Welcome to the site Ben :)
You probably know about this already, but make sure you get enough B12 in your diet either from suppliments or fortified foods :)
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Welcome to the site Ben :)
You probably know about this already, but make sure you get enough B12 in your diet either from suppliments or fortified foods :)
hi Ben and welcome :)
(offers you some Wolfberries)
Soundz like you have made a wicked start already and good luck with the transition, i hope it all goes smoothly for you, but don't worry if you find you've eaten the occasional thing with dairy or eggs in it that you didn't realise cos it takes time to get to know exactly what everything contains.
I would recommend hempseed oil and seaweed and alfalfa, lots of good Omegas and vitamins and minerals!
As for the jacket, say bye bye and get another one, it will be a great weight off your back (er mind) and you won't regret it for one single second :D
Nice one Iron Clad Ben and Welcome!
As for the jacket and shoes, play it how you like but don't be surprised when just about everybody points out the fact that you use leather, as a way of making themselves feel better about not being vegan.
I gave all my animal derived products away some 16 years ago.
OK 3rd day now. So far so well. Soy milk doesn't taste nearly as bad as the last time I tried it a couple years ago. It's actually pretty good. :):cool:
The problem I'm having right now is that I'm like constantly hungry:mad:. I'll eat a meal and feel full for about 30 minutes and then get hungry again. I've been constantly snacking on dried fruit, nuts and seeds all day. Is this just a function of my metabolism adjusting? It's another couple hours until dinnner and I'm soooooooooo hungry! What's going on?
What do the meals consist of? Your sample lunch looked OK.
Perhaps you are, as you say, just adjusting.
Keep well.
Yesterday,
breakfast: 1 orange. Yikes, ok I need to eat bigger breakfasts here.
lunch: hummus/avacado/jalapeno sandwich, orange, apple, some carrots.
snacked on dried pineapple, sunflower seeds and almonds in the afternoon
dinner: a bunch of edamame beans, some canned pineapple, bowl of cereal w/soy milk. Mango juice.
Today:
breakfast: 1 banana. A bad trend is developing here...
lunch: gardenburger sub with lettuce, onion and jalapeno.
snacking on trail mix and almonds at the moment.
LOL I guess I need to eat bigger breakfasts. I'm just always in such a time crunch in the morning. I just grab whatever's lying around and jump in the car.
Hi Ben, I had a penpal from Austin, Texas when I was in school, her name was RuthAnn! Just thought I'd share that!
Just keep eating when you feel hungry, that's what I do. I find I eat more often but smaller amounts!
Welcome to the forum! :)
Hm. There are a few things that seem to fill me up pretty well. Pasta especially (I get the whole wheat kind) seems to keep me pretty full. I'm the kind of person that likes to put some broccoli over it or maybe make a raw tomato/herb sauce (The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen has that one...). I also keep some mixed nuts around for snacking, and that keeps me pretty satisfied. I'm one of those people that eats a fair amount at each meal, so I'm in no danger of starving.
Hi Ben,
you say you ate "a bunch of edamame beans, some canned pineapple, bowl of cereal w/soy milk. Mango juice" for dinner. I eat like that sometimes, but it's always a kind of last resort, it's all a bit disjointed, and makes me feel like I haven't really eaten. Maybe from a psychological point of view you need to plan your meals better, and maybe try to think about breakfast the night before. That might be of some help. Just my 2 cents :)
Stop eating dried fruit. It's junk. Eat no more than a handfull of nuts or more than a tbsp of seeds, avoid oil. Never eat nuts together with fruit. Eat fruit and maybe an hour later some nuts. Never do the opposite. It's not a crime that you aren't hungry in the morning, listen to your body. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Drink a big glass of water in the morning, then wait for hunger, then eat. Fruit is ideal as breakfast. Try to limit eating bread to once a day, prefferably at lunch. Nice one on going vegan btw. Keep it up!
Eat more porridge, bread, pasta, rice, couscous, quinoa. It doesn't look like you are eating enough.
Vegemince (the vegan variety) is very versatile as you can add tomatoes, vegetables, onions, pasta sauces etc to it and it is very filling.
As for leather I kept all my old stuff including a secondhand bike jacket someone gave me and replace it as it wears out - I am on about half and half now but find I have really gone off wearing leather as it feels wrong and people invariably tell me I am not a real vegan because I have leather shoes on (10 years old!!!) so I may take everything that is left down to the charity shop.
Looks like you are doing fine! I always eat breakfast but that doesn't mean I don't sometimes eat my lunch midmorning. I wouldn't get too hung up on when you eat stuff just make sure you eat a good balanced diet during the day. If you start worrying too much that makes you think of food and start snacking! Being vegan doesn't mean you just have to eat fruit and veg all the time though, plenty of filling carbohydrate dishes out there. You could check out the 'what did you eat today' thread for some ideas of what other people are eating.
