Why are you Vegetarian/Vegan?

[thriftjunkie]

I began to have stomach problems, and my body coud not digest meat at all. So I researched and studied about what vegetarianism was and how to stay healthy. I think maybe my mom liked that I did research, so she started to allow me to not eat meat.
 

I also had stomach problems a few years back when I breifly started eating meat again, so I completely sympathize with you on that. Digesting meat is rough!

I didn't have stomach problems when I ate meat, but I had headache very often and it stopped when I started my vegetarian+fish-diet.
But two years ago or so I started to have problems with my stomach after eating dairy. Not always, but sometimes. And lactose free products aren't any better than normal.

 A lot of times people have some sort of milk allergy. Lactose Intolerance seems to be more common, but allergies are very possible! Try a week of fasting from all dairy and see how you feel. Or go to the doctor and get tested 

When you stop eating meat products for a significant amount of time, your body stops making the enzymes to break meat down. So when you eat it again, you'll have a really hard time digesting it. If you do want to eat meat again, you just have to start out really small and work your way to eating larger portions.

[BeccaJaneStClair]

I began to have stomach problems, and my body coud not digest meat at all. So I researched and studied about what vegetarianism was and how to stay healthy. I think maybe my mom liked that I did research, so she started to allow me to not eat meat.
 

I also had stomach problems a few years back when I breifly started eating meat again, so I completely sympathize with you on that. Digesting meat is rough!

I didn't have stomach problems when I ate meat, but I had headache very often and it stopped when I started my vegetarian+fish-diet.
But two years ago or so I started to have problems with my stomach after eating dairy. Not always, but sometimes. And lactose free products aren't any better than normal.

 A lot of times people have some sort of milk allergy. Lactose Intolerance seems to be more common, but allergies are very possible! Try a week of fasting from all dairy and see how you feel. Or go to the doctor and get tested 

I agreee.  I was having pretty bad problems with dairy that wasn't "processed" (does that make sense? like i was ok with yogurt, but not milk or ice cream).  I didn't have anything dairy related for a few months other than yogurt, and now I'm able to drink milk on occasion without problems. I'm not sure why, but hey, it worked. 

[raining_dreams]

I agreee.  I was having pretty bad problems with dairy that wasn't "processed" (does that make sense? like i was ok with yogurt, but not milk or ice cream).  I didn't have anything dairy related for a few months other than yogurt, and now I'm able to drink milk on occasion without problems. I'm not sure why, but hey, it worked. 

 I think you may be lactose intolerant. I am as well. It has been found in studies that products like yogurt and hard, aged cheese like parmesan are able to be eaten. The live cultures in them allow for digestion... i think that's what it said  . As far having milk sometimes goes, I can as well. I rarely ever drink it, but if there is a small amount in say a cake I am usually fine.

[BeccaJaneStClair]

I agreee.  I was having pretty bad problems with dairy that wasn't "processed" (does that make sense? like i was ok with yogurt, but not milk or ice cream).  I didn't have anything dairy related for a few months other than yogurt, and now I'm able to drink milk on occasion without problems. I'm not sure why, but hey, it worked. 

 I think you may be lactose intolerant. I am as well. It has been found in studies that products like yogurt and hard, aged cheese like parmesan are able to be eaten. The live cultures in them allow for digestion... i think that's what it said  . As far having milk sometimes goes, I can as well. I rarely ever drink it, but if there is a small amount in say a cake I am usually fine.

Yeah, I've heard that too, but what I wasn't really understanding is how it suddenly started.

[retroeva]

Thats really interesting about the lactose intolerance stuff. Ive found out that I have a hard time eating a lot of dairy and lets just say that drinking milk.... yowzer. Not happening. Maybe it has to do with being a long term vegetarian. Does anyone know if the emzymes that break down meat are the same (or similar) to the ones that break down dairy?

[thriftjunkie]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear- there are enzymes in your digestive system (called protease enzymes) that break proteins down into fatty acids and amino acids. They are present in an amount relative to how much protein the individual regularly takes in. Thus, if you eat less protein, you have far fewer of them.

Proteins come from many sources, as most vegetarians/vegans are aware. They are found in the highest concentrations in meat, but are also in relatively high concentrations in dairy products. So if you don't eat meat or dairy, your body has very few protease enzymes. If you suddenly ate meat or dairy, your body wouldn't be able to break the proteins down, and you would get food-poisoning-like symptoms.

I don't know this for sure, but it seems to follow that if you want to start eating meat or dairy again, you should start by gradually eating more foods that have protein in them, and then eat small amounts of meat or dairy.

[spoonerism]

I am a vegetarian, but I haven't been for very long, almost 9 months now, actually. I had tried going with a meat free diet before, but my parents just thought it was a faze, so they didn't really offer me any options, so I was forced to start eating it once again. Then in March, I watched a PETA propaganda dealio and I officially decided that I didn't want to include animal products in my diet anymore. My parents supported it at first, and they said that I just had to get enough protein etc. etc, but they do force me to eat some seafoods and fish, but i rarely eat fish, like so rarely like, when we go out for sushi, which is less than once a month, but sometimes my parents make it at home. Then in the summer, my parents really started getting angry with me and just calling me a picky eater (because i cannot stand the taste of peppers or tomatoes), and started trying to force chicken into my diet, I did it because they force me, but lately I have been doing much more research about supplements, vitamins and getting more protein which is important to me because I competitively figure skate. As for dairy, I am trying to stop drinking milk, and I want to switch to soy, which my mom thinks is a great idea, and cheese and eggs I have to eat, because of my parents.
I tihnk that when I am older, I tihnk going vegan would be a nice option, but right now it is impossible because of my parents and family beliefs, and because I am only 15.

[forfun]

Seems like I've been avoiding meat forever, & I can certainly sympathize with the in-schoolers; it's tough to do when you're in a carnivore family (I know, humans aren't true carnivores, but you know what I mean). Ma says it's easier for me (she used to get hungry in surgery she eats her dead cow so raw & I never cared for the stuff myself) & she 'just can't think about what & where it came from'... I have a hideous time thinking of anything else! I'm trying to be more tolerant & it's hard since I seem to get more diehard with age. I guess for me eating other mammals just doesn't *feel* right, & although I don't really get it, if people educate themselves & still feel good about it, so be it. I might feel differently had I grown up in a generation when there wasn't so much unnatural fast mass production, but after I read a few facts from PETA's site, I think I've got the right idea. Heh, I remember at home ma used to get on me for picking the dark stuff off since 'its just part of the chicken'; yeah, sure -call me sheltered but I never realized they were *veins*! And it wasn't until *college* that I heard someone refer to meat as the muscle; wasn't until then I realized, as in taking a bite out of your arm! You grow up w/ma making you eat liver & ribs - never realizing they belonged to somebody! So, yeah... that's why for me! Love the new board; believe me, I censored myself in the interest of keeping it! Nice to see it here, especially with the new-ish cooking section! I'm off to see what creative ideas the crafster crew have for dealing with life as a veg-head! (sorry for the rambling, but fab addition to the best site on the web doncha' think?)

[BeccaJaneStClair]

I think i'm one of the few vegetarians who doesn't like PETA all that much. 

PETA didn't affect my decision to become vegetarian, and I don't like some of their practices. 

Am I alone on this?

[retroeva]

PETA is way too militant for me, but I do use their address labels when they send me them in the mail.