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Vegetarian – Going Green or Red Herring?
 Posted by Trish Milburn Oct 20 2011, 12:01 am in eating healthy, guest blogger 
By Anju Gattani I’ve been a vegetarian all my life and for a long time I thought this had to be one of the healthiest lifestyle options; then a visit to a specialist in food allergies and nutrition taught me otherwise.
Vegetarians who don’t eat fish, meat or any sea foods are apparently missing out on a good dose of Omega-3 fatty acids which are good for the brain and reduce depression, according to an article by CNN. The same article goes on to add that a salmon-rich diet smoothes out the age lines and acts like a facial. Fish for facials… never thought of that!
And what about the benefits of eating meat? Medical Daily.com reports that the large amount of protein in meat helps in the repair and building of body tissues, the production of antibodies and strengthening of the immune system as well as the formation of hemoglobin. It is also rich in iron, zinc, selenium, vitamins A, B and D – oh yes, it helps in the maintenance of your skin too!
What about sea foods I wondered… what am I missing out here? Apparently, a good deal of disease prevention, according to Essortment.com. A diet rich in oily sea foods helps protect you against various diseases like cancer, psoriasis, arthritis and arrhythmias (irregular heart beat) – it’s rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
I stopped googling around when I realized I had learned more than I had bargained for. The nutritionist continued to advise and I began to mentally assess my family’s situation – we’re all veggies by the way. I explained that our diet is rich in lentils and pulses which should take care of the protein, we use flax seeds to supplement the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids and eat plenty of raw and cooked vegetables and fruits every day.
Vegetables, according to 24hourfitness.co.uk, helps the prevention of certain cancer formations in the body, is rich in fiber and antioxidants like vitamin C that help the body in repair and restoration after a long bout of illness. As for fruits? My kids’ pediatrician recommended eating two different colored fruits each day as a boost. “Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C,” according to fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov.
The nutritionist listened and said what we were doing was good, but not good enough. She suggested fish oil capsules and various other strategies which would mean broadening our horizons into the world of meat and poultry to improve the family’s health.
I raised my eyebrows and listened. I said it was a good idea, but not good enough – I wasn’t going there.
She suggested giving it a try.
I suggested I’d think about it and get back to her.
So you can imagine my surprise when an associate at a fast-food counter in Newark Airport listened as I explained to her (as I’ve done hundreds of times before) that I wanted a Big Mac without the meat.
“Let me get this straight. You want just the bread and the salad?” She asked in shock.
“Yes, exactly!” I nodded. “With extra pickles.”
“Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard of this one.” She started ringing the cashier.
“I’ve been customizing meals my whole life.” I smiled. “You see, I’m a vegetarian.” And I explained, in short, how successful I’d been at this too. What I didn’t tell her was how I was beginning to re-think it all.
“You know, I’m so glad I met you.” She beamed. “I’ve been thinking of becoming a vegetarian for several days now but I’ve never met anyone who’s been so her whole life.”
I thought of all the proteins, Omega-3s and disease-prevention she was automatically getting and couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you want to go vegetarian?”
“Because it’s healthier. I mean, just look at you!”
I looked at myself and others around me; I looked good, but not good enough. “What about me?”
“You look so healthy, fit and… young! And no wonder, it’s because you’re vegetarian! I’m so inspired,” she added, “I’m going to start tomorrow.”
I took a deep breath as another customer’s order of Filet-o-fish was just served; then I raised a hand to my face and felt the texture of my skin. Fish for facials… I grinned… never thought of that! I took an empty seat and unwrapped my veggie Big Mac and took one bite… maybe I don’t need to think of that one ever again! What do you think?
Anju Gattani is an international freelance journalist and fiction author. Her debut novel DUTY AND DESIRE, contemporary women’s fiction (with an international twist) is slated for release on Dec 1, 2011. She is a member of Georgia Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, a columnist for Khabar, an Indo-American magazine, and is at work on her third novel. Anju grew up in Hong Kong under a British education system; she has also lived in India, Singapore, Australia and New Jersey, Connecticut and Atlanta in the U.S. Anju hopes her novels will one day bridge cultures and break barriers. Visit Anju at www.anjugattani.com.
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Interesting post, Anju. Though I could easily never eat red meat again, and don’t eat much of it now, I would really miss seafood and some chicken if I were to go vegetarian. Also, I don’t seem to get as full if I don’t eat at least some meat each day. But everyone has to go with what works best, and feels best, to them.
Sorry about the formatting in today’s post. Not sure what’s up with that. It looked fine when I prepped the post for you.
Hi Trish,
Thanks for having me… I understand computer glitches happen…my laptop is currently under repair too.
Interesting post, Anju. I know that one of the issues many of my friends who are vegetarians, and especially vegans, face is getting sufficient levels of certain vitamins and minerals.
I’m a carnivore. I love meat. Red meat, white meat, seafood. That’s not to say I don’t eat vegetarian dishes or balance out my meat, but for numerous reasons cutting meat out of my diet completely wouldn’t work for me in the same way that adding it to your diet wouldn’t work you.
I work to find ways to make my meat healthier, by choosing lower fat cuts, eating more organically raised meat, healthier ways of cooking meat and balancing with vegetables and starches.
Hi Anna,
It’s amazing how no matter which end of the spectrum we’re talking from we have to ultimately find the balance… it’s different for everyone and constantly changing! Thanks for sharing!
This was so thought-provoking and interesting! Thanks for sharing. I do know that vegetarians at risk of diabetes are sometimes urged to start eating meat again.
What I got from this:
“Why do you want to go vegetarian?”
“Because it’s healthier. I mean, just look at you!”
I looked at myself and others around me; I looked good, but not good enough. “What about me?”
“You look so healthy, fit and… young! And no wonder, it’s because you’re vegetarian! I’m so inspired,” she added, “I’m going to start tomorrow.”
-was maybe the real lesson was to work on our body image and recognize and love the strenghts/advantages we already have and not beat ourselves up for what we don’t have.
You got it, Michelle,
We always feel the grass is greener on the other side and are told so too… but it’s different when you try out something new. This incident really happened btw and I do wonder what happened to the young woman after… did she go veggie or not?
Hi! Thanks for the info.As an aging Baby Boomer, I’m always on the lookout for healthy eating tips.
Hi Haywood,
Thanks for visiting! U are definitely eating right, because you look as young as ever!
Going vegetarian?
Hum, let me think. In the past, I’ve wondered about this, but never followed through because I love red meat. I could give up the chicken and seafood, not my hamburgers.
Now, I’m not kidding myself; the decisions I make aren’t always the right ones when it comes to food choices. But you’ve inspired me, Anju. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to limited myself to two ounces of beef or chicken a day. I’m also going to take omega-3.
Wish me luck.
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for sharing and I wish you all the luck since you’re making a change! Wow! As veggies we do have to think a lot about what we eat and miss out on… and somehow supplement the deficiencies while sticking to our basic practice. It’s tricky sometimes but we’ve become pros in customising our meals. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Anju
I really don’t know what say scientifically (theories are constantly changing) but according to me your body will tell you what to eat as in my case born in a
non vegetarian family i don’t feel like eating non veg so I have been a vegetarian by choice since the 7th Grade.
Ritu
Hi Anju!
My father was a butcher so we grew up eating a lot of meat in my house. I don’t think I could ever give it up altogether, but I have cut back on it over the years. It’s just like anything else – moderation is the key!
Great post!
Maura