When I mean slightly I mean only for health reasons with occasional meat as a treat. I am choosing this because ever since I moved I have been getting sick when I eat most meats. Burgers, chicken wings and even steak. I am not a big meat eater to begin with, but I do enjoy it when I can, which is why I would like to stick to it just for a once in a while treat.

I have been getting sick on meat, and canned goods as well. So I think I need to change.

I am also not much of a healthy eater, but realize that I should to help me keep fit being as I walk everywhere. The problem is I don't like too many fruits or vegetables. In fact, I am considered very picky, but am willing to try anything new.

So I was wondering if I could get any suggestions before I try and take on this diet. Anything I should be aware of? Any dish ideas? Anything else I should know?

Thanks!

First of all, are you sure it's the meat that's the problem?  A lot of people who think that meat is making them sick are actually being made sick by additives, food substitutes and other things that are cooked in or with the meat.  For example, the foods that you mentioned are often fried or "grilled" on a flat grill, where they stew in their own oils as well as any oils added to keep them from sticking, and (especially at burger joints, where there's pressure to be "non-transfat") some modern oils used for frying are known to give people digestive problems.  I can't eat anything with Olean/olestra ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olestra ) for example.  I also have strong reactions to Nutrasweet (aspartame) and Splenda (sucralose).  This severely inhibits what I'm able to eat of processed foods these days, because many, many products are made with these three additives.  (The next time you're in the water/drink aisle of a store, for example, check the labels of products such as Propel Fitness Water, generally all diet sodas, and other items marketed as "healthier" alternatives to traditional sweets and snacks.)

Generally speaking, it IS better to eat organic, raw and with a larger proportion of fruits and vegetables anyway.  Those of us who are @$$-broke can't always afford that luxury.  (Compare the price of organic orange juice to a similar size of soda, for example; and if you want a REAL sticker shock, compare the per-ounce price.)  Thus, one of the things to take into consideration is that you will most likely need a larger budget for food, at least until you figure out what you like, what you don't like, and how to maximize your meals with a minimum amount of waste.

Often, people who say they "don't like fruits and vegetables" have simply not had them prepared properly.  A common example is spinach - people swear up and down that they hate spinach, yet most have only ever had it cooked.  I don't like cooked spinach, and it's a waste of a lot of the beneficial aspects of the food.  (Typically, the more you cook a food, the more its nutrients, minerals, and food body are broken down and destroyed before you ever have a chance to consume them.)  Many people can't tell the difference between raw spinach and the green part of lettuce, especially if it's served in salad, on a sandwich, or otherwise presented as lettuce.  It does have a stronger and more sharp flavor than lettuce, but for those with minimal exposure to either, the difference isn't always as noticeable. The same goes for other vegetables, herbs and fruits that people say they hate - RAW, RAW, RAW.  Try it raw before you decide you hate it; cooked vegetables and fruits (of any degree - all the way from slightly steamed to stewed to fried) have a much different consistency (which matters to people who are texture-sensitive) and often different flavor than their raw counterparts.

Diversify your diet of fruits and vegetables.  "Eat your greens" is something that a nagging mother would say, and you do need them; they're often an important source of iron and other minerals.  However, a good rule of thumb is to "taste the rainbow" - try to have some fruits or vegetables of every color during the day.  Reds (apples, strawberries, cherries), Oranges (oranges, carrots), Yellows (bananas, pineapple), Greens (lettuce, spinach, broccoli), Blues/Purples (blueberries, eggplant, grapes, raisins) are all available fairly commonly - you just have to train yourself to notice the colors of the food you're buying.  (This will also eventually lead to you being able to better choose fruits and vegetables that are in healthy condition and ripe instead of being over/underipe or in lesser health.) 

You can also include fruit and vegetable juice in your diet, but be sure to read the label and make sure you're getting JUICE and not a load of chemicals with some fruit/vegetable flavoring in it.  Because of my sensitivity to food substitutes, I can't drink V8 Splash - along with the fruit juices, it also has sucralose in it to make it sweeter.  Other beverages will use high fructose corn syrup to sweeten the drink.  Organic, well-made fruit and vegetable juices DO NOT need additional sweeteners - the Western world has just developed a severe addiction to the taste of sugar since the introduction of processed sugars to our diet.

I did a little googling and found a photo that shows just how easy it is to find a strong variety in fresh fruits and vegetables for a healthy diet:

(I've had all of the foods in that image, btw, all are good when prepared properly, and most have many, many options for meals and preparation.)

Your right, I am not positive that it is the meat, but it is ll I can think of. And I need a soluction fast. I have had to leave classes a few times because I am getting ill, and my mom is getting pretty concerned since I am living on my own for the first time. And I only seem to be getting sick after eating meat, so I put two and two together. Maybe not getting the right answer though.

I know about a few additives, and that both my friend and my mom arevery restructed to eating out because of MSG.

And as a student I don't think I can really afford a true organic budget, not with everything, but perhaps some organic. I tend to eat small, but about five-six times a day, so that my or may not make it a little more expensive.

