I want to become a vegetarian where to start. Vegetarian beginners - joining a new world. How not to tear yourself away from the "worldly" life

It's easier than it sounds.

It is quite possible that you will read this article, slightly covering the laptop screen from prying eyes. Vegetarianism as a worldview and type of food has existed for many thousands of years, but tales and legends still circulate about its benefits. And the debate still continues over whether it is realistic to be a 100% vegetarian in the harsh Russian climate. We are not doctors or monks, so we give you the choice to decide for yourself whether or not to be a vegetarian.

This article is to help those who have already realized that they want to do this.

The path to vegetarianism is never easy. I didn't eat meat for 4 years, then I was pescetarian - that is, I didn't eat mammals and birds, but I ate fish and seafood. Then I gave up all animal products (including milk, eggs, and honey) and went vegan. After that, I still started eating meat, but in limited quantities, and now I am trying to reduce its use to zero.

Go to the doctor

Before making any changes, make sure your body is functioning properly. Vegetarianism is not a panacea that will cure you of everything. Before changing your diet, take standard tests for the level of protein, hemoglobin, iron, calcium, folic acid, omega-3, vitamins B12 and D. Do not be afraid, you do not have to spend a week in the hospital for this: it is enough to donate blood once.

Be sure to find out if you have any allergies. It's not just about fruits and vegetables. There are people with vitamin B intolerance (found mainly in animal products). There are very few of them, but still. Due to severe allergies, they cannot drink this vitamin in tablets, therefore, when they refuse meat, eggs and milk, they need to consume large quantities of plant products containing vitamin B (seaweed, for example).

Allergies can be identified on their own, but intolerance is diagnosed only by a doctor.

We are all very different, so it is important to choose the type of food only for your body. Don't try to imitate your girlfriend who sits on salads and couscous, or models on social media. Your main reference point is your own performance. Weight and blood should be normal. Even if you really love animals, do not sacrifice your health to save them. After all, you are also in some way an animal, and taking care of yourself is your priority.

Give up on the sly

It would be a big mistake to switch abruptly to beans and buckwheat for the rest of your life if you eat a sausage sandwich every morning. This approach will work for 1-2 months, while the period of motivation lasts, but it is highly likely to quickly return to your usual lifestyle. Of course, there are people who can abruptly stop eating meat, but the reason is usually stress: seen footage of animal abuse or poor health. The longer the preparation, the more confident and calm you will feel for the rest of the time.

How to do it? Give up meat gradually. First exclude red, then white, then fish and seafood. At each stage, give yourself 3-4 weeks so that the body gets used to it and does not panic from a sudden lack of familiar food. Experiment with your favorite food: swap red meat for fish, then fish for protein-rich foods like legumes, nuts, Chinese tofu.

If you like the structure and consistency of meat, surprise: the soy counterpart and vegetarian sausages made from wheat protein have been around for a long time.

With sauce or spices, such substitutes are very similar to the original. The same applies to cheese and milk: coconut, nut or oatmeal is slightly sweeter than cow and is suitable for preparing any dish.

There are other ways to gradually switch to a plant-based diet. Renowned musician and vegetarian for 40 years, Paul McCartney suggests not serving animals on a plate at least one day a week. An initiative called Meat free Monday encourages earthlings to think about the amount of animal food they consume. As the description on the site says, "One day a week can make a difference around the world."

This approach not only in the long term reduces 1/7 of the meat produced (which is quite a lot), but also does not force steak lovers to change their habits overnight. Started by Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney, the initiative is backed by stars such as Emma Stone and Woody Harrelson.

By the way, a similar approach of Meatless Monday has been practiced in schools in New York since last year. Mayor Bill de Blasio said that "cutting down on animal foods will not only make our city healthier, but also make the planet a better place for generations to come."

Similar views are held by the Reduceterians (from the English reduce - "to reduce"). They believe that it is impossible to abandon animal products at once, and call for simply reducing the amount of meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and milk consumed. Someone eats only plant foods once a week, while others on an ongoing basis replace meat with soy products.

