NEWBIE very confused

[theosof]

I decided to become a vegan after reading "Foods that cause you to lose weight" by Dr. Neal Barnard. I also, at the same time decided for ethical reasons that eating this way would be the preferred way to eat. After reading the thread about not eating soy products I about lost my mind. The book talk about not eating nuts to cut down on fat intake, now I'm concerned about about how much soy products to eat and do I or not eat veggie burgers (the vegan kind). I have a very busy life and the veggie burgers really make life easy. What about the wheat products- seitan- are they any good? I think seitan makes wonderful meals. I also wonder about wheat allergies- is this a real issue? My husband will eat vegan at home as long as what I make taste good- he will eat some beans but he really like the seitan meals and TVP dishes. This web site is fantastic- please HELP clear my confusion...:(

[Jane M]

Hi, I think C.C. could probally answer your questions about nutrition much better than me, so I won't go to much into that part. Basically I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't worry so much. Going vegan is the healthiest thing you could do for yourself!

As for seiten...love it! Like any food though I wouldn't make it every single day. Variety is good. Your can find many recipes on this site and at VegWeb. That will help you get a good balance without being boring.

I wouldn't worry too much about wheat sensitivity unless your sensitive to it. As for soy, I tend to eat a lot of it. Everyday it shows up in my diet somewhere. I do believe in good fats in the diet though.

Any way stay in touch and let us know how you are doing!

[RedWellies]

Hi and welcome. I think that the trick is to eat lots of different foods from the different food groups. If you want to eat nuts, have some nuts, just don't eat huge amounts every day. Regarding soy, I get stomach ache if I have processed soy products but seem ok with soy beans. With processed foods, I'd be more worried about high salt content. Do what works for your body.
If you want to lose weight, remember diet is only part of the equation...you need to step up your excercise too.