Out of interest, do you have any studies showing why grains are to be avoided (you've mentioned it in other posts) or is it just from the prevalence of gluten/wheat-intolerance that makes you think grains aren't ok?
I certainly don't think quinoa should be avoided. It's an excellent thing to eat and I believe it is gluten free. See here for more.
Much more in this pdf:Quote:
We are not granivores.
There are many reasons why grains are not suited for humans. Among the most valid are those taken from the science of biology - and consequently, are the same types of arguments that vegetarians use to condemn meat eating.
http://fs01n3.sendspace.com/dl/f1f43...RETS-FINAL.pdf
I know that grains aren't as nutrient rich as, for example, leafy greens, but this doesn't mean they should necessarily be excluded from our diet altogether. To be honest nervine the link you provided doesn't really convince me; the guy is pushing a raw food diet so he is obviously not going to advocate eating cooked food such as grains. I'm also a bit sceptical of his argument that "beans are hard so we were never meant to eat them" or that "grains were made for birds and not for humans". I know grains don't agree with some people, but that's not true for everyone. Do you have any other links you can provide?
Well, yeah, I don't agree with all of it either. I'm starting to become more sceptical too now. I think quinoa and beans are fine as long as they are made very soft and soggy. :) Same with potatoes.
Firstly the fact that his only sources are books written by raw diet gurus and he had no medical journals or studies to back up any of his points made me somewhat sceptical.
Then I was kinda put off by the fact he asserted that no animal eats salt voluntarily. In Africa elephants clear patches of rainforest to dig huge holes so that salty water comes up for them to drink.
Plus he seemed to think that because snakes (who are evidently biologically, physically and nutritionally very similar to us) will only eat one kind of food during the day, that we should too. At this point I sighed 'crackpot' and gave up.
I'm sure raw is very good for you, but sadly I don't live in California where a huge variety of fruit and veg is available all year round, or have all day to prepare my food, or have the luxury of being able to eat it when I want.
I'm sticking to the wholegrain, low-fat, high fruit and veg Dr Barnard diet
Well, that's just rubbish! As well as elephants which you mentioned, horses eat soil to obtain salt and minerals if they feel they need them (mine also lick my palms because they like salt!). Butterflies do a similar thing. I guess maybe carniverous animals don't because they get their salt from eating other animals.
(Sorry Ben, I think we've gone a bit off topic!)
You need to eat some more solid food.
i went thru a dried fruit and nuts stage but i was also hungry all the time and have had to totally give up dried fruit cos it gives me toothache (sigh, not fair!!)
A bowl of rice is always a good filler, along with some lightly cooked veg.
I know wen i first became a vegan i wasn't eating enuf cos it just took me a while to sort out what exactly i could eat and how much of it i actually needed to eat.
Fortunately there are so many yummy vegan foods and im sure it won't be long before you feel properly filled up :p
I found the best thing for me was to sit down and write out a weekly menu. I also made a chart to mark off that I was eating enough of everything from the food pyramid! :o
Look up some new recipes on the internet and try new foods so you don't get bored... and when you cook dinners, make enough so that you have left overs the next day which you can always have for a late breakfast. There is no rule about what you have to eat for breakfast! And try to choose more filling foods like other people have said.
Way to make the change - there seems to be a lot of vegan places to eat in Austin... try the whole foods market too. That place is AMAZING! :D
Thanks for the support everyone! It's been almost a week now. Had some flub ups, I ordered corn on the cob at restaurant as a side and they had already put on butter :( Well I wasn't going to waste it.
My girlfriend bought me some granola bars and was like "look they are vegan friendly". They were "honey-oat" flavor. I told her about cruelty to bees and she said she thought that was ridiculous and that vegans were taking things too far. Well whatever, I'm not going to eat any honey.
I've been taking a multivitamin regularly now and eating much more fruits and veggies now. I'm no longer always hungry. I'm glad I've lasted this long. I think I can keep going indefinitely.
In regards to whole foods, that place is headquartered out of Austin. Luckily for me there's a farmer's co-op just a few blocks from my house:
http://wheatsville.coop/
They are always awesome. Tons of fresh food from local farms, all organic and very veg friendly :)
Hi Ben! Keep up the good work. When I need something filling I use gravy with my vegies. I use grinded cashew nuts, tahin, coconutmilk or soy milk and tamari and you can also add some tomato puree.
