Last post Fri, Feb 22 2008 3:53 PM by Debbie. 9 replies.
If my message below sounds less than interesting or inspired, please understand that I dictated a very cogent message that Dragon NaturallySpeaking decided that it wanted to lose. Having said that, here we go again.
About eight years ago I decided to become a vegetarian. My decision was based upon all of the news items concerning "mad cow disease" that were circulating in the news. The meat industry is not particularly sanitary so I decided to not partake any longer. After a couple of years I embraced more of an ethical approach to food. If I could avoid killing anything, that seemed preferable. Just last week there was a very interesting article in the New York Times that explained in the significant environmental impact that the consumption of meat has on the environment. Presently I still eat fish, eggs and dairy, but my goal is one day is to become vegan.
Although I feel fantastic, I am wondering whether becoming a vegetarian is a wise long-term decision from a scientifically/medical based standpoint. There are many types of neuromuscular conditions. Some of these conditions exhibit the inability to process certain proteins or manufacture amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy type I/II and I an nearly 43 years old. Obviously I am doing okay, but perhaps I could be doing better.
Over the years my condition has gradually deteriorated. Most of my food needs to be cut very small, mashed or occasionally blended. I try to avoid processed foods and eat as healthy as is practical. Keeping as much texture as possible and using a variety of seasonings keeps my food interesting. What has been the experience with other people with SMA, or neuromuscular diseases in general, as to being a vegetarian? Even if you are not a vegetarian, what type of food do you eat and how is he prepared? Is maintaining your weight something that you monitor carefully?
Look forward to hearing your responses.
T.K. Small, Brooklyn New York
hi wheels, i have been a vegetarian for 30 yrs, no meat fish or chicken. i sometimes eat cheese i don't eat much dairy. i am not sure if this helps but at my last check up my dr said " i wish i had your bloodwork results" i take organic golden flaxseeds every day. i grind them up in the magic bullet food processor and have one to 2 tablspoons a day. i was taking 2 but a friend sent an article saying that woman should take 1 tbl and men 2 tbl. it has amino acids in it, and also is great for your digestive system. i wrote a post about it but i don't know how to find all of our old posts.
i feel great, full of energy, i have been vegan and also hope to get back to it too. i haven't been sick in 30 yrs barely, hardly get colds ect. i feel young. with time i hope to get back to having a nutrition section here with recipies and good healthy tips. maybe it is already here, i am busy writing, i haven't explored the new site yet!
my frind has ms and he has been a vegetarian for a couople of yrs now and he said it has helped him.
Hello Debbie,
It is nice to speak with you directly, since you write so much I almost feel as that I know you already! After putting my message up sometime ago, I was beginning to think I was the only vegetarian on disiboom. Many of the problems that people have probably would be improved through a better nutritional understanding. It takes a little bit of effort at the beginning, but it becomes second nature after a while. I can barely remember what meat and chicken tastes like any longer. It has been more than eight years. Technically however, given that I still use fish, I am not a complete vegetarian. What got me study was reading about "mad cow" and other problems with the meat industry. Did you see the disturbing report about the slaughterhouse in California that was butchering the "downer cows"? If that does not make people a vegetarian, I do not know what will. What is your primary protein source? Since I have trouble chewing, nuts are difficult for me but I have been experimenting with grinding them up and putting them into my salads.
Take care,
hey i did not know u were a vegetarian that is cool i am in the transition of becoming a vegetarian and i have a project in school that i have to adress a nutrition subject and i chose vegetarians so if their is anything i can get from u as in info please tell me
hi wheels, same here, it's nice to talk to you after seeing you around. i read your bio too.
i also agree that diet can help in so many ways. one thing that could help people that are on meds that are constipating, take the flaxseed everyday. you buy a bag of golden organic flaxseed, it is better than the oil. and inexpensive also. you grind some up for the week and put it in the fridge. 1 to 2 tablespoons a day in a couple of swigs size glass of [organic :)] oj and gulp it down. no problem. that is one problem that can be fixed for many people i believe.
i get up and have a glass of silk choc soy milk on ice. if nobody has tried it yet, give it at least one try, it tastes good. :)
mid morning-lunch i have an organic smoothie. if fresh fruits are not available i buy the froaen blueberries and strawberries, banana, whatever ones you like.
i haven't read that story but i believe it. it is to a point now i don't like many resteraunts because the foods aren't that great for you. i have been away from white bread that i don't like regular pasta anymore. i like the flaxseed organic kind. like you said your body gets used to the change and it rejects the chemical foods. when i don't eat right i feel the difference.
