Can anyone help with a question?
Jerusalem48
Posts: 2 Member
I am looking to be a vegan or live an organic lifestyle. I realize with high cholesterol levels and fat levels that being vegan is a wonderful option. What is the difference between the two? Which one should I go for? If any.
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Replies
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I was married to a Vegan. I have mad respect for anyone who can be one. I was a Vegetarian who only ate organic and loved it. Both are healthy and great choices. For me, I could not give up cheese. That was the only reason I could not do a Vegan lifestyle.3
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Going plant based is a healthier option. Only animal products have cholesterol in them so if you're curious about truly balancing your body, explore some wonderful plant based Dr's and fitness ladies on IG/YouTube.13
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Simple/processed carbohydrates are far, far, faaaar worse for you than cholesterol could ever be.
It's true that plant-based diets will likely reduce your cholesterol levels, but keep in mind that many types of cholesterol are both protective and necessary for normal hormonal/biological function. Cholesterol is also the building block your body uses to produce Vitamin D.
Worry about sugar, especially processed sugar and simple carbs. Let cholesterol and fat take a backseat to that; in my opinion, they're not harmful at all unless you have a genetic predisposition that makes them harmful.13 -
RunsWithDogsWI wrote: »Simple/processed carbohydrates are far, far, faaaar worse for you than cholesterol could ever be.
It's true that plant-based diets will likely reduce your cholesterol levels, but keep in mind that many types of cholesterol are both protective and necessary for normal hormonal/biological function. Cholesterol is also the building block your body uses to produce Vitamin D.
Worry about sugar, especially processed sugar and simple carbs. Let cholesterol and fat take a backseat to that; in my opinion, they're not harmful at all unless you have a genetic predisposition that makes them harmful.
Good luck to people who are vegan or who prefer organic foods - everyone can choose their own WOE for whatever reason.
But, no, most people do not need to worry about sugar (unless medical conditions, like diabetics - but nothing to suggest this applies to OP)
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The difference between vegan and organic -
Vegans don't eat any animal products at all. This includes meat (of course), but also things like milk, cheese, eggs, and gelatin (which is rendered from animal parts).
Eating "organic" can vary a little bit depending on who you talk to, but it generally means eating food that isn't a GMO (genetically modified organism), has been grown/harvested sustainably, has been treated only with organic pesticides (or none at all), is labeled USDA Organic, and in the cases of animal products, comes from animals that have not been given antibiotics*, hormones, and have been raised a certain way.
So you can eat organically and be vegan, or vegetarian, or omnivorous! Likewise, you can be vegan or vegetarian and not eat organically.
If you do decide to go vegan, please read up on how to balance your nutrition - a vegan diet is absolutely doable, but man alive, it can be tough! Thankfully there are more and more (affordable!) options for vegan consumers on the market these days, and more and more folks on the net willing to share recipes, tips, and guidance.
*Requisite sidenote, because I'm a veterinarian and of course I have to share my opinion about this - I have worked with producers who refuse to use antibiotics to treat animals that are sick, because they can't afford to lose their "antibiotic free" label. I am all on board with responsible use of antibiotics, but in my opinion, responsible use means applying them to improve the welfare of all living creatures on this planet. A system in place that hinders this, or that punishes producers for using proven treatment modalities, is questionable, in my opinion. But! That's just me, and I won't ever shame you for the decisions you want to make regarding how you source your food.7 -
RunsWithDogsWI wrote: »It's true that plant-based diets will likely reduce your cholesterol levels, but keep in mind that many types of cholesterol are both protective and necessary for normal hormonal/biological function. Cholesterol is also the building block your body uses to produce Vitamin D.
And hormones and other cell signalling molecules... not to mention the membranes of the cells themselves... =D Cholesterol gets vilified so easily but it is vital for life!
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Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.2 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Wait...except one can easily eat vegan without consuming anything certified organic. You'd get two circles that aren't touching. It'd be cheaper as well. One can also eat organic and eat a bunch of meat. Unless I'm missing what an "organic lifestyle" is.2 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Hunh? You can eat non-organic plant foods and be a vegan. So you would be in a part of the little circle that doesn't overlap the big circle.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Wait...except one can easily eat vegan without consuming anything certified organic. You'd get two circles that aren't touching. It'd be cheaper as well. One can also eat organic and eat a bunch of meat. Unless I'm missing what an "organic lifestyle" is.
No, the circles would overlap (i.e., have an area that is shared, as well as areas that are part of each of the circles but not the other). A person who was vegan and who also "lived an organic lifestyle" (to use OP's phrase) would be in the intersecting/overlapping part of the two circles.
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More than one type of each figure out what you can live with. Got all kinds in my family. My Dads side meat eaters with some bean/potatoes. Mom’s Vegan y Vegetarian.
My Navy Daughter is a Raw only Pescatarian. Son Vetarian.
