Any vegetarians here?

[VintagePrincess]

Hi All, I'd really love to go vegetarian, but I am worried about hair growth and health without meat.

Can anyone help me?

[pennylane]

Hi!

I am semi vegetarian, i do not eat red meat at all.

I do eat chicken and fish and seafood.

My hair seems to like my diet, and my general health too! :)

[bte]

There are lots of us veggies here - in fact there's one of the special interest groups for us.

I know lots of people who are thinking of becoming veggies or vegans are concerned about their health if they change their diet, and it is true that good hear and good health go hand in hand.

If you are excluding anything from your diet, it's important to make sure that you either don't need what you aren't eating (eg surplus fat and surplus protein) or can get it from other things (eg iron, certain vitamins; all of which you can get from non meat sources). Nowadays, lots of foods have added trace elements etc and vitamins, so the danger of missing anything important is minimal.

Good luck, and hope you decide to become a "nice person to meat".

[voluspa]

I'm vegan. My hair seems to grow just the same as it did before, if not faster. A good vegetarian diet is generally very healthy, so I wouldn't worry too much, just educate yourself.

[CuddlyChicken]

I've been veggi for the last 14 years and managed to grow into a healthy woman :D
I think you just need to make sure you eat good food, whether you are a meat-eater or a vegetarian :)

[freckles]

I've been vegan for (almost) four years, lacto-ovo vegetarian (eggs and milk -- no meat including fish) for about three years before that, and pescatarian (fish, no other meat) for three years before that. My hair seems to grow just fine, just like it did before, although I've only started paying attention to it's growth since I joined LHC.

Like others have said -- as long as your diet is plenty and varied, you should have no problems :) do you need help with any questions in specific? :)

[chopandchange]

I've been veggie since I was about eight years old.

My hair seems to grow just fine. :)

[illumina]

Life-long veggie, recently turned vegan here. You shouldn't have any problems with regard to your hair provided that you make sure you're eating a balanced diet.

There's a veggie/ vegan thread here: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=206

[Juanita]

Eat a balanced diet with lots of variety and you hair will be fine.
I,m veggie. Have been for over 15 years.

[EdG]

I've been a vegetarian for 23 years. There are no problems with the vegetarian diet and growing long hair. :)
Ed

[Pixna]

I've been vegan/vegetarian since childhood. I've never had a problem with being healthy or growing my hair.

[Fethenwen]

I DO know a case where one actually started to shed a lot because she went vegetarian, so that was a bit strange. But she does have a chronic disease, and her body is probably not balanced so that might have been a factor involved there.

I have been vegetarian mostly vegan myself for almost 4 years now, and my hair is still very healthy, healthier than before! But I think me joining LHC is a contributing factor it that one too :)

[pennyroyal]

I have been a veggie for over 10 years now & my hair is very healthy. I am glad you are considering joining us veggies! It is a great way to be! :)

[Funwithsharps]

I have been a lacto-ovo veg since 1999. I have experienced no difference in my hair growth or health. My hair still grows wicked fast.

[nuxa]

Happy hairy vegan here :D

It was by far the best decision I've ever made! Try it and if you feel like it's a problem you can always go back.... but I promise you won't :p

[dropinthebucket]

It's actually not that easy to ensure that you get a good amount of protein when switching to a vegetarian diet unless you re-learn how to put together meals. When I first became a vegetarian, I made all the same meals I used to, but only ate the vegetables (for example, I'd still make pork chops and potatoes and carrots for the family, but I'd only eat the potatoes and carrots). I didn't understand, and hadn't learned, how to combine foods to get complete vegetable proteins.

It didn't take a lot to learn (i only needed one or two good vegetarian cookbooks, both of which were given to me as presents, so that was great) - but I *did* have to learn. You can't just eat part of what you were eating before and get enough. Now my diet includes legumes, quinoa, way more nuts and seeds, eggs, etc., so that each meal has at least one good protein source.

I had a friend who went vegetarian and ended up anemic and had to be put on medical supplementation. She grew up in a family that ate meat, but almost no eggs, nuts, legumes, and she said, "I didn't know how to feed myself right as a vegetarian." She tried again, learned how to make more vegetarian main dishes (like falafel, vegetarian chili, quiche, etc.), and has been doing great for the last ten years.

After seeing Food, Inc, I could never eat meat again! It's also been shown in several studies that a vegetarian diet can add years to your lifespan. And more than one triathlete has sponsored vegetarian and vegan programs and talked about the high levels of protein needed by triathletes, and why a vegetarian diet actually can deliver better protein for muscle development. But it is worth learning to do it right, so that it can be a permanent lifestyle change that will enhance your health for years to come. :)

[TrudieCat]

There are many ways to eat and still have a balanced diet. Making sure you get all the nutrients you need in your diet is what will make you healthy, not how you get those nutrients (i.e. from meat or not). I've been veggie for years with no ill-effects on my hair or body.

It's fun to learn to cook new foods and develop new ways of eating! :)

[Nera]

I've been something in between vegetarian and vegan for 10 years.
Make sure you get everything you need, and you and your hair will be just fine(:

[rachellynn]

A bunch of people have already said this but I want to reiterate how important it is to educate yourself about a vegetarian diet. Seriously!

I see too many peers switch over to a veg diet without really knowing what they're doing and they end up so unhealthy (either they get too skinny, or rely too heavily on crap foods like fries or cheese pizza). However, with a little knowledge, it can end up being the best decision you've ever made for yourself (I maintain that it is for me!) and you'll find that it can be totally healthy and complete. Good luck! You'll love it!

[Kristin]

I've been a vegetarian for 5 years and have no problems with hair growth or health. Do be sure to study up on healthy vegetarian eating!

[Charlotte:)]

There are acually several non-meat protein sources. Check out this website to learn more:
http://www.theveggietable.com/articles/protein.html
Also, too much meat is actually really bad for you, so you and your hair will actually be healthier!