More / less energy on a vegan diet?

[RebeccaDye]

Tell them that reverting to lacto-ovo vegetarianism wouldn't help your iron deficiency at all. Dairy is high in calories and very low in iron, so therefore just about the worst thing you can eat when you're low in iron and whilst eggs do contain some iron they're not an especially rich source and they contain the same sort of iron (non-haem) as is found in vegetables.

Ok, thanks.
They respect my choice somewhat but they're all "you're a 15 year old girl, at least wait until you're 18 blah blah".
What are a few very iron-rich foods?
I eat spinach, dried apricots and take Floradix for iron mainly.
I need some variety!

[missbettie]

nuts have good stuff like iron, like cashews and pistasios...hmmm what else...

[Roxy]

I need some variety!

Do you like faux meats? A lot of the ones we have here are fortified with iron.

[RebeccaDye]

nuts have good stuff like iron, like cashews and pistasios...hmmm what else...

Thanks, well I have nut butters occasionally.

Do you like faux meats? A lot of the ones we have here are fortified with iron.

I hadn't thought of that!
I'll check at the health food shop tomorrow, thanks.

[Enchantress]

The vegetarian society has quite a good page on iron.
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/iron.html

I also found a table listing the iron content in various foods (skip past the first table of foods containing haem iron and go to the table underneath).
http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile68d.stm

[RebeccaDye]

The vegetarian society has quite a good page on iron.
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/iron.html

I also found a table listing the iron content in various foods (skip past the first table of foods containing haem iron and go to the table underneath).
http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles/hfile68d.stm

Woo, I eat quite a lot of those things, though not enough.
Cheers

[steven1222]

It's like a sugar hangover really isn't it. Do you get tired, sluggish and find it hard to concentrate or focus?

Yes. When I eat sugar at night, I have all of those problems the next morning.

[Yoggy]

Blackstrap molasses is very high in iron. There's a thread about it somewhere on here, and I posted a recipe in it for blackstrap molasses baked beans.

But it could be 100 things besides iron, so I would get tested if I were you.

This may be a stupid question, but do you exercise a lot? I've found that ever since I started working full-time at a desk job, I've had much less energy than when I was a student without a car, walking everywhere all the time. So I've made an effort to exercise hard at least 3 times a week, and I'm seeing a difference already in my energy levels.

[cedarblue]

iron;

brewers yeast (18.2 mill per 100g)
wheatgerm
lima beans
split peas
brown rice
oatmeal
dried apricots
almonds
dried apples
marmite
baked beans
raisins
dandelion greens
spinach
wholemeal bread
walnuts
peanuts
peas
brocolli
lettuce (1.1)
...... fresh apples

[justint]

Hi all

I am having a problem with my diet in that I have no energy which leads to feeling very down.

I have tried various foods and beans seem to help most, does anyone have any ideas for the best food for energy?

Thanks very much

Justin

[emmapresley]

raw sproutedness!
check out the raw thread :smile:

[Mr Flibble]

Speak to a doctor. There are many reasons why you may have less energy unrelated to diet so it's worth getting it checked out.

[King]

I had a rediculous amount of energy gain...

[justint]

reading through this thread, would we say it is a lack of iron or vitamin D?

[harpy]

reading through this thread, would we say it is a lack of iron or vitamin D?

I don't think there is necessarily an "it", really - people who have just gone vegan naturally often attribute any feelings they get to being vegan, but they could just be going down with a cold etc. As the poll shows, a lot of us didn't notice any difference or felt they had more energy after going vegan.

Lack of iron is often a problem for women (vegan or not) but not so much for men I don't think. A diet with a high glycaemic load can also make you feel tired because of the spikes and dips in blood sugar.

As Mr F says it would be worth checking with a doctor as they can run blood tests etc to see if you're lacking in some nutrient or whether there is another reason for your lack of energy.

