I want to be a vegetarian
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perfectly possible, you need to start reading about nutrition.
Basics though are eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, frozen is OK also but I would avoid canned ( high salt) eat whole grains and avoid proccessed foods.
Some people like me tend to perfer going as compleatly organic as possible and others do not, thats a personal choice.
If your over weight I would advise limiting cheese and dairy at least for a little bit.
Basics though are eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, frozen is OK also but I would avoid canned ( high salt) eat whole grains and avoid proccessed foods.
Some people like me tend to perfer going as compleatly organic as possible and others do not, thats a personal choice.
If your over weight I would advise limiting cheese and dairy at least for a little bit.
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Congratulations on your decision.
More raw or almost raw foods (as in stir fried) and more wholefoods (brown or half-brown rice, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread, ...) will boost your energy. You should also include some mild exercise (walking ?) in your program, it will help with the energy and the weight loss.
Look at what you drink as well and try to avoid soft drinks (even the sugarless versions contain a lot of acid, which influences your digestive system).
Don't be fanatical when you start out. Favor things you have tried out and which you like. No sense in forcing yourself to eat stuff you don't like, you won't keep it up. But don't be afraid to try out new things, either.
Good luck !
More raw or almost raw foods (as in stir fried) and more wholefoods (brown or half-brown rice, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread, ...) will boost your energy. You should also include some mild exercise (walking ?) in your program, it will help with the energy and the weight loss.
Look at what you drink as well and try to avoid soft drinks (even the sugarless versions contain a lot of acid, which influences your digestive system).
Don't be fanatical when you start out. Favor things you have tried out and which you like. No sense in forcing yourself to eat stuff you don't like, you won't keep it up. But don't be afraid to try out new things, either.
Good luck !
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Definitely watch out with the dairy products if you're trying to lose weight (replacing meat with dairy will backfire and you'll probably gain weight.) Focus on eating mainly vegetables, fruits and whole grains and fill in the gaps with beans and soy products (tofu, tempeh, etc.)
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Dairy does slow the system down too as it is slow and heavy to digest, and makes lots of "garbage" for your body to dispose of. So it has an influence on the energy as well. However, I am against radical changes esp. in view of losing weight, this backfires too as you get urges etc. Do it gradually and try to replace stuff you "give up" with new stuff you find equally appealing! You will notice your preferences will gradually change too. You can also watch it when you eat at home but be a little easier on yourself when eating out, this is a good transition method imo that avoids too much frustration or focusing on food and weight...
One of the best ways ime to lose weight is portion control and replacing part of your calorie-rich food with vegetables and fruit. Basic rule for a plate should be 1/4 starchy, 1/4 protein and 1/2 veggies. You will find you are more easily satisfied with a portion of brown rice than you would be with white rice, too (and it will last longer before you get hungry again).
Go out and visit a few health food stores in your area, pick one you like and ask the staff when you have questions. You will discover a whole new range of products ! My husband is an omni but since we don't do meat IN the house, and he doesn't like cheese, I have started buying some tofu-based breadspreads and he LOVES them !
One of the best ways ime to lose weight is portion control and replacing part of your calorie-rich food with vegetables and fruit. Basic rule for a plate should be 1/4 starchy, 1/4 protein and 1/2 veggies. You will find you are more easily satisfied with a portion of brown rice than you would be with white rice, too (and it will last longer before you get hungry again).
Go out and visit a few health food stores in your area, pick one you like and ask the staff when you have questions. You will discover a whole new range of products ! My husband is an omni but since we don't do meat IN the house, and he doesn't like cheese, I have started buying some tofu-based breadspreads and he LOVES them !
Oh and beans are your fiends, go to a decent health store and you can find literaly hundreds of differant types, all taste differant and can make hundreds more dishes.
Great for fiber, protein etc they make up a pretty large portion of my diet since I can not eat much starch.
If you do not like the taste of whole wheat because your used to white bread and such try white wheat, you can find the white wheat flour in almost any store ( at least you can were I live) and it tastes like white flour and the texture is much the same but has the health benifits of whole wheat.
It also makes great seiten
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Great for fiber, protein etc they make up a pretty large portion of my diet since I can not eat much starch.
If you do not like the taste of whole wheat because your used to white bread and such try white wheat, you can find the white wheat flour in almost any store ( at least you can were I live) and it tastes like white flour and the texture is much the same but has the health benifits of whole wheat.
It also makes great seiten
Congratulations on a great decision.
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I recommend reading "Becoming Vegetarian" or "Becoming Vegan" for nutritional information. I haven't read the first one, but I read "Becoming Vegan" and found it to be infinitely helpful in understanding my nutritional needs and learning how to change my diet accordingly.
Some of my favorite cookbooks are Vegan with a Vengeance, La Dolce Vegan, Garden of Vegan, Vegan Planet, and Vive le vegan. Don't be scared off by all the "vegans" in the titles.... I think these are great cookbooks for ANYONE looking to incorporate more plant-based meals in their diet, whether they're vegans, vegetarians or omnivores. Vegan food also happens to be 100% vegetarian.