i like this veggie resteraunt in rhode island and made a big order of the foods ithat i like there and freeze them. that's another way you can do it.:)
you've tried the cashew and peanut butters..?
hummus would also be good and smooth for you. ground chicpeas but they are good on syrian bread or with a veggie burger as a spread.
pesto and spagetti, when my mouth was wired from a broken jaw in my accident, i lost my 2 front teeth lol and they blended spagetti for me and i ate it with a straw..better than nothing right? lol
i like helens kitchen tofu and i cook it in tamari sauce in a pan. with rice or sandwhich [ sprouted grain bread].
avacados also i eat alot of them. i am trying to think of soft foods for you. here are a couple and i will try and find some more ok?
i also used to vegetable juice everyday and haven't been but ill start up again. [ when there was a veggie resteraunt down the road]
i hope that these helped a little.
hottie that is great you are trying too.
one of the things i have thought about doing over the years is having a juice bar with sandwiches and healthy foods.
if you have good recipies, i wouldn't mind having them.
i'm not a dr. so i also don't want to tell you to eat something that doesn't work for you though.
do they have a cookingtype and recipies yet? that would be a good one too.
till later, bye!
As you can probably imagine, Brooklyn is a very ethnically diverse place. Most of the foods that you mention I am already eating and are readily available. In my immediate neighborhood there are a number of Middle Eastern restaurants and stores. Hummus is definitely part of my regular routine. I also use flax seed powder in my fruit smoothies. I buy it already ground-up from the health food store.
Another Middle Eastern favorite is red lentil soup. I started getting it at a restaurant's and decided to try to cook it at home. It is very easy to make and it is supposed to have one of the most complete vegetable proteins. Before trying this type of soup, I was not a big fan of the regular brown lentil. The texture of the skin simply did not agree with me. The red lentils however are smaller and cook quickly. The two main seasonings that I use are cumin and coriander. Although I started with a recipe, now I just make it up as I go along, depending on what is in the refrigerator.
If you are thinking about forming a group around nutrition I would be interested in joining you. I really believe that eating more nutritionally is worth the effort!
Hello Michon,
Do not get discouraged. It is good that you are trying to make the transition gradually. When I started to be a vegetarian I began by cutting out certain types of foods. It took me approximately 6 months. If you begin by not eating processed meats, you do not have the complete sensation of missing anything. Then you can move onto another category, etc., etc..
Heya, I'm a rather lucky person with SMA myself, pretty much a deffinition type III. But I do have a warning about being a vegan.
There's a guy I go to college with who has a meat allergy, so he's been a vegetarian his whole life. He is disabled because of this, due to a vitamin deficiency from lack of meat(b12 i believe), he started experiencing muscle weakness and just collapsed one day. he was in a coma for a week or so, and this episode caused him to be wheelchair bound for the past 15 or 20 years. With weekly therapy he has been gaining more independance back slowly, but he has to have injections of the vitamin to keep him healthy. Anyway, since you already have SMA, my point is to be very careful with supplementing your diet if you decide to go full out vegan, I'd talk to a dietitian or an MDA doctor about it if I were you.
Hello TK,
Given the fact you have a neuromuscular disease that is progressing have the doctor's talked about a feeding tube? If so you can have a awesome diet and have quality of life. My daughter Nina was born with a host of medical issue's and received her feeding tube at 4 day's of life. Nina is has been on Blenderized Diet via her G-tube. Nina's Blenderized Diet is 100% raw vegetarian. Nina has been receiving Blenderized Diet via her G-tube since she was 15 month's young and she's now 9 year's young. I can tell you she is one of the healthiest students in her class. By the way Nina has a 'Gifted' I.Q. even given the fact she's getting ready for her 73th surgery.
I Co-monitor a Yahoo Group for families and professionals who want to learn more about Blenderized Diet via a feeding tube.
If I can be of any help please feel free to E-mail me privately at: NinaBean@tampabay.rr.com
Blessings,
Lesley Diane Marino
Thank you for your comment about speaking with a physician about nutrition. Although I feel very healthy, paying close attention to this issue is a good point. I am not as diligent in taking my B-complex vitamins as I perhaps might be. Maybe this'll be my inspiration to do better.
hi lesley, welcome. great to hear about ninabean's diet and that she is healthy. your sweet little girl sure has been through alot but happy to see she is ldoing so well. it's nice to meet you.