[vintagenarcissa]

I have had a lot more energy lately. Ironically enough I've been taking in significantly less calories.

[Bunny]

When I first went vegan I really suffered with tiredness. I am fairly sure it was due to the toxins leaving my body and a (mild) lactose intolerence. After a good while, about three months, I started feeling better. Processed foods tend to be worse for me than "proper" ones.

[Haniska]

Not having a proper amount of any nutrient can be hard on your body. I like entering a few days of food into www.mypyramidtracker.gov and seeing if I tend to lack anything.
Lately though, I've been trying to tell myself that if beans make me feel good....then maybe I should eat beans

[RainInStarlight]

I have marginally more energy...and my energy seems to be more "even" now. Like, before it was all up and down and stuff, but now it seems like it just stays steady all day...no highs...no lows.

It's a great improvement.

[vegandhappy]

Rain,

Ditto.
My energy level is up all the time since I recently switched from a vegetarian diet to vegan.
I commute to work on a bicycle on average 4 times each week and have found that the 12 mile ride (each way) is much easier now.
Quickly dropped about 20 excess lbs too.
Amazing energy al the time.

FYI, this is my first post on this Vegan forum.
Hi all...looking forward to sharing and learning..!!

Bob...

[TXvegan]

Off the charts with more energy! I've had fibromyalgia symptoms for 7 years and most of them are gone since going vegan.

[Dumile]

I have mostly less energy, but its a little mixed. I have more energy after I eat meals now than before going vegan. Overall, I feel more tired. I think I still need to adapt to this, and learn what to eat to get the most nutrients. I also don't take any vitamins at all.

I woke up late and didn't get to eat one day until the afternoon, and I feel asleep. I wondered why I was so sleepy since I had only been awake for 3 hrs, and I remembered I hadn't eaten. So once I ate I was wide awake. That was weird, and I have never experience that before, but I know better now. I used to just get grumpy when I ate late lmao.

[kikifromscotland]

I have mostly less energy, but its a little mixed. I have more energy after I eat meals now than before going vegan. Overall, I feel more tired. I think I still need to adapt to this, and learn what to eat to get the most nutrients. I also don't take any vitamins at all.

I woke up late and didn't get to eat one day until the afternoon, and I feel asleep. I wondered why I was so sleepy since I had only been awake for 3 hrs, and I remembered I hadn't eaten. So once I ate I was wide awake. That was weird, and I have never experience that before, but I know better now. I used to just get grumpy when I ate late lmao.

Do you eat foods enriched with B12? Not saying that's the reason you have less energy, just generally vegans need to watch they get enough through vitamins or supplemented food. I always felt fine, but having read that the effects can appear later, I've started taking a vegan multivitamin.

[kikifromscotland]

I seem to have voted 'less energy' on this... don't remember doing that. I've always gotten tired quite easily and I need a lot of sleep to function well, but I think I'm quite lazy as well I think I have about the same energy now, I can actually do quite a lot of exercise when I put my mind to it, it's more of a mental block that stops me.

[Dumile]

I'm not really sure what foods give you b12, so if I am supposed to be paying attention to that, I haven't been. I went to buy vitamins while at the store once, but I didn't know what to buy, or what I needed. I don't have health insuarance until the 1st of January. So I might have to deal with being tired until then

[Back-Space]

B-12 isn't something to ignore. Have you been vegan for long? I've read that the B-12 we've got from being omni can keep us going for up to several years, but that we should continue to keep levels up. If you just became vegan in November then you've got nothing to worry about. I was about 3 months in before I started paying attention. I've got a vegan multi-vitamin that has B-12 in it, and I also buy multi-grain breads that use yeast as a more natural source of B-12.

I personally felt pretty run down when I first switched to vegetarianism, but that's just because my diet went to crap After becoming vegan I've been sleeping less, and I feel like I have more energy over the day

[Dumile]

I replied yesterday, but I guess I forgot to press post and closed the window lol.

