Going to try going vegan.

dieorloseit
dieorloseit Posts: 33 Member
edited November 20 in Food and Nutrition
I am going to try going vegan. I have high blood pressure and tried a few diets to lower it but never as of yet. I have been reading a lot on it and talking to a lot of people who do the Dr McDougall diet with great bp lowering results.

If any members are vegans and would allow me to add them as a friend so I can see your diary it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Replies

  • jlavdl86
    jlavdl86 Posts: 22 Member
    I'm not a vegan but I'm going to start trying to eat a more vegan diet. Feel free to follow along :)
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    Op-McDougall's plan is very restrictive and most likely not sustainable long term. With your high bp didn't your doctor talk to you about the DASH diet? It's the eating plan that's usually recommended to patients with high bp. It's a more common sense, realistic woe that has been proven to lower bp. I follow it as a template for a healthy eating plan and it's very easy to follow and not overly restrictive at all.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    edited August 2017
    I'm not vegan but we don't eat meat at home and get a lot of great meal ideas from a (vegan) YouTuber named Kicki Yang Zhang.

    She's done many different types of videos and vlogs, but the really helpful ones are her "What I eat in a Day" and such...there are tons of them. I like that she uses a lot of common sense, practical and creative meal ideas. I follow some other vegan YouTube folks who are all about the super expensive prepared foods, fads, etc. Or they seriously eat just potatoes & watermelon it seems.

    Kicki is a young trendy type but her diet is based on more basics and ethnic Asian stuff that is inexpensive and easy to recreate without difficult recipes. Good visual style too. Maybe check it out.

  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    What helped my blood pressure was more regular exercise. Best of luck to you!
  • Tweaking_Time
    Tweaking_Time Posts: 733 Member
    My wife lost weight and her blood pressure went down a bunch - all the way to normal - and she was still heavier than she should have been.

    I lost 75 pounds years ago (now at 6'0" and 172 lbs). I cycle, swim, and run very regularly. In fact I just completed a Sprint Triathlon 3 weeks ago. Even though I am very fit with a resting pulse of 60 bpm, my blood pressure still requires medicine to keep it down.

    My high BP is hereditary. Yours may be too. It might be worth a trip to the doctor to find out.

    BTW - my BP medicine is like taking a placebo - sort of. Other than being a diuretic and causing me to take a couple more trips to the restroom each day, I notice no difference at all.
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    The DASH diet really works. I still eat grilled chicken and salmon I make myself.
  • Shawshankcan
    Shawshankcan Posts: 900 Member
    crazyravr wrote: »
    melissalatzel25 wrote: »
    freelee recipe videos

    Nope. Just Nope!!!!

    This may be the first time I have agreed with you, but I can't agree with you more here.
  • npane
    npane Posts: 22 Member
    Weight loss ,DASH diet and exercise have successfully lowered my high blood pressure. Preparing your own meals vs eating out is also helpful to control your sodium intake. Good luck!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited August 2017
    This content has been removed.
  • TartsAndTattoos
    TartsAndTattoos Posts: 33 Member
    And remember, just because it's labeled "Vegan" doesn't mean it's healthy. Ruffles chips are vegan. Focus on a whole foods, plant based diet. Prepare your own meals and you will know what is exactly in them.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    LifeWithChange93 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    crazyravr wrote: »
    melissalatzel25 wrote: »
    freelee recipe videos

    Nope. Just Nope!!!!

    I don't even know what a Freelee recipe video would be . . . does she just peel a bunch of bananas and throw them in a bowl?

    She started the Raw till 4 diet. You eat nothing but raw foods until 4 o'clock and then after 4 o'clock you can eat anything that's vegan. She gave up the 80/10/10 diet

    I know who she is. I was making a joke about what her recipes would be like given her overall dietary recommendations.

    And unless her plan has changed, she doesn't say you can eat anything that is vegan after 4 PM. Her website says that daily fat intake should be under 10% of calories, that only "whole" and "unprocessed" foods should be eaten, no sweets or fruit after the cooked dinner, and to avoid beans if possible.

    So a typical vegan dinner for me (higher fat, including beans and some processed foods, sometimes with a dessert of fruits or baked goods) wouldn't be part of her plan.

    Has she revised her Raw Til 4 principles?

    http://rawtill4diet.com/raw-till-4-principles/
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    melissalatzel25 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    If you have tried prescriptive diets before and not succeeded, do you think yet another prescriptive diet is the way to go? Going vegan is a moral statement, not something you should do for health. It's also a restrictive diet, that will be difficult unless you have the moral incentive. If you have failed to stick to diets before, you will fail again. Do you want to set our for yet another failure?