And I won't say that I don't like vegetables or fruits, it more like my parents always cook them, and I do honestly hate most cooked vegetables. Maybe steamed...but still crunchy. Raw is something i like, so I guess less cooking for me! =) I've had Spinach a few times, but I do like it if it is in a nice pasta with oil dressing, so that might be able to work. I also am pretty good with juices...or just okay. I drink a lot of Orange juice and I drink A LOT of cranberry juice, not cocktail, juice. Which I'm sure is at least a little better. I have also gotten into drinking more water the last week. I am trying to cut soft drinks out a lot too.

I'll do my best to try and stick to the rainbow rule. I'll have to make sure I make a list and stick to it.

Thank you for all your advice. I was getting some pretty crazy advice from some of my cousin's friends. A little insane and psychoish.

I think that it is a good idea of you, to try to live healthier, but that you don't put the meat in a box and trow it away.

I also can't say if it is the meat that makes you so sick, but if you don't like meat so much, you don't have to eat it anyway ^^. That's a question of like and dislike. But it is healthy to eat it sometimes.

If you wanna still eat meat, I can tell you that it is a very good idea to know WHERE your meat is from. So you could search for some farmers or so that aren't to far away and buy your meat there. It is much more expensive, but you know where it comes from and in the most cases it is also more healthy and tasty...and you have more respect for that animal.

I really liek meat, but I also liek the animals, so...living like this makes the live more comfortable for the soul^^

Hope i could help you a bit with this stupid text about happy meat ^^"

 You should probably talk to your doctor before starting any special diets or taking any of our advice.

But I agree with part of what HurricaneIslandheart said. It's possible that you don't like vegetables because of the way you've had them prepared. I hate cooked spinach but love it raw in salad. Salad is one of those really easy and healthy things that you can make. Just chop up some lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, add some spinach and dressing and you are good to go.

But its not entirely true that raw vegetables are the healthiest. Some neutriants are lost in cooking and also some health benefits are gained from cooking. So its best to diversify (eat some raw and eat some cooked). It depends on how its cooked also. Steaming vegetables is one of the healthiest ways to cook them and you can do this very easily by placing the vegetables in a microwave safe glass dish, place a few tablespoons of water in the dish, and cover it (the cover probably needs to be glass as well) and then cook in the microwave on HIGH from 4-6 minutes (depending on if fresh or frozen veggies and the power of your microwave).

Using the right vegetables also is important. Don't get canned vegetables. The color is usually not good and it has a lot of additives to preserve them longer. Plus the frozen vegetables taste much better. Instead buy fresh or frozen. Both of these work well with the microwave steaming technique. Just add a little salt and pepper and they are good to go.

I also second what Hurricane says about the oils. I can't eat anything that is fried in Rice Bran Oil. For some odd reason my body reacts poorly to it. They use it at my work because its a healthy cooking oil. Ugh it makes me really sick.

Anyway good luck with everything!

Also look in to whether you can't digest the meat propery because of an impalace of intestinal bacterial enzymes that help you process your food...  A friend of mine is very sensative to antibiotics...it kills all the good bacteria in ther system and she suddenly couldn't eat red meat, pork chicken and some fish as well as some leafy greens. (She loved salads and even with no dressing/cheese or bacon bits she was getting ill ) She started taking an over the counter suppalment to boost her good bacteria.  She watches what she eats - portion and less processed meats now and takes this suppliment and now when she eats meat - chicken, fish, pork or beef  as well as her favorite greens like romaine lettuce, broccoli etc - she doesn't feel sick anymore. 

That's my two cents.  :)

I know where you're coming from slightly. My dad is allergic to lots of foods that we found out about recently when he went to the allergist, and I've always had problems with the same foods. Meat fat is one of the biggies for me. High fat content meats make me really sick, which is sad because I love bar-b-que. I do think you need to talk to your doctor. The meat problem could be one of many things. My guess is either allergies or a bowel problem. Go to your doc, and the answer may be a special diet, or it may be releasing stress. good luck though.

I just wanted to say thank you for all the advice. I have been doing this diet for a little over two and a half months, and I am feeling a lot better. Thanks!

I couldn't go on a vegatarian diet ^^; I love meat WAY too buch. As much as I love cheese- which I shouldn't have cause it has milk in it (mmmmm gouda....).

Good luck with it though, and I hope you either eat lots of spinach, or take and iron suppliment, cause there's a reason we're omnivores. You need that iron in your blood. Without it, you'll become aenemic. BogusRed had great advise with suggesting a doctor. I hope you did see one, cause they can stear you in the right direction. It may be expensive, but darn it... your health is worth it.

On Oct 6, 2008 11:51 am, BogusRed said:
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I also second what Hurricane says about the oils. I can't eat anything that is fried in Rice Bran Oil. For some odd reason my body reacts poorly to it. They use it at my work because its a healthy cooking oil. Ugh it makes me really sick.

[/quote]

You know it's funny that this thread got revived again because just yesterday I had something that I didn't know had rice bran oil in it and it threw off my digestive system again. didn't get sick, but it was enough to mess things up a bit.

Stupid Rice bran oil.