OK, I have a question,
Someone recently told me, (after he found out I am a vegetarian) that his
daughter was a vegetarian for 6 years and had to add small amounts of meat
to her diet because she almost died! I was incredulous when he said this
and thought that his daughter surely must not have paid any attention to
nutritional matters while practicing vegetarianism. He assured me that she
made sure that she ate healthy foods (this I question.)
So what is the deal with this? I don't pay as much attention to my diet as
I should, I am almost vegan. I do make sure to count my protein intake and
I take a multi-vitamin almost everyday. I have never made a big deal about
eating, and I hardly ever cook because I am too busy. However, I have not
felt unhealthy or deprived since becoming a vegetarian 7 months ago.
I don't understand why that girl had a near death experience. Could it be
because of lack of protein? From everything that I know you get plenty of
protein on a vegetarian diet and protein deficiency is very rare in this
country. Could it be the absence of some other vital vitamin such a s B
12? Maybe she just didn't take any vitamins. I wonder if my One a Day
vitamins are enough to sustain me. I wonder if the protein that I do take
in through vegetables, grains, soy, and diet drinks is the "right" kind of
protein.
My boyfriend went on to add how people that have been vegetarian for a
number of years become anemic (I imagine due to lack of iron.) From what
they both said, once you become a vegetarian, all you have to look forward
to is a steady decline of health.
I feel that I am doing the right thing for my health, but I hear things
such as this and wonder if there are there will be any long term
consequences due to my vegetarianism. I really don't want to eat meat but
feel that maybe I should start eating just a little fish or something. Is
it ignorance on the part of non-vegetarians that perpetuates these myths or
am I really missing something? Thanks for any answers to this that you may
have.
Serena
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