Vegan Journey Begins
Russ11108
Posts: 2 Member
Hi all,
Today is my first day as a vegan and I am looking for others who would like to share they're knowledge on things like recipe's, budget recipes, hurdles you may have encountered, how you dealt with said hurdles and anything you would have done differently. I go to the gym quite a bit so any advice on protein powders or hight protein vegan meals would be great too. Feel free to add me and lets help each other
Cheers
Russ
Today is my first day as a vegan and I am looking for others who would like to share they're knowledge on things like recipe's, budget recipes, hurdles you may have encountered, how you dealt with said hurdles and anything you would have done differently. I go to the gym quite a bit so any advice on protein powders or hight protein vegan meals would be great too. Feel free to add me and lets help each other
Cheers
Russ
0
Replies
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I switched to a vegan diet about three years ago and it very much changed my life for the better. I am healthier now at 47 years old and feel better than I did when I was in my 20s.
My main advice is to dedicate some time to meal planning. There are a ton of online and other vegan recipe and cookbooks available. Most of the better ones will help guide you to some common staples you will want to have in your fridge and in your pantry. Initially, it can be difficult as any change can be. But trust me, in time, you will open your tastebuds up to so many new foods and tastes that you will quickly forget about the foods you have given up. As an added bonus, you will feel healthier because you will BE healthier.
In my case, since plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, my cholesterol levels dropped significantly. Once my body was purged of years of animal fat clogging my arteries, my resting heart rate dropped about 10 points as well.
I wish you well in your journey. You will benefit physically, mentally, and even spiritutally.
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Great post. I have dabbled in the world of Plant-Based Nutrition but fully committed to the Vegan lifestyle. This year I considered making Veganism, or at least plant-based diet a resolution. Even though I ultimately decided against such a change, your posts have made me reconsider.
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I use myprotein vegan blend for protein powder!0
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Excellent post by fluxduster, this is exactly as I found it when I cut eggs and dairy from my veg diet 4 years ago. Fitter/healthier now at 54 than in my 20s too.0 -
I'm starting tomorrow! Just ate the last bit of meat in my apartment. Although not fully, I still eat eggs. Maybe I'll ween myself off them eventually. Once I get used to no meat or dairy. Mind if I follow for your diary?0
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I'm just posting here to learn more as well. I'm actually trying 12 diets over the next 12 months to find an eating plan that works for me. One of the plans is Vegan before 6:00. I figure that will give me some flexibility to trying more vegan options before going full vegan. Going vegan seems like it will be hard for me, but I want to explore the option more. Would love for people to follow me on my blog, if you're interested. whatdietnext.com0
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Hey! Glad to meet you. I have been following about an 80% plant based diet for about 6 months but have recently became much more strict with it. I love the differences I have seen so far! Good luck!0
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whatdietnext wrote: »I'm just posting here to learn more as well. I'm actually trying 12 diets over the next 12 months to find an eating plan that works for me. One of the plans is Vegan before 6:00. I figure that will give me some flexibility to trying more vegan options before going full vegan. Going vegan seems like it will be hard for me, but I want to explore the option more. Would love for people to follow me on my blog, if you're interested. whatdietnext.com
Vegan before 6 that's interesting. I too am interested but it would be very limited due to other food allergies like soy and wheat which rule out a bit of things.0 -
I'm vegan with an open diary, always looking for new friends
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Good luck, Russ! 0
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Vegan for 3 years. Leaner and stronger than ever. Best decision , wish I was ready to do it earlier!0
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fluxduster wrote: »I switched to a vegan diet about three years ago and it very much changed my life for the better. I am healthier now at 47 years old and feel better than I did when I was in my 20s.
My main advice is to dedicate some time to meal planning. There are a ton of online and other vegan recipe and cookbooks available. Most of the better ones will help guide you to some common staples you will want to have in your fridge and in your pantry. Initially, it can be difficult as any change can be. But trust me, in time, you will open your tastebuds up to so many new foods and tastes that you will quickly forget about the foods you have given up. As an added bonus, you will feel healthier because you will BE healthier.
In my case, since plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, my cholesterol levels dropped significantly. Once my body was purged of years of animal fat clogging my arteries, my resting heart rate dropped about 10 points as well.
