Plant based diet

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  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
    edited June 2017
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    There are no health benefits that can be proven by credible science to back up a plant based diet. If you're doing it for moral reasons, good for you, but it won't be a magic pill. Oreos and doritos are vegan friendly for example and there at lots of overweight, unhealthy vegans.
  • sarahshinks2233
    sarahshinks2233 Posts: 55 Member
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    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    Plum5027 wrote: »
    Vegan does not equal plant based diet

    I have a co-worker who is a vegetarian and claims to be practically vegan. She doesn't like vegetables. I have no idea what she eats other than chocolate and I think lentils. But it definitely is not vegetables.

    Chocolate and lentils do come from plants... so she's not completely wrong. Milk chocolate obvs. has milk in it, but lots of dark chocolate doesn't.
  • gomomwin
    gomomwin Posts: 1 Member
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    I've lost 115 lbs with a mostly plant based diet. I eliminated most processed foods...still have a little room for a treat every once in a while, but like others who have gone plant based, I feel AMAZING, my skin is clear, my joints work smoothly, I sleep well, I am in a better mood, I can't think of any area of my life that hasn't improved since making the switch.
  • Secondhalf35
    Secondhalf35 Posts: 113 Member
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    Thank you for this. I am definitely eliminating big percentage of eggs to start then maybe eventually I'll only have them occasionally
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    StevLL wrote: »
    Interesting turn this thread took. I don't want to join the argument about benefits but will present my results. Since the end of February, I have been slowly eliminating meat and processed foods. My calories have stayed stable at roughly 1800-2000 calories a day, but the weight loss really increased as the balance of whole plant based foods got higher and meat and processed food dropped. In 4 months I have dropped 39lbs, my cholesterol has dropped 30 points my A1C is at 5.1 and my kidney function has increased from 39% to 48%. My BP was 192/145 on February 27 which put me in the hospital and I have been on 8+ bp meds for 25 years. In the last month, the doctor has dropped 3 of the meds because my bp keeps dropping too low. There are studies all over the place that back plant-based and a bunch that backs processed food and meat as safe and government approved. All I can say is that by changing the source of my food to whole plant-based and as much organic as I can find and with very little exercise my body changed for better. This past week I went totally plant-based, with the exception of a feta/olive Mediterranean salad that I emulsify and use as a condiment and I am feeling even better than ever. For me moving away from animal protein is saving my life. Pretty sure Oreo's, Doritos and my favorite porterhouse would not be able to do that.

    This is great that you've seen so much improvement! A good diet and weight loss help quite a few health markers. If you continued losing weight and did not eliminate animal products but improved your nutritional profile with lots of vegetables and nutritious foods you probably would have still seen improvement. I have. Granted I'm not the best to tout lean meats because I've never been that much into meat, but I have achieved comparable results while consuming plenty of dairy and occasional eggs/meat. Comparing a healthful plant based diet with a poor meat based diet is not fair.

    P.S: Oreos and some flavors of Doritos are vegan!
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Oh, I definitely saw improvement when I was still eating meat, it just seemed to speed up quite a bit with the change in my source of food. I also really think it is based a lot on each person's body. Years ago when I power lifted to compete, I thrived on a high protein meat based diet and had great labs, so there are so may factors involved. I think people should experiment and find what works. I didn't go plant based for ethical reasons, I did it because my body was giving out and the cardiologist and the Nephrologist both suggested if I reduced animal protein and dairy I could slow the progression of my kidney disease and reduce the risk of my aneurysm bursting. It was with a very heavy heart I gave away my smoker, but I have been able to challenge myself to get creative and there are some amazing dishes that are keeping me motivated. And don't think Oreo's are not in my future because moderation allows for treats, although I have never been a Doritos person, I am more of a Ruffles with dip person. :-)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    StevLL wrote: »
    Oh, I definitely saw improvement when I was still eating meat, it just seemed to speed up quite a bit with the change in my source of food. I also really think it is based a lot on each person's body. Years ago when I power lifted to compete, I thrived on a high protein meat based diet and had great labs, so there are so may factors involved. I think people should experiment and find what works. I didn't go plant based for ethical reasons, I did it because my body was giving out and the cardiologist and the Nephrologist both suggested if I reduced animal protein and dairy I could slow the progression of my kidney disease and reduce the risk of my aneurysm bursting. It was with a very heavy heart I gave away my smoker, but I have been able to challenge myself to get creative and there are some amazing dishes that are keeping me motivated. And don't think Oreo's are not in my future because moderation allows for treats, although I have never been a Doritos guy, I was more of a Ruffles with dip person. :-)

    For kidney disease you definitely made the right choice! Congratulations on finding the best diet for you. I will also have to agree that plant based dishes are some of the tastiest out there. I'll take an eggplant and chickpea salad over burger any day. I'm not against plant-based diets. In fact I'm fully for them and personally kind of partial to them. For certain health conditions, like in your case, they are superior. It's just some people try to attach miraculous expectations to their diet (plant based and otherwise) that no diet can live up to. People on all kinds of diets get sick, all we can do is eat reasonably well within our chosen diet and hope for the best. Isolating one chosen diet and advocating it as the "best and healthiest" diet is misleading and can frustrate people when their preferences don't align with said diet.

