Is vegetarianism still an option for me - nutrition wise?

duracell_bunny

I'll try to keep this short. I've been trying out vegetarianism for the last few months. Totally unrelated, I've been having lots of tests done re my ibs. My gastroenterologist has now confirmed the foods I'm super allergic and which I would consider fairly important to a veggie are are eggs, cow based dairy products, nuts and any type of beans/legumes. There are a few other foods that I'm very allergic too but which I could live without / could find substitutes.

I'm just concerned from a nutrional point of view that vegetarianism might not be an option for me. Protein wise - if I cant eat nuts, beans & pulses, eggs or any dairy etc, should I start eating meat again? I can eat feta/goats cheese but they are very rich and tbh I can't imagine having them as a daily staple.

Any veggies in the same boat as me?

P.S. Mods - I didn't put this in the veggie forum as I'm looking more for nutritional advice but feel free to move it.

duracell_bunny

So as not to offend real vegetarians, I should add that I've been avoiding meat and fish but eating free range eggs and cheeses etc. I know that's not strictly veggie but I decided to start with cutting out the battery farmed meat and fish as a start.

Adelie

duracell_bunny wrote: »

So as not to offend real vegetarians, I should add that I've been avoiding meat and fish but eating free range eggs and cheeses etc. I know that's not strictly veggie but I decided to start with cutting out the battery farmed meat and fish as a start.

This isn't really an answer to your question, but an alternative idea. If your problem is with battery meat and fish, would you consider eating only ethically farmed meat and wild fish? It would be more expensive and you'd probably have to eat vegetarian when in a restaurant, but it would be an option.

duracell_bunny

Adelie wrote: »

This isn't really an answer to your question, but an alternative idea. If your problem is with battery meat and fish, would you consider eating only ethically farmed meat and wild fish? It would be more expensive and you'd probably have to eat vegetarian when in a restaurant, but it would be an option.

Yes they were my reasons for considering going veggie. I grew up on a farm where we reared our own animals for eating but, when I grew up and moved away, I just started eating "normal" meat without realising that there was a difference in the way they are treated/culled etc. I guess eating ethically farmed meat/fish might be something I could consider. I do really miss eating it - especially salmon! I'd still have to avoid beef as that is my biggest allergy - hence my cow based dairy allergy.

Adelie

duracell_bunny wrote: »

Yes they were my reasons for considering going veggie. I grew up on a farm where we reared our own animals for eating but, when I grew up and moved away, I just started eating "normal" meat without realising that there was a difference in the way they are treated/culled etc. I guess eating ethically farmed meat/fish might be something I could consider. I do really miss eating it - especially salmon! I'd still have to avoid beef as that is my biggest allergy - hence my cow based dairy allergy.

You can get frozen wild caught salmon in supermarkets so you wouldn't even have to eat farmed fish.

Farmer's markets are a good place to look for meat from smaller traditional farms where the animals are well treated (although I don't know much about the culling aspect).

And maybe someone else will have suggestions about veggie alternatives too

flikflak

duracell_bunny wrote: »

So as not to offend real vegetarians, I should add that I've been avoiding meat and fish but eating free range eggs and cheeses etc. I know that's not strictly veggie but I decided to start with cutting out the battery farmed meat and fish as a start.

Vegetarians do eat dairy and eggs. Vegans do not. Are you aiming for a vegetarian or vegan diet?

Crasp

Why would someone with Crohn's/U.C. inflict vegetarianism upon themselves?

duracell_bunny

flikflak wrote: »

Vegetarians do eat dairy and eggs. Vegans do not. Are you aiming for a vegetarian or vegan diet?

Sorry, I get the two mixed up and I'm afraid of offending people by getting it wrong!

My longterm goal was to aim to be veggie but it is simply for ethical reasons (or because I'm "going soft" as my oh puts it!) so I guess as long as the eggs are free range etc. I would be happy to keep eating them. I wouldn't eat cheese that was made with rennet though.

duracell_bunny

Crasp wrote: »

Why would someone with Crohn's/U.C. inflict vegetarianism upon themselves?

