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Aurora
Nov 27th, 2004, 05:48 PM
Wow thanks for that link.......interesting stuff

Aurora

Wanda
Nov 27th, 2004, 06:32 PM
I don't use anything with caffeine. No alcohol.
I never add salt to food and we don't buy stuff that has too much salt (but I have to admit that this is more for taste then health reasons). I hate the taste of salt. That is also why we basically can't buy anything ready-made in stores. All the burgers, packages, meals are way too salty for me.
I try to avoid TVP.
I never use hydroginated fat.
I rarely use sugar, usually I use the substitutes.

MandaPea
Nov 27th, 2004, 06:44 PM
so if most, if not all of you avoid all those things then are you mainly eating fresh fruits and vegetables?

Artichoke47
Nov 27th, 2004, 07:03 PM
I can only speak for myself, and I eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. :)

PinkFluffyCloud
Nov 27th, 2004, 07:05 PM
When I am being sensible, I eat mostly fruit and veg, when I am being very silly I eat loads of toast, carob bars, Vegan ice-cream, potatoes, and biscuits.
A good Vegan diet is the best you'll find, but it can be full of junk, just like any other, - which is a shame when it should be filled with healthy, nutritious, fresh foods.

ConsciousCuisine
Nov 27th, 2004, 07:11 PM
so if most, if not all of you avoid all those things then are you mainly eating fresh fruits and vegetables?

Yes, yes and yes :)

I feel unwell if I deviate from my healthy way of life :)

superfly
Nov 27th, 2004, 08:42 PM
so if most, if not all of you avoid all those things then are you mainly eating fresh fruits and vegetables?

yup, i suppose you could say some of us eat as close to a natural diet as possible.
if i could erect a greenhouse, i would.
if i didn't live in the desert, i'd grow an awsome garden.

maybe someday....

jumpinglegacy
Nov 30th, 2004, 12:57 AM
My friends are always offering me things like chips, saying that I can eat them... which I can. Just because I can eat something though, doesn't mean I should.

I usually stay away from chips in general, tortilla or potato... it's all the same to me. However, there are things I eat that aren't good for me either, like chocolate, which I eat on a semi-regular basis. I guess it's just easier to stay away from salt than from sugar!

mysonvaughn
Nov 30th, 2004, 05:09 PM
Admittedly I am vegan mostly for ethical reasons, but a vegan diet tends to be low in fat and cholesterol overall, so I really can't see a reason for cutting these foods out completely. I eat peanut butter and roasted peanuts frequently and have never become "moldy". As in any diet I think moderation and variety is key. As to the fat issure, I have a heck of a time keeping weight on as a vegan. I eat lots of good healthy foods, bean soups, veggy and tufu rice noodle dishes, bonito free miso soup, whole grain everything etc, but I am now 5'10" 125lbs. I try to make sure and add a few fatty foods like avacado into my diet. One problem I have is i don't like tempeh, at least I didn't the first time I tried it. it had a sort of sour taste. Is it supposed to? It was also way too chewy. My son wouldn't touch it. I also have tomake sure to get some fat in our diet because he is only two and needs a little more. He is prefectly within his weight range. I try to fry things only in olive oil if I must. BTW my husband is currently very vegan hostile and showed me a study about why boys shouldn't eat soy because of the phytoestrogens. it actually claimed it causes underdeveloped testicles. I realized later on that there are actually cow estrogens in milk which are much more similar to human estrogen so the point was a little moot. My point is, there are a whole lot of people out there who reallt want to make the vegan lifestyle impossible. They cannot stand that we are different. I have seen people actually angry with me for being vegan. So take it all with a grain of sea salt. :)

mysonvaughn
Nov 30th, 2004, 05:17 PM
I'd like to add also that all the studies I've seen (there was an article in mother earth news this month) show that those phytoestrogens have little effect on meneopausal women. There will always be a need for more studies simply because they are ALL biased, but I haven't seen anything to lead me to believe they have a huge effect. Oh and isn't high fructose corn syrup the most insidious product ever? Food manufacturers just seem to throw it in everything. It's bizarre.

superfly
Nov 30th, 2004, 09:17 PM
Oh and isn't high fructose corn syrup the most insidious product ever? Food manufacturers just seem to throw it in everything. It's bizarre.

that, partialy hydroginated(sp) veggie oil, and canola oil.
get rid of them.
:mad:

Gorilla
Nov 30th, 2004, 09:29 PM
i used to eat white bread and white pasta. i didn't like the taste of the wholemeal varieties. a while ago though i decided i had to change to wholewheat because it's healthier, and now while i wouldn't say i like the taste i am used to it ;) i don't eat white bread at all now and rarely eat white pasta.

mysonvaughn
Nov 30th, 2004, 10:22 PM
Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? I prefer it to pasta so I use it about half the time. I don't really like the whole wheat pasta either, but I eat it anyway.

