Vegan for 90 Days - I need help please

ByeByeToDiabetes wrote: »

I would like to try a vegan lifestyle for 90 days. I don't feel like I can commit to more, because I haven't tried it. I have so many questions, and yes, of course, I can google it all, but it often leads to more confusion. So here are some of the questions I have and I hope some of you will be willing to help me or guide me.

1. I would be a gluten-free vegan, is that even possible?
2. I need to be very careful with sugar. I was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I am on my journey to reversing it. Again, can I be a low-sugar vegan?
3. Do I need to take a special vitamin to make up for any kind of nutrition deficit?
4. Breakfast seems to be my biggest problem without gluten or eggs. I can only come up with gluten-free oats, dairy-free milk, and fruits and/or smoothies.
5. Do I need to add a protein powder to my diet?
6. Snacks. Is there anything else besides fruits?
7. How many meals should I plan? Two, three or four?
8. What's a normal calorie intake for a vegan?
9. Is a vegan lifestyle smart for someone who wants to reverse Type 2 diabetes?

My doctor was not happy when I told her about my plans. She thinks that I wouldn't get enough protein. Is she correct? I feel like she is obsessed with protein like so many. .

I watched the movie "Fork over Knives" and bought me the cookbook, as well as some other vegan cookbooks. I love to cook so that might come in handy.

Why vegan?

I am very heavy and very determined. I am 59 years old and have been a meat and fish eater all my life, but have found myself more and more disgusted with the way we humans treat the animals we eat.
I am concerned about our planet and our meat consumption.
I know that most of the meats we eat (and farm-raised fish) are very unhealthy and dislike it more and more.
I love vegetables and fruits, not crazy about legumes but love lentils.
I love animals and I think it's time to act on it.

Thanks for reading and in advance, thank you for any help I might get.

I have done vegan and gluten free. Yes it can be done. And you will most likely lose a lot of weight. I still don't eat red meat or pork... and I'm thinking of going back to vegan. As far as a protein shake... it's fine to drink one if you're concerned about your protein. I have a friend who has done vegan gluten free for years and lives it. Just focus on whole foods and leave out the wheat, barley and rye... replace with other whole grains like buckwheat, amaranth, millet and rice. It really opened my eyes to the awesome grains that nobody eats.

ByeByeToDiabetes wrote: »

I have done vegan and gluten free. Yes it can be done. And you will most likely lose a lot of weight. I still don't eat red meat or pork... and I'm thinking of going back to vegan. As far as a protein shake... it's fine to drink one if you're concerned about your protein. I have a friend who has done vegan gluten free for years and lives it. Just focus on whole foods and leave out the wheat, barley and rye... replace with other whole grains like buckwheat, amaranth, millet and rice. It really opened my eyes to the awesome grains that nobody eats.[/quote]

I have no idea what whole foods are. It means not processed, right?
[/quote]

Basically, yes, think fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans, tofu, whole grains (except wheat barley and rye of course).

My favorites are:
veganricha.com
vegan8.com
connoisseurusveg.com

I also love veganricha’s indian kitchen cookbook

sweetpotatosoul.com has some good recipes.

Most vegan bloggers will offer gluten-free workarounds.

ByeByeToDiabetes wrote: »

I would like to try a vegan lifestyle for 90 days. I don't feel like I can commit to more, because I haven't tried it. I have so many questions, and yes, of course, I can google it all, but it often leads to more confusion. So here are some of the questions I have and I hope some of you will be willing to help me or guide me.

1. I would be a gluten-free vegan, is that even possible?

Sure. One thing to be aware of: Sometimes people recommend seitan as a vegan protein source, which it is. But seitan is gluten.

2. I need to be very careful with sugar. I was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I am on my journey to reversing it. Again, can I be a low-sugar vegan?

Sure. As with any other way of eating, to avoid sugar generally or added sugar specifically, it's important to read labels. There's plenty of vegan junk food on the market, and nutritionally it's as likely to be high in added sugar and fats as any other junk food.

3. Do I need to take a special vitamin to make up for any kind of nutrition deficit?

Vitamin B-12 for sure. Nutritional yeast (a common flavoring/protein source) usually contains B-12, but because the yeast is fortified with added B-12. (If you use nutritional yeast to bet B-12, be sure it's fortified.) Generally plant foods supply no B-12, and it's an essential nutrient.

There are other nutrients that can require more attention when eating a plant-based diet, to avoid deficiencies. This site is a good science-based source for vegan nutrition:

https://veganhealth.org/

It's written by registered dietitians who are themselves vegan, and is very level-headed.

In general, exercise caution about vegan web sites, books, and so-called documentaries. Some are more about advocacy - trying to convert people to veganism - than about scientific accuracy. Those kind of sites will distort the truth for various reasons . . . sometimes for marketing, even. I've seen some that say vegans don't need to pay attention to nutrition because plants are Just That Good. That's false.

4. Breakfast seems to be my biggest problem without gluten or eggs. I can only come up with gluten-free oats, dairy-free milk, and fruits and/or smoothies.

