Plant based diet
Secondhalf35
Posts: 113 Member
Has anyone switched to a plant based diet and found switch ok. I've heard so many positive reports
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Replies
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Hard to do for long term. This means no doritos - ever.
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Not as hard as you think... start with baby steps if you're concerned about the switch. Incorporate more veggies into one meal at a time.
There are a number of different websites with easy-to-prepare recipes to help & you can sign up for emails too - forks over knives, vegetarian times, even food network is starting to introduce more plant-based recipes, etc... local grocery stores & health food stores also publish weekly recipes that are healthier whole food options. Take your time & enjoy yourself, don't make it a chore.
As you progress, I encourage you to get rid of the garbage-like foods in your kitchen. Before you know it you'll be happier & healthier. Good Luck!14 -
Thank you very much0
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TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »Hard to do for long term. This means no doritos - ever.
That's where you're wrong! Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos AND the new BBQ Heat Wave Doritos are vegan
I switched to a vegan diet in March of this year and I've gone from 160 to 130 lbs. My skin has become perfectly clear, I have more energy, and overall I'm generally happier and healthier. Best life style change I've ever made!
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I also switched to a (almost) vegan diet in March -- sadly, I've not dropped that much weight. The only exception I make is eating fish or shrimp once a week (a bit of a compromise with my carnivore spouse).
I find it simple and I feel great. Try vegetarian first if you need some time to adjust. Tempeh and black bean burgers are my favs so far. Oh, and invest in some Gas X for the first few weeks.
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TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »Hard to do for long term. This means no doritos - ever.
Doritos' largest single ingredient is corn. Corn is a vegetable.
Signed,
Vegetarian for 43 Years18 -
Well no positive reports here as I did not "switch" to a plant-based diet and do eat meat sometimes, but just as someone who eats about 80% plant-based, I'm just popping in to assure you that there are absolutely delicious dishes that don't have meat and will leave you wondering why the heck you didn't consider trying them before.
If you feel intimidated, try taking a few "meatless Mondays" for a spin and experimenting. Even if you don't end up plant-based at least you'll end up with a few delicious dishes you didn't know you liked.
With that said, if you feel it's not for you or that the change is stressing you out, then you could always go back to eating meat (you mentioned nothing about why you want to do this). A diet that includes meat is just as healthy as a diet that doesn't, if we assume both diets are nutrition focused.7 -
I switched to a version of the WFPB (whole foods plant based) diet about a month ago after finding out I'm allergic to everything. So my diet is gluten-free, no dairy, vegan, low FODMAP diet. I went through a month of severe whining about how abused I felt, but that phase is pretty much done with. Because my diet is so restricted, I am working with a real doc. Even so, nutrients are doing fine with minimal supplements.
I'm now about 1 month in and don't miss the meat, dairy, and other stuff. I've even worked out some decent restaurant meals that taste great even if they are weird. However, you do have to cook carefully (no wheat contamination from hubbie) and read labels.
And I've lost 10 pounds in the last 4 weeks. So good luck, hang in there, and you'll do fine.5 -
I've been a vegetarian for 20 years - lost 100 pounds, lowered my cholesterol by 70 points with no meds, never felt deprived! I still drool at the smell of good barbeque, but there are so many delicious vegetarian/vegan options and recipes available I have no trouble resisting the temptation. I truly believe it's a better way of life for myself and for the planet.4
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Vegan does not equal plant based diet8
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How is vegan not plant based when all you eat is plants and things that are made with plants?
I am mostly vegetarian (I eat a small amount of fish, mostly in the form of the occasional sushi), and I am mostly plant based when not eating the above mentioned sushi (I haven't kicked the cheese habit, though it is greatly reduced). My eating habits can be fabulous or very frat boy like, so it can depend, but when I'm eating well, I reap many benefits- better skin (I have very very dry skin, but more plants help), fewer headaches, better sleep, more energy, less issues with my stomach. I also drop a few pounds pretty much automatically after a week or two.2 -
AmandaDanceMore wrote: »How is vegan not plant based when all you eat is plants and things that are made with plants?
I am mostly vegetarian (I eat a small amount of fish, mostly in the form of the occasional sushi), and I am mostly plant based when not eating the above mentioned sushi (I haven't kicked the cheese habit, though it is greatly reduced). My eating habits can be fabulous or very frat boy like, so it can depend, but when I'm eating well, I reap many benefits- better skin (I have very very dry skin, but more plants help), fewer headaches, better sleep, more energy, less issues with my stomach. I also drop a few pounds pretty much automatically after a week or two.
I agree absolutely. My dietary choices were made by necessity, but the benefits you list are right on. I've also noticed that my joints and tendons aren't as "achy" anymore.0 -
AmandaDanceMore wrote: »How is vegan not plant based when all you eat is plants and things that are made with plants?