John
Nov 30th, 2004, 11:03 PM
Spaghetti squash is delicious. :p

drummer
Dec 14th, 2004, 12:54 AM
Mysonvaughn, I have found that it is usually not enough protein and carbs that makes people lose weight.
About that phytoestrogen thing, (also called isoflavens) isoflavens are supposed to protect bones against osteoporosis. Isoflavens are not female hormones, they are plant hormones. Cows' milk contains zero isoflavens, 59 bioacitve hormones, including reproductive hormones and bovine growth hormone. Cows' milk does contain oestrogen, the female hormone, because cows are animals, not plants.

mysonvaughn
Dec 14th, 2004, 01:44 AM
That's what I ended up coming up with after I thought about it. I don't know why it didn't occur to me immediately. I really really need to find a simple vegan cookbook. it seems like all of them try to hard to make the food interesting and I have to go to South America to get the ingredients. :) I bought some vegan protein powder to sort of boost my intake while I figure out what meals I like best because that is some of my problem. i will make a recipe and then not like it so I end up eating raisin bran all the time. Thanks Meg

veganblue
Dec 14th, 2004, 02:15 AM
Hi VD! Do you have any referrences for this post? especially with regards to the protective effects of isoflavins against osteoporosis and the hormonal list for cow's milk. I have read this (http://www.allwise.com/topic/may98.html) recently;

Phytoestrogens include:

1. isoflavones,(genistein and daidzein - commonly found in soybeans)
2. coumestans,(found in red clover and alfalfa sprouts) and
3. lignans. (found in oil seeds such as flaxseed)

They have both estrogenic and anti-estrogenic effects in humans. The plant lignan and isoflavonoid glycosides are converted by intestinal bacteria into hormone-like compounds.

...but don't know much about 'how' they work. It seems that there are a range of hormonally active compounds that can be found in our foods and environments - including man made polymers.

Wildflower
Dec 18th, 2004, 09:01 PM
I should point out that it is now starting to be considered a falacy that womyn lack estrogen at menopause. It is actually a lack of PROGESTERONE. Estrogen and progesterone need to be in balance to work correctly, so if one drops off, the other doesn't work effectively and in this case can cause harm through estrogen dominance. This Dr has written several books on the subject and is considered the leading authority. http://www.johnleemd.com/

The good news however, is that soy isoflavens seem to work by balancing this out.

SO, foods to avoid...well, I definatly think that trans fat is horrible (partially hydrogenated oils) and avoid it as much as possible.

Also, saturated fats in general. allthough plant sources don't worry me as much as animal sources (which i obviously don't eat)

i don't eat sugar on things. fruit is better tasting and just as sweet. i try to check things like soy yogurt for the least sugar one.

i try not to eat too much sodium, although i don't salt things or cook with salt really, if i eat packaged soups/noodles it will have a lot. i am not too concerned with salt, but i try tro drink extra water to balance it out.

chemicals. food colourings, artificial flavors, preservitives. yuck!

artificial sweetners. these are just bad for you. i would rather eat sugar, at least it isn't made in a lab.

white bread. i was raised on whole wheat and just can't eat white.

caffeine. allthough i do drink tea/coffee, i think caffeine is pretty bad for you.

sodas. i don't drink these. they are useless. a true junk food.

Cat
Dec 26th, 2004, 09:34 PM
Could someone tell me a bit about hydrogenated oils? Why are they so bad for you?

Ruby Soho
Dec 26th, 2004, 09:48 PM
Fats come in two types, either liquid at room temperature or solid at room temperature. Fats that are solid have more hydrogen atoms in them than liquid fats, these solid fats are also more likely to be saturated fats. By adding hydrogen (hydrogenating or partially hydrogenating) it turns it from liquid into either semi-solid or solid, in other words semi-saturated or completely saturated - either of which are bad healthwise as these are the fats which clog arteries up.

Sorry if this seems a bit vague, am doing my best to remember the explanation given in 'Food' by Susan Powter - I think I got most of it but I can always go check if you'd like further info :D

Mystic
Dec 27th, 2004, 02:52 AM
What is spaghetti squash? I love wholemeal pasta :)

Oh - now I avoid caffiene coz it makes me have anxiety attacks. I also avoid nuts coz they make me sick. Something else is making me sick at the moment but I cannot pinpoint it yet. I am always fatigued and nauseated, especially after I eat.

Mystic
Dec 27th, 2004, 02:54 AM
Mysonvaughn, you and your son are beautiful :)

Mystic
Dec 27th, 2004, 03:11 AM
I really try to avoid sweets and fried foods. I've been on Weight Watchers since June.

How many points do you get to eat a day? Do you find it annoying to count every morsel of food that passes your lips? I am just interested because people I know who have done WW hated the fact that they were restricted to a certain amount of points and then were confused at maintenence.

Ruby Soho
Dec 27th, 2004, 08:48 AM
Spaghetti squash - after cooking you 'comb' out the inside with a fork and it will come out in long strands that look like spaghetti!!

I used to do weightwatchers - it annoyed the crap out of me having to look up the points value of every single little thing that I wanted to eat - life is just too short :D

feline01
Dec 27th, 2004, 02:59 PM
Yumm, I love spaghetti squash with a little bit of earth balance and some freshly grated nutmeg. Delicous.