Traci Rosenbaum

trosenbaum@greatfallstribune.com

When she says she’s a pescatarian, Tiffany Waldren is often met with confusion, but even though it sounds like a religion, “pescatarian” is just a fancy word for a vegetarian who still eats fish.

“We’ll go out to lunch and (my coworkers are) like, “Can Presbyterians eat this?” and I’m like, “I’m not a Presbyterian!” she said.

The decision to become vegetarian or vegan can be fraught with pitfalls, especially in Montana where eating meat seems like second nature, but between health and ethical concerns, vegetarianism and veganism have a number of benefits.

Technically, Waldren is also a lacto-ovo vegetarian because she eats dairy products and eggs, as well, but for her, the choice to avoid meat is not about labels.

It started just over six years ago, when she had a friend who was a raw vegan.

“It was basically just a challenge to her,” Waldren said. “I was like ‘I can do that!’”

So she resolved to be a vegan for a week. At the time, she was doing a lot of running, participating in races and being very physically active. When Waldren made the diet change, she noticed some improvements right away.

“I felt better when I was running and I was sleeping better and my skin was better, and I was like, huh, maybe I should keep trying this,” she said. “So I didn’t actually have any intent…I wasn’t on a big crusade or anything like that. It was just like, well, this is kind of working for me. I’ll just stick with it and see how it goes. And I never went back.”

Although Waldren’s decision didn’t start with concern for animals, she found that being a vegetarian made her more aware of animal welfare issues.

“I’ll see a truck full of pigs go by, and I’m like ‘You’re safe with me, buddy!’” she said, laughing.

For Melanie Hauer, the choice to go vegan had a lot to do with her knowledge of how food is processed. She spent some time as a vegetarian years ago but couldn’t keep it up in the face of living with a husband who actively opposed her choice.

“It doesn’t matter how many books you’ve read and how many documentaries you’ve seen, your knowledge is nothing against someone’s emphatic ignorance,” Hauer recalled. “I just felt like my life would be so much easier if I just went back to (eating meat).”

After leaving her marriage, Hauer recalled thinking, “I have to numb myself to eat this food. I have to look at it and pretend I don’t know what it is and where it came from. I have to tell myself a lot of things to be able to eat it.”

Hauer has been “tiptoeing” back toward being vegan again since her divorce, and she has been meat-free since just after the new year. Her diet does not include eggs or dairy because although she loves things such as cheese, she doesn’t like how they make her feel.

“When I’m not eating meat and cheese, I have to fill my diet with other things,” Hauer said, “so I eat a lot more leafy greens, a lot more whole grains, a lot more beans and lentils. And I feel physically so much better when I eat those things instead.”

In order to get proper nutrition, vegetarians and vegans have to seek out foods that provide nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12 that normally come from animal sources.

According to Andrea Withey, registered dietician for Benefis Health System, decreasing animal proteins decreases bad cholesterol. The increased fiber and decreased fat of a vegetarian or vegan diet helps with digestion. Increased nutrients can do everything from fighting cancer to improving skin. Diabetics can see improved blood sugar levels, and the anti-inflammatory nature of the diet helps with many health conditions.

“The vegetarian diet in general, if you do it correctly, it can be really beneficial for a lot of different ailments,” Withey said.

Hauer and Waldren both noticed they had better digestion and skin almost immediately, but they assert that cutting out meat is no guarantee of health.

“I think a lot people project their ideas of what a vegetarian and a vegan looks like,” Hauer said. “I know lots of plump vegans. You can be really unhealthy and be eating like crap and still be totally vegan.”

Both ladies have had experiences where people said they’re too thin or look malnourished.

“They say ‘It’s easy for you to stay skinny because you don’t eat meat, and I’m like, ‘You do know I can eat French fries and doughnuts all day, right?’” Waldren said.

“Do you know Oreos are vegan?” Hauer chimed in.

Withey’s expertise supported their assessment. She recommends seeing a dietician when you start such a major diet change so you can implement it correctly. She often comes across people who want to cut out meat but go about it in a way that’s counterproductive.

“A vegetarian diet is beneficial if you have the knowledge behind it, if you do it right,” she said. “People say that they’re a vegetarian, but they’re eating a lot of processed foods, they’re eating lots of sugar, lots of carbohydrates. They may not be eating a lot of vegetables because there might be vegetables they don’t like.”

According to Hauer and Waldren, expanding your palate is crucial to being vegetarian and healthy. Both have found that foods they thought they didn’t like have become staples in their diets. They’ve learned to experiment with new foods and cooking styles to keep their meals exciting.

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Traci Rosenbaum at 791-1490. Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_TRosenba.

TYPES OF VEGETARIANS

Vegan: No animal-based foods or foods derived from animals, such as dairy products, eggs and honey.

Lacto-vegetarian: No meat products or eggs but continue to eat dairy products.

Lacto-ovo vegetarian: No meat products but still eat both dairy and eggs.

Pescatarian: No meat products with the exception of fish and seafood. May or may not eat dairy and eggs.

Flexitarian: A relatively new classification. Eats a mostly meat-free diet but still eats meat on occasion. May be a lifestyle change for health reasons or a stepping stone to other types of vegetarianism.