Yeah, people often find it difficult to understand the honey and wool part like the bees are only there to make honey for everyone else and the sheep 'like' being sheered every spring!!
as if :eek:
For the last couple of years I have been getting more and more repulsed with eating beef (all others not on this list obviously). It wasnt until I saw that video of the chickens in that factory (the one with the guy stomping on them), I started to get sick after meals. Not physically mind you, I would jsut feel...well...like I wanted to throw up, but not really. I joked with my wife a couple of months ago telling her that if I didnt have as strong of a personality that I have, I would be bulimic. I always thought it was just me feeling "guilty" for eating unhealthy food (not BAD food, just fattening, sugery etc etc). A couple of weeks ago I was put in the hospital due to extreme abdominal pain (that took 3 shots of morphine to ease!!). The pain went away after 2 days and they said it was either food poisoning or my appendix (I had consumed a vast quantity of crab legs and shrimp about 6 hours before I got put in the hospital).. Now even thinking of seafood I literally start getting sick to my stomach and I think it my body telling me what really happened. So TODAY I went to the grocery store with my wife and bought nothing but healthy foods. dairy, meat, seafood, pork etc etc free everything. I guess you could call it cold turkey, but I have done some research on the matter this morning before going (lots of searches, peta reading and I think it was called veg.org or something like that) in order to get a little educated on what I should look for. I am 26, and have been a meat eater my entire life.. the kind of meat eater that makes meat eaters cringe.
ok.. just wanted to give a little back story.
so some questions..
1. So long as I have a PRETTY much balanced diet (minus the crap) will I really have to worry about deficiencies? I normally would'nt be concerned about this, but I see ALOT of posts regarding this very issue and I worry. I have started this to become a healthier, "cleaner" individual
2. How vegan can one really become? I am in the military and there will be instances where I have NO choice in what I do/eat/wear (though I would rather go hungery then eat something that was once alive). A good example--leather boots... Obviously, sacrifices will have to be made in this regard to continue supporting the family :/
3. Is there a store/s that sells ONLY crap free foods? Currently all I have is Hy'vee with a section for these items..
4. What is a good way to try and convice spouse to join in(not force by anymeans, just try it)? My wife is EXTREMELY picky in what she eats and I dont think I'll ever be able to get her to try what I am working on doing. I have read to much at this point and watched to many videos to ever eat anything that was alive again and obviously seeing my wife eat/drink those items is going to be tough! (and my 3 children.....).
whelp.. I would appreciate any help in the matter and know that I will never truely be able to be a vegan until I get out of military next year, but figured this was a good place to start. All responses are appreciated.
J
Hi J,Quote:
1. So long as I have a PRETTY much balanced diet (minus the crap) will I really have to worry about deficiencies? I normally would'nt be concerned about this, but I see ALOT of posts regarding this very issue and I worry.
There is a common misconception that vegans need to worry about more nutrients than non-vegans, which is one of two reasons why we have quite a few questions about this topic. The other reasons is that people see these posts, read the answers, and then ask the same question again (like you just did? ;) ). My humble suggestion is to start with having a look at the existing threads about this topic (personally I often refer people to this thread:Nutrient deficiencies more common in meat eaters than in vegans)...
I'm sure you'll get very useful answers from our members, and if I'm not mistaken, we have threads covering most of your questions already. Good luck! :)
K
Hi tacp18!
My boyfriend eats meat and i would never cook him meat- he knows this and is considerate about it which meant i would cook him veggie and now vegan meals and he loves them! I don't outrightly say i won't cook you meat becoz of this reason or that i just subtly said i would prefer to cook in veggie sausgaess etc. That way i was able to introduce him to healthy and animal-friendly meals - this introduces him to veganism etc so that he is more supportive becoz he knows i get a good yummy and healthy meal in my tummy and that i don't even have to abuse animals to do it! So perhaps you could do that for your wife and children ...just introduc them to all the great vegan food your learning to cook.
Inregards to the leather i think u can only try your best. Surely the military should cater for people with various beliefs/ food requirements eg. dairy allegies, kosher meat, so why not for vegans!:confused:
As long as you eat a balanced diet you should be fine with the defiency. A a vegan i never ate so many veggies and fruit which give loads of nutrients. You can for instance get calcium from green veg. When i first became a vegetarian i had low iron levels and this sorted its self out once i realised i couldn't just eat processed meals. Now a vegan i can't see that happening again since i cook most of my meals from scratch and can choose what i put in them:p
Good luck, sounds like your off to a good start
yum
x
I almost got tears in my eyes from reading that, the way you care about animals and how sick it has made you to think of the death and pain caused by omnivorous foods. Congrats and just take your time, do what you feel is comfortable.
As far as the military is concerned, I think you always have a choice in what you do. You chose to be in the military, after all, I assume? Are you concerned that they will not have vegan food available? Just talk to whoever the provider of the food is. Tell them what you will and will not eat and that salad will not fill you up. :) Not sure about the shoes...maybe someone else can help.
