Pescetarianism?

[ToGoOmniscient]

Am I putting this in the right place?
If not I apologize.

Pescetarianism and vegetarianism.
Those are my two choices as of now.
I'm only 14 but I want to change my diet and change my lifestyle for some ethical reasons and just cause I think I'd be healthier.
But does anyone have any suggestions/comments on this?
Like, if you/someone you know is a pescetarian or a vegetarian, is it easy to stay healthy?
I know I have to eat different foods to get like protein and stuff and take vitamins.
I guess I just wanna know others' experiences, cause it might help me.

I'm going to try pescetarianism for now, and ease my way into vegetarianism little by little. If I don't like it I'd probably go back to pescetarianism.

[Nicole!]

I'm a vegetarian. It is very easy to stay healthy, honestly becoming vegetarian has made me start eating a wider variety of foods, which is beneficial. Its not hard to get protein in my diet either, foods such as tofu, nuts, beans, and more all contain protein. If you are worried, you could always take a daily vitamin supplement.

[Kate*]

I've considered becoming a vegetarian for a few years, but I have yet to officially do it. I'm eating a lot less red meat and I didn't even realize it. Whichever you're more comfortable doing is fine as long as you get all the calories and nutrients you need. If you're concerned about protein and healthy fats, eating fish will cover that (not that it can't be done as a vegetarian, but if you're new to things it's probably easier to start that way until you get the hang ot if) and like you said, if you don't like it you can always go back.

[ToGoOmniscient]

Yeah. That's what people keep telling me is protein and vitamin B. Or something like that.

[Kaisada]

I've been a pescetarian for over 6 years and never had a problem with anything. Only recently fully transitioning to "proper" vegetarianism because the habit my ardently anti-vegetarian parents instilled in me took that mange years to finally break lol. Tofu is great; it's also my favourite food which gives me a big advantage since I naturally am drawn to eating large quantities of it. Nuts are great too. So are eggs, if you consider that vegetarian - my roommate doesn't, and we frequently get into disagreements over it, lol!

If you're at all worried, taking a multivitamin each day is a great way to be safe.

[Iris. ♥]

Both my best friend and my cousin are vegetarians. Neither one of them has ever had a problem staying healthy. Like Nicole said, there are always supplements that you can take if you're not getting enough of something.

[Revolution]

I've been both before, pecatarianism is much easier, fish is easier to access in quick situations, and both diets are healthy. However, vegetarianism is much better for the environment. It's really just up to you, just if you go veggie, avoid the pizza and mac and cheese diet and be open minded to vegetables.

[ToGoOmniscient]

Thanks guys xD
And I read online that vegetarians can choose whether or not they want to consume dairy products, that it doesn't really matter either way.
I will still consume milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
I eat eggs but I don't exactly like them lol
I'll try the pescetarianism for a while and then I'll start vegetarianism.
I think because of my love for sushi, shrimp and crab, I'll go back to the pescetarianism.
But it doesn't really matter. xD

[Iridescence]

I'm pescetarian, and it's great
I'm eating a whole lot healthier too. But occasionally I don't have a choice but to eat meat, because I'm the only one in the household that eats like this, so I'm usually in short supply of non-meat food.
You'll like it a lot.
Good luck

[Nicole!]

As for the whole dairy products vs. vegetarianism deal, I still eat eggs and other dairy products (minus milk and cheese because I am lactose intolerant). I think if you don't also consume dairy products then you are considered a vegan.

[ToGoOmniscient]

Originally Posted by Melody

As for the whole dairy products vs. vegetarianism deal, I still eat eggs and other dairy products (minus milk and cheese because I am lactose intolerant). I think if you don't also consume dairy products then you are considered a vegan.

I read online that some vegetarians don't consume dairy products, and some do, and it doesn't exactly matter.
A vegan is someone who doesn't consume or use animal products.

Thanks for the advice, all
And I don't drink milk as often as I would like because I am mildly lactose intolerant, too. I still eat cereal and stuff, but I guess it doesn't really matter

[Nicole!]

Originally Posted by XxToTheDeathxX

I read online that some vegetarians don't consume dairy products, and some do, and it doesn't exactly matter.
A vegan is someone who doesn't consume or use animal products.

I know that some vegetarians do and don't, I was just saying my opinion

[ToGoOmniscient]

I know lol xD

[MindBodySpirit]

Before I begin, I'm not sure if this could be triggering to anybody, and I'm not sure how to put triggering tags on this post. If you could potentially be triggered, read at your own risk.

First, I'm going to address the issue of protein:

In my opinion, soy is not a very healthy protein. It contains lots of phytoestrogens, which can lead to hormonal problems. You don't want to mess with hormones. Of course, this is just speculation on my part. You can look into it and decide for yourself.

Nuts don't actually have a lot of protein. Most of the calories from nuts are from polyunsaturated fats. Also, the ratio of omega 6s to omega 3s is very unbalanced with nuts. You get way too many omega 6s with nuts. If you have too many omega 6s, without getting the omega 3s, it leads to inflammation at a cellular and tissue level.

Yes, you can get protein from dairy, but more people have problems with dairy than you'd think. If you have respiratory problems, skin problems, asthma or gastrointestinal illness, I wouldn't rely on milk as a main source or protein. Yes, it's fine to have milk. Of course, it's a good source of calcium, but the concentrated milk protein (casein) can actually be detrimental to calcium absorption, if it's consumed excessively.