The movement includes not only vegetarians and vegans, but also people who cannot completely abandon animal products due to health conditions or lack of funds, but support sensible and informed consumption. Reducetrians support eco-friendly companies, and when there are vegetarian or vegan options in restaurants, they choose them. To understand the rules of the Redewsseterian, watch movement founder Brian Cateman's TEDTalk talk:

Find a reason

Rather, even so: give reason to find yourself. There are many articles on the Internet with six, ten, or even ninety-nine reasons to switch to a plant-based diet, but all this does not make sense if you sincerely do not believe in any of them. Conventionally, motives are divided into two categories: taking care of the planet and taking care of yourself.

The first group restricts meat consumptionto stop the development of the meat and dairy industry. They are concerned not only with the fact of the murder, but also with the fact that it is committed with particular cruelty. Newborn calves are taken away from their mothers, and the chickens are cauterized with a stump of beak with a hot iron. In addition, the volume in which the industry is currently producing meat, significantly covers the daily needs of a person.

Huge areas of land are given to livestock activities, forests are cut down, tons of water are spent to water animals - as you understand, this does not have the best effect on nature. In collaboration with popular science channel Vox, scientists at the University of California admit that the less meat we eat, the more responsible we are to the planet.

The second group refuses animal products due to health concerns. There are studies that link meat consumption to cancer and gastrointestinal diseases. According to statistics, vegetarians who are competent in composing their diet are less likely to suffer from obesity and type 2 diabetes. Key phrase: fit correctly... Oreo cookies are completely vegan, but if you eat them every day, there will be no benefit.

Of course, the reasons can be combined: for example, Buddhists who refuse meat for religious reasons, profess the principle of "non-violence" towards any living creatures and thereby earn good karma for themselves. In any case: if the reason is compelling, then it will be much easier to switch to plant foods.

Try new

One of the best aspects of going vegetarian is that your culinary skills are great. It is no longer enough to cook dumplings or sausages: you need to show your imagination. You can try one new recipe once a week, and within a month you will have a full meal in your arsenal for some holiday. And that's not counting those dishes you are used to, which are already initially vegetarian!

Look for unusual solutions in ethnic cuisines: Indian, Chinese, Mexican. In many countries, since ancient times, only rich people could afford meat, so ordinary people created dishes with alternative sources of protein and vitamins. The cuisines of the peoples of the world are fraught with not only nutritious, but also very tasty discoveries! In India, for example, no dish is imaginable without a spicy curry, and Mexican guacamole is generously seasoned with onions and garlic.

Many scientists believe that humans are natural born, not a predator or omnivore. This is indicated by the physiology of the human body.

Studies by American and British scientists have shown that vegetarians live 8-14 years longer than those who eat meat.

Plant-based foods benefit the intestines through their fiber or composition. Its uniqueness lies in the regulation of the intestines. It helps prevent constipation and has the property of binding harmful substances and removing them from the body. And a clean intestine means good immunity, clean skin and excellent health!

Plant food, if necessary, also has a therapeutic effect due to the presence of special natural compounds that are not present in animal tissues. It lowers cholesterol levels, prevents the development of cardiovascular diseases, increases immunity and slows down the development of tumors.

Meanwhile, often, having made the decision to become a vegetarian, people face problems at the stage of transition to this food system. Popular blogger, author of several books and adherent of naturopathy Leo Babauta gives advice on how to easily become a vegetarian.

If you just want to become a vegetarian just for fun, you probably won't last long - not because it's difficult, but because any life change, or habit change, requires some motivation. First of all, you need to think about why you want to become vegetarians and believe in it. The rest is easy.

To start something new, it is helpful to read as much as possible about what you will be doing. The same can be done with vegetarianism. Read some good books from the library (or better yet, borrow them from vegetarian friends). And there are a myriad of good sites on the Internet.

