Anyone tried going vegan?

Sproutingupstrong

I was just curious if anybody out there is vegan or has tried eating a vegan diet? What do you like about it or dislike about it?

I just posted an entry on my blog about trying to go vegan with a couple recipes I ended up liking. I like the idea of being vegan (health wise), but not sure I could sustain it very long.

Thoughts?

_rosegray

i have! i tried it for lent and after a brief chocolate break i'm back on it now i really love it, mainly because i can really feel a difference in my body. to be honest, a main thing is that i've struggled with binging and things before so cutting out the foods which used to trigger a binge (most were non-vegan) has had a big impact on me. it can be a bit challenging to fit in enough protein, but if you keep an eye on it it's great

nomena

I was vegan (complete vegan lifestyle, not just diet) for 2 years, but had to go back to vegetarian due to my severe OCD. I really loved being vegan and felt great on it - plus my blood tests always came back super great, so my doctor was well pleased too.

Germany isn't too vegan friendly, so eating out was sometimes hard. But it forced me to really learning how to cook, which I absolutely loved doing. I tried so many things that I'd never have tried before. It requires a careful eye for food and nutrition, but I think everyone on here already has that :laugh:

10KEyes

I always thought people went vegan for an activist cause, not for nutrition.

In dietary terms humans need essential fatty acids (fat) and essential amino acids (protein/meat), so I wouldn't ever consider it unless they could demonstrate a healthy vegan lifestyle that doesn't require them to take supplements such as B12 (sourced primarily from meat) to thrive.

Just my opinion.

nomena

I always thought people went vegan for a moral cause, not for nutrition.

In dietary terms humans need essential fatty acids (fat) and essential amino acids (protein/meat), so I wouldn't ever consider it unless they could demonstrate a healthy vegan lifestyle that doesn't require them to take supplements such as B12 (sourced primarily from meat) to thrive.

Just my opinion.

I went vegan for moral reasons and was actually the most healthy I had ever been. My doctor checked my blood levels twice a year to make sure that I wasn't missing anything. The results were always spot on, no deficits or anything. And I never took supplements. Maybe some fortified soy milk or such, but other than that, nope.

poquosonrn

As my profile said, I am a recent vegan. I love veggies and healthy food so it wasn't too hard, but I'm not saying it's a piece of cake. Harder to eat at restaurants with my husband. We recently discovered Mongolian Grill which has a buttet style with not only meats for him to pick from, but veggies and tofu along with various sauces and spices they grill up for you. Was already drinking almond milk and eating veggie burgers before going vegan. They are lower calorie and healthier versions for anyone looking to lose weight.. The soy,almond and coconut milk ice creams are great. Vegan cheeses will never be gooey like real cheese, but they are a nice substitue. Amy's frozen meals make nice vegan/vegetarian convenience meals. Tofu took some getting used to because of the texture, but I've come to like it in stir fry veggies. I eat lots of almond butter on sprouted 7 grain bread(Ezekiel). I also take multivitamin and b12 supplements. Nutritional yeast sprinkled on salads and soups helps replace b12 also. Calcium fortified cereals and orange juice help with calcium and cream of wheat has lots of iron. I just try to make sure I get enough of everything I need on a daily basis so I don't get run down. My cholesterol was 120 this month. My triglycerides are great. Fasting blood sugar in 80's and blood pressure is great. I think if everyone ate more vegetarian/vegan meals even if they didn't give up meat, there would be less heart disease and diabetes,etc. I have switched from weight loss mind set to one of a healthy lifestyle. I went vegan cold turkey. Some do it gradually. Do what's right for you. They have 30 day vegan challenges online. Give it a try. Nothing to lose. I'm looking forward to some of the vegan recipes on here to try. Good luck

Bean5

I'm not strictly vegan ongoing, but it's something I like to try for--it's all health reasons for me, not religious or because of activism.
I have liked it, I tried to stay away from too many soy meat substitutes and just eat whole foods.
I was surprised how easy it was when eating at home. With a vegetarian diet at home I realized that I'd been leaning on cheese and dairy and felt like culling those out helped get rid of some of the saturated fats in my diet. It wasn't hard, using green onions or cilantro or salsa in place of a sprinkling of cheese on my food, etc.
I found it more difficult to follow when traveling; you'll realize that most "vegetarian" foods when you eat out lean on cheese quite a bit.
The other thing is that it's nice to focus on whole foods and vegetables and eating solid carbs while everyone else seems so concerned with limiting carbs.

