vegan.

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ashaaleigh94
ashaaleigh94 Posts: 15
in Food and Nutrition
is vegan a healthier lifestyle? Im thinking about going vegan. whats some good things to buy besides fruit, veggies, soy milk and such?

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  • unicornassassin
    unicornassassin Posts: 141 Member
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    If you search the topics there are a lot of helpful threads on this :)
  • Mski02
    Mski02 Posts: 28
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    you need a certain amount of nuts and seeds - they are fatty, but good fats! :) Quinoa is a great alternative instead of rice and cous cous etc
  • juliesummers
    juliesummers Posts: 738 Member
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    In general, the more unprocessed natural foods from the ground you can consume the better.
    Veganism isn't intrinsically healthier, just because most people do it unhealthily (ie replacing meat with french fries and vegan cookies). As long as you focus on whole, fresh foods, you'll be fine. I believe in letting go of the titles and just listening to your body.

    That being said, I've been veg for about 6 or 7 years now.
    My diet consists primarily of lots of raw veggies, flax seed, fresh fruits, raw nuts, avocado, oatmeal, beans, lentils, tea, and the occasional veggie "meat" and/or protein powder.


    As a side note, my friend's mom and dad recently went raw vegan - each lost over 30 and 40 pounds, respectively, and the dad cured his diabetes within the first two months.
  • MartiJJohnston
    MartiJJohnston Posts: 517
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    "Going vegan" is a really big committment. Trust me, I've been researching this lifestyle and talking to people who live it for months now. From the documentaries I've watched (Forks Over Knives is a great one), changing to a whole foods/plant based diet can drastically improve our health and even free some of us from prescription medications . There are many, many studies supporting this theory and tons of books/websites to read on the subject matter.

    I have set a goal to at least be vegetarian by the end of the year. I just don't think I can switch cold turkey. If you'd like to friend me, we can support each other and help each other with shopping lists, etc.

    I went to the grocery store tonight and bought a lot of great food including steel cut oats for breakfast, vegetarian refried beans and low carb/high fiber whole grain tortillas, steamable veggies and brown rice. When I got home I cut up a large zucchini and small squash and sauted them in olive oil with a large onion, then added organic marinara sauce and some cayenne pepper to make it spicy. Yummy over steamed veggies or whole grain pasta.

    Sorry to talk your ear off... Message me if you'd like to! GOOD LUCK!!!
  • MartiJJohnston
    MartiJJohnston Posts: 517
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    In general, the more unprocessed natural foods from the ground you can consume the better.
    Veganism isn't intrinsically healthier, just because most people do it unhealthily (ie replacing meat with french fries and vegan cookies). As long as you focus on whole, fresh foods, you'll be fine. I believe in letting go of the titles and just listening to your body.

    That being said, I've been veg for about 6 or 7 years now.
    My diet consists primarily of lots of raw veggies, flax seed, fresh fruits, raw nuts, avocado, oatmeal, beans, lentils, tea, and the occasional veggie "meat" and/or protein powder.

    ^^^^^^She hit the nail on the head!!! I know some unhealthy vegetarians. I'm also trying to eat mostly whole foods and staying away from processed as much as possible. :glasses:
  • Salpica
    Salpica Posts: 205 Member
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    Whenever I see the work "vegan" I cringe. Not saying it's bad, but being born and raised in the Midwest meat is a lifestyle for me. (And not a bad one either)

    Someone already said to research the forums for opinions. Many opinions of vegans may be biased so your best bet would be to talk to your professional health care provider and see if they think that would be the right thing for you to do.
  • kwinterscheidt
    kwinterscheidt Posts: 45 Member
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    i switched to vegan about 6 weeks ago and i dont think i will ever go back. I have twice as much energy and feel great. I am eating way more veggies then i used too and im cooking at home instead of eating out. Its been a great change for me and my husband. I just need to stay away from those vegan chocolate chip cookies at whole foods! those are so good!
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
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    It depends on what your diet is like now and what you would eat as a vegan as to whether or not vegan eating is healthier.

    If you are already eating mostly whole foods and a lot of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats, then vegan eating probably won't be much healthier.

    That being said, it can be a very healthy way to eat!
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    To be brutally honest, being a vegan or a plant based lifestyle depends on your whether you want to make a lifestyle choice or a health choice. For some, it is both because of a health crisis. This is what happened to me, I had type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and other diabetic complications, and I needed to make a change. My mother, however, is a picture of great health and as long as she is not overweight, she can eat what she likes (she doesn't eat a lot of food, her portions are still small) so a variety of foods does not "hurt" her. This is an oversimplification of her lifestyle but I believe that if you are already healthy, balance is acceptable.

    So you have to figure things out for yourself. I know for me, I can never abuse my body with foods that will hurt me. That's my life, that's my body. I hope you find your path.

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