Are You A Vegetarian? Would You Like to Be One?

Virginia,

Like you, I'm a mostly-vegetarian, I do eat fish and I do eat dairy/cheese. I don't eat eggs but it's because I never liked them.

One thing about vegetarian diets that I have learned, though, is that they are just like any other diet -- they are as healthful as you make them. One vegetarian may eat beans, rice, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fish and oils, and have balanced nutrition and a healthy weight. Another vegetarian could eat veggie pizza, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, candy and cookies, and be very overweight. Just because a diet doesn't include meat doesn't necessarily mean it's balanced, or has the proper amount of protein, fiber or other nutrients. I miss meat more for the easy protein than for the taste, actually.

What we need is a fabulous, Rachel-Ray or Martha-Stewart type to have a daily cooking show that's all about delish veggie meals that are easy to make and taste great. But in the meantime, here's a great vegetarian podcast that you can watch online or download on itunes. It's called Totally Vegetarian, it's a program that's on in the Portland area, and if you click on "Totally Vegetarian TV Episodes" at the top of the page, there are links to three seasons of the show:

http://delicioustv.com/

Did that include the vegans? I'm wondering because a lot of vegetarians eat a lot of dairy and dairy is notoriously bad for one in many ways. As the only species to drink milk after infancy - and from another species at that - many question our dependence on dairy. Recent research suggests that consumers should seek calcium and other nutrients elsewhere, as dairy's disadvantages may outweigh its benefits.

Dairy products, especially full-fat milk and cheese, are high in saturated fat, proven to raise cholesterol and cause heart disease. Some dairy products have high salt contents which can also induce heart disease. Milk is thought to trigger outbreaks of eczema and should be avoided by people with asthma and respiratory conditions because it stimulates the production of phlegm.

Most unsettling is the link between dairy and cancer. A recent study concluded that lactose may be a culprit of ovarian cancer, as it is believed to over-stimulate hormone production which causes tumour growth. An excess of oestrogen, found in pregnant cows, is a possible cause of breast cancer.

It has been suggested that consuming dairy increases the rate of calcium loss which in turn increases the risk of osteoporosis. Researchers say this is a result of an inverse relationship between protein and calcium: excess protein intake results in calcium loss.

Anyhow...I know that many many people blindly believe that milk is good for you but according to my research, it appears to be the opposite. I have not had a drop of dairy pass my lips for over 20 years and rarely get ill.

I am a pesco vegan by the way. I eat fish(wild salmon for example) and no other meat or dairy and I believe that for me, this is a great way to eat.