Nutrition (Vegan, Vegetarian, or Plant Base)

geekzoid

Is anyone a Vegan, Vegetarian, or eating just Plant Base Foods? I have thought about becoming a Vegan.

gentsevetzak

I'm a vegetarian, you could join some vegetarian/vegan group forums.

rita27ny

How about raw food diet?

blueyegrl

Vegetarian here! Add me if you'd like and I too suggest the veg forum!

daffodilsoup

Vegan here! What would you like to know?

rita27ny

hi!

I have some questions:

Vegans does your body go through a detox stage while transition? Also is vegan the same as raw food diet? If not,what is the difference? Is a vegan diet better than a raw food diet? Yes, why?

Thanks for your help.

laceyxlockdown

veggie! of 6years! soon to be vegan again!

merimeaux

hi!

I have some questions:

Vegans does your body go through a detox stage while transition? Also is vegan the same as raw food diet? If not,what is the difference? Is a vegan diet better than a raw food diet? Yes, why?

Thanks for your help.

Good question about the detox stage. Interesting thought. I'm a vegetarian but I can't speak to that since I made the switch when I was 5, so it's hard to say what was going on with my body back then. lol. But it'll be interesting to hear what others say!

A vegan diet isn't the same as the raw food diet...from what I understand, people who follow raw food diets only eat uncooked, unprocessed foods, and vegans do eat cooked and (sometimes) processed foods. One could even eat things like sashimi (raw fish at a sushi place) while following a raw food diet, so it's technically not limited to raw plant foods. As to which is better, I have no idea, though it's generally healthier to avoid unprocessed foods in general, no matter what your diet may be.

daffodilsoup

hi!

I have some questions:

Vegans does your body go through a detox stage while transition? Also is vegan the same as raw food diet? If not,what is the difference? Is a vegan diet better than a raw food diet? Yes, why?

Thanks for your help.

I gave up meat, eggs and dairy pretty much overnight, and I didn't really notice any sort of "detox" phase, but mostly because my diet was already full of leafy greens and other nutritious foods. I just upped those and cut out the animal parts.

Raw food diets tend to be vegan, as it's easier and because most animal foods have to be cooked/heated in order to be consumed safely, but not all vegan diets are raw. I have eaten vegan for a long time now, but I like the comfort of hot food and I just find it to taste better.

That being said, "better" is relative - whichever lifestyle you can stick to is better. I know that for me, while I like the idea of a raw food diet, it isn't practical for me - I love to cook and eat out at restaurants with my boyfriend, and a raw food lifestyle just isn't conducive to that. However, I do incorporate a lot of raw foods into my normal diet (been skewed since I've been in China, but only one month left!). Nothing says that your diet has to be one or the other!

pph79

Vegetarian here. But i did it over a year and a half ago for more ethical reasons than nutrition, although health is/was also a big part of it. The transition was fairly easy, considering i never ate much meat to begin with.

astronasrin

Hi;
I am also a vegetarian, and I am really enjoying it! :happy:

rita27ny

thnks for all your answers!!

rita27ny

Did you guys notice your skin getting brighter and radian like glowy? I heard so many great stuff about the raw diet. But wanted to know how the vegan,vegetarian experience was?

modernfemme

Its totally about food choices. When I went vegetarian 1.5 years ago, I gained a ton of weight. I was eating pasta, cheeses, overprocessed veggie burgers, etc. Eat healthy no matter what, your skin is going to glow.

Once I started picking the good stuff, I lost weight and had great skin.

lkrog001

About 8 months ago I was 210lbs and went raw vegan for 40 days (it was a personal religious decision). So many amazing things happened to me and now I continue to carry on the vegan lifestyle with all its ups and downs. Honestly, I immediately jumped into this 6 1/2 week fast with my first day being no food/no water. From there I chose only raw foods (veg, fruit, nuts) which I shopped for every couple of days. Also, no grains, only water, and no seasoning/spices. The first two weeks were all hype so emotionally there was little sacrifice involved. The third week was the hardest because I never went so long without processed, fatty, unhealthy foods in my life; and here was the sacrifice. Nevertheless, I stuck through it and prayed a lot, and by the fourth week this eating change was a new habit and I found no matter what tiny- warm up- exercises I did, I was loosing about 1 lb each day. Mind you, I was over 200 lbs, and though my honestly high muscle mass fools people on my weight all the time, if I had not been so over weight I would have been concerned about this intense weight loss. For the most part, as the end of my fast was coming, all I could think of was what sort of meals would I have to break this life altering event. I truly spent the last two weeks on and off deciding different ways to break the fast, and ultimately I went out to dinner with my boss as it was also my last week at my job, and we went to all you can eat sushi buffet. Naturally I ate a bit too much sashimi, and excitedly laid off most of the rice and any other non-vegan product. After that day, I decided to stay vegan and since then have enjoyed so many benefits from it.

1.) My joints no longer hurt and my back pain has decreased greatly.
2.) My weight has stabilized at 175lbs and I am learning how to eat moderately; I am a binge eater, so I'm learning how to properly eat portions and not criticize myself when I eat seconds. And unexpectedly, I typically don't want the unhealthy or sweet packed foods (we all will get those cravings, still)!
3.) My family and most friends are supportive and have admitted to making changes to their eating styles too- we are all over weight.
4.) I am finally learning I don't have to eat all the time, all that I can down, or everything I see in front of me- I CAN Say NO!!!!!