- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
I generally love food, but I have come to hate everything I eat. I live a fast-paced, busy lifestyle and eating for me most of the time is about convenience, which a lot of the time includes fast food. For the most part I try and make healthy choices, grilled chicken sandwiches, and absolitely no soda. I am a water and tea only girl. No offense to soda drinkers, but my body doesn't handle caffeine well.
Lately I feel like everything I eat tastes like cardboard, and is doing absolutely nothing for my body. I want the food I eat to start working for me instead of against me, so a friend reccomended I read the Skinny Bitch books, which primarily promote a vegan lifestyle. Yes, I want to lose weight, about 15 lbs to be exact, but I also want to completely revolutionize what I eat and the way I treat my body.
Has anyone else done this, or is interested? And all the vegans on the boards..what inspired you to change, and where do you find good recipes?
I had a friend who passed a turkey truck on the side of the road in August in 100 degree weather. The smell turned him vegan. Not for moral reasons, but because any time he would think of meat he wanted to vomit.
Maybe you could traumatize yourself into it.
@MightySapphire: I read some excerpts from the Skinny Bitch books and they basically describe all meat as rotting carcass. That thought alone is enough to creep you away from it.
But what gets me the most is the amount of pesticides, steroids, and other chemicals that go into foods. In reality, I really have idea what is going into my body. I read an article of a guy who bought a Mcdonald's cheeseburger, and left it on his counter for over a year. He took pictures of it everyday and posted it on his blog. The hamburger patty and bread became stone solid. Not even the flies messed with it. It makes me scared toput something like that into my body!!
If you haven't yet, watch "Food Inc." I didn't go vegan after watching it, but I have now started watching what I eat very closely (where does it come from? How was it processed? What was it fed? etc.).
You could always check out an organic food market and talk to the people that work there. There are tons of meat alternatives that are healthy for you and have the consistency of real meat (one brand is called Quorn, which is actually made of a fungus if you can believe it!). I had a bowl of vegan chili a couple weeks ago that had the Quorn "crumbles" in it and I couldn't tell that it wasn't burger.
I have a lot of vegan friends, and while they've said it isn't the easiest lifestyle, it's very rewarding.
@LindsayB: Thanks! We have a great healthy food market here where I live that I have thought about just browsing to see what all there is to offer. I like meat, but I ampretty sure I could live without it. Luckily I LOVE veggies, and could eat lots of those, so it might be a lifestyle that could work out well for me.
I'm not a vegan but I love vegan food! Some good places for recipe inspiration (some are vegetarian but can easily be made vegan):
http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/
And if you want cookbooks, I've heard good things about Veganomicon, The Engine 2 Diet, and Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet.
I, too, got fed up with feeding my body crap but have felt much better eating big salads for lunch and snacking on carrots/hummus, almonds/raisins, etc. One thing to be aware of--sometimes people who go vegan just swap animal products for carbs and processed junk (albeit vegan). It's easy to gain weight if you overload on potatoes, bread, rice, etc., so make sure you get plenty of veggies and protein (I eat lots of black beans, chickpeas, lentils and some tofu) and don't just binge on pita chips and hummus (even though they're delicious).
One other thing I do is just google ingredients I have at home, like the other day I had some spinach that was going bad and a can of chickpeas. I just googled it and came up with this fabulous recipe: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000630121
Good luck!
@pumpkinpatch: Our tiny little town just opened up an organic market! I've been trying to be so adamant about the foods I eat recently that as soon as their sign went up I went in and applied for a job. I still don't know much about the organic food industry, but I'm learning more and more now that I work there once a week or so. :) The more I learn about the food, and the more I talk to customers that live vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, the more I change my diet. Going vegan is something I'd be willing to try, however I'm having a hard time convincing myself that I don't need cheese, it my favorite food!
@AC: Thank you...hmmm, I love love love black beans. So good! I like to eat very simply, handful of carrots, peanut butter, salads. As much as I love cooking, it doesn't fit in my schedule during the week. I usually do most of my cooking on the weekends.