I have been a vegan since early october. I've read you get a lot of b12 from milk and dairy, but im lactose intolerant, so I have been avoiding dairy for years. The reason I haven't gotten any supplements is because of the conflicting things I read about them. I've read its good for vegans to take b12, and i've read it stays in our bodies for a long time, so if I take it I will get too much, and too much is worse than not enough. Idk which is the truth, if both are true, or if it just varies for how long you've been vegan. Needless to say, it's confusing lol.

i've heard you can't get enough from foods too, and i've read you can get just the right amount lol. SO confusing.

[Back-Space]

I replied yesterday, but I guess I forgot to press post and closed the window lol.

I have been a vegan since early october. I've read you get a lot of b12 from milk and dairy, but im lactose intolerant, so I have been avoiding dairy for years. The reason I haven't gotten any supplements is because of the conflicting things I read about them. I've read its good for vegans to take b12, and i've read it stays in our bodies for a long time, so if I take it I will get too much, and too much is worse than not enough. Idk which is the truth, if both are true, or if it just varies for how long you've been vegan. Needless to say, it's confusing lol.

i've heard you can't get enough from foods too, and i've read you can get just the right amount lol. SO confusing.

You also get B12 from meat, so if you were an omni before switching then your B12 levels should still be fairly high. I've got no idea what my B12 level is, I just kind of wing it. The bagels I buy have 8% of the daily value of B12 so it's not nearly enough, then I take a multi-vitamin once every three or four days I'm planning on going to the hospital at some point next year to have levels checked and make sure I'm doing okay

[kikifromscotland]

A lot of soya milk has B12 in it, so if you drink that, check it. Having very low B12 levels can result in serious, irreversible health problems, I'm sure too much isn't great either, there is loads of info on the forum. Don't be too worried, just check it out, and think about what sources are in/ could be in your diet.

[Dumile]

I have almond milk. Decided to give that a try yesterday at the store, randomly. I just found this article, and IDK if it is being serious or not. Says Soy makes guys gay. I couldn't type that without laughing, but yeah. weird.

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53327

[Back-Space]

I've also heard about negative side effects with soy products, so i keep my soy intake to a minimum.

[kikifromscotland]

I don't really believe any of that, my brother and dad have had a lot of soya products over their lives and they are fine health wise, and they are not gay but if they were I would be very doubtful that that was caused by a consumption of soya!!!

Plus, when my mum was young they couldn't always afford 'real' mince and ate lots of soya mince,- again, her three brothers, all fine. Soya is in practically everything. I personally do believe it's healthiest consumed in moderation (whether male or female) where possible, like I would consume humous in moderation, or bread, and not have them every day or at every meal, so sometimes I have oat milk or rice milk or almond milk instead, but I really haven't seen any of these supposed risks of soya materialise. Everyone should do whatever makes them feel most comfortable, but if you're not eating fortified foods to get B12 and not taking vitamins you are probably not getting enough.

[kikifromscotland]

I have almond milk. Decided to give that a try yesterday at the store, randomly. I just found this article, and IDK if it is being serious or not. Says Soy makes guys gay. I couldn't type that without laughing, but yeah. weird.

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53327

PS just read that article and . It's like the stuff circulated by the Weston A Price Foundation but funnier, in a kind of not-funny and very offensive to homosexuals way. There are plenty of arguments to make to counter all the rubbish spouted in that article, actually backed up with fact rather than animal testing research as that articles sources are if there even are any sources, they also don't say where all their evidence of 'scientific studies' come from. I am open to debate on the health benefits/ negatives of soya but these kind of scandal-inducing, offensive, unfounded nonsense make me angry because it just gives people another reason to bash veganism with no real basis.

Although I'm aware this has been discussed in other threads and I'm now definitely off topic

[Back-Space]

I don't really believe any of that, my brother and dad have had a lot of soya products over their lives and they are fine health wise, and they are not gay but if they were I would be very doubtful that that was caused by a consumption of soya!!!

