It's not easy going green

Whether living in or visiting Bloomington, an individual is bombarded with restaurants from different countries, cultures and lifestyles. With some local eateries even offering veggie-only menus, the town is a good place to experiment with a vegetarian lifestyle.\nFor two-year vegetarian freshman Sarah Taylor, not eating meat became a personal choice after reading the book "Fast Food Nation," which lashes against the American meat industry for inhumanities against animals. Since then, her personal views for animal rights turned her off "all-American" meals such as hotdogs and hamburgers. \nBut she said she is not completely against consuming meat. \n"If I could raise my own and kill it humanely, I'd eat meat again," she said. "Obviously I can't do that in the dorms." \nSimilarly, about six years ago sophomore Ben Becker gave up meat for Lent, a Christian-observed season 40 days before Easter. During this time, he researched the treatment of animals in the meat industry. He said because of this information and his spirituality, he decided to give up meat permanently. \n"I believe everything has a spirit or energy," Becker said. "I don't think I should be able to enjoy what someone else killed inhumanely."\nAlthough people choose to eliminate meat from their diets for many reasons, including animal rights, religious observances, philosophical reasons or just personal taste, experts caution those on this diet not receiving proper nutritional might face serious health risks in the future.\n"It can also be a way to mask an eating disorder," said Dawn Lukas, the IU Health Center nutrition counselor. \nIn a 2003 report by the National Institute of Health, a study of 143 college women -- including 30 vegetarians -- showed that vegetarians had a significantly higher risk of developing eating habits in congruence with eating disorders. While nonvegetarians only showed an eight percent risk of developing a disorder, vegetarians displayed a 37-percent chance.\nHowever, Lukas said the lifestyle can be very healthy if done correctly. To do this, she said people should not eliminate meat from their diet without researching how to replace the nutrients it provides. \n"Over time a person could have protein deficiencies," Lukas said. "Hair could fall out. Wounds don't heal properly -- (and you can develop) spoon shaped fingernails, blackened fingernails." \nTo prevent nutritional deficiencies, Lukas stressed the importance for vegetarians to monitor their intake of protein, iron, fiber and vitamin B-12. Good sources of the nutrients are nuts, beans, chickpeas, lentils and soy products. Although eggs and milk are good sources of protein and calcium, a derivative group of vegetarians called vegans choose to exclude animal products from their diet altogether. Lacto-ovo vegetarians include eggs and milk, however.\nLukas said fruits and vegetables are very important, and people should not attempt to eliminate meat if they do not like a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. A vegetarian should have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. She said the skins are a good source of fiber, and they help the immune system.\n"Once I got (meat) out of my system I felt really clean, light and energized," Becker said. "But if I didn't keep on it, didn't get nutrients, a common cold would knock me out. Especially with iron, I get anemic." \nTo keep up on his nutrition, Becker said he eats a lot of peanuts, peanut butter sandwiches and pasta. Since becoming a vegetarian, he also said he has learned to cook.\nOn the other hand, Taylor drinks a lot of milk, eats bagels and said she always carries trail mix. \n"(Being a vegetarian) takes away all my taste for greasy foods. It helped my complexion," Taylor said. "It's generally less expensive." \nLukas said some people believe being vegetarian will help them lose weight. But this, she said, is not necessarily true. Losing weight is a ratio of calories burned versus caloric intake. Although a person is a vegetarian, they should still strive to have a normal, healthy caloric intake each day -- typically ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 calories a day depending on a person's weight, height, age, gender and activity level.\nAlthough Taylor said she did lose five pounds when she became a vegetarian, she said the biggest difference was the amount of food she ate.\n"I eat more often, but not as much. You don't overeat," she said.\nFor both Becker and Taylor, however, the hardest part of the vegetarian lifestyle was eating with their friends and with family. Taylor said her grandmother does not know what to make for her. And Becker said he cooks for himself, even when he eats with his family. \nBecker said that being a vegetarian is hard for some people to understand. It is almost, he said, like a subculture. However, he said he finds people's reactions to his dietary choice amusing.\n"It makes going out more interesting," he said laughing, "I visited a Spanish convent, and when (the nuns) found out I don't eat meat they gave me like three plates of pasta. They said, 'You're too skinny!'" \n-- Contact Staff Writer Janice Neaveil at jneaveil@indiana.edu.