INDEX TO PAST COLUMNS
December 3, 1997
"There's no need for careful combining of food..."
NEXT WEEK:
TBD
If you have a question or concern about healthy dietary
choices, send it to us in an e-mail message, and
we'll forward it to Dr. Attwood.
A new lifestyle
I've been a vegetarian
for more than a decade, but that doesn't mean I've been
any healthier or energetic than your average McDonald's
patron. Actually, thanks to cheese pizzas, chiles
rellenos (I'm half Mexican), and ice cream--and a whole
slew of other vegetarian junk food--I am 75 pounds
overweight. At five and a half feet, I weigh 200 pounds
and am only 21 years old. Worse than that, I took a
"fat test" not too long ago that showed I have
45% body fat. Ugh!
Of course, I never did have a Barbie doll figure. I was a fat baby, a fat kid, a fat teenager, and now I'm a fat woman. Doctors have told me that this condition is in my genes--that, no matter what I do, I will always be obese. When I became a vegetarian at the age of ten, and I still didn't lose weight, my family and friends were convinced that all the doctors were right. Well, I wasn't. And I'm still not.
Finally, I've gotten so frustrated with my unhealthy lifestyle that I vowed to go totally vegan. No more cheddar omelets, Giordano's thick crusted pizza, or McDonald's shakes--or anything else that is stolen property (belonging to some poor calf out there who's probably being prepped for veal). It's just bad karma, for me and the innocent animals of the world.
My question is this: Will my decision affect my overall health negatively if I don't follow some sort of proper regime? My mom has already been complaining that I don't get enough protein in my diet, having given up meat. Without milk and eggs, won't I be seriously lacking in the calcium and vitamin B12 department? And what about protein? Becoming a vegan means sacrificing two of the four basic food groups--or, at least, what I was taught were the four basic food groups in my high school health class. Will that make me half as healthy as I should be?
You have made the right
decision. But be careful; even a vegan diet can be high
in calories. Please forget about the proper amounts and
types of protein and calcium. A vegan diet of vegetables,
fruits, whole grains, and legumes will supply in all--and
in proper amounts. There's no need for careful combining
of food, etc. This was an old myth, dispelled over two
decades ago. You may want to continue reading my essays
and my book, as well as my audio. I've tried to answer
all there questions. Congratulations on you new lifestyle
and keep in touch.
Your
Turn: Post
your comments and suggestions on this topic.
About Dr. Attwood.
