vegetarian with cf????

[FLgreenbean]

hello my name is toni and im a 20 year old single mother to a son with cystic fibrosis ive been vegetarian for 11 years and it is a life style and follows with my beliefes my son is 8 months.His doctor has told me my son needs to eat meat<img src="i/expressions/brokenheart.gif" border="0"> it is my sons chose weather he consumes meat or not but i want him to have the chose to say no to meat and i was wonderning if theres anyone out there with cf that is vegetarian or knows of it to be safe?

 

[JazzysMom]

I am not a vegetarian, but I will give some input from experience. My nephew is a Veegan (sp?)(no meat or animal products like milk, eggs etc) & my niece (his sis) is a vegetarian. Now neither of them have CF. My nephew is raising his daughter (no CF) to be a veegan. It can be done, but as you are aware it takes lots of effort. Protein is the best way for CFers to keep up their weight because if a CFer ever develops CFRD it will be easier to control since they will already not have the carb vs protein problem. I am sure that the doctor is concerned because many veegans & vegetarians dont get amble supply of essentials. Whether because they dont know how, cant afford it or just dont know they arent.......If you have the ability to provide your child with a healthy lifestyle being sure to address all dietary concerns & weight issues by finding alternatives to the common ones not allowed by your diet that I say go for it. I just push that you are sure you have all your info & alternatives since we know not all foods are liked by all people! BTW even tho my nephew & his daughter dont have CF, they are very healthy. Very few colds etc so however he is doing it, he is doing it right. Good Luck!

 

[FLgreenbean]

hes doing pretty good and i was vegetarian all throught out my pregnancy and he is 21 pounds at 8 months and very long he looks like a year old !he eats like no child ive ever seen before !but with cf ive read they do tend to eat more im pretty knowledged into the fat and protiens needes for cf my doctor/his doctor said thought that tofu and soy is not retained as good as fats from meat?avacodos and peanut butter and beans which i my slef tent to eat alot of r high in fat but is it the right kinda fat?theres 4 diffrent kinda correct? im a vegetarian 5'5 and i weight 160 ! i cook alot too thought i make alot of vegan pizza's and cookies and i cooked some yummie yummies banana pancakes this morning with my sister so i think he should be fne but i just wanna make sure hes healthy he my life he right now dosnt eat any meat baby food but he does like tofu and potatoes blended up <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">
*Toni*

 

[ladybug]

My docs were really against me going veggie in high school.... although, when I read about it, there are many recipes that can be made high fat and calorie that contain no meat (especially if you still do cheese and milk)... So, I would think that even if the docs aren't for it, you could make the switch for him as long as he doesn't start loosing weight cause of it. Keep a close eye on that. To be honest, most of the meat I eat is very very lean now (nothing under 96% lean), so I don't get a whole lot of fat from that anyway.

Good luck! I wish I could be veggie, but I know myself and I just don't eat properly when I cut out meat. Just me though.

 

[miesl]

I would say you will need to find a dietician that will be both supportive of your preferences for vegan and be able to tell you if at some point later your son DOES have to get animal proteins and fats in order to gain and maintain a proper weight. Plus, you will need to discuss how and from what sources he will get his vitamins.

Also, I hate to tell you this, but pancreatic enzyme replacements are an animal byproduct, and if he needs them - there is no way to avoid it.

 

[HairGirl]

Toni, as long as he's healthy I say go for it! What better way to start a healthy life than by healthy eating? Good for you.

 

[samyg0891]

I tried to be a vegetarian for a few months until i started losing wieght. My mom practically had to force meat into me for the first few weeks...but if your son can keep up his weight and doesnt get sick alot from it then i say you should go for it...but if his weight drops or he does start getting sick alot then there is no way to avoid feeding him meat......you could try soy meat.

 

[Meleah]

I have cf and I have been a vegetarien for 3 years. I get plenty of protein through tofu and nuts. I was almost to the point of being vegan when i started having kidney stone problems..(does anybody else with cf out there have problems with kidney stones??)..anyways i had to go on a low oxolate diet that basically excluded all my veggie protein. I had to modify my diet to include dairy and I still get an adequate amount of protein. I am 18 and have maintained a healthy weight through out my being vegetarian. I believe it is a very healthy option that if balanced with plenty of protein could actually be beneficial to your son. It is easier on the digestive system and we all know the problems we cfers have with that <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Check out "Implications for Cystic Fibrosis" on the website www.glycoscience.org.
I have helped many kids regain their health by getting them on these critical nutrients, not discovered until 1996 and still virtually unkown to many. We have assembled an audio visual presentation on CF at the following website: www.glycoshow.com.
Check out my personal site: www.mannapages.com/selfcare to obtain the supplements we speak of.
Your son can be well.

