I'm vegeterian for 1.5 year. I eat milk and eggs and thats why I thought I won't have problems but - I was wrong. I don't have enough zink and iron in my blood! (zink especialy) Mu muscles hurt, I'm sick most of the time... Errr, I don't know what should I do. I can't eat meat, I can't even smell it. Please, please tell me what should I eat to help myself quick. My parents don't know about this and they shouldn't know couse they hate the fact I'm vegeterian. Thanks Ana
Zinc RDA for Zinc Children 10 mg Males 11 years + 15 mg Females 11-50 years old 15 mg Females 11 years + 12 mg Pregnant 15 mg Lactating (1st 6 mo/2nd 6 mo) 19 mg/16 mg Deficiency: A severe enough deficiency during childhood can cause retarded growth. During pregnancy, a zinc deficiency can contribute to birth defects and may contribute to complications. Other symptoms of zinc deficiency include appetite loss, skin and hair changes, and reduced resistance to infections. Vegetarians, in particular vegans, are among the groups of Americans who are at risk for sub optimal zinc intake. It is difficult for many people, whether or not they are vegetarian, to eat foods containing the recommended level of zinc. Sources: Foods of animal origin, including meat, seafood, and liver contain more zinc than their plant-based counterparts and the zinc is more bioavailable. Eggs and milk supply zinc in smaller amounts. However, there are many vegetarian sources of zinc including nuts, seeds, grains, legumes and soy products. Vegetarian Sources of Zinc Zinc Milligrams per serving Breads, grains, and cereals Bran flakes, 1 c 5.0 Wheat germ, 2 Tbsp 2.3 Legumes (1/2 c cooked) Adzuki beans 2.0 Chickpeas 1.3 Lima beans 1.0 Lentils 1.2 Soy foods (1/2 c cooked) Soybeans 1.0 Tempeh 1.5 Tofu 1.0 Textured vegetable protein 1.4 Nuts and Seeds (1 oz) Almonds 1.4 Cashews 1.6 Hazelnuts .70 Macadamias .49 Peanuts .93 Pecans 1.55 Pistachios .38 Sesame seeds 2.9 Sunflower seeds 1.44 Walnuts .97 Vegetables (1/2 c cooked) Corn 0.9 Peas 1.0 Sea vegetables 1.1-2.0 Dairy foods Cow's milk, 1 c 1.0 Cheddar cheese, 1 oz 0.9 Yogurt, 1 c 1.8 read this on iron: http://www.veg.ca/newsletr/janfeb97/iron.html and this chart: good plant sources of iron FOOD (serving) IRON (mg) Breads, Cereals and Grains Cream of wheat, cooked (1 cup) 10.3 Bran flakes (3/4 cup) 8.1 Quinoa, cooked (1 cup) 4.0 Oatmeal, cooked (1 cup) 1.6 Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 0.9 Legumes Soybeans, cooked (1 cup) 8.8 Tofu (1/2 cup) 6.7 Lentils, cooked (1 cup) 6.6 Kidney beans, cooked (1 cup) 5.2 Garbanzo beans, cooked (1 cup) 4.7 Lima beans, cooked (1 cup) 4.5 Black-eyed peas, cooked (1 cup) 3.6 Pinto beans, cooked (1 cup) 3.6 Lentil soup (1 cup) 2.7 Tempeh (1/2 cup) 2.2 Nuts and Seeds Sesame Tahini (2 Tbs.) 2.7 Sunflower seeds (1/4 cup) 2.4 Cashews (1/4 cup) 2.0 Fruits Prune juice (8 oz.) 3.0 Apricots, dried (1/2 cup) 1.7 Figs, dried (1/2 cup) 1.5 Raisin (1/2 cup) 1.5 Vegetables Spinach, cooked (1 cup) 6.4 Swiss chard, cooked (1 cup) 4.0 Mushrooms, cooked (1 cup) 2.7 Potato, baked with skin (medium) 1.9 Bok choy, cooked (1 cup) 1.8 Other Blackstrap molasses (2 Tbs.) 7.2 COPYRIGHT 2006 Vegetarian Times, Inc. All rights reserved.