I wish you well in your journey. You will benefit physically, mentally, and even spiritutally.
No. Vegan will not make you healthier by itself. Also, I have seen many over weight vegans-how is that "healthier"?0 -
No. Vegan will not make you healthier by itself. Also, I have seen many over weight vegans-how is that "healthier"?
True, there are many types of vegans. I worked with a guy(junk food vegan) who just ate vegan pizza, burgers, oreos and bean burritos...not healthy at all. Ideally with a vegan lifestyle you would concentrate on whole nutrient dense foods and minimize highly processed foods.0 -
Two months into veganism here. Did it overnight... and from a low carb style of eating even! Also, my 9yo daughter joined me about 1.5 months ago and talk about dedicated!
I highly recommend checking out youtube for great vegan tips on nutrition, dealing with questions or haters, recipes etc. Some of my fave vegan youtubers are Bite Size Vegan, Unnatural Vegan, Happy Healthy Vegan, The Friendly Activist, That Vegan Couple, Vegan Revolution and Jov Venus.
Also, looking for vegan friends on here!0 -
luckytruck6 wrote: »
No. Vegan will not make you healthier by itself. Also, I have seen many over weight vegans-how is that "healthier"?
True, there are many types of vegans. I worked with a guy(junk food vegan) who just ate vegan pizza, burgers, oreos and bean burritos...not healthy at all. Ideally with a vegan lifestyle you would concentrate on whole nutrient dense foods and minimize highly processed foods.
Still doesn't make it automatically "healthier" than a non-vegan diet.0 -
luckytruck6 wrote: »
No. Vegan will not make you healthier by itself. Also, I have seen many over weight vegans-how is that "healthier"?
True, there are many types of vegans. I worked with a guy(junk food vegan) who just ate vegan pizza, burgers, oreos and bean burritos...not healthy at all. Ideally with a vegan lifestyle you would concentrate on whole nutrient dense foods and minimize highly processed foods.
Still doesn't make it automatically "healthier" than a non-vegan diet.
Not to mention that eating "whole foods" and minimizing "processed foods" are decisions that have nothing to do with veganism. They're ways of eating that can be used by anyone, including non-vegans.
It's like saying that spelunkers will be healthier than non-spelunkers because ideally spelunkers won't smoke cigarettes.0 -
Hi guys
Thankyou all for the messages. Some really good advice from everyone. I'm as determined as anyone to do this and with great advice from people like yourself's will only make it easier. For those who added me thankyou and anyone else on a similar journey feel free to add me. I will be tracking my progress weekly, looking at my weight, physique, strength and cardio fitness. Anything I learn along the way I will be happy to share.
Good luck everyone
Many thanks
Russ0 -
fluxduster wrote: »I switched to a vegan diet about three years ago and it very much changed my life for the better. I am healthier now at 47 years old and feel better than I did when I was in my 20s.
My main advice is to dedicate some time to meal planning. There are a ton of online and other vegan recipe and cookbooks available. Most of the better ones will help guide you to some common staples you will want to have in your fridge and in your pantry. Initially, it can be difficult as any change can be. But trust me, in time, you will open your tastebuds up to so many new foods and tastes that you will quickly forget about the foods you have given up. As an added bonus, you will feel healthier because you will BE healthier.
In my case, since plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, my cholesterol levels dropped significantly. Once my body was purged of years of animal fat clogging my arteries, my resting heart rate dropped about 10 points as well.
I wish you well in your journey. You will benefit physically, mentally, and even spiritutally.
I'm Mostly Vegan (cut out meat and full-fat dairy, but still eat fish and non-fat dairy), and actually did it after researching studies looking at reducing serum cholesterol through diet alone (what studies there are out there - it's shameful how few there are). My LDL "bad" cholesterol went from 202 (qualified me for drugs without any other risk factors and drove me into a google-panic) to 115 in about 5 weeks. I feel the healthiest I ever have, and DH has even cut out cheese after I told him it was much easier than I expected. He used to get through pounds of the stuff.
I follow food blogs mainly. OneGreenPlanet is a really good one. Or just google "top vegan blogs". I like the pictures.. Happy Cow is a handy app - it lists restaurants. Also in apps like Yelp or OpenTable you can search for vegan-friendly restaurants.
