Help W/ Vegetarian fitness, health and training

[ArnoldsProtege]

Hey guys, I have recently decided to eat a vegetarian diet. It is for ethical/spiritual reasons, not health, and I was just hoping to get some feedback from any other vegetarians on the board.

What advice or recommendations would you give to a newbie vegetarian? It has been three days, and I am feeling very good mentally and spiritually, but physically I have been a little drained. I have been eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, almonds and nuts, lentils and other beans. I just went to the store and bought some free range eggs, more beans, some brown rice, but I still feel like there must be some veggie superfoods to get the protein and energy I need.

What are the staples of your guys diet? I know beans (what kinds particularly?), veggies and fruits, nuts. I am thinking tofu as well, or soy based stuff.

My main concern is getting adequate nutrition ( a lot of protein!), all the nutrients I need, and getting the energy I need (I am still training 3 times a week).

Any help is appreciated! What should I expect in the first few weeks, months? Any pitfalls to avoid? Helpful tips and recommendations? I want to keep this up for as long as I can, because at the moment, I have no desire to eat another creature lol. Thanks guys!

 

[ArnoldsProtege]

Any vegetarians out there

 

[Kenny537]

I am vegetarian too - have been all my life.

What type of vegetarian are you? Lacto-ovo? Are you fine with eggs and dairy? What about fish?

What are your goals?

 

[Built]

Vegetarians often respond well to creatine. Since your diet will have a lot more carbohydrate naturally, make sure your carbohydrates also provide protein. Investigate besan and quinoa.

 

[ArnoldsProtege]

I am eating free range eggs right now, and but avoiding fish and all other animals (I think I would be considered Lacto Ovo). It is my 8th day so far, and I feel great. Coincidentally, I have been eating far less and losing weight, though that is probably more a result of becoming more conscious overall.

I am just wondering what potential health risks I run through long term vegetarian eating, like missing out on important vitamins and minerals, being deficient in something, or just overall affecting me health for the worse. I take a multi vitamin, omega 3's and D3 right now.

I am also eating Tofu, but I have heard that too much soy may be bad for men and add risk to certain types of cancer due to the estrogen it produces (I have heard other sources say otherwise, though. There is so much misinformation on the internet, and I do not trust "official" guidelines that much either).

My main concerns are getting enough protein and staying healthy. My fitness goal right now is to get fit, and I am, though it is coming more from my meditation and reflection rather than diet. Or I should say, my diet and eating patterns are becoming more natural and healthy as a result of my meditation practices and conscious lifestyle. My weight problem before was deep seeded emotionally, which is why I kept getting fit, then gaining 30 lbs. But thats for another post

And thanks Built, checking them out!

 

[ArnoldsProtege]

Built, thanks for the heads up. I am definitely picking up both of those as soon as possible, I need some protein variety from my eggs and beans, and from what I have read so far, are great sources of protein and nutrition.

 

[Built]

Unfermented soy can indeed be problematic. For one, it can interfere with thyroid function by competing with your thyroid. In cultures where soy is consumed, so is seaweed. Also, much soy is consumed fermented, which is a safer way to go. However, not many non-Japanese enjoy natto. Soy has also been shown to reduce testosterone in men. Personally, I won't eat it - outside of the odd order of agadashi tofu, and let's face it, anything deep fried pretty much qualifies as junk food, which is how I think of soy. So yeah, there you have it, my guilty pleasure: tofu. LOL


Risk of IBS and other gastrointestinal diseases can also be higher on vegetarian diets, as can deficiencies in iron, calcium and zinc.

B-12, protein and bioavailable iron are all challenges to vegetarians. So is bioavailable omega-3; the plant-sourced omega-3 fats require delta 6 desaturase in order to convert to the EPA and then DHA required by our bodies, and our bodies utterly suck at this conversion.