Because when I starting considering becoming a veggie for ethical reasons, I didn't know that the main triggers for my ibs etc would be the main ingredients on a veggie diet.

Now before I rush back to eating meat and fish (albeit "ethically farmed" fish/meat) and continue eating free range eggs etc -in effect ending my journey to being veggie - I wanted to see was there a way that I could become a full veggie with my allergies.

Thoushaltnot

I'm not in the same boat as you but I have a few ideas/suggestions.

How about Quorn? Hemp seeds and Quinoa (and if you can find it, a fine grain called Teff - you might find it in African shops) are complete proteins too. Hemp protein powder is great in muesli as are alot of the Linwoods flax products, which are also relatively high in (incomplete) protein, for matching.

Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds are good for mixing with grain foods, and the taste of them improves with a bit of toasting. Spelt and oats are good for protein matching also, on the grain side. Spelt and the seeds can be sprouted too.

You might be allergic to legumes (which include peanuts, btw) but if you sprout them (easy to do), that can make them easier on your system for digesting. Fermenting seems to help - you're better with yoghurt, so you might be able to take Tempeh (fermented soybeans). Wheat gluten or seitan (also known as 'mock duck' or 'mock abalone' in Asian food markets) is another veg*n protein source.

And some seaweeds, especially 'nori' (sleabhac in Irish) are rich in protein. Spirulina as well. Dulsk and sea lettuce are also decent sources.

Some fruit and veg have appreciable amounts of protein too. Green leafy veg would be the top veg and avocados are another I remember, off the top of my head.

WeeBushy

You can get Quinoa in most health shops. Tesco sell it as well AFIAK, I've bought it from them online in the past anyway.

Loverly stuff.

Sapsorrow

I was in the same boat, suffered four years of misery with terrible IBS as a vegetarian, as soon as I went paleo and lost the grains and legumes (among other things) it disappeared. I mean literally within two or three days it was just gone. Been munchin' on bacon and pain free every since! Beans, lentils and cereals are a digestive nightmare.

duracell_bunny

Thoushaltnot wrote: »

You might be allergic to legumes (which include peanuts, btw) but if you sprout them (easy to do), that can make them easier on your system for digesting. Fermenting seems to help - you're better with yoghurt, so you might be able to take Tempeh (fermented soybeans). Wheat gluten or seitan (also known as 'mock duck' or 'mock abalone' in Asian food markets) is another veg*n protein source.

Some good ideas in your post - thanks.

Unfortunately I'm allergic to nuts of any type and beans of any type and also cow based dariy so fementing them in yogurt would be out. Also wheat products are out!!

duracell_bunny

A big thanks for everyone's suggestions. At the moment my first priorty has to be cutting out all the products I'm allergic to and getting my stomach etc back to good health. Since this doesn't leave me with very many things that I'm familiar eating and cooking and which don't contain meat, I think I've to be realistic and go back to eating meat and fish (although I'll aim to eat only wild caught fish and ethically farmed meat) at least until I have my ibs under control. Hopefully once it is all under control I can slowly start going back towards being a veggie when I have time to play around with different foods (like seaweed etc).

I need to keep things simple at the moment otherwise I'll end up in a situation where I'm ravenous and there is simply nothing to hand that is on my "allowed" list.

Sapsorrow

Do you live in the country? It's pretty easy to find locally reared meat these days at farmers markets. I can get free-range bacon/pork products even here in cork! The other thing to remember is that Irish beef and lamb is free range by default too, so I consider that a very humane option relative to chicken or non-free range pork. Even if chicken is labelled free-range I'm never comfortable buying it as the chickens probably still had a pretty dismal existence on whatever farm they came from. I think the legislation around calling a chicken free-range means they get an extra square foot of space per chicken in the barns and must have a hatch leading to an outdoor yard or something pathetic like that.