I tend to make batches of plain beans, lentils etc in my slow cooker, which I add to meals, flavor with spices and mix with other ingredients. Other than the beans, vegan cooking is liberating since it's quick, mixes easily together and you can go crazy on spices. You'll find that you can add more fats to food than you might expect like nuts and seeds as well as oils (since you're not eating meat products). Using tofu, seitan or tempeh is a matter of taste - I like them because they're easy and soak up strong flavors quickly, and I love the flavor of tempeh just by itself. I would avoid faux meat-products like "hot dogs" - honestly, they're pretty gross and have limited nutritional benefits.0 -
dopeysmelly wrote: »fluxduster wrote: »I switched to a vegan diet about three years ago and it very much changed my life for the better. I am healthier now at 47 years old and feel better than I did when I was in my 20s.
My main advice is to dedicate some time to meal planning. There are a ton of online and other vegan recipe and cookbooks available. Most of the better ones will help guide you to some common staples you will want to have in your fridge and in your pantry. Initially, it can be difficult as any change can be. But trust me, in time, you will open your tastebuds up to so many new foods and tastes that you will quickly forget about the foods you have given up. As an added bonus, you will feel healthier because you will BE healthier.
In my case, since plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, my cholesterol levels dropped significantly. Once my body was purged of years of animal fat clogging my arteries, my resting heart rate dropped about 10 points as well.
I wish you well in your journey. You will benefit physically, mentally, and even spiritutally.
I'm Mostly Vegan (cut out meat and full-fat dairy, but still eat fish and non-fat dairy), and actually did it after researching studies looking at reducing serum cholesterol through diet alone (what studies there are out there - it's shameful how few there are). My LDL "bad" cholesterol went from 202 (qualified me for drugs without any other risk factors and drove me into a google-panic) to 115 in about 5 weeks. I feel the healthiest I ever have, and DH has even cut out cheese after I told him it was much easier than I expected. He used to get through pounds of the stuff.
I follow food blogs mainly. OneGreenPlanet is a really good one. Or just google "top vegan blogs". I like the pictures.. Happy Cow is a handy app - it lists restaurants. Also in apps like Yelp or OpenTable you can search for vegan-friendly restaurants.
I tend to make batches of plain beans, lentils etc in my slow cooker, which I add to meals, flavor with spices and mix with other ingredients. Other than the beans, vegan cooking is liberating since it's quick, mixes easily together and you can go crazy on spices. You'll find that you can add more fats to food than you might expect like nuts and seeds as well as oils (since you're not eating meat products). Using tofu, seitan or tempeh is a matter of taste - I like them because they're easy and soak up strong flavors quickly, and I love the flavor of tempeh just by itself. I would avoid faux meat-products like "hot dogs" - honestly, they're pretty gross and have limited nutritional benefits.
Since veganism is an ethical position on the exploitation of animals, it would be more accurate to say you're mostly on a plant-based diet.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »dopeysmelly wrote: »fluxduster wrote: »I switched to a vegan diet about three years ago and it very much changed my life for the better. I am healthier now at 47 years old and feel better than I did when I was in my 20s.
My main advice is to dedicate some time to meal planning. There are a ton of online and other vegan recipe and cookbooks available. Most of the better ones will help guide you to some common staples you will want to have in your fridge and in your pantry. Initially, it can be difficult as any change can be. But trust me, in time, you will open your tastebuds up to so many new foods and tastes that you will quickly forget about the foods you have given up. As an added bonus, you will feel healthier because you will BE healthier.
In my case, since plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, my cholesterol levels dropped significantly. Once my body was purged of years of animal fat clogging my arteries, my resting heart rate dropped about 10 points as well.
I wish you well in your journey. You will benefit physically, mentally, and even spiritutally.
I'm Mostly Vegan (cut out meat and full-fat dairy, but still eat fish and non-fat dairy), and actually did it after researching studies looking at reducing serum cholesterol through diet alone (what studies there are out there - it's shameful how few there are). My LDL "bad" cholesterol went from 202 (qualified me for drugs without any other risk factors and drove me into a google-panic) to 115 in about 5 weeks. I feel the healthiest I ever have, and DH has even cut out cheese after I told him it was much easier than I expected. He used to get through pounds of the stuff.