I do recommend that anybody eats fish. It's definitely helpful if you're trying to get the EPA and DHA essential fatty acids. I think the only way for vegetarians to get DHA is from algae. I think the body can convert some EPA into DHA, but if you lack these essential fatty acids in general, it's bad for every cell in your body. Yes, it's possible to supplement, but you don't get DHA and EPA from multivitamins.

Eggs are great at times, but the egg white- the part that contains the protein- has enzymes that block the absorption of certain b-vitamins. The egg yolk is actually what has the majority of the other nutrients. Yes, it contains fat and cholesterol, but if you get good eggs, you probably won't have to worry about it raising your cholesterol levels. At least if you have eggs only once in a while.

So if you need sources of protein as a vegetarian, the sources I'd recommend the most are:
-lentils
-quinoa (it's a grain that's a complete protein)
-small amounts of fermented soy products (tempeh, not tofu)
-grains with little or no gluten (rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc)
-beans (some are better than others- do your research)
-hemp if it's available (the BEST vegetarian protein source in my opinion)

Proteins I do not recommend as main sources:
-soy
-"faux meat" (Meat substitutes have soy and lots of gluten. You may not be gluten intolerant, but having lots of gluten is not good)
-nut butters, nuts, peanuts (small handful of nuts per day)
-cheese

The next issue I"ll discuss is micronutrients (vitamins, minerals)
As a vegetarian, you're at risk for multiple nutritional deficiencies if you aren't careful. I'm just going to make a list of several nutrients, and put a couple of points about each of them.

B-vitamins (particularly Vitamin B12)- Since Vitamin B12 is derived mainly from animal sources (again, except algae and certain fungi), it's very easy to become deficient. This is particularly true since b-vitamins are water soluble (basically your body gets rid of what you don't use). Make sure you supplement b-vitamins, or you consume food that is enriched with b-vitamins (such as rice milk or almond milk products). Make sure you eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, and some healthier grains. Nutritional yeast flakes are a good source of vitamin b12.

Iron- since the iron you will be consuming is non-heme iron, you'll need to consume more of it. Only about 40% of non-heme iron (vegetarian iron) is absorbed, whereas 60% or more is absorbed with heme iron (from meats).

Zinc- Zinc is much easier to get from animal products. I'm not going to go much into zinc. The page below has more information on foods high in zinc. http://www.theveganrd.com/2009/05/ge...gan-diets.html
If you decide to eat shellfish, oysters are very high in zinc too. Hemp is an awesome source of zinc that is easily absorbed. You should have 50% more zinc as a vegetarian than an omnivore.

Iodine- You don't want to be deficient in iodine. You can get iodine from wild fish products, seaweed, and algae. It's harder to detect mild iodine deficiency, but you can get hypothyroidism if you're deficient.

Vitamin D (Sunshine Vitamin)- You can get this from fortified dairy products such as milk, or dairy replacements like rice milk. Lacking vitamin D is not only bad for Calcium absorption, but recent research has shown that it can contribute to depression and gastrointestinal illness. It's also needed for proper cell growth and immune function. You also get vitamin d from sunshine. However, it doesn't become the active form of vitamin d for 2 days, and it does that in the presence of cholesterol. If you wash your your whole body with soap every day, very little of the sunlight will actually be converted to vitamin d. This is a separate issue, but mild cleansers are important at times!

Calcium Green leafy vegetables, and fortified dairy products are sources.

Essential Fatty Acids The important ones are the Omega 3s (DHA and EPA). You should have no more than 3 grams of omega 6 for every gram of omega 3. Vegetarian sources include flaxseed, algae, hemp, walnuts, and flaxseed oil. Even if you decide to choose to eat fish, I recommend that most people supplement these (If you get it from Cod Liver Oil, you also get vitamin D). If you lack Omega 3s, and you have too many omega 6s, you are more prone to getting psychiatric disorders, including depression, suicidal tendencies, dementia, aggression problems, and other conditions. Your brain and body needs DHA and EPA. Don't leave this one out!

Summary

Okay, so I've said a lot in this post. It's up to you to decide whether it's worth it or not for you to go vegetarian. I'm not going to touch on the idea of what's ethical. Here's a summary of the health aspects:

-Get the right proteins. The amount isn't usually an issue. Your body should have a source of protein that can easily be digested. What you're eating to get protein should not have extra things in it that are bad for you (for example phytoestrogens in soy).

- Supplement where needed. If you're concerned, talk to a registered nutritionist about the right supplements. A multivitamin is good for support(be sure to check ingredients), and b-vitamins are safe to supplement on top of the multivitamin. Omega 3s are very important supplement (and people don't stress this enough about any way of eating).

-Eat a variety of foods for getting the right nutrients- this goes with pescetarianism, vegetarianism, or omnivores. Don't be afraid to eat seaweed, kelp, or other algae.

-Get educated before you make a decision. Many people that have made a dietary change for years are still not educated about what they're doing, and they are at a greater risk for health problems because of it.

-if you're concerned, talk to your doctor

I hope I've provided you with the information that other people have left out. I hope somebody can learn from it.

** I am not a doctor, nor a dietician. Anything I've provided here is my own opinion based on personal experiences, research, and education.