I’m oragnaic foods from meats to veggies as much as possible make sure eggs to meat come from free range or private farmers. Hubby Vegetarian until he cracked now eats chicken up a storm every now and then. Lol we’re a mess at meal time no one agrees. We all agree on a few things like almond milk lol.Rest is up for debate or seperate plates.2 -
You can be a vegan and not eat a healthful diet (i.e all organic potatoes) as well as eat organically and not make healthful choices (i.e all organically locally sourced pork belly with organic potatoes). Those are obviously extremes (please don't woo me- ok asking for it :-), but I was married to a vegetarian who seemed to survive on Kraft macaroni and cheese and packages of ramen, before I started doing the cooking! I do know many other vegetarians/vegans that make much better choices. Personally, I love seafood and could not give that up, so I think a lot depends on what you enjoy eating! And with concerns about over-fishing and mercury I have added poultry (humanely raised from a local farmer) to my diet as I seem to do better with a mix of animal protein than an all plant based protein diet that might have higher carbs. I greatly admire those that choose a vegan WOE and have a healthy, varied diet, but realize that I could not adhere to a vegan or keto or low calorie diet based on foods that I enjoy!
I try to buy as much produce, meat, eggs, cheese, fish locally at my farmers market or co-op (fortunate that the farmers market runs all year long). Not all of the producers can afford to go through the process of certification for organic, but for all practical purposes adhere to the principals and I try to support them and the local industry. I do look into which pesticides are used with conventional or organic farming. Organic does not mean pesticide free. The carbon footprint for food imported from other areas is likely not healthy for the global environment so I try to take that into consideration when shopping.
In any case experiment and see what you enjoy eating as well as look more deeply into why various WOE are important to you...2 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Hunh? You can eat non-organic plant foods and be a vegan. So you would be in a part of the little circle that doesn't overlap the big circle.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Wait...except one can easily eat vegan without consuming anything certified organic. You'd get two circles that aren't touching. It'd be cheaper as well. One can also eat organic and eat a bunch of meat. Unless I'm missing what an "organic lifestyle" is.
No, the circles would overlap (i.e., have an area that is shared, as well as areas that are part of each of the circles but not the other). A person who was vegan and who also "lived an organic lifestyle" (to use OP's phrase) would be in the intersecting/overlapping part of the two circles.
What I was saying is that if there was a person who was vegan and not eating anything that was certified organic, those two circles wouldn't overlap.0 -
Vitamin are important got one for Vitamin D ,multi-vitamin,y iron pill so if I see We didn’t reach our goal nutrition someone gets a vitamin.1
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Hunh? You can eat non-organic plant foods and be a vegan. So you would be in a part of the little circle that doesn't overlap the big circle.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Wait...except one can easily eat vegan without consuming anything certified organic. You'd get two circles that aren't touching. It'd be cheaper as well. One can also eat organic and eat a bunch of meat. Unless I'm missing what an "organic lifestyle" is.
No, the circles would overlap (i.e., have an area that is shared, as well as areas that are part of each of the circles but not the other). A person who was vegan and who also "lived an organic lifestyle" (to use OP's phrase) would be in the intersecting/overlapping part of the two circles.
What I was saying is that if there was a person who was vegan and not eating anything that was certified organic, those two circles wouldn't overlap.
OK, but that's not how Venn diagrams work. The circles illustrate the possibilities and whether (1) they overlap, (2) are identical, (3) one is a subset of the other, or (4) are mutually exclusive. They aren't generally used to illustrate the characteristics of a single individual -- and if they were (that is, if a vegan non-organic individual were the entire set someone was trying to describe), the circle for organic eaters wouldn't be a part of the diagram for the situation you described.1 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Hunh? You can eat non-organic plant foods and be a vegan. So you would be in a part of the little circle that doesn't overlap the big circle.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Wait...except one can easily eat vegan without consuming anything certified organic. You'd get two circles that aren't touching. It'd be cheaper as well. One can also eat organic and eat a bunch of meat. Unless I'm missing what an "organic lifestyle" is.
No, the circles would overlap (i.e., have an area that is shared, as well as areas that are part of each of the circles but not the other). A person who was vegan and who also "lived an organic lifestyle" (to use OP's phrase) would be in the intersecting/overlapping part of the two circles.
What I was saying is that if there was a person who was vegan and not eating anything that was certified organic, those two circles wouldn't overlap.
OK, but that's not how Venn diagrams work. The circles illustrate the possibilities and whether (1) they overlap, (2) are identical, (3) one is a subset of the other, or (4) are mutually exclusive. They aren't generally used to illustrate the characteristics of a single individual -- and if they were (that is, if a vegan non-organic individual were the entire set someone was trying to describe), the circle for organic eaters wouldn't be a part of the diagram for the situation you described.