Remember than any foods you enjoy can be eaten to break your fast, not just official "breakfast foods". If you like cereal-y things, there are lots of grains and pseudo-grains (quinoa is a pseudo-grain) that are gluten free and even have some protein.

5. Do I need to add a protein powder to my diet?

Only if you need it to get adequate protein, like any other supplement, or a person on any other way of eating.

If you do go that route, look for a vegan protein powder that has a "complete" amino acid profile, i.e., has all the 9 amino acids we need, that our bodies can't manufacture from anything else.

Some plant sources of protein are also less bioavailable than animal sources, too, i.e., less well metabolized. I'm not going to belabor it, but there's something called "PDCAAS", a scoring system that evaluates the quality/digestibility of protein sources (both animal and plant) to the best of current science's ability. Though limited foods have been scored at this point, that's a thing we can look into to help assess our options.

While I'm thinking about it: If you choose to use some of the vegan meat substitutes, read labels. Some are somewhat meat-like in flavor/texture, but don't have much protein. Again, read labels. Some are highly processed, others more lightly processed: There's quite a range on the market nowadays. (I don't care for the faux meats taste-wise, so I don't routinely eat them, thus I can't give specific advice.)

6. Snacks. Is there anything else besides fruits?

Sure. Some reasonably nutrient-dense ones I like are crispy chickpeas, lentils, or broad beans (available commercially, or make your own); dry-roasted soybeans. Popcorn, and raw veggies are an option, as is hummus (good with the veggies). There are vegan, gluten free crackers (at a range of "processed-ness", if you care about that, or you can make your own). If you are OK with eating more processed foods, there are some reasonably nutrient-dense vegan chips and puffs that are OK in moderated portions. Moderated portions of nuts or seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc.) are also possible snack choices.

7. How many meals should I plan? Two, three or four?

It's like any other way of eating. Eat the number of meals/snacks that keeps you personally mostly feeling full and happy, and that's practical with your lifestyle and preferences.

One thing to be aware of, not because vegan, but because you're getting close to my age (I'm 68): As we reach 55-60+, we tend to metabolize protein (and certain other nutrients) less efficiently than young people do. That means it's extra important to spread protein through the day. That may make a small number of big meals less optimal nutritionally.

8. What's a normal calorie intake for a vegan?

Not different from calorie intake for non-vegans, just as nutritional needs aren't different. (What's different is the food sources one would use to meet the calorie and nutrition goals.)

9. Is a vegan lifestyle smart for someone who wants to reverse Type 2 diabetes?

This isn't something I've researched in detail, because I'm not diabetic. I suspect it's like so many other ways of eating: It can be good or bad for diabetics depending on food choices.

The Vegan Health site I linked above - if you use the search function for "diabetes" on the site - has overviews of research on diabetes and veganism/vegetarianism.

It is true that vegan protein sources tend to bring more carbs along with them than does meat or fish. To extent that those are whole or lightly-processed foods, and the person avoids added sugars by label-reading, these will tend to be low-GI carbs (more slowly absorbed by the body).

Truth in advertising: I'm not vegan. I've been vegetarian for nearly 50 years, and get a lot of my nutrition from the same foods vegans would consume, so I'm quite familiar with the territory.

I feel that vegetarianism and veganism both are being over-hyped lately as extra good for weight loss, or extra healthy. I don't believe that to be true. I think it's all about specific food choices, and the overall quality of the total way of eating. IMO, being an omnivore makes certain aspects of good nutrition easier to achieve without detailed attention. Healthy plant-based eating is not as difficult as those who've never tried it may represent, though, I think.

Being vegan (or vegetarian) is a perfectly reasonable choice for various reasons, but I don't think either is necessarily healthier (or better for weight loss) than an omnivorous diet with good meat/fish choices and plenty of varied, colorful veggies and fruits.

My doctor was not happy when I told her about my plans. She thinks that I wouldn't get enough protein. Is she correct? I feel like she is obsessed with protein like so many. .

It's a common concern. If you pay attention, it shouldn't be a problem.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if your doctor thought the US recommended daily protein intake was adequate. Based on more recent research I think it's sub-optimal, especially for someone who is aging, in a calorie deficit, active, or getting lots of their protein from plant sources.

I won't delve into the detailed whys, but for some of those reasons, I prefer to eat around twice the US-recommended protein amount for my demographic. It isn't difficult for me to get that much decent-quality protein as a vegetarian, and I believe I could do it as a vegan if I wished to do so.

I watched the movie "Fork over Knives" and bought me the cookbook, as well as some other vegan cookbooks. I love to cook so that might come in handy.

Why vegan?

I am very heavy and very determined. I am 59 years old and have been a meat and fish eater all my life, but have found myself more and more disgusted with the way we humans treat the animals we eat.
I am concerned about our planet and our meat consumption.
I know that most of the meats we eat (and farm-raised fish) are very unhealthy and dislike it more and more.
I love vegetables and fruits, not crazy about legumes but love lentils.
I love animals and I think it's time to act on it.

Thanks for reading and in advance, thank you for any help I might get.

Don't be afraid to transition gradually, if that helps you keep a good nutritional profile along the way.

Best wishes for success!