Renn

Do you buy everything from farmers markets Sapsorrow? I just tend to buy most things from Tesco/butcher - chicken/pork/beef - Hodgins sausages and pudding, and Tesco's healthy living bacon...

Thoushaltnot

duracell_bunny wrote: »

Unfortunately I'm allergic to nuts of any type and beans of any type and also cow based dariy so fementing them in yogurt would be out. Also wheat products are out!!

Actually, they're not fermented in cows (or any other animals) yoghurt!

It's a very different set of processes. Cultures are introduced to soybeans or soybean paste, for example and these cultures partially digest the soy, so it makes it easier for humans to digest and also makes them taste different. Rice/Millet Amazake (nom but lowish in protein), Barley (and soy) miso and tempeh are all fermented products - not a drop of dairy in sight. I'd have to check but Braggs Liquid Aminos are possibly fermeted soy as well.

Nuts are not seeds. Thought of another common seed for ya - buckwheat - it's not related to wheat at all, closer to rhubarb and spinach and you'll find it in the polish section (kasha) of the supermarket or in a polish/eastern european shop.

Sapsorrow

Renn wrote: »

Do you buy everything from farmers markets Sapsorrow? I just tend to buy most things from Tesco/butcher - chicken/pork/beef - Hodgins sausages and pudding, and Tesco's healthy living bacon...

No I used to, or I used to grow most of my own veg too. I work every Saturday now so going to the farmers market isn't an option any more but I can get locally reared/caught meat and fish in the market I work in. I miss eating really fresh/local veg but it's just not an option at the moment sadly.

WildBoots

duracell_bunny wrote: »

I'll try to keep this short. I've been trying out vegetarianism for the last few months. Totally unrelated, I've been having lots of tests done re my ibs. My gastroenterologist has now confirmed the foods I'm super allergic and which I would consider fairly important to a veggie are are eggs, cow based dairy products, nuts and any type of beans/legumes. There are a few other foods that I'm very allergic too but which I could live without / could find substitutes.

I'm just concerned from a nutrional point of view that vegetarianism might not be an option for me. Protein wise - if I cant eat nuts, beans & pulses, eggs or any dairy etc, should I start eating meat again? I can eat feta/goats cheese but they are very rich and tbh I can't imagine having them as a daily staple.

Any veggies in the same boat as me?

P.S. Mods - I didn't put this in the veggie forum as I'm looking more for nutritional advice but feel free to move it.

I'd be avoiding gluten, taking psyllium or flax seed, supplementing with probiotics and reducing stress. But then again, I'm into quackery so don't pay any attention to this post!

Sapsorrow

WildBoots wrote: »

I'd be avoiding gluten, taking psyllium or flax seed, supplementing with probiotics and reducing stress. But then again, I'm into quackery so don't pay any attention to this post!

Psyllium and flax seed are a very bad idea for some IBS sufferers.

Sapsorrow

OP considering the extent of your intolerances/allergies I would suspect leaky gut. In which case a long term elimination diet of all potential offenders and sources of lectins is necessary. I've been in the same boat for years, developing more and more intolerances to foods previously tolerated for years with no problems. I actually suspect it was my vegetarian/vegan diet that supplied all the lectins that did the damage in the first place, as well as twenty years of eating wheat. I have been have great success on the paleo/primal diet and have been able to reintroduce foods that used to make me seriously sick, most happily avocados, which I haven't been able to eat for years!

WildBoots

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Psyllium and flax seed are a very bad idea for some IBS sufferers.

True, but I think you'd find out soon enough, seems to be tolerated by most though. Thanks for highlighting this

Sapsorrow

WildBoots wrote: »

True, but I think you'd find out soon enough, seems to be tolerated by most though. Thanks for highlighting this

It depends on the IBS pattern, I know for me it would be a very very bad idea to go supplementing with things like that The other thing though is they are a source of lectins, which are better avoided in gut disorders like IBS.