Vegetarians are the healthiest people alive, right?!  Not necessarily…

I have been a vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian over the last 15 years.  When I first decided to eat a vegetarian diet, it was mostly made up of rice and chocolate cake (not so healthy!).

Back in the day, there weren’t so many vegetarian-friendly restaurants, I wasn’t a resourceful cook and my dad kept telling me to “eat meat!”  Now, there are a lot more vegetarian options, I became a better cook and my dad, well, he still tells me to eat meat.

I would like to preface this article by saying, I get the whole omnivore diet (I even have meat eating, milk drinking, egg-frying friends –and I even eat cheese…on occasion :)).   However, if you choose to be a vegetarian/vegan/pescatarian, I would like to debunk some myths out there about our health.

It has definitely become more acceptable to be a vegetarian/vegan/pescatarian but at times it can still be…difficult.

And there is a lack of knowledge about vegetarian health.  Which is actually quite understandable –have you seen the food pyramid? –it makes it quite obvious that milk and meat organizations funded that whole government project!

This is just a rundown on a few items of interest.

Let’s get down to business…

Do you get enough Calcium?

If you eat dairy then this is an easy one.

If you do not eat dairy then there are more than enough sources for calcium…

“Got milk?” Who is funding those commercials?  They drive me crazy!  Why should we NEED to drink milk from a cow? No, we can get plenty of calcium from other sources, such as soybeans/soynuts, bok choy, kale, okra, collards (1 cup has more calcium then 1 cup of milk), calcium-fortified soy milk and juice.

What about your Vitamin D levels?

No matter what you eat….nowadays most people have low levels of vitamin D.  We use to get most of our vitamin D from the sun –but now we are not in the sun as often and we responsibly wear sunscreen.  So where to get some vitamin D?

We can get vitamin D from salmon, milk, fortified juices, eggs and shrimp.  There is also an over the counter supplement that most people (even omnivores) can benefit from.  There is a prescription strength vitamin D but for most of us Vitamin D 1,000 IU tablet once daily will do the trick (without getting too much!)

How about your Vitamin B12 levels?

We usually get our vitamin B12 from eggs, milk and meat.

Spirulina and seaweed are thought to provide B12 too –but quite often it is not absorbed well.

There is an OTC B12 or B-complex supplement available in the pharmacy area.  You take one a day.  Easy enough, but B12 is difficult for your body to absorb.  So, some people may need to have B12 (cyanocobalamin) injections once a month.  It is only available with prescription but can be given at home.

I personally have a low B12 level (it can be checked during a blood test) and I get B12 shots once a month  (actually Catie gives them to me :)).  It really makes a difference in my energy levels!

And then there is Iron –how is your Iron?

Often people get iron from meat!  However, dark greens, beans, apricots, almonds and dates (yum!) can also provide us with iron.

Low levels of iron can cause some serious issues –fatigue/weakness is usually the first thing that people notice.  There are iron supplements available.  It is best to take iron on an empty stomach with an acidic drink (soda, orange juice) but it can be rough on the belly.  If it is bothers your belly, take it with some food –but not with milk (it will block iron from being absorbed).

Before you self treat, definitely have your levels checked because too high of an iron level can be toxic!

So, there you have it.  I would love to hear your input –please leave me a comment!