MSG Anyone?

[python.princess]

Everybody should try and avoid eating MSG anyways. It's actually got an addictive quality to it. Fast food joints have it in ALL their food. KFC is the worst if anybody is interested. Not only is it found in SO MANY foods you shouldn't eat, but it also makes you want those unhealthy foods even more.

[stangs13]

I wanna hear why your a vegitarian! Please.

[blackcrystal22]

I wanna hear why your a vegitarian! Please.

OOOkayy.
Animals are virtually my life at this point, and my beliefs contribute. I do not believe that death is negative and actually find many positive aspects of it. The reason I'm a vegetarian is because I disagree with the way that the animals are treated while they are alive. The whole 'they're gonna die anyway so lets treat them like their already dead' doesn't sit well with me. Plus I never really enjoyed eating meat that much..
What most people don't get, is that if I went out and hunted and killed an animal, I would eat it. When you hunt you look for the 'older' animals and animals that have been wild all their lives and have not had any torment. When killing, it's usually as quick as virtually possible.
:]

This has nothing to do with being vegetarian, it has to do with a poor diet. I have been vegetarian, almost vegan, for 5-6 years now and haven't had any health problems besides a couple that are not diet related. The foods you listed would be bad for anyone to eat, not just someone without meat in their diets.

And the human body does not need meat to survive, you just have to be smart about your diet.. but you meat eaters also need to be smart about your diet! Just because you eat meat does not make you healthier than people who do not, in most cases I eat way better than anyone I know who eats meat. I'm lucky, I have a Sprouts and a Whole Foods within 2 miles of me and we get organic fruits/veggies delivered to our house so it is easy for me to eat healthy without eating meat.

I think I worded that a little wrong. Those processed foods were examples, not major parts of my diet. Unfortunately that is what my mother buys because it's inexpensive, and it was in my pantry when I was reading labels. Ever since I've become a vegetarian, I have learned to eat much healthier.. and a whole lot less fast food and fried foods. The problem with me getting large amounts of fruit and veggies is that they don't last very long, and I don't eat very much. They also aren't cheap so having all my veggies rot within a week isn't good news. :[
All my previous health problems are gone, I no longer have vitamin deficiencies, but now I have to be more careful with this MSG thing.

I think Lena nailed it. You can get all the nutrition your body needs from a vegan diet, but all the processed foods you named sound like you have a lot of changes to make. You should do a search for raw vegan diets to get a good understanding of which foods are needed for all the different nutrients and proteins you need to stay healthy. You're not even vegan, so it should be really easy once you have an understanding of what your body needs and which foods provide what. It's a shame that most processed foods are so unhealthy and use so many goofy ingredients when it seems like most of them shouldn't have to, but that's how it is.

Or you could just make up a plate a couple of times a week with greens, a baked potato and a medium rare filet mignon. Maybe a little cottage cheese... no msg there. The steak could be replaced with a nice trout filet even. You can start making a lot of vegetable based soups with beans and lentils, eat salads and yogurt with flax, hemp seeds, chick peas, grated almonds etc. There's plenty out there to have an unlimited vegetarian menu that gives you everything you need.

Mmm, that reminded me of hummus for some reason..
Thanks for the suggestions, I love soups so I definitely will look into making bean/lentil soups like that. It's about time I get a more varied diet anyway.. I donno about the filet though.. blech.

Everybody should try and avoid eating MSG anyways. It's actually got an addictive quality to it. Fast food joints have it in ALL their food. KFC is the worst if anybody is interested. Not only is it found in SO MANY foods you shouldn't eat, but it also makes you want those unhealthy foods even more.

Have you ever eaten a lot of food from a restaurant that seemingly was very salty and made you very thirsty? That's what MSG does. It comes in a form similar to a salt and when it's used in fast food it makes you more thirsty and addictive.
It's all for flavor and all against health. :[

Edit: Also, I buy a lot of miso products and vegan noodle mixes. Sometimes they all taste the same.. and not very good, but there are the occasional delicious ones that I love! Mmm.

