.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Phatso1184:
, and soy protein is incomplete protein so I knew I needed something more. <HR>

soy protein is complete. it contains all essential amino acids.

I am a 15 1/2 year old female. I've been on and off vegetarian for a few years, but for the past about six months I've been almost strictly vegetarian (no eggs). I find that this cannot complete my nutritional needs because I get only about 20 grams on average a day of protein, and I know my iron levels are low. I am getting enough food to eat, but it is so strictly carbohydrates my IBS (syndrome) keeps resurfacing and I am switching back to eating more white meat (no red, I never will). I am also drinking protein shakes (100% whey protein, 20 grams per 8 ounce, make it yourself powder).

I am going to try this to up my protein and iron intake and hope many symptoms of my IBS vanish, because I think this is the main culprit.

Is there any other teenage (or any age) runners out there that drink protein shakes?
Any that have gastrointestinal syndromes?
Any replies would be greatly appreciated~!!!

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Ariann:
I am truly perplexed at how someone could be eating enough to maintain their weight and only getting 20 grams of protein per day. Even a serving of pasta contains 8 grams (that's 16% calories from protein - just about the recommended amount!). What could you be eating? Candy bars and fruit juice? Have you considered that your count is off?

Vegetarians who don't expend any effort attempting to provide a balanced diet for themselves are destined to fail at a vegetarian diet. It is not difficult to get sufficient protein on a vegetarian diet if you eat a varied diet - that means basing your diet on vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and fruit, along with a little added vegetable oil (such as olive, canola, and flax oils). <HR>

May I ask why your tone is always (or at least anytime I drop into this forum) so nasty?

Why not simply ask what she is eating and take it from there? See if she might be underestimating her protein, see if something in the diet might explain the increase in IBS symptoms, provide some guidance based on your experience as a veg.

No need to demean and get on a high horse, unless you want to convince everyone that you the meat deprived are cranky and mean. By the way, this poster is 15. When I was 15 I can't say that I was being super analytical about my diet, where you?

I was a vegetarian since the Friday after I turned 7 when I decided I couldn't do that to the animals, to shortly before my 20th birthday.

Living with and cooking for a big-time meat eater. Convenience thing.

Add in slowly. Fish and chicken are the easiest. Start with fish. Keep quantities small. Even with that, you might get sick your first contact with beef or any of the harder meats.
Your body readjusts-- It might not take much after only 5 years, and I'm assuming most your life eating meat.

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Love, Heather[/URL" target="_blank">