I was vegan for 10 years. When I started studying for the Bar exam, however, I became OBSESSED with eating meat again and the rest is history. If you're on the go a lot and need to eat for convienence, a vegan diet may not work out all that well for you. There aren't a whole lot of vegan "convienent" food options out there, and the diet can get quite pricey (it's shocking how much healthy food costs.) I've read the "skinny bitch" books and the recipes aren't exactly easy to follow or convienent to whip up.
Don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, I'm just concerned that if your goal is to eat healthier, a vegan diet may not be the way to go with your lifestyle as it is now. You might also find yourself overly reliant on carbs and end up gaining weight. I'm at my skinnest now that I eat healthy, lean meats again.
Just my 0.02. :)
lol @ Mighty
Veganism is a little extreme--you could always work your way there without doing it overnight necessarily. I had a friend try it overnight and it was just too overwhelming because it was SUCH a big step. She wasn't prepared for what to eat all the time and it made it very tough.
If you like meat, buy organic free range meat to start with. If you like it, I don't see the reason to give it up necessarily because you'll really miss it. And if you don't overdo it, it's not bad for you in the least. Most vegetarians I know have very strong personal reasons why they eat meat--health not being one of them, but mostly they don't like the taste or they are big animal rights activists.
I'd just try going "clean" first and then revamping in a month or two if you want to take it further!
As opposed to going Vegan, you may want to look into eating "clean". Do what you can to know where your food is coming from, eat unprocessed whole foods. Locate local farms if you can to buy meat, eggs and veggies either from farmers markets or from the farms themselves. Of course its not ALWAYS possible to know everything, but you can make the effort.
I agree that food should work for you, but part of that is willing to do the prep work to have food with you when you are hungry for snacks, lunches etc when you are busy or away from home. Going vegan isnt going to stop your life from being busy so you are going to have to plan to eat either way.
Going vegan to lose weight actually doesn often work because people find themselves eating a lot of processed breads, pastas, rices etc to fill up and because options can become more limited as a vegan.
However, if you want to go vegan for moral reasons then go for it. (I would also assume that going vegan for moral reasons would also lead you to eliminate leather, gelatin, etc from your life as well)
Also a a vegan I would warn against a lot of Soy (unfermented). It is controversial as to what it can do to you. Read both the China Study as well as The Whole soy Story to get two views of it.
"Because the chemical structure of isoflavones is similar to that of estrogen, isoflavones bind to estrogen receptors. By competing with estrogen the isoflavones are believed to dampen the effect of estrogen in the body.
This should have a positive effect on the risk of breast cancer which increases with exposure to estrogen. This theory has been supported by animal studies and by observational studies of Asian women who eat diets rich in soy and have lower rates of breast cancer than American women."
http://www.schsa.org/PublicHealth/pages/healthResources/healthwire/2001/04c.html
I agree with @ejs4y8:'s comment, which is actually what I'm trying to do (eating "cleaner"). It's stunning how good free-range, grass fed beef is! However, it is extremely expensive. For example, I bought a 1lb bag of burger at the organic market and it was $4.99. Another example, a dozen farm fresh eggs at the market is $4.29. The chicken they sell goes for $14.99 PER POUND. While it's really great food (good for you and tastes good), it's really not great on my pocketbook.
There are a lot of snacks that are delicious and vegan (GoRaw is one company), but again, it's pretty expensive.
If you have the money for it though, I say try it!
I would seriously research veganism before going that extreme. You can be healthy on an omnivorous diet or on a vegetarian diet.
But a vegan diet is far from ideal. As a few others have mentioned, it's more about "animal rights" than "health". A diet that requires supplements because you simply cannot get your required nutrients from the food you eat should send up red flags if you're looking for "healthy".
Here's a few books I'd suggest reading if you want to change your diet for the better:
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Real Food by Nina Planck
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price
The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain
@LindsayB: Oh, that sounds like a fun job! I'm jealous :)
@lezlers: Totally understandable. I am not a big meat eater honestly. The only thing I really love in the meat department is fish! Which I might still incorporate here and there. If I did make the switch to a vegan lifestyle, I would probably dedicate my Sunday afternoon's to preparing food for the week. I did this for awhile with regular foods, and man did I love it! It was nice jus to grab a few things from the fridge, and head to work.