    Your diet is what you eat. You decide what to eat and not to eat. Your health will improve when you eat healthily, consistently. There's an almost infinite way to eat healthily, but you can only eat healthily consistently if you eat in a way you like. Contrary to common belief, eating right is not supposed to be or feel like a punishment. There is a lot of false information out there, and it is aimed directly at deperate and insecure people. Please make an effort to base your decision on sound and balanced information and your own preferences and values.

    im vegan 3 years now and trust me, its ANYTHINNG but restrictive....
    its just the opposite.
    restrictive is the standard western diet not full enough of whole plant foods...


    as a vegan im eating burritos pizzas, burgers ,veggie bowls ,nicecream bowls full of superfoods ,nuts ,grains, seeds, fruits ,veggies ,smoothies, cereals ,tacos , oil free sweet potato fries, many pastas, spagettis , hugeee salads, breads, raw food bars ,
    for junk im still eating chocolate (searh dairy free ones, youd be surprised) oreos certain doritos chips , anything trust me just look and youll slowly see how much we can actually eat!



    try follow youtubers that post what i eat in a day videos:

    naturally stephanie
    Maddie Lymburner
    high carb hannah
    thriving on plants
    ashleys green life
    hot for food
    freelee recipe videos

    Then I think my "western diet" isn't restrictive at all. I get to eat all that, PLUS animal products.

    Veganism is great if that's what you want to do, but calling an all-inclusive diet "restrictive" makes zero sense.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    melissalatzel25 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    If you have tried prescriptive diets before and not succeeded, do you think yet another prescriptive diet is the way to go? Going vegan is a moral statement, not something you should do for health. It's also a restrictive diet, that will be difficult unless you have the moral incentive. If you have failed to stick to diets before, you will fail again. Do you want to set our for yet another failure?

    Your diet is what you eat. You decide what to eat and not to eat. Your health will improve when you eat healthily, consistently. There's an almost infinite way to eat healthily, but you can only eat healthily consistently if you eat in a way you like. Contrary to common belief, eating right is not supposed to be or feel like a punishment. There is a lot of false information out there, and it is aimed directly at deperate and insecure people. Please make an effort to base your decision on sound and balanced information and your own preferences and values.

    im vegan 3 years now and trust me, its ANYTHINNG but restrictive....
    its just the opposite.
    restrictive is the standard western diet not full enough of whole plant foods...


    as a vegan im eating burritos pizzas, burgers ,veggie bowls ,nicecream bowls full of superfoods ,nuts ,grains, seeds, fruits ,veggies ,smoothies, cereals ,tacos , oil free sweet potato fries, many pastas, spagettis , hugeee salads, breads, raw food bars ,
    for junk im still eating chocolate (searh dairy free ones, youd be surprised) oreos certain doritos chips , anything trust me just look and youll slowly see how much we can actually eat!



    try follow youtubers that post what i eat in a day videos:

    naturally stephanie
    Maddie Lymburner
    high carb hannah
    thriving on plants
    ashleys green life
    hot for food
    freelee recipe videos

    If someone isn't eating enough fruit and veg, it's not because of "restriction"...like there's nothing in the Western diet handbook that says you can't eat plants...conversely, you cannot eat animal products if you are a vegan which by definition would be restrictive..ie you are restricted in what you are allowed to eat...

    I'm an omnivore and eat a crap ton of plants too...

    and Lol at Freelee...
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »
    melissalatzel25 wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    If you have tried prescriptive diets before and not succeeded, do you think yet another prescriptive diet is the way to go? Going vegan is a moral statement, not something you should do for health. It's also a restrictive diet, that will be difficult unless you have the moral incentive. If you have failed to stick to diets before, you will fail again. Do you want to set our for yet another failure?

    Your diet is what you eat. You decide what to eat and not to eat. Your health will improve when you eat healthily, consistently. There's an almost infinite way to eat healthily, but you can only eat healthily consistently if you eat in a way you like. Contrary to common belief, eating right is not supposed to be or feel like a punishment. There is a lot of false information out there, and it is aimed directly at deperate and insecure people. Please make an effort to base your decision on sound and balanced information and your own preferences and values.

    im vegan 3 years now and trust me, its ANYTHINNG but restrictive....
    its just the opposite.
    restrictive is the standard western diet not full enough of whole plant foods...


    as a vegan im eating burritos pizzas, burgers ,veggie bowls ,nicecream bowls full of superfoods ,nuts ,grains, seeds, fruits ,veggies ,smoothies, cereals ,tacos , oil free sweet potato fries, many pastas, spagettis , hugeee salads, breads, raw food bars ,
    for junk im still eating chocolate (searh dairy free ones, youd be surprised) oreos certain doritos chips , anything trust me just look and youll slowly see how much we can actually eat!



    try follow youtubers that post what i eat in a day videos:

    naturally stephanie
    Maddie Lymburner
    high carb hannah
    thriving on plants
    ashleys green life
    hot for food
    freelee recipe videos

    Then I think my "western diet" isn't restrictive at all. I get to eat all that, PLUS animal products.

    Veganism is great if that's what you want to do, but calling an all-inclusive diet "restrictive" makes zero sense.

    Yeah, I mean, I love being vegan and I don't really miss anything. But it's illogical to deny that non-vegans can eat everything that vegans can plus some other things.

    An individual non-vegan may choose not to eat certain things . . . but there is no guarantee that an individual vegan is eating those things either.

    A non-vegan diet can absolutely be full of whole plant foods.
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