I follow food blogs mainly. OneGreenPlanet is a really good one. Or just google "top vegan blogs". I like the pictures.. Happy Cow is a handy app - it lists restaurants. Also in apps like Yelp or OpenTable you can search for vegan-friendly restaurants.
I tend to make batches of plain beans, lentils etc in my slow cooker, which I add to meals, flavor with spices and mix with other ingredients. Other than the beans, vegan cooking is liberating since it's quick, mixes easily together and you can go crazy on spices. You'll find that you can add more fats to food than you might expect like nuts and seeds as well as oils (since you're not eating meat products). Using tofu, seitan or tempeh is a matter of taste - I like them because they're easy and soak up strong flavors quickly, and I love the flavor of tempeh just by itself. I would avoid faux meat-products like "hot dogs" - honestly, they're pretty gross and have limited nutritional benefits.
Since veganism is an ethical position on the exploitation of animals, it would be more accurate to say you're mostly on a plant-based diet.
Whatever. I stated my reasons up-front and can call how I eat whatever I choose. The OP isn't looking for reinforcement of any personal beliefs but suggestions on things like recipes, which is what I provided.0 -
dopeysmelly wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »dopeysmelly wrote: »fluxduster wrote: »I switched to a vegan diet about three years ago and it very much changed my life for the better. I am healthier now at 47 years old and feel better than I did when I was in my 20s.
My main advice is to dedicate some time to meal planning. There are a ton of online and other vegan recipe and cookbooks available. Most of the better ones will help guide you to some common staples you will want to have in your fridge and in your pantry. Initially, it can be difficult as any change can be. But trust me, in time, you will open your tastebuds up to so many new foods and tastes that you will quickly forget about the foods you have given up. As an added bonus, you will feel healthier because you will BE healthier.
In my case, since plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, my cholesterol levels dropped significantly. Once my body was purged of years of animal fat clogging my arteries, my resting heart rate dropped about 10 points as well.
I wish you well in your journey. You will benefit physically, mentally, and even spiritutally.
I'm Mostly Vegan (cut out meat and full-fat dairy, but still eat fish and non-fat dairy), and actually did it after researching studies looking at reducing serum cholesterol through diet alone (what studies there are out there - it's shameful how few there are). My LDL "bad" cholesterol went from 202 (qualified me for drugs without any other risk factors and drove me into a google-panic) to 115 in about 5 weeks. I feel the healthiest I ever have, and DH has even cut out cheese after I told him it was much easier than I expected. He used to get through pounds of the stuff.
I follow food blogs mainly. OneGreenPlanet is a really good one. Or just google "top vegan blogs". I like the pictures.. Happy Cow is a handy app - it lists restaurants. Also in apps like Yelp or OpenTable you can search for vegan-friendly restaurants.
I tend to make batches of plain beans, lentils etc in my slow cooker, which I add to meals, flavor with spices and mix with other ingredients. Other than the beans, vegan cooking is liberating since it's quick, mixes easily together and you can go crazy on spices. You'll find that you can add more fats to food than you might expect like nuts and seeds as well as oils (since you're not eating meat products). Using tofu, seitan or tempeh is a matter of taste - I like them because they're easy and soak up strong flavors quickly, and I love the flavor of tempeh just by itself. I would avoid faux meat-products like "hot dogs" - honestly, they're pretty gross and have limited nutritional benefits.
Since veganism is an ethical position on the exploitation of animals, it would be more accurate to say you're mostly on a plant-based diet.
Whatever. I stated my reasons up-front and can call how I eat whatever I choose. The OP isn't looking for reinforcement of any personal beliefs but suggestions on things like recipes, which is what I provided.
Of course you can call it whatever you choose. I'm addressing the accuracy of your self-chosen description. Words do have meanings. Your advice to the OP on a plant-based diet is just as helpful without you co-opting a term with a very specific history and meaning.