Lots of great food sources are mentioned above. It's ideal to get most of your nutrition from your food, but if needed you can take a supplement. It sounds like you just need to adjust your diet to include more green leafy veggies & nutrient-rich foods. I got a great wall chart that lists all the essential vitamins & minerals and plant sources for each of them from the Vegan Society catalog (http://www.vegansociety.com/catalog/default.php). They also have a good book that I'm reading called Plant-Based Nutrition. It's pretty scientific and detailed, but it's full of useful info. I like the chart cuz you can plan a menu just by looking at it. Here's the direct link to the chart: http://www.vegansociety.com/catalog...id=69&osCsid=3a54a058681fc424497040d605da217e One thing I've learned about being vegetarian is that it is a healthier diet, but you do have to work at it and watch your nutrition. It can be fun to try new foods & make sure you get your vitamins - good luck!
i dont understand...so many foods that are very very good for you like dark green veggies have tons of zinc...what kind of food r u eating??
ew dont eat fish hunny..lol...naw im kidding..i am bitter towards fish maybe if ya wanna know ill tell ya but u should be getting plenty in your diet if your eating all different kinds of foods
Yeas, I know and I really think Im eating different kinds of food but it seem to e it's not enough... BTW, I bought pills with zink yesterday but today when I was again talking with my doctor she told me I also should eat food rich with selenium. Wtf?! I should eat selenum? I just cant understand what the hell is happening with my blood!
I too ate fish during my "vegetarian" 5 years, until finally waking up and realising theyre animals too! Im now vegan so theres absolutely no chance. Sorry i cant be of much help anyway, as im vegan and eat nothing but plants, legumes, seeds, fruits and the occasional bowl of chips and have no deficiencies anywhere...i get checked by the doc regularly...you should be alright after taking the suppliments though and eating a wide variety of the foods on the list above^^
the body needs a balance of minerals, so selenium helps zinc, E helps C and such (I forget all the balances, but magnesium and calcium is important)
Fish? you are not vegetarian if you eat fish, and fish is a zinc source. look into absorption disorders...or do you eat enought food, period?
Ummm, I just don't eat meat (meaning - I only eat fish once a week but never meat), and yes - I eat enought food. Thanks
i just take multi-vitamins every couple of days. sounds like your bodies naturally lacking in stuff so you might as well take MVs anyway
Yup, lots of vitamins/minerals support each other or require a certain balance. Doesn't your doctor have suggestions on what kinds of food you need? It sounds like it may help if you do some research on nutrition & what vitamins & minerals you need and where to get them. Then try keeping a food diary and writing down what you eat so you can compare what you're actually eating to what you should be eating to get all the nutrients you need. The chart I mentioned earlier might be helpful for this. Hopefully you can cut out the fish & find a good vegetarian source of the nutrients you need so you can be fully veg and healthy.
Well.. Im trying but I can not (yeah - my blood is the problem) and Im just trying not to eat so often. Later, I hope I will stop eating it. Thanks
i read back through all her posts and I don't see ANYTHING that would point to bulimia, so that was out of bounds. It was mean to her and hurtful to the overall veg community. Veg is NOT an eating disorder, as you well know. Having such comments when other s read reinforces the untrue assumption that women go veg to be skinny (not healthy, skinny). to Anastazjia: it sounds like Macedonian docs are using some old conceprs. if the "problem is in your blood" as you seem to beleive, get tested for T cells (indicative of cancers). Otherwise, think of the body as a car: all the systems work together to power it. if the oil is dirty, it shows a different problem based in the crank case and engine, not a deficient oil. It sounds like you need a good multi vitamin/ mineral suppliment. Get one, eat real portions. a meal a day, while allowing you to keep going, does eventually wear you down. since so many veggie foods are less dense, you might need snacks to keep energy levels up. A serving of veggies is a cup (30 ml) or a half cup (15 ml) on some. think of your fist, that's a good out and about visual for COOKED veggies. (and probably on the small side) As you have given up meat, have you replaced the calorie value with veggies and grains?
i truly apologizre for the comment...as drumminmama said it WAS uncalled for...i simply meant only one thing by it..it reminds me of my little sister who battled such ilness and everything mentioned kind of sounds like issues she was having...she would have a very big decrease in zinc and it would cause some very bad affects in her..i didnt mean to be hurtful at all.....at any rate yes i believe drumminmama is right with saying that you probably need a multivitamin..a really good one
red fruits and vegetables have a little more iron than other fruits and vegetables. cherries, rasberries, tomatoes, etc. eat uncooked leafy greens for more calcium and magnesium and iron. hemp seeds are a great source of zinc and magnesium. most seeds and nuts contain some but thats one of the best i think. it has sulfur-bearing amino acids that will help your muscles and joints a little bit too. spirulina works excellent too, and it is loaded with iron. i think that would be an excellent supplement for you to experiment with right now actually. try different things, eat more fruits and vegetables(which all have some calcium, iron, and a little bit of zinc), and see what works. use the trial and sucess method. i wouldnt put a lot of faith in doctors for learning about vegetarian nutrition, nor would i place much faith in gaining any kind of reasonable health from conventionally farmed animal products.
thanks sweetdreadlover, I knew you would step up , even if I called you out publicly. You are a person of conscience.
