Vegetarianism

I wanted to be vegetarian for many years and I often eat very little meat, to the point that my meat-and-potatoes relatives sometimes accuse me of being vegetarian. I used to have vegetarian cookbooks and I did read up on some of the issues with vegetarianism (like difficulty in getting certain nutrients). I wrote an e-mail to my sister about my views on this many years ago. I wish I still had that but I don't. So I will try to hit some of highlights of what I understand/think about food in general.

First, as an environmental studies major, I am aware that the further up the food chain you go, the more concentrated toxins tend to become. Just because of all the toxins in the environment, it is generally wise to eat lower on the food chain. A lot of religions also recommend mostly eating vegetarian and only eating meat sparingly. Some religions also emphasize eating "clean" meat, such as kosher meat. One thing about kosher meat is that the animal is supposed to be killed in a humane fashion. My thought is that fear and pain release toxic chemicals into the body, so it seems logical to me that an animal which was killed humanely would be a better supply of "clean" meat.

However, I tend to be severely anemic. As a child, I was strange for actually liking liver and spinach. To this day, if I am anemic enough, I like liver. When I am not anemic enough, I think liver tastes pretty nasty. I am pretty picky about meat in general and more so about beef. I think beef is a problematic meat that needs to be carefully chosen, carefully cooked etc. There have been times in my life when I craved beef because I was rebuilding a body ravaged by illness. But when I craved beef the most, I was fortunate to have consistent access to organic beef. My consumption of beef has gone way down again, as has my oldest son's (he also has CF). Because of my tendency to anemia, I may never completely give up red meat. But most of the time, I am content to eat it only once in a while.

My understanding is that certain B vitamins are the other big issue with a strictly vegan diet because even supplements for those vitamins often come from an animal source of some sort (or so I read, many years ago -- unless I am confusing this with iron). If this and the need for iron can be addressed, a vegan diet is not necessarily a deficient diet. In fact, the research in "Diet for a Small Planet" indicates that most Americans eat more protein than their bodies can use and much of it gets dumped out, simply wasted. The research further indicates that traditional diets typically already have the correct ratio of grains to legumes (or other combinations) for optimal protein complimentarity. If you use protein complimentarity, it isn't difficult to get enough protein with a vegetarian diet. I no longer remember why, but lack of calcium is not really a big concern with a vegetarian diet, contrary to what a lot of people think. My recollection from things I read years ago is that only iron and b-vitamins are a cause for serious concern, even if one is a strict vegan.

I have no plans to ever be vegan. But most of the time, I eat red meat sparingly and chicken in usually smaller portions than what most americans seem to eat. I don't have a vegetarian diet but I often have vegetarian meals. With years of practice, I find that those can be perfectly satisfying and filling, contrary to what the way I was raised and what seems to be the general opinion of most americans (ie, if there is no meat, it isn't a proper a meal).

I have also read things that suggest that the American emphasis on dairy as a source of calcium may be misguided. I want to say that meat actually contributes to a lack of adequate calcium -- that eating meat tends to leach calcium from the body, so if you eat no meat, you also don't have as high a need for calcium to begin with. But I am not 100% sure that I am remembering that correctly.

Last, I will note that I read an article a few years ago that indicated that soy is contra-indicated for people with CF. I used to add tofu to bread recipes to increase the protein (and that was really yummy) but was beginning to find soy distasteful at the time that I read the article. I then cut soy out of my diet. I have a mild form of CF and when I am more recovered from nearly dying 6 1/2 years ago, I may lighten up on some of the restrictions that I have stuck to while trying to get well. So I might someday see if it is acceptable to have soy occassionally. For now, I avoid it completely. Since many vegetarians rely heavily on soy as a source of protein, I would personally think that anyone with CF who wants to go vegetarian needs to be aware that soy may be a problem for them -- and it may not be obvious to them, because it isn't like you get hives or some other really clear indication that this is bad. Other people with CF whom I have spoken with have also said they didn't realize they were doing poorly with soy until they removed it from their diet completely.

So if you have cystic fibrosis and are interested in pursuing a vegetarian or vegan diet, I would suggest you look into the question of how to get enough iron and b-vitamins and also consider the possibility that soy may be a problem because it is generally "contra-indicated" for people with CF. Other than that, vegetarian diets are typically healthier than the meat- and dairy-centered diets of most americans.