Find good recipes

You don't have to go out and buy a bunch of new titles, although that is definitely an option too. But then again, there are tons of great recipes on the Internet. Basically, it can be a little overwhelming ... don't worry, you don't have to make any decisions.

Vegetarianism is an extremely interesting topic, containing many myths from both vegetarians themselves and meat eaters. It means a food system that excludes the consumption of animal meat. Let's take a look at this difficult topic with the help of science.

First, you need to discard the entire ideological component of vegetarianism in the form of "not like everyone else" boys and girls who are losing weight and muscle mass (and sometimes consciousness on the streets), as well as animal lovers (there are those who really feel sorry for).

Now we are left with one naked fact: the absence of meat in the diet, at least mammals. You need to approach it impartially, so let's find out if scientists know a way to switch to plant foods without harming the body.

Vegetarianism: health benefits or harms?

In general, the person walked in an interesting way. That group of Australopithecus, which gave rise to you and me (homo sapiens), achieved success largely due to omnivorousness.

Simply eating plant foods is not energy efficient (look at elephants). To survive, the ancient man needed intelligence, which was the reason for the increase in the volume of the brain, and, as a result,.

But the problem is that people have long been living in a non-natural environment, and many of us can afford to consume exclusively processed plant foods. With the proper approach, such a failure is safe, and in some cases even useful.

Lack of any nutrients you can always compensate. For example, in nature, B12 vitamins are produced exclusively by bacteria in the large intestine of mammals. And the assimilation of vitamins of this group occurs in the small intestine, and it is located "higher" along the route.

Predators do not have these problems, as they obtain vitamins B12 by eating herbivores. But vegetarian animals are forced to make sacrifices. For example, gorillas are forced to eat their own feces in order to obtain valuable vitamins.

People don't have to eat their own excrement. Of course, if it is sensible to approach it. After all, the lack of B12 can be compensated for with artificially enriched food: various cereals and yeast.

You can identify a lack of protein by taking a blood test for albumin levels, and, if necessary, include the necessary foods in your diet. For example, some legumes have more protein than meat. Protein is also found in dairy products, eggs, fish, etc.

That is, if you want to become a vegetarian without harm to your health, then get ready for an integrated approach to nutrition, which includes planning a varied diet and regular testing. In an ideal world, not only vegetarians, but all people in general should look after their health in this way.

Doctors' opinion on strict vegetarianism (veganism)

As for vegans who practice strict vegetarianism, they need to monitor their health three times more carefully. According to the largest studies of the 90s ("Mortality in vegetarians and nonvegetarians: detailed findings from a collaborative analysis of 5 prospective studies" Timothy J Key, Gary E Fraser ...), vegans get sick and die before others.

According to the same studies, non-strict vegetarians are healthier on a number of indicators. For example, they are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease and less often.

In modern scientific articles published in 2015 ("Mortality in vegetarians and comparable nonvegetarians in the UK" Paul N Appleby, Ruth C Travis ...) for the UK, vegans also get sick more often and die faster than others. They were singled out as a separate group.

Is there any harm from eating meat?

With regard to the harm of eating mammalian meat, the data is not uniform. There are studies showing a link between red meat consumption and the incidence of malignant tumors (cancers) and coronary heart disease, and there is a scientific article refuting this correlation.

Probably, in this case, various cultural characteristics of meat consumption play an important role. For example, deep frying and barbecuing in the United States does not improve the safety of meat products. There is no data at all for Russia and the CIS countries.

Scientific research is also reflected in the fact that vegetarians in general lead a healthier lifestyle: they sleep more, smoke less, take care of their health. Scientists try to take this fact into account, make adjustments, but this is not always possible

Outcome:

Being a vegetarian is safe and possible. The main thing is to have a varied diet and not shy away from any micro- and macroelements and other food additives. Read also on our website exposing and the myth that. Love science, read WikiScience!

Interest in the question of how to become a vegetarian can arise for a variety of reasons. For some, such a reason is compassion for animals, for others - concern for health. But in any case, the transition to vegetarianism is a very important step, and it should be well thought out.

