Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

[Accountable for Me]

I have been doing a LOT of research the last couple of months about a Pesci-Vegetarian Life Style for myself. I eat a good variety of veggies, nuts, legumes on a daily/weekly basis so I know it wouldn't be hard to start. I can't stand fruit or juice, however I can eat berries.

I visited goveg.com a few days ago and was completely beside myself with the information they provided in regards to animal cruelty. I haven't touched any meat/fowl since. I know my hubby won't be into it but that is OK, I want to do this for my health and what are becoming of my beliefs.

I can't really put my daughter on this as she needs dairy products. She loves her veggies/fish/dairy/fruit juices. Any suggestions?

Also if anyone has advise about this type of dietary life style, I would appreciate any of your comments and/or suggestions.

[slightlysuze]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

I'm not quite sure what you mean by pesci-vegetarian? Do you mean basically vegan plus fish? That's how I eat at the moment...after being vegan/vegetarian for many years. I don't like the meat farming industry and haven't eaten meat for about 30 years! I would eat wild caught meat, I *think*, but I'm not a hunter! :H I now think, after a lot of research, that milk is not a good food for adult humans either (or for baby humans). What other mammal, after weaning from it's own mother's milk, goes on to use the milk of another species??? I always found it a bit claggy...although I did like cheese a lot! It's a bit weird when you think about it! I added fish (only wild, line-caught and not farmed) to my diet to try to avoid cheese when eating out as that's what you mostly get for vegetarian food....and I think the oils are good for us.

Mind you......I am day 4 AF and desperate.....I am eating chocolate and crisps and I don't usually think of those as a good diet!

I've sometimes found people get a bit hot under the collar about not eating meat....so can I just say I'm not trying to start an argument or convert anyone

[beatle]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

This is opening a can of beans for me... ha ha ha since that's what I so often do, as a vegeterian. I'm trying to be vegan but it's rather hard to give up cheese.

My lifestyle is for both health and ethical reasons. I know people do get all defensive about it, and I try not to push it, but if they had any idea what their meat has been through, the suffering, AND not least, how awful factory farming is for the ENVIRONMENT (everyone can relate to that right?). You know all that Co2 you hear about all the time? You think airplanes, you think cars... Well, think COWs.

But like the MWO philosophy, I try to be non-judgemental and everyone has to come to their own decisions in their own way... I just wish they'd hurry up about it! :-)

Accountable-- macrobiotics would probably be great for you-- very like your diet already. Have you looked into that?

As for your daughter, I think there is a website for vegetarian teens, if she is that age. Anyway, you can tell her about the negative sides of dairy and maybe get her to cut down. She might be getting some of the nutrients she needs from dairy, though, so I would research that first and make sure she can get what she needs without dairy before pushing her to cut it out.

Suze-- I agree about milk. Even a lot of mainstream doctors these days are saying don't feed your little kids milk (cow's). It has been shown to have a connection to everything from ear infections to allergies.

And I know you are desperate Suze, but remember that sugar will make it harder to stay AF. Some people suggest ice cream because it has less sugar (does it?). The thing is, though, if AF is the goal, you gotta do what you gotta do, so if only chocolate and crisps can keep you away from booze right now, that's what you gotta do.

[Accountable for Me]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

I appreciate your feedback!

I looked into the Macrobiotic's as well and thought it was a pretty good fit for me. No caffeine tho????

I don't feed my family anything refined - and I eat bread about once a month only because Sandwiches and Toast bore me to death. The only time they get anything like white bread is when we eat out which is rare.

I am looking at cutting out meat/fowl/eggs/dairy and one day may even cut out fish. (But I secretly love fish a LOT so that will be hard!). Here on the West Coast we have the option of Farm or Line Caught for relatively the same price. I always buy line caught, which is a no brainer. Although we do eat canned tuna and salmon once in a while.

My daughter is 2. The one I have living with me anyway. The other is almost 14 - who would kill a cow to eat a cow (no lie). I had have tried soy milk before with the little one and she didn't really like it too much. Soy milk seemed really sweet and it seemed to have a lot of sugar when I read the dietary info.

Cheese - I do love cheese and that would be a toughy for me to give up too. Maybe I will try a block of soy cheese and see how that goes?

Thanks again! Gotta run. Daughter needs her diaper changed. :yukko:

[slightlysuze]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

Eeuuuurrgghhh....every soya cheese I've ever tasted has been disgusting....don't go there!:H If you're going to eat cheese you could maybe only buy the organic stuff (so no rubbish in the milk used) and only have it now and again to fight the craving?? As for soya milk, I hate the sweetened stuff....but here in UK we have unsweetened which is fine. I drink a lot of tea and it's great in that....in fact, if I'm ever given tea with cow's milk it tastes gross....sort of fishy. There's also rice milk and oat milk and we have a product that is made from peas LOL!

I do eat cheese sometimes...it can be unavoidable eating out, or at friends....I think it's too rude to turn it down if they have done their best to make me something 'veggie'.

Undoubtedly the meat farming industry is causing a lot of environmental havoc...and we will pay soon or later. Still, I don't want to get on a soapbox!