I am mostly vegetarian (I eat a small amount of fish, mostly in the form of the occasional sushi), and I am mostly plant based when not eating the above mentioned sushi (I haven't kicked the cheese habit, though it is greatly reduced). My eating habits can be fabulous or very frat boy like, so it can depend, but when I'm eating well, I reap many benefits- better skin (I have very very dry skin, but more plants help), fewer headaches, better sleep, more energy, less issues with my stomach. I also drop a few pounds pretty much automatically after a week or two.
I agree absolutely. My dietary choices were made by necessity, but the benefits you list are right on. I've also noticed that my joints and tendons aren't as "achy" anymore.
Yep! I forgot that one! When I eat right, my old injuries and general wear and tear bother me less and I recover much, much faster!0 -
AmandaDanceMore wrote: »How is vegan not plant based when all you eat is plants and things that are made with plants?TracySulejmani wrote: »
This.
Although some (Happy Herbivore, I think, is one) seem to use "plant based" as short hand for "whole food plant based" and vegan means "no animal products for ethical reasons" and could include, say, Oreos.
I assumed the person meant you could be plant based without being vegan, which is true, especially as many people don't use plant based to mean only 100% plant based.4 -
seekingbetterme wrote: »TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »Hard to do for long term. This means no doritos - ever.
That's where you're wrong! Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos AND the new BBQ Heat Wave Doritos are vegan
I switched to a vegan diet in March of this year and I've gone from 160 to 130 lbs. My skin has become perfectly clear, I have more energy, and overall I'm generally happier and healthier. Best life style change I've ever made!
This is awesome -- I had no idea they'd added another vegan one!
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TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »Hard to do for long term. This means no doritos - ever.
Doritos is not worth all the trouble that being fat does to someone. I can tell you from experience, that now that im eating a whole food plant based diet, Cheetos and Doritos are NOT something i even think about or desire. New foods are attractive to me and i want them.
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I suppose it depends on whether you mean a vegan/plant based diet or a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet. I am vegan but getting closer to WFPB. I've been vegan for years and had no difference in how I felt, but when I eat exclusively WFPB for a few days I do.3
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Plant based doesn't mean vegan. Doesn't even mean vegetarian. It just means the majority of your diet is plant based. I eat meat, fish etc and still consider my diet to fall under plant based because the vast majority of my foods are plants, or things that come from plants.3
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I suppose it depends on whether you mean a vegan/plant based diet or a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet. I am vegan but getting closer to WFPB. I've been vegan for years and had no difference in how I felt, but when I eat exclusively WFPB for a few days I do.
Absolutely. You can be technically vegan and still eat junk food. I am certainly not following a WFPB diet for ethical reasons, but that doesn't keep me from reaping the health benefits of eating WFPB. I would cheerfully eat a huge porterhouse steak, but the aftereffects just wouldn't be worth it.1 -
TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »Hard to do for long term. This means no doritos - ever.
Doritos is not worth all the trouble that being fat does to someone. I can tell you from experience, that now that im eating a whole food plant based diet, Cheetos and Doritos are NOT something i even think about or desire. New foods are attractive to me and i want them.
Okay, but I eat Doritos sometimes and I'm not fat. They don't automatically make you fat.
New foods are attractive to me too. Sometimes that will be a beautiful vegetable I see at the farmer's market that I've never tried before. Other times it will be some BBQ Doritos.11 -
Perhaps the perceived benefits of vegan WFPB eating are more about the presence of plants, then, rather than the absence of animal products?
I wouldn't discourage someone becoming vegan for a range of ethical reasons, but think the health argument is a bit more tenuous.3 -
I suppose it depends on whether you mean a vegan/plant based diet or a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet. I am vegan but getting closer to WFPB. I've been vegan for years and had no difference in how I felt, but when I eat exclusively WFPB for a few days I do.
Absolutely. You can be technically vegan and still eat junk food. I am certainly not following a WFPB diet for ethical reasons, but that doesn't keep me from reaping the health benefits of eating WFPB. I would cheerfully eat a huge porterhouse steak, but the aftereffects just wouldn't be worth it.
A person who doesn't exploit animals unnecessarily and still sometimes eats junk food isn't "techincally vegan." That's veganism. Vegans, like non-vegans, can choose to layer in additional restrictions related to the consumption of non-whole foods, but it's not a higher level of veganism. The vegan who eats Doritos and the vegan who never does have the exact same level of veganism.16 -
I went vegan a long long time ago -- very easy. I went whole foods plant based many times -- slightly harder. Whole foods plant based has some of the best peer-reviewed science behind it being one of the healthiest ways for humans to eat.