@ejs4y8: I can't really call my self an animal rights activist since I don't get involved in the cause, but I have done a lot of research when it comes to the way they treat animals, and it breaks my heart. A friend of mine did a documentary in high school, and snuck into a processing plant that was right next to our campus (small town obviously), and when I watched it, I selt sick for days!! It is unbelievable they way they treat these animals.
@abbyful: good point. I was often anemic when I was vegan and feel much, much healthier now that I converted back to a "normal" diet.
I am vegan. I love it. I'm not reliant on carbs or supplements. Actually, I rarely eat bread or pasta. I eat whole grains, veggies, and lots of legumes. There are also so many tasty vegan dessert and snack options.
If you want to be inspired, or to just learn more about the harmful effects of meat and dairy on your body, read any of John Robbins books (the heir to the Baskin Robbins throne - he walked away from the company after learning about dairy production and several of his family members died of heart attacks). He relies heavily on research findings throughout his books.
Also, the way factory farmed animals are treated and slaughtered is unbelievably cruel. I think most people don't want to know about this.
@lefymw - interesting point about soy. have you read the studies linking dairy to breast cancer also?
@abbyful - which supplements do you think vegans require? Are you talking about B12? If so, the reason today's vegans require B12 supplements is because the soil of mass grown produce has been stripped of many of it's nutrients and is hypersterilized in packaging and production. Veggies eaten out of a properly fertilized garden that are simlpy washed off have B12 from soil remnants. The lack of B12 is not a result of the vegan diet, but a result of modern processing.
Thanks for everyone's responses. I think the biggest thing I want to take on is eating "clean" like many of you have mentioned. That will keep me from feeling like I have no control over where my food is coming from, and what's in it. I will probably also be giving up meat, with the exception of fish. After everything I have read about the way they are treated, it doesn't even seem appetizing anymore. No offense to the fishie's rights..I just love me some salmon!
@rollercoaster: I have, but I havent been able to find a good summary of the many studies on it to really sway my decision one way or another. There are lots of anecdotal stories and one off studies, but I cant find anything that gives a good unbiased vew or even two comprehensive biased views I can weigh against each other.
@rollercoaster: Thanks for your input! I think a vegan, or vegetarian lifestyle would work very well for me. I generally don't like, but aafter doing so much research of the animal manufacturing, it only cements my decision even further.
I am a vitamin junkie already, so I don't think my body will be denied too much.
i was a vegan. i was a vegtarian first though.
read fast food nation. do a lot of research. peta.org goveg.com
I am a vegetarian, due mostly to several animal science and anatomy classes I had to take in college. It's really easy because of the mental parallels that I draw between the anatomy specimens and meat on dinner plates.
That said, I have tried to go vegan before. Both times, it ended in me making crazy-woman, late night cheese runs to the store. It takes a lot of self-control and smotimes I wonder if that was my body responding to malnutrition.
I admire anyone who can do it, but you can also make more minor changes that are good for you and the world around you without being an extremist.