Plus, when my mum was young they couldn't always afford 'real' mince and ate lots of soya mince,- again, her three brothers, all fine. Soya is in practically everything. I personally do believe it's healthiest consumed in moderation (whether male or female) where possible, like I would consume humous in moderation, or bread, and not have them every day or at every meal, so sometimes I have oat milk or rice milk or almond milk instead, but I really haven't seen any of these supposed risks of soya materialise. Everyone should do whatever makes them feel most comfortable, but if you're not eating fortified foods to get B12 and not taking vitamins you are probably not getting enough.

I just try and avoid what I've heard negative things about I'm quite happy with orange juice myself... There's no doubt that soy milk has its benefits, but I haven't decided for myself whether it has any drawbacks, so I'll just avoid it for now. It's the same as dairy milk I guess. Some sites list how amazing it is for you, and others list how horrible it is for your body.

[Dumile]

yeah off topic, but my fault LOL. i dont believe what the article says. Not to the extent of turning someone gay. Thats going a little far I think.

I think with the tired feeling, I am not eating enough. I am going to buy multivitamins until january and see if they help. I have lost a bit of weight since going vegan, and my posture is a lot better, and I walk more efficiently now. Before I was noticing I slouched and hunched sometimes. Now I walk more upright and I don't get tired from walking anymore. My feet don't hurt either lol.

[Back-Space]

This is what I use. http://www.platinumnaturals.com/VitaVegan.html I only take them once every couple of days though

[Lynn]

I have much more energy than ever before. The only time I seem to feel sleepy now is at bedtime. I'm also sleeping a lot better too

[Korn]

From Is Howard Stern leaning towards going vegan?
Shock jock says that he's considering a shift due to love of animals

Is Howard Stern going to surprise us in 2011 with a full-on vegan diet?

The 56-year-old is certainly no stranger to the plant-based scene -- his radio co-host Robin Quivers has been chatting up the benefits for years now; having lost 80lbs after making the switch.

“My life totally changed, and now I have this amazing amount of energy,” Quivers told PEOPLE earlier last month. “Changing my body has given me the ability to do all these amazing things that I never in a million years imagined I could do.”

On Stern's December 14th show, employee Richard Christy chatted up his childhood life on a farm; including a story about his father killing a doe. “I could never shoot a deer,” said Stern. “He kills his own food. I admire that, I need someone else to do that for me.”

The conversation continued and Richard shared a childhood story about raising a calf that he named, appropriately, "Calfy". In order to have meat for the winter, Richard’s parents had the animal killed and he was devastated.

“I don’t wanna know my food,” said Stern. “I need to get involved eventually in this vegan sh**, like Robin, cause this is killing me.”

[Korn]

From Mike Tyson says vegan diet makes him 'powerful'

Former heavyweight boxing champion remains committed to eating no animal products, including dairy and eggs.
It's been almost three months since Mike Tyson announced that he had gone vegan — a drastic change in diet that many thought was a publicity stunt for the former heavyweight champion.

It was hard to believe it was for anything but all the wrong reasons. After all, Tyson had just come under fire from PETA for his new reality pigeon racing TV series, "Taking on Tyson", on Animal Planet. Surely, he was just trying to get a little attention with the whole "vegan" thing, right?

Or not.

“It’s been eight months with this vegan stuff," Tyson recently told Details magazine, "but I get these explosions of energy. I don’t know how long they last, but they’re like explosions. So powerful.”

“I ate, like, the tiniest piece of meat, and I woke up violently sick,” he added. “It was vicious pain. I was throwing up. And I realized meat’s become a poison for me now.”

At the time of his vegan coming-out party, Tyson told USA Today that he was looking for absolutely no drama in his life — and looking forward to sharing his love of pigeons with the world.