In this article, we will show you how to become a vegetarian without harm to your health, paying attention not only to dietary changes, but also to psychological aspects.

Why become a vegetarian?

So where to start and how to become a vegetarian for a long time? The most correct way is to decide why you need it.

The desire to become a real vegetarian can be accompanied by many factors: anxious attitude towards animals, caring for environment

The main reasons people become vegetarians are:

1. Physiological. Quite often people get from meat and other animal products due to poor tolerance or food allergies. So, willy-nilly, people are forced to figure out how to gradually become a vegetarian.
2. Ethical. Empathy for animals that are destroyed or exploited in food production is a priority here.
3. Environmental. The production of meat products is much more harmful to the environment than crop production.
4. Health care. According to many experts, the rejection of animal food helps to bring the body back to normal (reducing the risk of exacerbation of chronic diseases, weight loss, etc.).

Read also:

The whole truth about glazed curds: harm or benefit

Most often people become vegetarians for a variety of reasons. But in any case, a simple rejection of meat is unlikely to be effective: it can only undermine health. Therefore, you need to act deliberately, gradually and after careful theoretical preparation.

Many people think that vegetarians have almost nothing to eat, but this is not at all the case.

Theoretical part

We get support

Anyone planning to ditch animal products should be advised of the book How to Be a Vegan by Elizabeth Kastoria, a recognized expert in the field. The book explains how to become a vegetarian and how to live by practicing vegetarianism and not feeling the discomfort of restrictions.

Another very useful book is How to Become, Be and Remain a Vegetarian by Juliet Gellatly. In addition to these two sources, you can read other literature, but in any case, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the basics before taking any active steps.

One of the most important aspects that all authors writing for beginning vegetarians touch upon is moral support. In the early stages, it will almost certainly be very difficult for you, because it is so important that your loved ones help you.

Focus more on the benefits of vegetarianism

To get support, you should proceed as follows:

• Talk to your parents, spouses, and other loved ones about your decision. The sooner you announce it, the easier it will be to communicate.
• Be as honest and honest as possible about the reasons that prompted you to give up animal food. If appropriate, you can provide scientific evidence to support your case.
• Avoid discussion whenever possible. Even if your decision is disapproved, remember: you don't have to convince anyone.
• Ask for support directly, especially in the early stages. Most likely, close people will not refuse you - even if they do not share your beliefs!

Read also:

The whole truth about bread: harm or benefit

The most common mistake at this stage is to try to persuade others to become vegetarians too. A person must come to this decision on his own. So your blooming looks, excellent health, and delicious vegetarian options are the best arguments for avoiding meat.

Provide reasoned arguments that would allow your family and friends to ask you fewer embarrassing questions

We study the needs of the body

When switching to a vegetarian diet, it is important not to harm the body. The main problems here will be a deficiency of protein, vitamin B12 and some trace elements.

Vegetarians solve these problems in different ways, so you should check out these guidelines:

1. The main sources of proteins and amino acids are legumes, nuts, some cereals, and seaweed.
2. Vitamin B12 is found in dairy products and eggs - if you allow them, then there should be no problem. If you also refuse eggs with milk, then you should periodically use food supplements.
3. Deficiency of vitamins and minerals is easy to "overcome" by diversifying the diet. Find a balanced vegetarian menu for the week, research it, and select foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts) to meet your basic needs.

Vegetarianism is rich in an assortment of vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries

Practical part

We gradually reduce the proportion of meat in the diet

If you think that vegetarian dishes do not look very appetizing, then especially for you we have prepared a selection of photographs of vegetarian dishes that will make even avid meat eaters salivate!

Typical vegetarian dish

This article is primarily addressed to those who are just taking their first steps towards vegetarianism or are thinking about it, but do not know why to begin.