It is so horrifying the way animals are factory farmed. Read "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer to get more of the full picture. I was vegetarian and vegan for about a year until this July because of that, but eventually a few things made me reconsider:
- Reading stories of vegans having severe health problems after a few years (like this: http://voraciouseats.com/2010/11/19/a-vegan-no-more/)
- Not wanting to miss out on experiencing local food while on vacation (brie in Paris, jerk chicken in Jamaica)
- Realizing I'd become a judgemental bitch thinking I was somehow enlightened, compassionate and pure, and everyone around me was a flesh-eating monster who just didn't get it (I overdid it on reading holier-than-thou vegan message boards)
- Learning more about how much veganism does or doesn't really help save animals (like the teachings of Lierre Keith; basically, humans cause harm no matter what, just by our existence, and mass agriculture can be really problematic too: http://www.lierrekeith.com/vegmyth.htm)
- Realizing that maybe I didn't have to be so "all or nothing" about it and could still have a positive impact while having the occasional piece of pizza (like this guy: http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html)
- Realizing that "abstaining" might not send the strong signal I had hoped. For example, people who try to send a message to politicians don't do so by not voting. They send a message by voting for the other party. So, instead of not buying animal products at all, I would encourage better treatment of animals by supporting local, free-range farmers. Since I'm lazy, in practical terms this means I still eat mostly vegan. But it feels freeing to know that I could eat meat/eggs if I wanted to go to the trouble of seeking out a good source, and just by eating meat once a week or so I no longer have the massive headaches I did as a vegan (more here: http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/why-vegetarians-are-eating-meat)
I know that's a lot...clearly it's something that's been on my mind for a while! One blog that helped me process some of these things was http://letthemeatmeat.com/. Just some food (ha!) for thought.
@rollercoaster - Yes, B-12. There are zero reliable plant sources of B-12. B-12 comes from animals, period. Even in "the dirt" it comes from other living things; and not enough for the human body to evolve having B-12 as an essential nutrient.
Humans are naturally omnivores, not herbivores. Hence why forcing the human into a vegan diet requires supplementation. In traditional vegetarian cultures, products such as eggs and dairy are highly prized because of the nutrition they provide. (There are no traditional vegan cultures, if there were they would have died out without modern day supplements.)
I'm not saying anything against vegans, you can eat whatever you choose, but any diet switch should be thoroughly researched; researching both the pros and cons. And there are pros and cons to every single diet philosophy out there.
I ate vegan off and on for a while - because of religious reasons. It can work (although it didn't for me); I would say, though, that in addition to eating a balance of protein and veggies/fruit, make sure you get some (healthy) fat in there too. I did fat-free vegan stuff for a while, and I was *always* hungry - and I couldn't eat enough lettuce and whatever to make me full. It sucked. But, if you eat a lot of beans and nuts, or put olive oil on your salad, stuff like that, it should help you feel full/satisfied.
I'm seriously considering going vegan. Another poster actually gave me a lot of advice, hopefully she'll post on this subject. Anyways, my thought it to transition to veganism by way of becoming a vegetarian. I'm going to do it as a New Years Resolutation. Part of my rationale is that I have reason and with that reason, I can make the decision not to consume meat.
A lot of the books suggested, especially the ones from Abbyful and from Klb5882 are helpful. Fast food nation and Omnivore's Dilemma are great books.
Start small, which is what I'm doing, I'm slowly removing things from my diet--pork, beef, then turkey, and finally chicken.
"do a lot of research. peta.org goveg.com"
PETA has an agenda, they aren't really a good unbiased source.
I'm not going to repost everything on this thread, but I made a short post about PETA here: http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/cruelty-free-products (and that's just the tip of the iceberg).
I might try going vegetarian before making the switch to full vegan? I have never attempted even vegetarianism, but I have two friends who went vegan and both eventually switched back because they couldn't maintain their health (felt lethargic, hair falling out, sluggish, tired). Not saying that it's not possible to be a healthy, happy, energetic vegan (at all)--but it's my understanding that it's pretty hard work, and you have to be more vigilant about maintaining a balanced diet.
@LemonLavender: I can totally understand your point about the anatomy aspect. I am nursing student, and with every disection we do, it makes me more and more visually away of what I am eating, and honestly, just kind of grosses me out.
@AC: I think a lot like you. I don't think a change to vegetarianism, or veganism will hinder me from experiencing. If I go out to dinner with my family, I can't see myself making a juge issue out of what I eat. I just simply order a soup, and salad, or whatever I am craving. I plan on fitting it to what works best for me.
@beekiss2: Yes, I completely agree starting small is the way to go! I plan on cutting out meat and dairy completely. I am lactose intolerant so dairy doesn't play a big part of my life anyways. I drink soy milk on my cereal, and have no desire for much dairy in other parts of my diet.