You've missed my point (or perhaps illustrated it). There's not venn diagram because eating organic doesn't have anything to do with eating vegan and vice versa. That is, unless there's some sort of new definition of "organic lifestyle" that I don't know about.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Hunh? You can eat non-organic plant foods and be a vegan. So you would be in a part of the little circle that doesn't overlap the big circle.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Think of a small circle. That circle encompasses everything vegan.
Think a much bigger circle. That circle encompasses everything organic.
You could try making a Venn diagram, but It would mostly be the little circle inside the big circle.
Wait...except one can easily eat vegan without consuming anything certified organic. You'd get two circles that aren't touching. It'd be cheaper as well. One can also eat organic and eat a bunch of meat. Unless I'm missing what an "organic lifestyle" is.
No, the circles would overlap (i.e., have an area that is shared, as well as areas that are part of each of the circles but not the other). A person who was vegan and who also "lived an organic lifestyle" (to use OP's phrase) would be in the intersecting/overlapping part of the two circles.
What I was saying is that if there was a person who was vegan and not eating anything that was certified organic, those two circles wouldn't overlap.
OK, but that's not how Venn diagrams work. The circles illustrate the possibilities and whether (1) they overlap, (2) are identical, (3) one is a subset of the other, or (4) are mutually exclusive. They aren't generally used to illustrate the characteristics of a single individual -- and if they were (that is, if a vegan non-organic individual were the entire set someone was trying to describe), the circle for organic eaters wouldn't be a part of the diagram for the situation you described.
You've missed my point (or perhaps illustrated it). There's not venn diagram because eating organic doesn't have anything to do with eating vegan and vice versa. That is, unless there's some sort of new definition of "organic lifestyle" that I don't know about.
The characteristics of a set don't have to have some kind of logical relationship to be illustratrated by a Venn diagram. The Venn diagram of vegans and organic eaters would look like the Venn diagram of people who speak English and people who can ride a unicycle. Some people who speak English can ride a unicycle, but some can't. Some who can ride a unicycle speak English, but some don't. The diagram is two intersecting, or (partially) overlapping, circles. (I'm wondering if my use of overlapping to mean intersecting/partially overlapping, rather than completely "overlapping," is the cause of the confusion. To me, overlapping means partially overlapping, unless someone were to specifically say completely overlapping -- and even then I would think, why are using 'overlapping' when you mean the two sets are identical?.)
In any case, your post that I first responded to said that the circles wouldn't be touching, which would mean that one couldn't be both vegan and someone who restricts themselves to certified organic foods. And that's what I was objecting to. Anyone can be both vegan and organic-consuming, only one of those, or neither. Two intersecting or partially overlapping circles. Not two circles that aren't touching. The single individual you're talking would be in the part of the vegan circle that doesn't overlap with the organic circle.1 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »
In any case, your post that I first responded to said that the circles wouldn't be touching, which would mean that one couldn't be both vegan and someone who restricts themselves to certified organic foods. And that's what I was objecting to. Anyone can be both vegan and organic-consuming, only one of those, or neither. Two intersecting or partially overlapping circles. Not two circles that aren't touching. The single individual you're talking would be in the part of the vegan circle that doesn't overlap with the organic circle.
If that's what you got out of my post then you really didn't understand what I was saying in that post and various other posts that I've written here.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »
In any case, your post that I first responded to said that the circles wouldn't be touching, which would mean that one couldn't be both vegan and someone who restricts themselves to certified organic foods. And that's what I was objecting to. Anyone can be both vegan and organic-consuming, only one of those, or neither. Two intersecting or partially overlapping circles. Not two circles that aren't touching. The single individual you're talking would be in the part of the vegan circle that doesn't overlap with the organic circle.
If that's what you got out of my post then you really didn't understand what I was saying in that post and various other posts that I've written here.
Well, I agree that one is us really didn't understand what you were saying.1 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »
In any case, your post that I first responded to said that the circles wouldn't be touching, which would mean that one couldn't be both vegan and someone who restricts themselves to certified organic foods. And that's what I was objecting to. Anyone can be both vegan and organic-consuming, only one of those, or neither. Two intersecting or partially overlapping circles. Not two circles that aren't touching. The single individual you're talking would be in the part of the vegan circle that doesn't overlap with the organic circle.
If that's what you got out of my post then you really didn't understand what I was saying in that post and various other posts that I've written here.
Well, I agree that one is us really didn't understand what you were saying.
All snark aside - if someone thinks that you can't eat vegan without only or primarily eating foods that are certified organic, then they have quite a lot to learn.0 -
Jerusalem48 wrote: »I am looking to be a vegan or live an organic lifestyle. I realize with high cholesterol levels and fat levels that being vegan is a wonderful option. What is the difference between the two? Which one should I go for? If any.
Just so you know "Vegan" means using nothing produced by animals or that is part of the animal itself. This includes foods like honey, gelatin, etc. but it also means no leather, silk, wool, beeswax, many cosmetics, etc. If you are not ready for that kind of commitment go ahead and try a plant based (aka vegetarian) diet first.1
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