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There are lots of vegan and vegetarian bloggers with food blogs (including myself). They could help you with meal ideas.
I recommend reading "Becoming Vegetarian" or "Becoming Vegan" for nutritional information. I haven't read the first one, but I read "Becoming Vegan" and found it to be infinitely helpful in understanding my nutritional needs and learning how to change my diet accordingly.
Some of my favorite cookbooks are Vegan with a Vengeance, La Dolce Vegan, Garden of Vegan, Vegan Planet, and Vive le vegan. Don't be scared off by all the "vegans" in the titles.... I think these are great cookbooks for ANYONE looking to incorporate more plant-based meals in their diet, whether they're vegans, vegetarians or omnivores. Vegan food also happens to be 100% vegetarian.
There are lots of vegan and vegetarian bloggers with food blogs (including myself). They could help you with meal ideas.
I definitely agree with meatless - get the book "becoming vegetarian" - it is a wealth of nutritional information. It helped me to ensure my husband and I were healthy when we decided to go vegetarian!
And in case you wanted to know, my husband lost 30 lbs and is in the best shape of his life! A healthy vegetarian diet, and good amounts of exercise will do it for you!
And in case you wanted to know, my husband lost 30 lbs and is in the best shape of his life! A healthy vegetarian diet, and good amounts of exercise will do it for you!
One thing I'd advise is not to get too discouraged if you "lapse" early on back into an occasional animal product. If you treat vegetarianism right away as some sort of religious devotion, the odds that you'll grow discouraged of the whole thing are much higher.
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Well said. It's hard for some people to process information from a website because there is just so much information. A good book is a great start to get an understanding of what it means to be veg*n and what kinds of foods you can eat.Originally Posted by meatless
Congratulations on a great decision.![]()
I recommend reading "Becoming Vegetarian" or "Becoming Vegan" for nutritional information. I haven't read the first one, but I read "Becoming Vegan" and found it to be infinitely helpful in understanding my nutritional needs and learning how to change my diet accordingly.
Some of my favorite cookbooks are Vegan with a Vengeance, La Dolce Vegan, Garden of Vegan, Vegan Planet, and Vive le vegan. Don't be scared off by all the "vegans" in the titles.... I think these are great cookbooks for ANYONE looking to incorporate more plant-based meals in their diet, whether they're vegans, vegetarians or omnivores. Vegan food also happens to be 100% vegetarian.![]()
There are lots of vegan and vegetarian bloggers with food blogs (including myself). They could help you with meal ideas.
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Watch yourself meatless, lol.Originally Posted by meatless
Vegan food also happens to be 100% vegetarian.![]()
Welcome!
Many here- myself included- consider health to be important, but we went vegetarian or vegan because of our wish not to harm animals. However, there are quite a few people here who are vegetarian for health reasons only, and we have some forums dedicated to those topics. Hopefully you'll find this site useful.
Many here- myself included- consider health to be important, but we went vegetarian or vegan because of our wish not to harm animals. However, there are quite a few people here who are vegetarian for health reasons only, and we have some forums dedicated to those topics. Hopefully you'll find this site useful.
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because then you'll notice for sure how much health you can gain... and others'll notice too for sure
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you can do it easy. Baby-steps are simple as pie. Just a tiny change is easy to make. And after that tiny change gets to be a normal habit after a week or 2, then add another tiny change. Your health will change big time, even with what might seem insignificant.
the reality is in the trend over time... so go slow and steady
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one good place for easy steps is htpp://www.tryveg.com
and please allow me to share my 4 biggest ideas...
1- always replace old foods with new foods... never just eliminate an old food and leave a hole
2- replace foods with similar foods. If you're used to meatloaf and burgers, then try replacing it with Yves Veggie Ground Round... something with a similar fat and protein content, and a similar taste and texture.
3- As you're replacing old foods slowly, also explore some new healthier foods. Check out Amy's frozen dinners, or Celentano, Boca, try a few new things each week
4- Take time to think of what the changes will do for you, and focus on any improvements that you notice
i hope these ideas help you
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Let us know how it goes, and ask ANYTHING
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that is greatOriginally Posted by JadziaRay
Where do I begin?
I am 34 and over weight and always tired! I want to eat more healthy and lose weight. Is it possible?
you can do it easy. Baby-steps are simple as pie. Just a tiny change is easy to make. And after that tiny change gets to be a normal habit after a week or 2, then add another tiny change. Your health will change big time, even with what might seem insignificant.
the reality is in the trend over time... so go slow and steady
one good place for easy steps is htpp://www.tryveg.com
and please allow me to share my 4 biggest ideas...
1- always replace old foods with new foods... never just eliminate an old food and leave a hole
2- replace foods with similar foods. If you're used to meatloaf and burgers, then try replacing it with Yves Veggie Ground Round... something with a similar fat and protein content, and a similar taste and texture.
3- As you're replacing old foods slowly, also explore some new healthier foods. Check out Amy's frozen dinners, or Celentano, Boca, try a few new things each week
4- Take time to think of what the changes will do for you, and focus on any improvements that you notice
i hope these ideas help you
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