Cutting out the meat

Nu_Journee

She asked for advice in cutting out meat, not all the comments on why she shouldn't. She is a grown woman who made a CHOICE to cut out meat. If you don't agree with it her that's your CHOICE. Maybe some of you are trying to help but if you don't have the advice she is asking for, why comment? If she wants to research and decide to go back to meat she will. Other than that only offer what she is asking for.

CorvusCorax77

I admittedly stopped reading here because I think most everything else will just be repeats.

But I just wanted to point out that he said we are designed for an omnivorous diet, which is without a doubt 100% factually true. As evidenced by our inability to make our own B12 etc etc. Sure, you can choose to eat vegan, that doesn't mean humans were meant for it or that it's good for you. The amount of supplements and careful nutrition you have to do in order not to, you know, die is evidence of that. (So be thankful you live in the age you do where you have those supplements and such available to prevent you from dying for arbitrary reasons)

Actually, there is evidence that bacteria in our intestines synthesize b12. In addition, a great source of it is bacteria on unwashed veggies....
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7354869

If you want to eat vegan fine. But don't act like it's somehow the "right" way to eat. And if you want to feel morally superior for doing so, I guess that's your prerogative too. But as far as human biology is concerned, the right way to eat is to eat a balance of everything.

I don't disagree on your point here. I think in our natural state, I'd be eating a frugivore diet including insects and some meat. I also find self-righteous/morally superior attitudes based on diet annoying.

And to the OP: if you're going to do vegan I highly suggest getting some doctor/nutritionists advice. It's very easy for people to think they can just cut this stuff out and not suffer any consequences. I had a friend whose teeth all rotted and fell out because she was using vegan toothpaste. Little did she know that she had a fluoride deficiency, and fluoride being something in high quantities in normal toothpaste but not so much in vegan....

??? what municipality does she live in? they usually put fluoride in the water. Additionally, fluoride is a mineral, not an animal product so it doesn't have anything to do with veganism.

I agree that its important to eat right and make sure you get what you need though. There are lots of books about this.

ohnstadk

hippies aka veggies and vegans always look sickly to me. Pale and are constantly having health issues. Plus they tend to grow this gland that randomly sprouts out to everyone they talk to that they are a veggie.

person a: man, my car broke down
veggie: that sucks. im e a vegetarian

person b: so my dog died
veggie: well thats said. i wouldnt eat him anyways cuase im a veggie

person a is sleeping very soundly
veggie: *tap tap* hey, im a vegetarian. nite nite

People who talk like that are NOOBS, fyi. I have been a vegetarian for almost 20 years now, and you will not hear me bringing it up unless I am asked if I want some hamburgers.

As for sickly looking people, I would like to share with you some very healthy looking vegetarians:

Kenneth Williams


Joaquin Phenoix (lifelong vegan):


Anoushka Shankar:


me:


On MFP, there is also Sarauk, who is a notorious bada$$.

There's just too many to list. If you really think vegetarians look sickly, you don't know enough vegetarians.

That's some sexy veggies right there!

And I too know veggies aren't sickly looking. They can be rather overweight. My little sister was veggie for a long time, and consistently about 50 lbs overweight. A corn an gluten allergy has been discovered, so she's gone back to some meats (just chicken and fish).

Not one of these people look like they are lacking anything from their diet!!

I always thought that Joaquin Phenoix looked sickly and pale. But everyone else looks really healthy

SJVZEE

So I watched the documentary "Vegucated" and I have decided to slowly cut meat out of my diet. I am almost a week in and I feel GREAT!!!! Is there anyone else out there decide to go vegetarian/vegan that can offer tips on going forward would be much appreciated.

I'm wrapping up my first week and it's going great so far

SJVZEE

I recommend "Forks over Knives," also. Human do NOT need meat, and all studies show that more fruits and vegetables are necessary for health.

The more and longer I eat vegetabes, the more I love them- I used to think I hated them.

Try baking spaghetti squash and then mixing in stewed tomatos.

I have much more energy since going vegetarian, and I no longer have joint pain and stiffness- keep it up!

Just watched this yesterday and really enjoyed it!

Gmtribble90

I try not to make life decisions based off of movies.

But dude...Wayne's World was awesome...that's how I'm livin' brah!!!

Thumbs up! I love that movie and used to live off-the-wall...when I was a teen lol...

SJVZEE

I went vegan for 3+ years because of those "movies" and I ended up feeling great at first and then got horribly ill because of lack of B12 (the ONLY source we can absorb easily is from meat/eggs) and I had an EXTREME deficiency of vitamin D.

I did some research and found out that these "movies" are backed by PETA. They will state whatever to get people to stop eating meat.