Beatle, thanks for reminding me about sugar......I'd better trawl the threads to find out more, but I remember reading that it was not a good idea!

[Flip]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

Oh Dog, I went and took a look at that veg website - it was awful. I didn't even look at the 'bad' stuff! I've been putting my head in teh sand when it comes to eating meat, and it works! That was horrible beyond comprehension. Does that sort of stuff really go on in ordinary slaughter houses?

[lucky 2.0]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

I think flop may be our next vegetarian

[Flip]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

In theory I already am - but I am so lazy with cooking at the moment I just couldn't be bothered with the effort of learning how to feed myself differently.

since I've stopped drinking I have started to really stress about my eating and weight (I'm in the lower obese range) and I really want to get my shit together. But not able to actually do anything about it. sigh... I need a MWO for fatties.

[Accountable for Me]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

Thanks again slightlysuze. I bought a small package of soy cheese just to 'try' it today. My hubby wasn't overly excited about my purchases at the supermarket this afternoon. I can't stop laughing at the look on his face. Priceless!

Flip you are WAY too hard on yourself, HOLY man!

Some people lose weight when they quit booze others gain - no big deal. Just like smoking... you are more apt to gain and so what? Once you have one thing under control you take control of the other.

It seems to take a LOT of effort to eat well. But you work, a single mom, active in your social life etc.... it makes it hard.

I have an addictive personality so eating well and exercise is my next obsession. I have the time, so therefore fortunate.

One thing at a time is what I say.

Lucky just how old are you? You keep mentioning you have been this or done that for 'decades' in your posts. I honestly thought you were in your mid 20's!

[Java]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

Okay, even though I love meat and some fish, I will try this thing for a while, just to see how I feel. If I feel any different ( during my physical activity) that will probably determine if I stick with it or not. I bought a weeks worth of food. I usually eat fruits and vegies, I already use soy milk for my smoothies. I just pretty much cut out the lunch meat and dinner meat I would have eaten. I bought my normal fruits and vegies, I am going to have PB&J samdwiches for lunch this week, and I have bean, pasta, potatoes, and various other options for dinner. We will see how it goes. I am not likely to stick with it permanently, and I don't eat a ton of meat now, but I am well balanced as far as meat vs other stuff. I will let you know how it goes.

[lucky 2.0]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

This is what my Skinny bitch books tells me and I have read it from other sources also:

"The American Dietetic Assoc reports that eating a vegetarian diet provides twice the amt of protein needed daily. In his book, Optimal Health, Dr. Patrick Holford explains that most people are in more danger of eating too much protein than too little so pick another thing to be neurotic about."

Some top atheletes are vegetarian:

Chris campbell is an Olymic wrestling champ
Keith Holmes, a world-champ boxer
Bill Mannetti, a power-lifting champ
Bill Pearl, a 4x Mr. Universe
Andres Cahling, a champ body-builder and Olympic gold medalist for ski jump
Art Still, a Hall of Famer and MVP defensive end for the NFL
Martina Navraatilova- tennis champ
Dr. Ruth Heidrich- a 6x Ironwoman, age group holder, USA track and field Master's Champ and vegan

EDIT: A4M, I am 42

[Accountable for Me]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

I think we in North America (don't know for the UK) eat way too much meat and our portions are outrageous! After seeing that website that I had listed above - YIKES.... makes me want to cry and I only looked at how the chickens were raised part of it.

I am trying this new diet now, and I am pretty sure I will feel so much better. I heard that we can carry fermenting meat up to 35+ lbs in our intestines. Pretty gross.

Java, let me know how it works for you too.

[Accountable for Me]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

I want to buy that book too. 'Skinny Bitch'.

[beatle]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

Skinny bitch, that's what I was before going AF. Now I'm just a bitch.

Seriously, there are/were tons of famous people, great thinkers, inventors, etc. throughout history and today that were/are vegetarians. They include:

Leonardo da Vinci
Albert Einstein
Benjamin Franklin
Vincent Van Gogh
Leo Tolstoy
Charles Darwin
George Bernard Shaw
Henry Ford
Dr. Spock (vegan)
Carl Lewis (vegan)
Elvis Costello
Shania Twain (vegan)
Steve Jobs
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr
Forest Whittaker

oh, and of course, Dennis Kucinich (vegan)

The list goes on and on...

You have to wonder, do/did they know something we don't?

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[slightlysuze]

Pesci-Vegetarian Life style

Java & Accountable....do you have Quorn products in the US? We have loads here and they are really good, especially when you are transitioning to veggie....they are vegetarian (not vegan as they have egg white in) and come in all sorts of 'meat' versions....burgers, fajita strips, chicken pieces, beef pieces, slices of turkey/chicken/ham, pate, sausages etc etc......every meat eater I've given them to thought they were fab! Quinoa is a good source of protein, although it cooks up like rice so doesn't look like the usual idea of protein...I think the Incas called it the Mother Grain.(although I *think* it's technically a seed?) But don't stress about protein....we in the western world usually eat too much rather than too little!

We need great food to get well!