I think slow is the way to go. I am not an extremist, so jumping in head first without extensive research wouldn't work for me anyways.
Sane, healthy, thin, athletic vegan, here. When went vegan nearly 9 years ago, I did it for animal/ ethical reasons. Now I can add health reasons to my list.
If you really want to be vegan, it's easy. I rarely get sick and my doctors never speak against my lifestyle.
So many vegan foods are enriched with B12 and calcium, so you probably do not need to be worried about supplements.
Do not be discouraged by naysayers or think you have to be regimented to pull it off.
@abbyful: I actually frequent the PETA blogs, and I don't get the impression that they are pushing an agenda, they are just focused in what they believe and support, and a lot of which I agree and support.
Research a lot and listen to your body.
Recently my husband and I tried to go vegetarian, it works for him and not so well for me. I've cut out a lot of meat compared to what I used to eat and now eat nicely treated chicken when I do eat meat but I just feel better when I eat meat. And the farm that we get our organic produce runs better when he has animals incorporated into the cycle so we've switched to trying to eat 'cleaner'.
I'd be very careful with veganism. I know of people who know people who say veganism works for them but personally I know zero people who it's worked for. I was a competitive runner in college and so food was very important to the women on the team, we had a couple vegetarians (though they all cheated at times) and a couple vegans. Neither of the vegans lasted very long and basically had their health plummet. It worked somewhat OK (though really not great) while they were training more moderately but once they stepped up their training for the season it was terrible. They both were the most injured people on the team and basically were told by doctors to quit running competitively or quit their dietary restrictions. They were both very careful about their diet and were in regular contact with nutritionists so it wasn't a problem of them being misinformed or not following the diet properly, it just was not practical.
@stacycats: THANKS! I know for many it could be very hard work, but my life style is already halfway there as it is. I don't drink any sodas, no sugars, and am a salad and veggie addict. I think if it is something that fits my personals taste preferences, and support my concern for ethical animal treatment, and my concerns for a healthy body, then it is a good choice for me.
Glad to see someone who has achieved a vegan lifestyle successfully and loves it!
To some of the other posters....I DID NOT intend this thread to be a debate over veganism, and if you read the last sentence of my original post, I was really looking for input from current vegans and vegetarians. I would really love to hear more input from current vegans, and maybe some resources of where they shop and find recipes. This does not mean I do not appreciate the input from other, I just really do not mean for this to be debate.
@pumpkinpatch - Please do some more in-depth research on the organization. They are not what they seem on the surface.
They have a great facade going, but they are not friends of animals. In fact, no veg*ns I know even support PETA.
PETA's goal is the extinction of domestic animals: no pets, no police dogs, no livestock, etc. Zero human/animal interaction.
They also kill more animals than any other "shelter" in the country. In 2009 they took in 2,366 animals, and they only found homes for 8! Last year their "kill rate" was over 97%!
I know individuals that rescue more animals than that in a year, and they have far less than PETA's $30+ million budget.
2009 isn't on Virginia government's website yet, but here are some of the previous years:
2008 95.8% kill rate (placed 7 animals)
2007 90.9% kill rate (placed 17 animals)
2006 97.4% kill rate (placed 12 animals)
Note: "Reclaimed by owner" is just spay/neuter operations, not "rescued" animals.
PETA is against no-kill shelters.
Shelters in Norfolk VA, where PETA's headquarters are, don't work with PETA. PETA has gone to local shelters there are said they would find homes for animals, the shelters, thinking PETA was a god-send, turned over some of their most highly adoptable animals. What did PETA do? Promptly euthanized the animals.
PETA has given over $70,000 to ALF and Rodney Coronado. Who is Rodney Coronado? I'll let Ingrid Newkirk tell you:
"He [Rodney Coronado] did something [firebombed a research facility at Michigan State University] that put him in prison for three-and-a-half years and I think that if we hadn’t provided him with a good legal defense he wouldn’t be back out doing productive things in the community again — like the good person that he is. "
Some reading:
http://www.nokillnow.com/PETAIngridNewkirkResign.htm
http://www.purebredcatbreedrescue.org/animal_rights.htm
http://www.workingpitbull.com/truthaboutpeta.htm
http://www.targetofopportunity.com/animal_rights_quotes.htm
http://www.activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm/oid/21
I'm a strong support of "animal welfare". But very much against "animal rights".