A separate book could be devoted to the benefits vegetarian food, but we will only say one thing: vegetarianism greatly transforms your life, changing it for the better. This inspires, attracts a lot of bright and positive people to you, helps you to set the right guidelines and find harmony with yourself. In general, if you are still thinking, we hope that this short introduction will help you finally turn your dream into reality. Moreover, we have already prepared instructions for you.

Instructions for a beginner vegetarian

Step 1. Decide to become a vegetarian. A firm decision is already the first step towards success. Why is this so important to you? What was the reason that prompted you to change? The suffering of animals, taking care of your own health or the influence of idols? The right motivation is the key to success in any endeavor. Take the time to take a notebook and pen and write down in detail all the answers that have come - they will bring inspiration and become your strong support in times of turmoil and doubt.

Step 2. Look ahead. Now think about and write down what pitfalls you might encounter on your way. Difficulties happen in any endeavor, remember this. Do you know your grandmother won't support you? Is there only meat in the canteen at work? What are lentils? Write down all the difficulties that you may face - forewarned is forearmed!

Step 3. Prepare. It would be nice to learn the basics proper nutrition and the nutritional value of different foods. Many vegetarians are well versed in anatomy and dietetics, making it easier to choose the right diet for themselves. For example, if you, giving up meat, simply replace it with green beans (they also have protein - why not?), Then such changes will not bring you anything good.

Step 4. Learn to cook. Rice, buckwheat and lentils are not the only friends of vegetarians. Vegetarian food can be very, very diverse - remember at least India. Now on the net you can find many interesting and informative blogs (and books) on the topic of vegetarian food. Over time, you will have favorites among them, and the recipe notebook will grow and swell. By the way, on these sites you can find a lot of valuable advice from "older friends" on how to make your diet even more interesting and healthy. Feel free to check out the regular sites in the fast food section. Another important detail is eating out. Especially in small towns, going out with friends to restaurants and cafes or a simple lunch break can be a real challenge for a beginner vegetarian. Add this to your list of pitfalls and look for a few convenient spots at your leisure.

Step 5. Listen to your body.The transition to vegetarianism for each of us is already an indicator that we know how to listen and trust ourselves. Continue in the same spirit! Our body is much wiser than us. No matter how much you are told that spinach contains a large amount of useful elements, you do not need to torment yourself if you cannot tolerate spinach. Find the products that you really like - and they will bring you the most benefit.

Step 6. Prepare the Invisibility Cloak. If you are not used to public attention, it will come in handy. At any family celebration, visiting friends, the news that you do not eat meat causes a lot of discussion and controversy. But this is a stellar time for those who like to be in the spotlight. Just try to be prepared for it.

Step 7. Learn to answer and be silent. The mistake of any beginning vegetarian is to rush threateningly at others, proving his innocence, and divide people into "black" and "white" - that is, into "meat-eaters" and "green". Almost everyone suffered from this at one time. Learn to accept and respect someone else's point of view without imposing your own. After all, you also dislike people who, at any opportunity, lecture you about the indisputable benefits of meat? Be a wise conversationalist and don't repeat this mistake.

Step 8. Find your pace.Experts say that the transition to a plant-based diet is best done gradually, removing products one by one. Among vegetarians, there are people who gave up any animal food in one day and began to feel much better. There are those who, after that, have lost a lot of weight (you must have met such unfortunate beginners), acquired a bunch of health problems and eventually returned to their normal diet. After such accidents, I want to repeat: listen to your body, give yourself the opportunity to move at your own pace and keep your head on your shoulders.

Step 9. Give yourself the right to make mistakes.Every business has its ups and downs. We are not perfect, no matter how much we want it, and each of us can make a mistake. Do not stray from the path just because you stumbled. And to re-support and inspire yourself, see step 1 and step 2.

Step 10. Have fun!Perhaps this is what all beginning vegetarians strive for, right? To make your life better, to build your world according to your convictions - isn't this what we all strive for, and isn't this a reason to get up every morning in a good mood and give it to everyone around you?

Anastasia Zinyagina