My goal isn't to infringe on your personal choice as much as it is to attempt to preserve the meaning of a term that I think is quite useful. If we lose the only term we have to describe those with an ethical objection to animal exploitation, we have no other words to replace it. You, on the other hand, have a great way to describe your diet if you decide to not use "vegan."0 -
Trying to adopt a vegan diet - plant based nutrition so much better for you. I am just a little concerned that maybe I will or am lacking certain nutrients -calcium/protein/iron - should I worry? I do eat healthily and include variety in my diet but not a great fan of soy products.0
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Trying to adopt a vegan diet - plant based nutrition so much better for you. I am just a little concerned that maybe I will or am lacking certain nutrients -calcium/protein/iron - should I worry? I do eat healthily and include variety in my diet but not a great fan of soy products.
There seems to be some conflict between those two sentences.0 -
janejellyroll: Love your reply, which is so true.
To the OP, instead of using protein powder: try using beans like: chick peas, cannellini and butter beans. Makes a big difference and without all the other stuff that is added to plant based protein powder - full of fiber and protein too.
Use chick peas to make scrambled eggs instead of real eggs - very filling and full of fiber and protein. It's amazing what one can do with chick peas.0 -
Happy Herbivore! Her books and recipes are great. happyherbivore.com0
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I've got a bunch of cookbooks from the Raw Till Whenever website which are all plant based vegan recipes and they're amazing! If you look for High Carb Hannah on YouTube she posts and lot of recipe videos on there.
Best vegan protein powder I found was Vega. The Chocolate Smoothie one is to die for.0 -
Trying to adopt a vegan diet - plant based nutrition so much better for you. I am just a little concerned that maybe I will or am lacking certain nutrients -calcium/protein/iron - should I worry? I do eat healthily and include variety in my diet but not a great fan of soy products.
Your needs for calcium, protein, and iron don't change if you eliminate animal products from your diet. If you are concerned about meeting your needs for these nutrients, try tracking how much you get of them and then, if you wind up short, you can add plant foods with these nutrients to your meals. Or you can supplement.
When you say you aren't a fan of soy, you mean you don't like the taste? There are many different ways in which soy is prepared and the taste can vary a great deal. If you don't care for the taste of one, maybe try some others? Or you can go without -- soy is not required for vegan nutrition.0 -
Congrats! I've been vegan for 15 years and it is the best decision I have ever made in my life! Feel free to friend me. I have tons of recipes, meal ideas, cook books and other resources to help any aspiring vegan out! 0
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I subscribe to those people on youtube too - they are GREAT for giving me motivation when I find myself flagging.I highly recommend checking out youtube for great vegan tips on nutrition, dealing with questions or haters, recipes etc. Some of my fave vegan youtubers are Bite Size Vegan, Unnatural Vegan, Happy Healthy Vegan, The Friendly Activist, That Vegan Couple, Vegan Revolution and Jov Venus.
Also, looking for vegan friends on here!
The most important though, in my opinion is Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org - a truly phenomenal resource. You can subscribe to nutritionfacts.org on Youtube too! Check out "Mic the Vegan" too - he breaks down the science and is very informative.
If you aren't easily offended then subscribe to "Freelee the Banana Girl" and "Durianrider" and "Joey Carbstrong" - who deliver a very solid but sometimes colorful message, and also "Vegan Gains" who has become very popular very quickly!0 -
codecolony wrote: »
I subscribe to those people on youtube too - they are GREAT for giving me motivation when I find myself flagging.I highly recommend checking out youtube for great vegan tips on nutrition, dealing with questions or haters, recipes etc. Some of my fave vegan youtubers are Bite Size Vegan, Unnatural Vegan, Happy Healthy Vegan, The Friendly Activist, That Vegan Couple, Vegan Revolution and Jov Venus.
Also, looking for vegan friends on here!
The most important though, in my opinion is Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org - a truly phenomenal resource. You can subscribe to nutritionfacts.org on Youtube too! Check out "Mic the Vegan" too - he breaks down the science and is very informative.
If you aren't easily offended then subscribe to "Freelee the Banana Girl" and "Durianrider" and "Joey Carbstrong" - who deliver a very solid but sometimes colorful message, and also "Vegan Gains" who has become very popular very quickly!
Freelee thinks that menstruation is unhealthy and that interrupted periods are a sign that a woman has "detoxed." I don't consider the information shared by her (or Durianrider) to be solid at all.0
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