<p>Three years ago, I stopped eating meat after going to a retreat where I was doing lovingkindness meditation outside while deer and wild turkeys (both then were among my favorite foods) wandered around. I completely lost any interest in meat eating as a result.</p>
<p>I finally gave up fish in Oct. after going to another retreat. Fish is no longer appealing…</p>
<p>I realize, however, that I don’t know how to balance my diet now, and I suspect that’s why I’ve been feeling so run down mentally sluggish.</p>
<p>NSM, first, you need to see your doctor or a nutritionist and get a blood test to determine whether you have any vitamin deficiencies or anemia (I do not eat much red meat, so I was not surprised to see that I needed an iron supplement). Most likely, you will have to add some supplements to your diet. Are you getting enough calcium?</p>
<p>Northstarmom - I PROMISE to give you lots of tips - I am a little overwhelmed with some other things right now, but here are some quick things:</p>
<p>Buy some tempeh. It is usually in the produce section, refrigerated. It is made from fermented soy and can be used like ground meat. I prefer it to other meat substitutes because it doesn’t have other ingredients or a lot of sodium. Use as a barbeque, in chili, as a reuben, etc. Good source of protein.</p>
<p>Learn to regard soup as a meal. Supplement with bread or salad - but if you start to acquire good soup recipes, you will stay healthy. I will type of a couple for you and send them to you if you give me your email address. My suggestions would be Curried Red Lentil, White Bean, Spicy Black Bean, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili, Indian Cauliflower with red kidney beans, Minestrone with navy bean - are you starting to get a pattern? I serve a bean soup about 5 days a week.</p>
<p>Use the a high protein pasta. Barilla makes a very good one. The whole wheat ones get mushy, but the high protein ones are good.</p>
<p>Drink a soy smoothie every day. Cut up one very ripe banana and freeze it in a plastic container before going to bed. In the morning, or whenever you need a power boost, mix with 1 cup of vanilla soy (I use Westsoy lowfat vanilla) and 2 tsp. cocoa powder.
Blend. </p>
<p>So - lots of beans in soup, soy milk, tempeh. Vary your vegetables. </p>
<p>I promise I will type all the recipes in a week or so!</p>
<p>When DH had his heart attack 14 years ago, we went to the mall to do some walking for rehab. There was a book in the window by Dr. Dean Ornish called, “Reversing Heart Disease.” Ornish recommends a low fat, vegetarian diet to reverse the blockage in the arteries. </p>
<p>We were already following a low-fat diet, but we decided to go all out and do everything possible to keep him healthy. </p>
<p>DH has followed the plan everyday since then. I cleared my pantry, refrigerator, etc. I bought new cookbooks and stocked our house with all that we would need to eat this way. I still eat fish when we go out, and I make it for our D. </p>
<p>Last week when DH had an episode with VT because of damage done to his heart, he had tons of tests at the hospital before they put in defibrillator. Cardiologist was floored by how good his arteries are. He credits DH’s survival of the VT episode to his general fitness and his diet. As he said to me, there is no way this man should be alive. </p>
<p>Aside from the health benefits, we love what we eat. It does take time to learn to cook differently and it is not cheap - veggies are expensive - but we feel really good and overall we are pretty healthy.</p>
<p>DD is a vegetarian. She has beans every day…garbanzos or something like that. She also eats cheese and eggs daily. She likes things like cottage cheese too. She also exercises daily and says that keeps her energy level up. Of course, she is only 21!!</p>
<p>There was a book a long time ago–Diet For A Small Planet–by Frances Moore Lappe. You will find lots of vegetarian recipes in there…but plenty of fat from cheese, too. She talked about combining the various proteins/ amino acids. I think her theory about the huge amount of protein we need has been discounted but there are lots of recipes to give you ideas. And, yes—beans, beans, beans. Rice and beans, beans and pasta.</p>
<p>Diet for a Small Planet has been superseded. It is not necessary to balance amino acids at every meal; a balance for the day is all that’s needed. The recipes in that book are not all that good, either.<br>
Another mistake in her theory is that getting protein is hard for vegetarians. Maybe it could be for vegans, but rarely is for lacto-ovo-vegetarians. A more likely problem is to come up short on iron. Both my vegetarian daughters take SlowFe from time to time.</p>
<p>Can anyone tell me a good tofu lunch “meat”? DD is a vegetarian, but said this past weekend she would like sandwiches in her lunch that are tofu turkey instead of always PB&J.</p>
<p>i stirfry at least three nights a week- incredibly quick, easy, and CHEAP! protein: tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc (all available at whole foods, trader joes- tonight i used trader joes soy chorizo- delicious), whatever veggies i have on hand (usually frozen), spices/sauces of your choice, all over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.</p>
<p>MY DD is a vegan. She uses nutritional yeast. I like it on scrambled tofu and I add it to anything that has breadcrumb topping. She uses it ontop of beans and rice dishes. Nutritional yeast is available in bulk section at Whole Foods. Use it by the spoonful. Also Marmite comes in jars and is also good. It supplements the B vitamins that you loose in red meats. I am not vegan but stopped eating meats primarily and still eat fish because I need brain oil at my age. </p>
<p>Tofurkey is good lunch meat. I use it in sandwiches. DD loves it. Find it in the vegetable section of the grocery.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, I’m essentially vegetarian, and have been for much of my adult life. As I get older, I do feel more of a need for protein, especially to start the day. Somehow, eggs in the morning give me that energy jump start. I get sluggish as well when I eat too many carbs, no matter what the time of day. If you think of how carbs, even if complex, tend to cause blood sugar fluctuations, and protein is more evenly processed, no wonder. </p>
<p>So, I’d try eating higher protein breakfasts, whether eggs, or a protein smoothie, or some sort of meat substitute. See if that helps the energy level. If not, then look at the content of the rest of meals. Most post menopausal women don’t tend to need much extra iron-which is why ‘mature’ multi vits don’t include it. </p>
<p>Showmom, I’m not much of one for meat substitutes of that sort. But you could make some sort of drier stir fry with extra firm tofu, tempeh or seitan, and put it in a wrap with vegetables. Or even better, the soy chorizo from TJs mentioned above. </p>
<p>worknprogress, I’m impressed! Most people have a very rough time following the Ornish diet. His research is good though, and it is very healthy. For those who don’t know, it has been shown to reverse coronary artery disease.</p>
<p>GLM - don’t be too impressed. At the time of his heart attack & bypass, our younger DD was seven years old. She was bright, strong willed, and intense. I would have done anything to make sure he would be with me to parent her!</p>