[wolfy-hound]

I never thought ramen was vegetarian. I mean.. don't the flavor packets have a broth in them?
If you are going to be vegetarian, you have to do it right. Obviously, you're not doing it right, or you wouldn't have missing enzymes and protiens and be taking suppliments and such. Eating fresh(or frozen) fruits and vegetables and a lot of beans, rice, grains, and making sure it all balances out is not a easy thing.
Those pre-processed foods are expensive and unhealthy in general anyway.(Ramen being the probable exception) You can get a lot of dry pasta and real cheese and such to make mac n'cheese, and it's not much more expensive.
The vegetables, dry pasta, dry beans/lentils, cheeses, and grains can be bought in bulk, and stored in the freezer if necasary. Barley put into soups is also awesome and bulks up a soup nicely.
You might have to start buying some of your own foods, and checking into what makes up a proper vegetarian diet, so that you can eat vegetarian without any deficiencies.
I personally think that a human can live on a vegan diet, if it's properly balanced out with the necasary nutrients. I won't ever be vegetarian(and esp not vegan), I like meat. I try to eat a lot of in-season fruit, and I like steamed veggies too.
Good luck. Stay away from all processed foods, snack foods, instant foods, and such. It's part of the healthy lifestyle you seem to want anyway, and that way you should stay out of the MSG as well.

[littleindiangirl]

Have you ever considered going full raw? Where is Aleesha when you need her! LOL

Here check out www.rawfoodtalk.com/index.php

[blackcrystal22]

I never thought ramen was vegetarian. I mean.. don't the flavor packets have a broth in them?
If you are going to be vegetarian, you have to do it right. Obviously, you're not doing it right, or you wouldn't have missing enzymes and protiens and be taking suppliments and such. Eating fresh(or frozen) fruits and vegetables and a lot of beans, rice, grains, and making sure it all balances out is not a easy thing.
Those pre-processed foods are expensive and unhealthy in general anyway.(Ramen being the probable exception) You can get a lot of dry pasta and real cheese and such to make mac n'cheese, and it's not much more expensive.
The vegetables, dry pasta, dry beans/lentils, cheeses, and grains can be bought in bulk, and stored in the freezer if necasary. Barley put into soups is also awesome and bulks up a soup nicely.
You might have to start buying some of your own foods, and checking into what makes up a proper vegetarian diet, so that you can eat vegetarian without any deficiencies.
I personally think that a human can live on a vegan diet, if it's properly balanced out with the necasary nutrients. I won't ever be vegetarian(and esp not vegan), I like meat. I try to eat a lot of in-season fruit, and I like steamed veggies too.
Good luck. Stay away from all processed foods, snack foods, instant foods, and such. It's part of the healthy lifestyle you seem to want anyway, and that way you should stay out of the MSG as well.

All the enzymes and proteins were a problem 2 years ago. I was taking supplements, but mostly the wrong ones.
Not now.
Oriental Ramen has no meat broths. :]
Thank you, the barley thing sounds interesting, I'll be sure to try it out.

[Epona142]

Animals are virtually my life at this point, and my beliefs contribute. I do not believe that death is negative and actually find many positive aspects of it. The reason I'm a vegetarian is because I disagree with the way that the animals are treated while they are alive. The whole 'they're gonna die anyway so lets treat them like their already dead' doesn't sit well with me. Plus I never really enjoyed eating meat that much..
What most people don't get, is that if I went out and hunted and killed an animal, I would eat it. When you hunt you look for the 'older' animals and animals that have been wild all their lives and have not had any torment. When killing, it's usually as quick as virtually possible.
:]

I for one really understand this part of your choice. I have seen with my own eyes several processing plants, for poultry, beef, and milk. And I flat-out refuse to eat that anymore. I no longer ever buy meats from the grocery stores. Not only are the animals treated extremely poorly, but the sanitation and procedure...ugh.

Now, I'm as far from vegetarian as you can be! I love meat, love love love it. However, my meat is either raised by my own hands, my close neighbor's hands, or taken humanely from the wild at a ripe tasty age. This includes my own milk and eggs!

My livestock are treated like pets, and get the best care. I just came from outside, I spent a few hours cleaning the very spacious pens, and I cut some nice branches for everyone to peck at or eat. They live happy healthy lives, and taste a heck of alot better!

I do know that's certainly not an option for everyone, and some people find it hard. I was raised to do this, so it doesn't bother me very much. And of course, living in the city, you can't have goats and chickens and whatnot.

But anyways, I just wanted to share my understanding.

[blackcrystal22]

I for one really understand this part of your choice. I have seen with my own eyes several processing plants, for poultry, beef, and milk. And I flat-out refuse to eat that anymore. I no longer ever buy meats from the grocery stores. Not only are the animals treated extremely poorly, but the sanitation and procedure...ugh.