Bean5

I'd love any recipes you'd want to share...I have a crockpot barley/black bean/corn burrito recipe I found that is just the bomb.

poquosonrn

B12 isn't naturally in meat. It is in the bacteria in the grass and dirt they eat. Many cultures thrive without eating meat. In fact in many cultures that eat no or little meat, they have less instance of heart disease and cancer. They also live to be very old and healthy. You can get all the amino acids you need on a vegan diet and if taking a b12 supplement is the worst thing you have to do, the health benefits are worth it. I'd weigh my health, blood work, fitness level any day against someone eating the usual american diet. Most americans get way more proteing than is needed and not in healthy versions. Too much fast food/restaurant meals these days with huge portions.

Sproutingupstrong

I thought these two recipes were delicious! From the Happy Herbivore cookbook (highly recommend!)

http://fitness4all.tripleresource.com/blog-content.html?Intro-to-Veganism-Recipes-–-Featuring-Chickpeas

Thanks for all your thoughts everybody! I really think I want to do this vegan thing!

10KEyes

Many cultures thrive without eating meat.

I am curious, what cultures what that be? I know different cultures eat varying amounts of meat but I do not know of one that does not eat meat at all.

poquosonrn

Hindus and some other indian cultures. Not sure if chicken and fish are forbidden, but most practice vegetarianism because they believe in Ahinsa(a law of no injury). Other cultures eat very little meat. It takes work whether you eat meat or don't to eat healthy, but it can be done. Everyone should do their own research and do what's right for them

10KEyes

Hindus and some other indian cultures

Hindus eat meat. For religious reasons they do not eat cows. Also there are other religious reasons for cutting out meat at certain times kind of like Lent. But the do eat meat, just not a large amount apparently.

Not trying to pick an argument, just was curious.

poquosonrn

Either way, there are many vegan athletes who thrive. Everyone must choose for themselves. Many of our great minds have been vegetarian. To quote Brian Greene(scientist) "vegetarians typically are people who are willing to challenge the usual, accepted order of things. Moreover, they're often people willing to sacrifice their own pleasures in pursuit of what they believe is right. These same qualities are often what's needed to make great breakthroughs in the arts and sciences" to the question of why so many great geniuses have been vegetarian

TheNewDodge

Either way, there are many vegan athletes who thrive. Everyone must choose for themselves. Many of our great minds have been vegetarian. To quote Brian Greene(scientist) "vegetarians typically are people who are willing to challenge the usual, accepted order of things. Moreover, they're often people willing to sacrifice their own pleasures in pursuit of what they believe is right. These same qualities are often what's needed to make great breakthroughs in the arts and sciences" to the question of why so many great geniuses have been vegetarian

lol

brentrhodes

I tried a Vegan one time, she tasted funny.

UponThisRock

yeah, she didn't have the stamina to keep up

brentrhodes

But seriously, I think I could eat a Vegan diet for a while but I feel like we need lean meat proteins to sustain and grow.

_VoV

You might want to join a couple of groups here: Team Vegan and Happy Herbivores.

Some people on the main message boards enjoy making a mockery of the subject or, even worse, start aggressively attacking your choice. If you go to the aforementioned groups, you are apt to find people who are friendly and helpful.

california_peach

Hindus and some other indian cultures

Hindus eat meat. For religious reasons they do not eat cows. Also there are other religious reasons for cutting out meat at certain times kind of like Lent. But the do eat meat, just not a large amount apparently.

Not trying to pick an argument, just was curious.

Many people in India are vegetarian and by that I mean they are lacto-ovo vegetarians. Lacto-ovo vegetarians consume eggs, and milk, and it is not the same thing as being vegan. In fact I am pretty sure the term vegetarian comes from India. The diet is considered ideal by many sects of Hinduism. This is why Padma Lakshmi wanted to do that Carl's Jr. ad. She grew up as a vegetarian and would sneak out to eat at Carl's. It was her act of rebellion.

lelaspeaks

Former vegan and recovering vegetarian here. Being a vegan was HARD for me. Many don’t do the vegan thing correctly and overload with carbs instead of getting more nutrients from fruits and veggies in the process. Here is how my experience was. The first month was extreme detoxing. Ridding my body of animal products was pretty brutal and the insane amount of fiber to my system confused my digestive system. After about a month it got much much better. Fuel was an issue at first too, but I learned how to eat properly after a while. Going out to eat and family events were somewhat difficult too because many members couldn’t understand my decision and had a hard time supporting me.

I did that for about 6-8 months and realized that I missed dairy and eggs quite a bit, so I incorporated those things back into my diet. After about another year, I started incorporating seafood back into it too. I am two years out and I would say that 4-6 days a week I’m a practicing vegetarian, but I now allow room for error. Grass fed or hormone free animal products are not part of my weekly diet, but I still refrain from eating it too much. I know it makes my husband happier. The choice to start eating animal products again was more for fitness goals than missing the taste of meat. I never experienced that. It’s to get high protein, low carb and fat foods into my daily diet. I see this as only being a temporary stage and imagine that I will transition back into an ovo/lacto/pescitarian diet again in the near future once I meet my goals.