Animal welfare = treat animals humanely.
(ASPCA, local animal shelters)
Animal rights = extinction of domestic animals, no human/animal interaction.
(PETA)
Back to the intended topic.....any good vegan recipe website reccomendations?
As I mentioned in my own post, I am a decent athlete. Not only am I a gym rat, but I do bike tours. Over the summer I spent a week biking across Iowa (450+ miles in the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.) I did it all, and quite well, on a vegan diet.
Perhaps the folks you know who were vegan are poor eaters to begin with and might not be in the best of shape on an omnivorous diet.
Pumpkinpatch, here is a list of vegan athletes:
Ridgely Abele
Winner of eight national championships in karate
Surya Bonaly
Olympic figure skating champion
Brendan Brazier
Professional Ironman triathlete
Peter Burwash
Davis Cup winner and professional tennis star
Andreas Cahling
Swedish champion bodybuilder, Olympic gold medallist in the ski jump
Chris Campbell
Olympic wrestling champion
Nicky Cole
First woman to walk to the North Pole
Ruth Heidrich
Six-time Ironwoman, USA track and field Master's champion
Keith Holmes
World-champion middleweight boxer
Desmond Howard
Professional football star, Heisman trophy winner
Peter Hussing
European super heavy-weight boxing champion
Scott Jurek
Ultramarathoner, Course Record Holder at Badwater and Western States
Wiki
Audio interview with Animal Voices: MP3
Debbie Lawrence
World record holder, women's 5K racewalk
Sixto Linares
World record holder, 24-hour triathlon
Cheryl Marek and Estelle Gray
World record holders, cross-country tandem cycling
Ingra Manecki
World champion discus thrower
Bill Manetti
Power-lifting champion
Ben Matthews
U.S. Master's marathon champion
Dan Millman
World champion gymnast
Martina Navratilova
Champion tennis player
Paavo Nurmi
Long-distance runner, winner of nine Olympic medals and 20 world records
Bill Pearl
Four-time Mr. Universe
Bill Pickering
World record-holding swimmer
Stan Price
World weightlifting record holder, bench press
Murray Rose
Swimmer, winner of many Olympic gold medals and world records
Dave Scott
Six-time winner of the Ironman triathlon
Art Still
Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs MVP defensive end, Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame
Jane Wetzel
U.S. National marathon champion
Charlene Wong Williams
Olympic champion figure skater
@stacycats: I have actually read a lot about Debbie Lawrence. I started running this past summer and am totally addicted! I am doing my first 5k in February!
I am an animal rights person, and I do not support PETA. For some reason every vegan and vegetarian is linked to PETA. PETA does not represent all of us, nor is PETA's existence a reason for somebody to not become vegan.
The organization, however, does have great information on becoming vegan as well as recipes.
@pumpkinpatch: Congratulations and good luck. If you eat well, whether you are veg*n or omnivore, you'll be great.
@stacycats: Thanks!! I am looking forward to it, and hoping I do well!
I don't really support PETA, I just put it on here as a soure b/c they do have lists on their site for ingrediants that are not animal friendlly. Every website on the internet has an "agenda" including this one. This one is promoting the commercialization of weddings to get people to think that they have to spend more on the marriage process.
I have a b-12 deficiancy now. I'm not saying it is b/c I was a vegan, but I didn't have it 5 years ago. Now I have to go to a hematologist every 3 months and get a b-12 shot monthly.
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| MrsOliveBird | 11 |
| aussiebee | 10 |
| janetsnakehole | 8 |
| j_jaye | 5 |
| Rivendeler | 5 |
| simpleandchic | 4 |
| kat2014 | 4 |
| Scottish_lassie | 4 |
| MrsMSmith | 4 |
| Adalita | 4 |
Sorry, there are no users yet.
