Jul
25
Vegetarian Does NOT Mean Healthy
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Nutrition
As most 60 in 3 readers know, I’m a vegetarian. However, I want to make one thing clear, being vegetarian does NOT automatically make you healthy.
But All The Studies Show…
Yes, there are many studies that show people who eat a vegetarian diet are in better health. However, I would argue that this is because they are more aware of what they eat and select healthy food as opposed to the simple fact of eating no meat. Let me give you an example. I can survive for the next 30 days on a diet of nothing but twinkies and coke. Technically I would be eating a vegetarian diet. In fact, I think this would be a vegan diet although I’m not 100% sure of that. However, would it be a healthy diet? Not even close.
Can Meat Be Healthy?
The answer is absolutely. In fact, it’s not that meat CAN be healthy. Meat IS healthy. Meat contains a lot of nutrients that are difficult to find elsewhere. Not impossible, but difficult. Meat can also be a great source of healthy fat and protein.
So What The Heck Is The Problem?
The problem is that we eat too much meat and too much of the wrong kinds of meat. Industrially processed meat is NOT good for. Eating large quantities of it three times a day is even worse. Eating small portions of healthy meat like wild caught fish, free range turkey and chicken or even grass fed beef is healthy.
So Why Are Vegetarians Healthier On Average?
My theory are that people who limit themselves to a vegetarian diet are, for the most part, the kind of people who pay more attention to what they eat than the average person. They are consiously choosing to be aware of what they put into their bodies and this leads them to select healthier foods. If you have the same kind of attitude but are NOT a vegetarian, I think you’ll be just fine.
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Healthy eating is not about overly restricting yourself to one type of food or another. It’s about being aware of what you eat and making a consious decision to eat better.
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6 Responses to “Vegetarian Does NOT Mean Healthy”
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I fully agree with this sentiment. The technical term for MY diet is ovo-lacto-pescatarian (eggs/dairy/fish), incorporating fish into my otherwise vegetarian diet about 2 to 3 times per week. For years I took pride in being “vegetarian, but still eat like crap.” That encompassed things like grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza, fried foods, lots of processed grains and flours (but no refined sugars). I was a nearly 300lb “healthy eater” by everyone else’s assessment. In part, it was my way to foolishly convince myself that I wasn’t ACTUALLY fat, since how can a “healthy vegetarian” be fat?
When I decided to change things up in order to lose weight, I had to force myself to take an assessment of my diet and realize that what I was eating was anything but healthy. I haven’t deprived myself of the things I love(d), but I’ve become a lot more sensible about them. Eg. one piece of pizza is more than enough, counter to an entire veggie pie before.
And things couldn’t be better. As of today, I’ve lost 84lbs. and I feel that I’m eating far better (quality/enjoyment/etc.) now on my veg+fish diet than I ever did in the past.
Your comment about ‘Twinkies and Coke’ is spot on. I’m not a vegetarian myself, but certainly in the UK it’s very common for teenage girls to declare themselves to be vegetarians but then to basically eat little more than French fries, cake, crisps and sweets, with very little fruit and vegetables (maybe the odd microwaved vegetarian meal).
Obviously that’s an awful diet, but for many of these girls it’s far less about health and more about the ethical side of abstaining.
I’m not convinced that any given diet is optimum - I think it comes down to the needs of the individual, and depends greatly on your daily stresses and calorie requirements. If you’re an athlete that needs a lot of power it’s hard to do that on a vegetarian diet. Likewise, while some endurance athletes have done extremely well as vegans, many others introduce meat into their diets when they’re really training hard. As said, it’s very a case of ‘what you need’, and I think that’s the way it should be.
@Saxtor
Yep, that’s exactly what I mean. People will cut down the meat and automatically assume this means they are “healthy”. Sorry, it just doesn’t work that way.
@Sheamus
Same thing. You can definitely be athletic and vegetarian, but you have to work at it. I know I do. You have to pay attention to what you eat and not just assume it’s good for you because it’s not meat.
Gal
Twinkies contain lard, so they aren’t even vegetarian! Scary, huh?
Great advice. My sister is vegetarian and had to learn a lot to ensure that she was getting all the nutrients that she required. She in particular struggled with getting suffictent protien. Funny enough, I am a meat eater and this is something that I also struggle with. It is important for anyone restricting their diet to learn, learn and learn some more!
Hey Gabi,
That’s the problem, people assume their diet is healthy without really looking at what they eat. We hear things like low fat, low carb, vegan and so on. We make assumptions and never bother looking at the details. Vegetarian diet can be incredibly healthy but it can also be harmful. Same for a diet that includes meat.
Gal