Fellow Vegan/Vegetarian/Pescetarians

susanswan

I discovered Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat To Live book. He was on PBS late one sleepless night. Got me interested in health reasons to be 90% vegan. It's a goal. The book was extremely compelling talking about how the standard American diet leads to Heart disease, cancer, strokes, high blood pressure, and all sorts of autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, lupus, type 2 diabetes, MS to name a few. It isn't about calorie control. It is about eating plants - not pasta, not potato chips, or processed foods. He calls it a "nutritarian" diet where you eat the most nutritious foods on the planet, namely the green ones.

I admit it was a difficult sounding process, but since October I've been working on my last 10 pounds and they are coming off easier than my first 10! Of course getting derailed by the massive holiday food parties didn't help. And not doing the "diet" perfectly yet but by adding so many veggies to my diet I discovered that I felt just horrible after eating regular party food! Felt like I had eaten lead and was just exhausted, plus my innards had come to a screeching halt! Feel so much better on his diet approach towards getting healthy. My fingers were stiff and very painful first thing in the morning (perhaps new arthritis?) and following his diet the pain is completely gone. The typical American diet causes lots of inflammatory processes in your body that over time create these diseases. Damage can be reversed over time by following this diet. I believe it!

My diet is open if you want to browse through and see what I eat. If you want to friend me, you can. I eat a bit of fish and chicken or a few bites of steak now and then. Hubby isn't pleased with me, but he can eat what he wants to, too! I am interested in living a very healthy and long life in the best shape possible. Getting old is not an option! = D

missleah26

My husband and I have watched a few VERY eye-opening documentaries in the last few days, namely "Forks Over Knives" and "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." Between these two and the data presented, I'm very much convinced about the health benefits to going vegan. Like a few previous posters, I shy away from processed food, even if it is vegan.

The good news is that my husband is totally on board with going to a mainly whole-food, plant-based (calling it WFPB going forward) diet, just so long as I don't call it vegetarian or vegan haha Seeing Rip Essylsten in "Forks Over Knives," who was a professional triathlete turned firefighter sealed the deal for him, I think, as he's a firefighter himself. He was so excited about the juicing fast presented in "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" that I think I might get him a juicer for Valentine's Day... how romantic!

Our problem is that we both love meat-- steak, chicken, fish, pork-- and have a hard time imagining a meal feeling complete without it. We're also big into dairy... Greek yogurt is our newest favorite breakfast item. I've already switched to soy milk and saw an improvement with my problem skin, but switching my DH to soy milk is definitely going to be a challenge.

We're excited to give it a try, though! Finishing all the animal-based products in our house and not buying their replacements. No sense in wasting what we already have!

Kym1610

My husband is a Vegan here are some of the receipe's I have found that he will eat

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Kym1610/view/my-tried-and-true-reciepes-119373

oceanrose78

Our problem is that we both love meat-- steak, chicken, fish, pork-- and have a hard time imagining a meal feeling complete without it. We're also big into dairy... Greek yogurt is our newest favorite breakfast item. I've already switched to soy milk and saw an improvement with my problem skin, but switching my DH to soy milk is definitely going to be a challenge.

We're excited to give it a try, though! Finishing all the animal-based products in our house and not buying their replacements. No sense in wasting what we already have!

I LOVED meat too, I was eating French style cooking, eggs, butter, cream, all with a meat as the star. I became a Pescetarian cold turkey, and slowly weaned fish out of my diet for the most part. I did have fish the other day, but frankly it did nothing for me taste-wise. After watching FOK, I cut out all dairy and eggs for a 2 week period and I've never gone back. My family wasn't really thrilled but Vegan cookies and muffins convinced them Plant based was pretty awesome!

If you have a Whole Foods around you, they do a lot with Rip, and have some special programs starting right now. His Engine 2 book is the next on my list to buy . You can do it! Right now increase your veggies, and every time you see that hunk of meat imagine the damage it's doing to your body. After about 4 weeks eating plant based your taste will change and meat won't taste good and veggies will taste AMAZING! Now even the smell of cooking meat grosses me out. HUGE change from my old way of eating!

milowen

I'm THAT vegetarian, the one who is reaching for the ranch dressing and is anything but healthy. I gave up red meat at age 12 and went close to vegan at 16 (no animals, gelatin, eggs). I have added eggs back into my life during my first pregnancy. I also occasionally take fish oil supplements, which completely weirds me out...but it has really helped cut my triglycerides down quickly.

I need whatever help I can get to cut down on processed junk (cheese pizza and breakfast sandwiches are my vices). I really want to cut back on sugars, fats and all the naughty stuff b/c I've been spinning out of control and don't want a diabetes diagnosis.

I've just started to cook seriously. I want to add items like quinoa into our diet, since veggie burgers and such aren't exactly a fresh diet. I'm also enjoying using seasonal produce.
I would be happy to be friends with anyone else who could use someone to cheer for them and help me remain accountable.

