An apple a day may not be the key
to good nutrition, but vegetarians
would say it shows the right line of
thinking.
Vegetarian diet sprouts
in the 'Beef State
"O
By Michelle Carr
ne man's meat is another
man s poison.
Oswald Dykes
Vegetarian. The word is enough to make
Nebraska cattlemen shudder and parents
roll their eyes in disbelief. However, the
word vegetarian describes a number of
Lincolnites whose eating habits are chang
ing their lifestyles.
Vegetarians come in all shapes and sizes.
Pure vegetarians follow a strict diet of no
meat, no eggs and no dairy products. Some
go as far to exclude honey because it is
made by bees.
Lactovegetarians exclude meat but eat
dairy products. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians allow
dairy products and eggs.
Even though their diets differ, the three
vegetarians interviewed Stressed being a
vegetarian is not enough. Most exclude
sugar from their diet, stray from processed
foods and foods with preservatives and
refuse junk food.
One vegetarian attributed his interest in
diet to ill health. Mark Vasina, co-owner of
the Glass Onion restaurant, 235 N. 11 St.,
which specializes in foods with unprocess
ed grains and natural foods, said he began
studying nutrition because he was often
times sick. He said he suffered from head
aches, allergies and hay fever, which dis
appeared when he began eating natural
foods and cutting down on meat.
"I'M NOT SAYING that if I eat meat
occasionally I will suddenly get sick,"
Vasina said, adding that he did notice a
considerable change.
Another vegetarian noted improved
health after changing his diet. Chad
Hoesing, co-manager of Open Harvest, a
food cooperative, 2637 Randolph St., said
meat contains toxins which build up in the
body and add stress to the- digestive
system.
"The body is busy eliminating toxins
from poorly processed foods, which
reduces body energy," he said.
Meat contains chemical toxins from
medications fed to cattle and toxins pro
duced from protein buildup, he said.
Hoesing has had fewer illnesses since be
ginning his vegetarian diet, he said.
"I used to have four or five colds in one
winter. Now I have only one."
Seventh Day Adventists also follow a
vegetarian diet because of health reasons,
according to Lenore McEndree, assistant
professor of home economics at Union
College. McEndree said the Adventists at
Union practice a lactovegetarian diet
"mainly for health reasons and because it
can be a very good diet."
MCENDREE, a registered dietitian who
received a master's degree in nutrition from
Indiana University, said studies have shown
Seventh Day Adventist men had their first
heart attack 10 years later than most men.
They also experienced less intestinal
cancer, she added.
One theory to explain the study's find
ing is that the men have reduced fat
content. Eating fruits, vegetables and
roughage, also lowers the incidence of
heart and intestinal cancer, she said.
The notion that vegetarians lack protein
is incorrect. McEndree said, adding that if
basic principles are followed, a vegetarian
diet has the same nutritional content as a
meat diet. She recommended vegetarians
eat a diet that contains all eight amino
acids. To do this, one of three protein com
binations should be followed, according to
"Diet for a Small Planet" written by
Francis Lappe.
The vegetarian can combine legumes,
like dried beans or peas, with grains, grains
with milk or legumes with seeds. These
combinations "give good quality protein ,"
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McEndree said.
Vegetarians should also avoid "empty
calorie snack items," like potato chips and
candy bars, she said.
A SEVEN-YEAR vegetarian vetern said
she used to measure every gram of food to
be sure she was getting the right nutritional
components.
"That got to be almost sickening so I
quit measuring," Deb Mason said. The
UNL student, said she now uses common
sense to balance her diet.
Mason said she didn't enjoy meat and
one day she "threw it all out." She is rais
ing her children as vegetarians and said
they don't seem to be suffering because of
the absence of meat.
Her youngest daughter, 5, is repelled by
turkey and sweets because they taste
foreign to her, Mason said.
Changing her diet meant changing her
kitchen so she "gave the junk food to the
neighbors."
Cutting out meat didn't cut the food
bill, Mason noted. The cost of natural
foods and fresh produce is high, but it was
worth it, she said.
Mason said being a good cook and
knowing how to use natural foods helps
her family stick with the diet. Her favorite
Photo by Mike Sweeney
dish is pizza made with several cheeses and
plenty of vegetables. She also makes a
chocolate cake without milk and with
natural ingredients.
THE ONLY PROBLEM with her diet is
her parents who are unable to understand
her change. (
"They don't approve because they
believe in the meat and potatoes diet,"
she said.
The others also experienced negative
reactions from their families.
Hoesing, whose father raises cattle, said
his family doesn't agree with his food
philosophy. Vasina said his family tried
vegetarian diets, but went back to the
traditional meals because they received no
social support from their friends.
Vegetarians receive little social support
because the American diet is based on ex
cesses, including fats and proteins. Big
business, however, is moving toward
natural foods because they realize the
natural diet is not a trend.
The three agreed that more people are
switching to vegetarian and natural foods
diets. The attitudes toward vegetarians are
slowly changing, but according to Mason,
"There still are people who ask me if all I
eat is sprouts or soybeans." t
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-Vegetarians believe in the back to
basics philosophy which includes
whole grain products. ,
Photo by Mar Biiiingdey
fathom
friday, September 21, 1979