New to Veganism (Looking for Friends)

Mashizou
Mashizou Posts: 28 Member
Hey all. I've been slowly transitioning to the vegan lifestyle for a few months now without realizing it (I simply don't like the taste of eggs, dairy or meat and since reading up on what takes place within these industries even the thought of eating animal products makes me feel sick to my stomach). Last week I decided to officially make the switch from almost-vegan to fully vegan. Being that I'm new to the community, I'm not sure which supplements I should be taking (B-12, D, Omega-3, and...?). I'm also gluten-free (health reasons) and so that adds an extra restriction to my diet.

If anyone is interested, I would love to make some friends and swap recipes :)

Replies

  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Gluten free and vegan here! :) Always open to friends.

    These are two of my favorite blogs:

    ohsheglows.com

    peasandthankyou.com

    They are not strictly gluten free but do have gluten free recipes and conversions available.

    I take 1 Ovega-3 and 1 Futurebiotic New Harvest for Omega-3's, magnesium and calcium, kelp, and a multivitamin daily.
  • claram5415
    claram5415 Posts: 512 Member
    Welcome! There are some very good books about what to eat, and I think one of the best ones is Dr. Barnard's.
    http://www.pcrm.org/shop/byNealBarnard/21-day-weight-loss-kickstart
    From all my reading, as long as you eat a fortified cereal and/or take a multivitimim you don't really have to worry about B-12 or anything else. Just keep eating fruits and veggies!
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Hi! I'm new too! In the process of making the switch. I say 'in the process' as if I eat any dairy or eggs it's likely going to be hidden sources so I'm looking out for that. I rarely ate meat anyway but I found out dairy was making my sinuses horrible so I gave it up and decided to just go all the way.

    Also to the original poster. Chia seeds and flax seeds are good sources of omegas. I've been adding them to smoothies, salads ect.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I would also like some info on animo acids if anyone has any? I've heard conflicting issues on that people say 'meat has the most complete source of them' and since I'm eliminating that what foods should I go for that have them or should I take a supplement? And is 'soy' bad now? I'd heard some things about that too, but I assumed that was if you ate a lot of it.
  • justplainoleanne
    justplainoleanne Posts: 38 Member
    I still feel new to veganism, 2 months now. My health is really turning around since I made the switch. My doctor (who put me on this diet) was impressed with the results on Friday. He went so far as to say I inspired him and asked for some of my recipes. I found a new blog last week Munchin with Munchkin,com Some recipes are vegan (and totally delicious) and some are not. You just have to pick and choose.
  • Elliemage
    Elliemage Posts: 25
    Aww, yay, lots of new people! I'm relatively new to veganism also, I've been vegetarian for about 3 years though, so I guess I have a little bit of a head start.

    I don't have a source in front of me, but what I have been told in my nutrition class (I am in nursing school) is that as long as you are getting all of the essential amino acids (note: NOT necessarily in the same meal) your body can make what you need. So make sure you're getting protein from a variety of sources and you'll be fine. Also note that fruits and veggies do have protein! So if you're sticking to mostly whole foods, you should be just fine. Eat those beans! ^.^

    http://epicureanvegan.com/ is one of my favorite blogs... SO many good recipes and pretty easily searchable, which is SO nice!

    Feel free to message me if you'd like :) We all need a little extra support sometimes.
  • MrsODriscoll
    MrsODriscoll Posts: 127 Member
    I'm 'in the process' too - feel free to add me. I mostly make up my own recipes but I love happyherbivore.com, fatfreevegan.com and theppk.com as well as the cook book Appetite for Reduction :-)
  • simplyeater
    simplyeater Posts: 270 Member
    Hi! And welcome:) I've only been vegan about a month, and vegetarian for 25 years before that. So far I love it and it is a very natural progression.

    I have discovered that I will need to be better about cooking to really be successful, so I am diving into that headfirst through blogs and cookbooks. There is no shortage of vegan cooking blogs I can tell you that!!! Someone here mentioned Dr. Barnard's site: Here is the link to the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart program which gives you meal plans with recipes and is totally free ( can't beat that!).

    http://www.21daykickstart.org/

    Best of luck to you and feel free to add me if you need some support.
  • loveumnoteatum
    loveumnoteatum Posts: 8 Member
    i'm still quite new to it as well and could do with a few more friends feel free to add me :flowerforyou:
  • Kymmy81
    Kymmy81 Posts: 168 Member
    I've been vegan for a couple of months, and vegetarian for about a year and a half before that. I'm always happy to have new veg*n friends, so feel free to add me :)
  • GoodMorningGirl
    GoodMorningGirl Posts: 103 Member
    I have been vegan for five months now and I love it. I'd like to have some more vegan friends too. My first adjustment was converting all the products we bought to vegan ones (bread, granola bars -- all the things you'd assume were vegan, but aren't). My next goal is to start making more of our food from scratch and depending less on ready-made foods.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    Welcome newbies! :flowerforyou:

    I'm sort of a newbie myself. I've been a vegetarian for a long time, and I'm giving veganism another try. I'm almost 100% vegan, but still have a few foods with dairy in them.

    Protein combining is pretty much a discarded idea. The original study was done on rats, which have different amino acid needs than humans. Plant proteins are often lower in certain amino acids than animal proteins, but almost all of them meet human requirements. As long as you're getting enough plant protein from a variety or sources (as in you're not on some crazy mono-food diet), it's not really something to worry about.
  • redcat17
    redcat17 Posts: 267 Member
    Hi! I was a lacto-vegetarian for many years, and 2 months ago I switched to pretty much vegan (or plant-powered as I prefer to call it). Feel free to add me if you want.

    Here is a vegan food guide that lists the supplements and nutrients you need by a RD:

    http://www.theveganrd.com/food-guide-for-vegans

    My favorite recipe blog is Post Punk Kitchen. Ii have many of Isa's cookbooks as well and use them often.
  • johannajebediah
    johannajebediah Posts: 55 Member
    hey, i'm also a new vegan! after seeing a few shocking documentaries & doing my own research i've decided this is the best choice for me. feel free to add me!! :)
  • jenngarza
    jenngarza Posts: 54 Member
    I just made the choice to become a vegan and would love new friends !!! Feel free to add me please :)
  • VeganInTraining
    VeganInTraining Posts: 1,319 Member
    hey, I'm not vegan yet but definitely moving in that direction. Feel free to add me :)