Vegan Diet

redraidergirl2009

Thanks everyone for thoughts and comments. I am going to try to transition to vegan and see how i feel after a few weeks. i still have chicken and turkey in the fridge. i will eat that this week and next week still have the dairy and eggs but no meat, then week after give it all the boot. Another question is eating too much soy bad for you?wondeing because i will probably be doing soy yogurt n cheese unless theres other options. kinda clueless any imput on this please.

I laugh everytime I hear someone say soy is bad for you. Likely you're already eating some soy. Also eating animal hormones and sick meat is probably doing more damage than eating a bit more soy would do.

live2dream

Love living this way ... no regrets! Join our Happy Herbivores group for helpful info! :flowerforyou:

taso42

It's your choice, and completely up to you. Who cares what anyone in this thread thinks about it.

LoseYouself

You're going to receive a lot of hate from people for this post, sadly. Any posts on this topic seem to get bashed for no reason usually. It usually also ends up way off topic.

It's your decision so don't let others make you feel badly for wanting to try something. Different things work for different people. I went vegetarian a year ago, then vegan 8 months ago and I LOVE it and feel a whole lot better. Before that, I had lost weight and eaten healthy/clean and maintained that weight loss for 3 years, so feeling even better after giving up meat, dairy, and eggs was directly related to the change in diet. It takes a couple months to start feeling the difference. I say if you're interested, just TRY it. Do a trial period before making your decision.. and do what's best for YOU, not what everyone else wants you to do.. whichever diet/lifestyle you decide on. I wish you the best of luck! If you have any questions, feel free to message me.

Pinkylee77

I have tried a vegetarian diet while I liked it , it did not like me and I did not feel well on it. That is me, I know many healthy vegetarians and I know some that are very unhealthy. Too much cheep carbs is not good for anyone. Good luck and good health!

vim_n_vigor

If you want to do it, go for it. I hope you have done a lot more research than just reading off this forum though so you can ensure you are getting the things in your diet that your body needs. You probably do a decent job of that with the foods that you are familiar with, but since you are 'pretty much clueless' about going vegan, you'll really need to look into it. Good luck!

stephgas

i think we had the same netflix queue this weekend! my husband and i watched a few documentaries over the last couple of weeks and have started doing some research. my husband was very affected by the china studies on plant based diets and is working to cut down processed foods, meat, and dairy. we had already started juicing two weeks ago to add more veg and fruits to our diets (in addition to taking our multivitamins) and have started trying dairy alternatives and more animal-friendly options. in addition to being healthier and more animal-friendly, vegetarian and vegan diets lessen one's carbon footprint. los angeles county has instituted meatless mondays (even in public schools) in an attempt to lower the area's carbon footprint. even the UN has recommended meatless mondays.

skinnybitcheslovecats

Hi dear! My name is Nikki and I've been a raw vegan for 6 months. And a vegetarian for 4 years before that. Before you listen to all these junk foodist vegans and pro-meat "body builders" hear it straight from someone who did veganism the RIGHT way. I went vegan for spiritual and health reasons.

A healthy plant strong diet that's balanced can help tremendously with weight loss and many other things. My cousin went vegan in August and has lost 70 lbs. My boyfriend has lost 130 lbs in a bit over a year due to the switch!

I've cured all my intestinal problems I had (irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux) and lost 25 lbs having a BF% of 19% compared to what it was at about 27%.

If you try vegan do not DO NOT do the boca burger morning star fad, it's a total joke and full of processed chemical crap!!!

Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, chia and hemp seeds, beans, rices, squash, potatoes, flax, almond/coconut/flax milk (steer clear of Silk soy products they're loaded with extra fat and calories).

Add me, we can talk more!

skinnybitcheslovecats

Also watch Forks Over Knives!

jjrichard83

As someone who loves animals, I assure you that Vegan diets are dumb as ****. It doesn't matter what your foods sources are, as long as the macro. and micronutrients are there, in sufficient quantities, and you're drinking sufficient water.

Here is what we share with herbivores that carnivores do not.