AnarchoGen

Same here, I raise my own chickens so you will see eggs certain days. For the most part I am vegan. I do eat fish but rarely. I'm also on a gluten free diet. I don't really have a label for myself. The title of the thread pretty much sums it up LOL

byronelton

Vegetarian for 26 years ... Vegan for 15. Best decision my family and I ever made.

flyingwrite

Wow! Thanks for the awesome response!! Looking forward to a healthy future with all of you!

bissabwell

I WANT to be Veggie, if not full-blown Vegan, but the chaos of daily life keeps getting in my way! Lame excuse, I know, but I am trying to do more planning ahead, precooking, or slow-cooker type things so that laziness, exhaustion, or outside-demands don't keep getting in the way of making healthy choices. I know in my head and heart that I will feel and BE healthier on a clean diet, I just have to get my rear in gear! Any suggestions, tips, pointers (like the books already suggested) are greatly appreciated!!!

sunshineandblueskies

I also watched FOK "Forks Over Knives" which really got me thinking. I’m in the process now of trying to eat whole foods and cutting out processed or sugary foods out of my diet. I’m complying vegan recipes and slowly moving more in the direction. I’m taking it step by step.

awaytofindhappy

hi! nice to meet all of you. Vegetarian for five years, vegan for one.

gogojodee

BUMP!

Anyone can friend me as well. Maybe we can start a group?

SmartAlec03211988

I'd love to go pescetarian, but I just can't give up chicken. I don't eat any red meat, though. So I guess that makes me a polo-pescetarian.

tania2287

I was a vegan for 17 years. My children are vegan from birth and are very health.

lauehorn

I was pescetarian for over a year, eating mostly veg with fish a few times a week and loved it except I gained about 15 lbs. I struggled with not overdoing cheese and carbs, even though I was eating whole and not processed foods. I think I need to find a good solid meal plan to follow for a while to help with getting used to balancing other protein sources and not overdoing carbs and picking up creative tips for balancing meals. Cookbooks are overwhelming because most seem to have an overwhelming number of ingredients in each dish. I like it simple, maybe 5 ingredients. I went back to eating meat, not because I love meat, just because I was tired of the inflexibility of cutting it out 100%. It annoyed me, as someone who always ate or tried everything, to be the one asking how's it made or what's in it. So now I just keep it to a minimum and make sure I know the source so I get quality lean meats from sustainable farmers. Love all the tips for cookbooks… I'll have to check them out!

RenCara

My husband and I have watched a few VERY eye-opening documentaries in the last few days, namely "Forks Over Knives" and "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." Between these two and the data presented, I'm very much convinced about the health benefits to going vegan. Like a few previous posters, I shy away from processed food, even if it is vegan.

The good news is that my husband is totally on board with going to a mainly whole-food, plant-based (calling it WFPB going forward) diet, just so long as I don't call it vegetarian or vegan haha Seeing Rip Essylsten in "Forks Over Knives," who was a professional triathlete turned firefighter sealed the deal for him, I think, as he's a firefighter himself. He was so excited about the juicing fast presented in "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" that I think I might get him a juicer for Valentine's Day... how romantic!

Our problem is that we both love meat-- steak, chicken, fish, pork-- and have a hard time imagining a meal feeling complete without it. We're also big into dairy... Greek yogurt is our newest favorite breakfast item. I've already switched to soy milk and saw an improvement with my problem skin, but switching my DH to soy milk is definitely going to be a challenge.

We're excited to give it a try, though! Finishing all the animal-based products in our house and not buying their replacements. No sense in wasting what we already have!
[/quot



I just requested Forks Over Knives at my library. I am so excited to see it! I do not eat pork or beef and limit foul. I cannot give up dairy or fish. I also try to go totally vegan a couple times a week. This is where I am at now but can see me moving forward with time

RenCara

I'd love to go pescetarian, but I just can't give up chicken. I don't eat any red meat, though. So I guess that makes me a polo-pescetarian

^^^^^ Yes! But I also eat eggs. I guess I am an ovo, polo- pescetarian (Why don't we call me a flexitarian.)

_ADecadeUnderTheInfluence

Hardcore vegan.

Sorry but I personally:

Hate the word "pescatarian" and vegetarians are alright in my book. Do not call your self "part" vegan or "part" vegetarian, it makes a mockery of my lifestyle from your ignorant word choice. Education is key.

Vegans DO NOT eat any animals (FISH, cow, chicken, pig, basically any thing with a face or nervous system) or their by-products including (honey, milk, dairy, eggs)
Vegetarians DO NOT eat any animals (FISH, cow, chicken, pig, basically any thing with a face or nervous system) -some chose dairy/eggs or one or the other or both.

Being "part" anything in food-related diets makes the person who is living that way really upset-like myself. It's like people saying "I'm part carnivore (a being whom only eats meat), but I do like to eat vegetables once in a while."
What you are searching for is 'my lifestyle is plant-based' or, "I like to eat less meat than the average person in__insert country_"


*****"This is only my opinion and only an opinion."-taken from @themerchdude

_ADecadeUnderTheInfluence

I was a vegan for 17 years. My children are vegan from birth and are very health.

YES! if I ever have kids, I would raise them vegan!

alicia2601

I'm pescetarian and have been for about 6 mts. I eat fish. No meat or poultry. Slowly trying to rid myself of cheese....I don't really consume any other dairy product. I drink soy milk and found that I actually like soy better than cow's milk anyways. Maybe eventually i'll become full vegetarian but I love my seafood.