"I’m honored to be a part of this monumental show on Animal Planet,” says Tyson, whose first-ever fight as a child was in defense of his birds. “I feel a great pride acting as an official representative for all the pigeon fanciers out there. I want people to see why we love these birds. It feels good returning to the rooftops of the city where it all started for me — New York.”

The series will debut on Animal Planet in early 2011.

[LuvAllLife]

When I first went vegan I really suffered with tiredness. I am fairly sure it was due to the toxins leaving my body and a (mild) lactose intolerence. After a good while, about three months, I started feeling better. Processed foods tend to be worse for me than "proper" ones.

I was quite tired at first too, but not for as long. Now I am full of energy; I used to be able to lay around and watch tv all afternoon, no chance of that now! I am constantly looking for something to do: My house has never been this clean!

[Korn]

Master of Technical Wrestling Says That His Vegan Diet Keeps Him in Prime Fighting Shape


A short excerpt:

As a WWE Superstar, staying healthy and having a lot of energy helps me succeed in the ring—that’s why I choose to be a vegan,” says Daniel Bryan in his brand-new pro-vegan ad for peta2, PETA’s youth division. At 198 muscular pounds, Bryan is in the best shape of life—and he says it’s all because of his plant-based diet.
In an exclusive Q&A with peta2, Bryan explained that chronic health problems since childhood led his doctor to suggest that Bryan go vegan. Now, a year later, Bryan says, “This whole year, my energy levels have been great. … I’m stronger right now than I’ve ever been … I’m dead-lifting more than I ever have before.

More here: http://network.yardbarker.com/wwe/ar...ta2_ad/5210533

[AzureAngel]

I thought I would give myself at least 6 months before answering this question. It has now been 7 and I can personally say that going Vegan has increased my energy levels amongst other things. That said, the first few weeks were pretty rough actually. I found my digestion not coping too well with the choices I made and I was tired more often than not.
My partner introduced me to this book called the Thrive Diet and it has helped me a lot. I even read Vegan for Dummies, which has a lot of good, if not too healthy, ideas for fun food. (I love to cook). But yes, after only a month or so I was experiencing such an increased amount of energy and stamina. People commented that I looked happier and seemed more alert. My skin was getting better and better (I have some eczema around my mouth and eyes) and I was able to do rock climbing and hiking for longer and longer.
I do believe that you need to really check your intakes however. The two supplements I take are those found in the soy/rice milk and the Vega shake I have, which is rich in just about everything you need. Even if you cannot stomach the full dose (it is not tasty at all!) half of it still gives you 50% of all the hard to get things.

[twilight_phoenix]

I've turned into the energizer bunny given that I suffered chronic fatigue before (from a post-viral fatigue syndrome... thing...) it's really refreshing! I also need less sleep to feel zippy.

[Korn]

Ex-president Clinton, who lives on a near-vegan diet (according to the video in the link below he seems to not be eating fish anymore, and already red meat, eggs and dairy) also says that "his health scores are solid across the board and he's enjoying a life filled with more energy".

Bill Clinton one step closer to vegan diet

[Age of Fable]

I've been feeling quite run down lately. What are some good ways to get more energy?

[Blueberries]

I've been feeling quite run down lately. What are some good ways to get more energy?

Heya Age of Fable, my advice would be to make sure you're getting all the right nutrients, maybe take a multi-vitamin, and also to get some light exercise outdoors, sunlight and moving around a bit help energy levels. Also make sure to relax and get proper rest if you're stressed.

[Korn]

In other words: exactly the same thing you'd do if you had low energy on a non-vegan diet.

In general, people tend to get more, not less energy by switching to a vegan diet.

[Age of Fable]

Thanks.

[Korn]

A short but somehow relevant excerpt from an article from Friday:

Christine Taylor and Ben Stiller Embrace Plant-Based Lifestyle

Even though they just recently turned vegan, Taylor has noticed a difference. “It really has changed our energy level.