No crap-free stores that I know of as far as local shopping. Even health-food stores sell meat and dairy.
How about telling your wife that you care about her, her health, adn that you want to grow old together?
well. I got the wife to try a drink of soy milk :) She didnt mind that to much, though there was a lot of resistance. I like the
though I have never really been to touchy feely, and my wife would prob look at me funny if I said something like that. Just going to have to offer to cook supper I guess :)Quote:
How about telling your wife that you care about her, her health, adn that you want to grow old together?
I just got a new vegan cookbook too, so I'm going to have to check that out and find ways to cook that tofu I bought :)
I just wanted to add, that I like this website.. TONS of information to digest around here. Hope my work doesnt block it :P
Hi tacp18, I think it's so cool that you have decided to go vegan and I really like your spirit, I'm sure your wife will love your cooking!
It's impossible to be 100% vegan, we just have to do the best we can. You don't really need special foods, just lots of fruit, veggies, legumes, grains...
A good balanced diet, perhaps get some bloodwork done every once in a while to check that you're doing OK. But I'm sure you'll find all the answers you need on here, just look around...
All the best with your new life :)
Hello everybody, I am new to these forums! I am 21 and I am thinking about becoming a vegan. I am a vegetarian currently (only 9 months into it and loving it!), I don't eat any flesh whatsoever. I do eat cheese, free-range eggs, and I have a leather coat. I believe that capital punishment is wrong, I am pro-choice, I believe in God but I don't practice in an organized religion. The reason I became a vegetarian to begin with was my concern with world famine (i.e. the pork industry) and the murder of sentient (physical and emotional) and conscious (complex or simple) beings, and thanks to one of my freshmen ethics courses I was able to read some of Dr. Peter Singer's essays which ultimately put me on the road to becoming a vegan. My parents were very confused when I told them of my decision, and because I live with them while I go to university it has made me a little uneasy watching them eat meat. I do have some questions however!
Could someone offer some links to good vegan recipes, product brands, etc?
Does anyone else feel uneasy around family and friends while they eat flesh?
What clothes are vegan safe?
Any other input would be greatly appreciated, especially any on where to gather my proteins and necessary vitamins etc.
Hello - welcome. There's a lot of information about nutrition (and other things) here.
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/
Forumers in the US will be able to provide information about products over there but as far as food goes you might be better off thinking in terms of making your own from basics like fresh vegetables, nuts, beans and so on. If you have a hunt on the forum you'll find recipes.
Re clothes, there is always cotton and linen, and there are also an increasing amount of clothes made of hemp around as well. Most of us resort to synthetics for shoes I think.
Welcome :)
- Links all over the site! Depends what you're looking for - better to ask for links to specific things as you need them, but the search function is very good. Google or similar is also your friend ;)
- I'm not usually around flesh eating family, it makes me feel a bit weird seeing friends at a barbecue or eating pork rinds in the pub or whatever, fortunately a lot of my friends are veg*n, so it doesn't happen that much. I try not to think about it too much :(
- Clothes - I guess anything that doesn't have wool, leather or silk in, for a start. Watch out for things like leather tags on jeans. If in doubt, contact manufacturer or buy from dedicated ethical companies. Many of us do not replace non-vegan clothing until it is worn out, it's down to individual choice if you want to keep the jacket ;)
- Vitamin and protein - eat a balanced diet! It might help to research what kind of nutrients you should be getting for your age and level of exertion and doing some meal plans to begin with, if you're not confident.
Here are some vegan recipe ideas to be going on with:
http://www.simpleveganrecipes.co.uk/
http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/kitchen.html
I'd recommend the 'Vegan with a Vengeance' cookery book by Isa Chandra Moskovitz which you can order from Amazon.
This site may be of help to you:
http://www.americanvegan.org/
Hello rmz.
If you haven't already, you may wish to look at the threads in the 'No animal products - why?' area http://veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=98 , the Vegan recipes area, http://veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17 , including the 'Links to vegan recipe sites' thread, http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5 , the 'Favourite Vegan Food Products - USA' thread, http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2776 , the 'Online vegan shopping links' thread, http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=857 , the 'Clothing - what should I be aware of?' thread http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8494 , and the 'Dealing with non-vegans' area, http://veganforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=42 as well. :)
Welcome rmz!
My very first vegan recipe site was www.vegweb.com- it's great!
As suggested by flutterby, you can also find lots of info on this forum.
A good read for new vegans is also "Vegan Freak" by Bob and Jenna Torres.
Thanks a lot for the information! Any of you follow the work of Dr. Peter Singer? I think he poses many ethical questions that helped me make my decision, was curious if there were any others!