    My whole point is that a nutrition focused plant based diet is healthy, but it's not the only healthy diet and I bet everyone can find something that aligns with their preferences that's just as healthy.
  • Secondhalf35
    Secondhalf35 Posts: 113 Member
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    Thank you. I've had veg, fruit, nuts seeds beans all day and have been fine. Had egg in my last dish and the wind has started, thankfully I'm on my own tonight lol. Think me and eggs are over
  • Secondhalf35
    Secondhalf35 Posts: 113 Member
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    Same happened yesterday after boiled eggs. My stomach doesn't like them
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited July 2017
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    I'm currently switching to a more whole foods, plant based diet and I haven't noticed anything significant with how I feel. I do have more energy, due the the much larger fruit intake ie sugar. I now eat more sugar from fruit and raw honey, than what I was getting with my old, SAD diet, which was pretty low sugar (I'm not a sweets person and gravitate towards salty). And then I've also had an easier time maintaining a calorie balance from eating more plant based foods. I'm a few years into maintenance and was still tracking my calorie intake. Since I've made the switch I've pretty much gotten away from tracking my calorie intake and I'm still maintaining within my 5lb maintenance window, (I also haven't lost any weight since switching either btw).

    Weekly I still eat a few servings of Oreo cookies, chips, dairy (down to just cheese), and then 12 ounces of fish and beef. But otherwise my diet consists of lots of veg/fruit, beans, nuts and seeds, whole grains and then small amounts of raw honey, olives, unsweetened almond milk, coconut water etc. Oh, and coffee :#
  • kzooyogi
    kzooyogi Posts: 121 Member
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    I've been vegan for almost 3 years and love the way I feel. I was vegetarian before that and found the switch from omnivore to vegetarian extremely beneficial for the way my body felt. Then when I made the switch from vegetarian to vegan, I felt even better.

    I will provide a note of caution - I have a mild case of IBS, so my digestion is certainly impacted by the amount of fiber I eat nowadays. You may find that a plant-based diet improves your digestion tremendously. I've found that it often contributes to a mild amount of discomfort given my pre-existing condition, however I take a low-dosage prescription that helps with stomach cramping and has worked wonders.

    Note that veganism isn't a cure-all, and definitely isn't right for everyone. You may find that you feel better even with taking a few nights per week off of animal products. Start slow, and if you want, work your way up to 100% animal product-free. Let it be something that's sustainable for you, and don't beat yourself up if you can't commit to it 100%. Even I cheat and eat a small bit of cheese sometimes ;)
  • Secondhalf35
    Secondhalf35 Posts: 113 Member
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    Thank you. My skins clearer and ibs reduced. I've reduced eggs and fish and removed dairy. I will definitely treat myself just in moderation. Feeling confident this is positive step forward
  • landydodo
    landydodo Posts: 3 Member
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    Hey guys, I have been transitioning to vegan over the past 6 months and have been noticing a consistant weight gain due to my high carb diet. Do you guys have any tips for me? I am moderately active plus cardio at least twice a week and calorie counting doesn't seem to be helping.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
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    Secondhalf35 wrote: »
    Thank you. My skins clearer and ibs reduced. I've reduced eggs and fish and removed dairy. I will definitely treat myself just in moderation. Feeling confident this is positive step forward

    We sound very similar :) I'm still keeping 1 serving (4 ounces) of wild caught salmon a week for the nutrients and the same with 1-2 servings of beef (we buy local, grass fed beef). Dairy has been reduced to a bit of cheese here and there and then the odd ball thing like chip dip once in a blue moon. Eggs are either an egg white once in a while or as an ingredient in a baked good like muffins. Chicken and pork are pretty much totally gone, though no foods are completely forbidden-I just don't actively seek it out anymore with my focus on plant foods.

  • Secondhalf35
    Secondhalf35 Posts: 113 Member
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    Yeah moderation for me too. I will definitely focus on plant base. Bit like a tree. The trunk is the plants, the branches are eggs etc and the leaves are treats in moderation :) Hi I'm not too sure. Maybe count calories
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
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    landydodo wrote: »
    Hey guys, I have been transitioning to vegan over the past 6 months and have been noticing a consistant weight gain due to my high carb diet. Do you guys have any tips for me? I am moderately active plus cardio at least twice a week and calorie counting doesn't seem to be helping.

    It's not the carbs, either you are eating more calories than you think or something else is going on.
  • Secondhalf35
    Secondhalf35 Posts: 113 Member
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