Blessings,


John Greenfield
mannafest@aol.com

 

[fugikitten2087]

I'm a vegitairn and it drives me dietician nuts. I'm not really healthy in the weight department. Well I guess I'm not to bad I do consum mass amounts of ensure. I'm actually a very strick vegan and it's something I choose to do. Although they are right fats and proteins will help.

 

[DietRootBeer]

Hi,

Having CF and being a vegetarien is totally OK. Especially if you eat eggs and dairy. A vegan diet is OK as well if you make sure that you get an adequate amount of protein( eating rice with beans =full protein) or from soy products. Vitamin D is always a concern with vegans so make sure your soy/rice milk is Vitamin D fortified. As for fats oil and nuts will give you an adequate amount of healthy fat is you use enough. I personally feel that a vegan-vegetarien diet is best for overall health, the environment, and the spirit!!! Check out this site www.smarttreat.com and tell them you have a child with CF and they will add xtra fat to your order. They also give cfers COST price. Their treats are totally vegan and awesome!!!

Made in Canada

 

[Babygurl06]

I am sure there are plenty of ways to gain weight and be a veggitarian. As a matter of fact I think its really cool. I think it will be a challenge but go for it and keep at it as long as he stays healthy. Good Luck!

 

[anonymous]

i am seventeen, with cf, and for the first eleven years of my lifei was mostly vegetarian, largely due to my step dads influence. alothough my mother occasionally fed me meat purely becuase of mu cf, she usually fed me alot of tihngs like avocado and nuts, things with alot of natural fat. i was just below average weight range, so for cf that was pretty good.

now that i am independant and cook for myself, i opt for alot of "vegetarian" food, only because i feel so much healthier when i eat it. i think meat occasionally is okay, but as long as you make sure your son gets natural fats he should be fine.

good luck <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[beyerdug]

I was a vegan for 4 years and a vegetarian for another 8 years with no problems. I do not have problems with my pancreas however so my digestion is normal. If you decide to go this route with your child you need to make sure that you provide him with a diet that meets all of his needs. That is the same with any diet. It needs to be balanced and contain the proper amounts of vitamins, protiens and fats. Get a good book on the subject and consult with a dietician before making the switch because it takes more of a conscious effort to be a healthy vegetarian, throw cf in the mix and it becomes even more work.

 

[anonymous]

You should be okay, Just make sure you give him tons of OTHER fatty foods and talk to your doctor about a suplement (pediasure...) and make sure he takes his vitamins. I eat tons oif random things and I still can't keep my vitamins and things up... thats part of the reason we are told to eat so much, its not just for weight ... But our bodies only absorb little bits of what we eat... so make sure you keep him eating (and remember his weight might be good but have his vitamin levels n such checked often

 

[sheateyourfaceoff]

hi
im 13 years old and have had cf all my life. when i was 9 i decided to be a vegetarian. it was hard because most night i had to cook my own dinner, the rest of my family ate meat. since then i have been tired alot, and i take iron pills, eat tons of protien, etc. recently i was looking at the PETA videos and i decided i wanted to be vegan. my mum wont let me, she says i need certain things which come from cheese and other animal products.it made me angry. but, now ive just been eating alot of soy products.
i dont eat
-meat
-fish
-milk
-gelatin
-or eggs
but i do eat
-cheese
-chocolate
-and butter
but yes, ive been totally fine since becoming a veggie
i feel great other than being tired
hope i helped
-rowan<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[sheateyourfaceoff]

hi
im 13 years old and have had cf all my life. when i was 9 i decided to be a vegetarian. it was hard because most night i had to cook my own dinner, the rest of my family ate meat. since then i have been tired alot, and i take iron pills, eat tons of protien, etc. recently i was looking at the PETA videos and i decided i wanted to be vegan. my mum wont let me, she says i need certain things which come from cheese and other animal products.it made me angry. but, now ive just been eating alot of soy products.
i dont eat
-meat
-fish
-milk
-gelatin
-or eggs
but i do eat
-cheese
-chocolate
-and butter
but yes, ive been totally fine since becoming a veggie
i feel great other than being tired
hope i helped
-rowan<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[sheateyourfaceoff]

hi
im 13 years old and have had cf all my life. when i was 9 i decided to be a vegetarian. it was hard because most night i had to cook my own dinner, the rest of my family ate meat. since then i have been tired alot, and i take iron pills, eat tons of protien, etc. recently i was looking at the PETA videos and i decided i wanted to be vegan. my mum wont let me, she says i need certain things which come from cheese and other animal products.it made me angry. but, now ive just been eating alot of soy products.
i dont eat
-meat
-fish
-milk
-gelatin
-or eggs
but i do eat
-cheese
-chocolate
-and butter
but yes, ive been totally fine since becoming a veggie
i feel great other than being tired
hope i helped
-rowan<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">