I have been having a hard time with maintenance, so I am giving it another go. Feel free to add me, my diary is open to friends You can see what vegan and WFPB looks like. 3 -
Perhaps the perceived benefits of vegan WFPB eating are more about the presence of plants, then, rather than the absence of animal products?
I wouldn't discourage someone becoming vegan for a range of ethical reasons, but think the health argument is a bit more tenuous.
That's not what the peer-reviewed science says. Most peer-reviewed scientific studies show the absence of animal products is what is majorly beneficial.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4193060/
http://journals.lww.com/eurjcancerprev/Abstract/2010/09000/Processed_meat_and_colorectal_cancer__a.2.aspx
http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1957?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TBMJ_UK_TrendMD-0
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/5/e001072.short
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070955
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/414881?version=meter at null&module=meter-Links&pgtype=Blogs&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/217599
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/43/10/2556.short
I mean, I could go on.6 -
On the chips discussion: https://www.peta2.com/news/vegan-potato-tortilla-chips/
Sun chips! Earth balance chips! Doritos! Pop chips! There are sweet potato chips sitting right in front of me this very minute. Nothing in them but sweet potatoes, canola oil, and salt--they're vegan! If you're vegetarian, then most chips would be fine. People use the term "plant based" to encompass all sorts of different diets, from eating mostly plants and a small amount of animal products, to being vegan. It's not clear what OP meant by it.
Don't even get me started on sweets. I eat chocolate every day. Equal Exchange makes some excellent vegan dark chocolate. The point is that plant based does not mean no sweets or salty snacks, unless that's how the individual chooses to eat.
OP, I found when I stopped eating meat that I really did have to re-learn how to cook. I grew up in a meat and potatoes family. I had never eaten most vegetables! Even things that seem simple to me now, like substituting soy crumbles for beef in a taco recipe, had to be learned. I'm glad I did it, though. I'm really happy with how I eat now and I wouldn't want to go back to eating meat.2 -
Perhaps the perceived benefits of vegan WFPB eating are more about the presence of plants, then, rather than the absence of animal products?
I wouldn't discourage someone becoming vegan for a range of ethical reasons, but think the health argument is a bit more tenuous.
That's not what the peer-reviewed science says. Most peer-reviewed scientific studies show the absence of animal products is what is majorly beneficial.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4193060/
http://journals.lww.com/eurjcancerprev/Abstract/2010/09000/Processed_meat_and_colorectal_cancer__a.2.aspx
http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1957?utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TBMJ_UK_TrendMD-0
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/5/e001072.short
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0070955
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/414881?version=meter at null&module=meter-Links&pgtype=Blogs&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click
http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/217599
http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/43/10/2556.short
I mean, I could go on.
I only bothered with the first two...your first link doesn't have anything to do with meat consumption...it's about obesity.
The second link says this at the end..."Overall, summary associations were weak in magnitude (i.e. most less than 1.20), processed meat definitions and analytical comparisons were highly variable across studies, and isolating the independent effects of processed meat intake is difficult, given the likely influence of confounding by other dietary and lifestyle factors. Therefore, the currently available epidemiologic evidence is not sufficient to support a clear and unequivocal independent positive association between processed meat consumption and CRC."
The vast majority of studies around meat are correlation studies and they typically ignore other aspects of diet and overall lifestyle. One can eat quite healthfully eating meat...the problem with the SAD is that it includes a lot of meat and very little veg and fruit...it's a *kitten* diet and that's what most of the correlation studies are looking at, but just saying it's the meat.8 -
On the chips discussion: https://www.peta2.com/news/vegan-potato-tortilla-chips/
Sun chips! Earth balance chips! Doritos! Pop chips! There are sweet potato chips sitting right in front of me this very minute. Nothing in them but sweet potatoes, canola oil, and salt--they're vegan! If you're vegetarian, then most chips would be fine. People use the term "plant based" to encompass all sorts of different diets, from eating mostly plants and a small amount of animal products, to being vegan. It's not clear what OP meant by it.
Don't even get me started on sweets. I eat chocolate every day. Equal Exchange makes some excellent vegan dark chocolate. The point is that plant based does not mean no sweets or salty snacks, unless that's how the individual chooses to eat.
OP, I found when I stopped eating meat that I really did have to re-learn how to cook. I grew up in a meat and potatoes family. I had never eaten most vegetables! Even things that seem simple to me now, like substituting soy crumbles for beef in a taco recipe, had to be learned. I'm glad I did it, though. I'm really happy with how I eat now and I wouldn't want to go back to eating meat.
I had an Equal Exchange bar yesterday with lemon, ginger, and black pepper. It was amazing!1
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