- Our intestines - carnivores & omnivores 3-6 times body length, herbivores(and humans) 10-12 times their body length
- Our saliva. Carnivores do not produce saliva to aid in digesting food
- K9's. Our K9's are similar to other herbivores K9's, not carnivores K9's (or teeth in general.
- facial muscles - carnivores have reduced facial muscles to allow for wide mouth gape, we along with herbivores do not. (along with multiple other "jaw" reasons
- chewing - carnivores swallow whole (or don't chew they tear), humans need extensive chewing - just like herbivores.
- Stomach acidity - Carnivores and omnivores PH1 or lower, in humans PH 4-5 same as herbivores
- colon - simple, short and smooth in carnivores and omnivores. Herbivores - long, complex and sacculated
- liver - carnivores can detoxify Vitamin A - herbivores and humans can not.
- kidney - extremely concentrated urine in carnivores and omnivores. In herbivores and humans it's moderately concentrated urine
- nails - carnivores and omnivores their nails are actually sharp claws. In herbivores and humans - flattened nails or hooves.

Even apes who eat meat are still 98% vegetarian. btw you can add omnivores to any of the carnivore list I did not - they apply, I just got lazy. To call the vegan diet stupid is to call common sense for what our body is designed for "stupid". which kind of sums up mankind I guess...

neanderthin

As someone who loves animals, I assure you that Vegan diets are dumb as ****. It doesn't matter what your foods sources are, as long as the macro. and micronutrients are there, in sufficient quantities, and you're drinking sufficient water.

Here is what we share with herbivores that carnivores do not.

- Our intestines - carnivores & omnivores 3-6 times body length, herbivores(and humans) 10-12 times their body length
- Our saliva. Carnivores do not produce saliva to aid in digesting food
- K9's. Our K9's are similar to other herbivores K9's, not carnivores K9's (or teeth in general.
- facial muscles - carnivores have reduced facial muscles to allow for wide mouth gape, we along with herbivores do not. (along with multiple other "jaw" reasons
- chewing - carnivores swallow whole (or don't chew they tear), humans need extensive chewing - just like herbivores.
- Stomach acidity - Carnivores and omnivores PH1 or lower, in humans PH 4-5 same as herbivores
- colon - simple, short and smooth in carnivores and omnivores. Herbivores - long, complex and sacculated
- liver - carnivores can detoxify Vitamin A - herbivores and humans can not.
- kidney - extremely concentrated urine in carnivores and omnivores. In herbivores and humans it's moderately concentrated urine
- nails - carnivores and omnivores their nails are actually sharp claws. In herbivores and humans - flattened nails or hooves.

Even apes who eat meat are still 98% vegetarian. btw you can add omnivores to any of the carnivore list I did not - they apply, I just got lazy. To call the vegan diet stupid is to call common sense for what our body is designed for "stupid". which kind of sums up mankind I guess...

A good biased path to full blown orthorexia and further disordered eating because personally that's what I think being vegan is, with the exception to the population that do it for ethical reasons and understand it's shortcomings.

Yogi_Carl

I have been strictly vegan for exactly the reasons you gave in your initial post. The video evidence and information on “best practice” is out there for people to access if they wish to; enough said on that.

So far (three weeks) I have never felt hungry, as there tends to be more fibre and carbs in a vegan diet if only to get the proteins up, and I am not missing dairy – well no – I’m missing cheese, but over indulging on cheese was part of what got me fat in the first place. I’m not missing flesh as I was vegetarian before my move to a vegan diet.

I don’t feel weak, if anything I am feeling far more energised and I am seeing progressive strength gains and fat reduction.

It’s early days for me to say I love it – more like “it’s ok, I can do this”. What I would strongly recommend is you make sure you are getting enough B12, iodine and selenium which are all available in a daily chewable (vegan) supplement.

tigersword

As someone who loves animals, I assure you that Vegan diets are dumb as ****. It doesn't matter what your foods sources are, as long as the macro. and micronutrients are there, in sufficient quantities, and you're drinking sufficient water.

Here is what we share with herbivores that carnivores do not.

- Our intestines - carnivores & omnivores 3-6 times body length, herbivores(and humans) 10-12 times their body length
- Our saliva. Carnivores do not produce saliva to aid in digesting food
- K9's. Our K9's are similar to other herbivores K9's, not carnivores K9's (or teeth in general.
- facial muscles - carnivores have reduced facial muscles to allow for wide mouth gape, we along with herbivores do not. (along with multiple other "jaw" reasons
- chewing - carnivores swallow whole (or don't chew they tear), humans need extensive chewing - just like herbivores.
- Stomach acidity - Carnivores and omnivores PH1 or lower, in humans PH 4-5 same as herbivores
- colon - simple, short and smooth in carnivores and omnivores. Herbivores - long, complex and sacculated
- liver - carnivores can detoxify Vitamin A - herbivores and humans can not.
- kidney - extremely concentrated urine in carnivores and omnivores. In herbivores and humans it's moderately concentrated urine
- nails - carnivores and omnivores their nails are actually sharp claws. In herbivores and humans - flattened nails or hooves.