Now, I'm as far from vegetarian as you can be! I love meat, love love love it. However, my meat is either raised by my own hands, my close neighbor's hands, or taken humanely from the wild at a ripe tasty age. This includes my own milk and eggs!

My livestock are treated like pets, and get the best care. I just came from outside, I spent a few hours cleaning the very spacious pens, and I cut some nice branches for everyone to peck at or eat. They live happy healthy lives, and taste a heck of alot better!

I do know that's certainly not an option for everyone, and some people find it hard. I was raised to do this, so it doesn't bother me very much. And of course, living in the city, you can't have goats and chickens and whatnot.

But anyways, I just wanted to share my understanding.

I would adore to live on a farm for that reason. Even with all of the work, it's a type of work I enjoy and desire. You of all people probably understand why I'm a vegetarian more than most, and if I was in your situation I would do the same thing. I would eat meat if I knew where it came from.
Sometimes people suggest that I buy from specific farms or organics, but I live in the suburban area and it's far from any meat farms and even though a meat is organic, doesn't mean I really know how they were treated. Some meats are out there I'm sure that were treated well, but I can't pick and choose because theres no way to know. :[

Have you ever considered going full raw? Where is Aleesha when you need her! LOL

Here check out www.rawfoodtalk.com/index.php

That is very interesting! Thanks Connie, I'll look around that site.

[Mindibun]

Everyone else has covered what all I was going to say. I'm a vegetarian also. I'd be vegan if it weren't for cheese and eggs (though I only buy certified humane eggs). Everything else I eat is vegan, and I don't ever buy or wear animal products. So, I know where you're coming from on the "it's hard to find food for myself" front.

My diet is a LOT of fresh fruits and veggies. Grains in pastas and bread are a big portion of it, too. I take a multivitamin every week or so, and thus far I haven't had any problems with anything. I'm glad you've gotten all your vitamin stuff sorted out properly.

And for those of you who eat meat and say that "vegetarianism can't be good for you if you have to take vitamins" ... yeah. Technically, we should all be taking vitamins. And eating fresh fruits and veggies is FAR healthier than eating the fat of another animal. Meat only has protein in it because the animals first ate plants. It gets REALLY old hearing people talk about protein deficiencies in vegetarians. We get just as much protein as the next guy, provided we're eating properly.

And for those of you who say, "Oh, I could never give up meat. I love it too much!" Personally, I think that sounds very selfish and ignorant. But that's just me.

I wish I had the patience today to explain myself further and not sound so snappy, but I've had a rough day. So those are my thoughts on the matter in a not-so-nice way, and I apologize for it.

[recycling goddess]

Im huge on nutrition and eating right. Lets be realistic you can't get everything your body needs from fruits & veggies.

I respectfully 100% disagree with you. I'm a raw vegan which means I only each raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds although I'm not big on the nuts and seeds. EVERYthing you need is in your food if you eat it when it hasn't been heated above 118 degrees.

Have you ever considered going full raw? Where is Aleesha when you need her! LOL

Here check out www.rawfoodtalk.com/index.php

I'm here I'm here... there is this forum (mine) as well:

http://www.timelessspirit.com/forum

That is very interesting! Thanks Connie, I'll look around that site.

I'll be there... if ya need me!

Not only have I recovered from diabetes and a very very sick liver, high blood pressure and horrid cholesterol but I've also released 140 pounds in 11 months. Yup you heard me right... that's simply because I'm giving my body all the nutrients it needs, feeding it really healthy live foods and the weight literally just melted off me.

I've been to my doctor who is very supportive of my lifestyle and he's thrilled with my blood results. He's told me that I'm no longer diabetic, my liver is above optimal (and it was the same as a 50-year-drinking liver - and I don't drink!), my cholesterol is perfect and my blood pressure is once again on the low side (always has been).

Consider live foods... even if you don't go 100% raw (which I recommend) - the more live food you put into your body the more nutrition your body has to work with. If nothing else... a green smoothie is essential for a healthy body. One or two (or more) a day... does wonders.

My hubby has never been able to control his diabetes. No matter what he ate, his sugars were high. He went on a 20 day green smoothie feast (nothing but green smoothies for 20 days) and his sugars came down and now are GREAT. Our doctor was so happy to hear he's decided to join me (he encouraged him to as a matter of fact)... as his blood work is so much better now.

So... just do it!

Here's a little article about my journey:

http://www.timelessspirit.com/JAN08/walk.shtml

and my blog:

http://aleeshasrawlife.blogspot.com/

here's me a year ago eating vegan food:

here's me today eating raw: