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Originally Posted by toasterwater  Oh, and all this business about not getting enough of this obscure mineral, or enough of that protein... I just dont worry about it. Maybe im eating unhealthily because i dont get enough of this or that... but like i said, I've been eating this way for about 6 months now, and i havent felt any negative side affects yet. One thing that does kinda nag at the back of my mind is the calcium deal, cuz i dont drink milk either (not that i will turn down a food if it has been made with milk... if i was to try to be fully vegan in my current situation, i would look like a starving ethiopian in a week) but im just going with the theory that most mammals dont drink milk in their adult lives, and im pretty sure they dont all have osteoporosis. |
Thanks toasterwater! I appreciate the encouragement.
I was in the Navy and can't imagine trying to eat meatless in the chow hall! I guess if you're determined, it can be done (as you've proven).
I'm only officially on day 3 of my vegetarian regimen and I feel fine so far. I had a little "oops" yesterday with that salad that had egg, cheese, & ham on it, but I picked most of it off. Last night, I started feeling a little bit of detox effect already. Body aches, headache, etc. I'm not cutting out the caffeine yet or I might not be able to bear the headache pain.
This morning was a birthday celebration for the boss at work. Of course, we had the usual donuts, muffins, bagels and juice. I'm happy to say I avoided
ALL of it. I stuck with the oatmeal/raisins and assorted fruit I brought from home.
One of my coworkers made an interesting statement after the little celebration. He said, "I wasn't even hungry but I did an obligation eat anyway." What a great way to articulate how/why many people eat junk... They feel "obligated" because the food is there and everyone else is doing it. This, of course, applies to eating bad stuff in general, not just vegetarian/vegan stuff.
As far as the calcium thing you mentioned, you'll be happy to know that many veggies contain calcium. I did a quick search and found this in a WebMD article:
Calcium From Veggies
An 8-ounce glass of dairy contains about 300 milligrams of calcium. But if dairy isn't your thing, you can get your calcium from vegetables.
These vegetables have the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk:
* 1½ cups of cooked kale
* 2¾ cups of cooked broccoli
* 8 cups of cooked spinach
8 cups of spinach? I think I'd be STUFFED after that!
I haven't consumed milk for many years, and I eat very little other dairy (mostly yogurt and a little cheese). Once in a while, I have a little milk on cereal, but I never drink the leftover. I just get whatever comes along on the spoon with each bite. I'm going to cut that out now too and see how I feel after 30 days.
Well, back to work.... I wish you the best in your vegetarian ventures!
Dave