Even apes who eat meat are still 98% vegetarian. btw you can add omnivores to any of the carnivore list I did not - they apply, I just got lazy. To call the vegan diet stupid is to call common sense for what our body is designed for "stupid". which kind of sums up mankind I guess...

You've already been corrected in another thread, but carnivores certainly DO produce saliva, in large amounts. And stomach acid in humans has a pH of 1, not 4-5. Humans are most certainly omnivores, as we've evolved to eat and digest all foods. We've been meat eaters for a few million years now.

We've also been cooking food for a few million years, which is why raw veganism is a terrible idea. Not veganism, but raw veganism, our body just isn't adapted to digesting a completely raw diet anymore.

tigersword

Oh, and numerous studies have come out in the last few years demonstrating that plants have nervous systems, feel pain, and even communicate using pheromones. Yet vegans have no problems taking knives and slicing and dicing (still living) plants. I'd call that a double standard.

benol1

Oh, and numerous studies have come out in the last few years demonstrating that plants have nervous systems, feel pain, and even communicate using pheromones. Yet vegans have no problems taking knives and slicing and dicing (still living) plants. I'd call that a double standard.

Any assertion made without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

Yogi_Carl

Try not to humanize animals

I agree - we, including vegans, should not humanize animals. They are not cuddly wuddly animals put on the earth for our pleasure.

However, I feel that every living being has the right to the basics of life - enough space to live and move around, ability to bond with siblings and peers, ability to forage and to die, either at the mercy of the quick kill of a natural predator or – if humans insist on keeping animals for meat – quickly and definitely at the time of slaughter and not the unacceptable process we have, and largely prefer not to think about, currently adopted.

Agreed – animals are not humans – but they still feel pain, feel fear and have far more emotional intelligence than we as animal consumers care to admit to.

NOTE: this is in direct reply to the quoted poster above and not meant to be a general soapbox moment.

tigersword

Oh, and numerous studies have come out in the last few years demonstrating that plants have nervous systems, feel pain, and even communicate using pheromones. Yet vegans have no problems taking knives and slicing and dicing (still living) plants. I'd call that a double standard.

Any assertion made without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619171244.htm

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-07/study-unveils-plant-nervous-system-illuminating-how-plants-remember-and-react

Yogi_Carl

OK - but plants are not held in captivity and subjected to cramped living areas, made to suffer ill health and chronic pain and then killed with electric shocks and throat cut and hoisted onto a chain conveyor belt while still alive.

Sorry for the graphical description but these are the facts.

Lupercalia

I was a vegetarian, a vegan, and a raw vegan over a 20 year period. I was healthier as a vegetarian than I was as a vegan and raw vegan, but I've never been healthier than I am now since re-incorporating animal products into my diet. I had a number of issues with hormone imbalances and brain chemistry imbalances that were quickly and easily sorted out by changing my diet back to one that included animal products. And before anyone asks, yes I was supplementing and eating a varied diet. It just wasn't right for me. I feel the soy and gluten was especially bad.

I still eat lots of veggies--I just have meat and animal fats with them now.

darkguardian419

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darkguardian419

OK - but plants are not held in captivity and subjected to cramped living areas, made to suffer ill health and chronic pain and then killed with electric shocks and throat cut and hoisted onto a chain conveyor belt while still alive.

Sorry for the graphical description but these are the facts.

Not held in captivity? We have farms everywhere!

Not just that ,but they have no chance to escape, and have to watch as their brothers and sisters are mercilessly harvested!.

caramelgyrlk

I follow a vegetarian diet, but I have followed a vegan diet as well. I love it. I like the challenge of coming up with new dishes to make. Vegan doesn't mean healthy though- there are vegan processed foods out there that aren't good for you. I prefer a "clean" vegetarian/vegan diet- I tend to drop weight faster and keep it off when I follow that kind of eating style. I also have a lot of energy and just don't have that "bogged down" feeling. I think too many people jump into it without reading up about it, so then they think they have to live on tree bark. You need to keep a close eye on what you are eating to make sure you are getting your necessary macros and nutrients. I also recommend a good multivitamin, because there are a few vitamins that vegans can be lacking (especially new vegans). Do some reading and research on it before diving in, and try changing slowly, by weeding foods out one at a time and finding suitable replacements for your favorites

I 2000% agree with this. Please do research and speak with your PCP. I wish you well on your journey.