Here is a critique of the science behind the FOK movie by a vegan that uncovers the BS: http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/09/22/forks-over-knives-is-the-science-legit-a-review-and-critique/

After I changed my diet to Paleo, and my health has dramatically improved. I even was asked to do a blog post about it on a health blog:

http://balancedbites.com/2013/05/practical-paleo-testimonial-former-vegan-finds-health.html

I'm D deficient and have been for years, regardless of how I eat-a D deficiency is about where you live and not so much about what you eat. I was deficient on a SAD diet and I was deficient on a primal diet.

I'm going the opposite direction from what you did-went from SAD, to primal, to now transitioning to a whole foods, plant based diet. Primal worked great for me, until it didn't anymore. I started gaining weight and having some digestive issues, that I'll spare you all the details lol. It also was insanley expensive, which just wasn't doable long term for me (this was with finding cheap local sources-local, grass fed meat is more expensive than local, organic veggies and fruit, hands down).

I do agree with others that it's important that anyone making a big diet change like this (or any kind of big change), spend the time researching the ins and outs of it-the good and the bad. I've already ordered and received a B12 supplement and started taking it yesterday. Tracking my food on another site that actually breaks down the nutrient content of your foods (mfp-something you should have!), and see that I'm low in a few things so I bought a multi-vitamin today, as well as flax seed. I'm going into this whole thing knowing the strengths and weaknesses of this way of eating

TheGr8Kimbini

I never have liked meat very much, just not interested, but you should Google some substitutes or something to make sure you still get your needed protein. I try to substitute things for meat and try to eat more fruits and veggies...

AnaCoffee

I went vegetarian 2 years ago for health reasons (easier to be low-sodium this way,) fell off the wagon, and am back again for good. I did a ton of research, talked to vegetarian tumblr friends, bought books, and spent far too much money on items the books swore I needed in my pantry and didn't end up using, (So much driving around to find Miso which I used just once and then it went bad. And that was just one example. :grumble: ) I also spent a ton of money that was worth it, trying out various cheese substitutes (so gross! even the most popular brand :sick: ,) meat substitutes (some I liked, some I didn't, some hub loves like and I won't touch,) etc.

A friend gave me a tofu press one Christmas. THIS was worth the money! (Okay, it was free, but I gladly would've paid for it.) Extra firm, non-GMO, organic tofu on it's own to me, is gross. :sick: But pressed, chopped into cubes, and then baked at 350 for 20 minutes or so is a wonderful thing. My favorite way to eat it is with Seeds of Change korma sauce, diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, and any other vegetables I have lying around and served over brown, red, forbidden, or basmati rice.

There's only one kind of veggie burger that I like - Morning Star Farm's mushroom lovers. They're really hard to find in my area though so I'll buy 4-5 boxes at a time. I love making vegetarian gyros with them, using only 1/4 of a diced up burger (or none) per gyro. (I make my own low-sodium tzatziki sauce and multi-grain flatbread.)

Gardien makes some great substitutes. My hub is a HUGE beef lover but can't have it because of gout. He's addicted to their "beef" cubes. (He's also addicted to Whole Food's vegan General Tso's chicken.)

I love Amy's organic frozen dinners. I'll add extra vegetables to the enchilada meal and that'll be my one high sodium thing of the day. They make a really good rice cheese mac & cheese - the only vegan cheese item that I've liked.

I have come to rely less on processed foods and meat substitutes, but oh, were they wonderful when I first started out, and I'm still able to work a few into my low-sodium, vegetarian diet because I really like them. (Never take away my occasional Morning Star Farm's breakfast biscuit. lol!) I loved Tofurky when I first tried it, but don't anymore. Hub loves it. (I make really good real turkey and he prefers that over the Tofurky though. )

Basically, when you're starting out, it's finding out what you like, what works for you, and what doesn't. I can be really overwhelming too! Trust me, I so know how you feel! I started off eating less and less meat, going down to once a week for fish while trying out the various new products. It gets easier eventually. I love how there's so much variety in foods as a vegetarian than when I ate meat...or it just seems that way. It's opened up my eyes to so many new foods I hadn't thought about before or known existed.

Oh, if you have tree and peanut allergies make sure you read the labels. Half the stuff that I eat, my hub can't touch or he'll die. Oh, and read up on possible allergic reactions to Quorn products if you have allergies. (Again, hub can't touch them and I've never felt they were worth trying.)

Hope this helped a little. :flowerforyou:

jofjltncb6

In...

...to see what else OP might be willing to do...

...after watching just one sketchily-supported "documentary".


(Oh, and to read through all four pages to see how this has gone already...)