Any 'vegans' out there?

[CrewDood]

As a diabetic, I am always looking for ways to better my health. Being overweight does not help, either.

I am seriously looking into the 'McDougall Program'. I came across a man who spent time with Dr. McDougall and swears by the program.

It has piles of info at www.drmcdougall.com

A person I know at Jefferson Cty Sheriffs Dept. ran checks on it and came back clean.

 

I would like to hear from any/all vegans in this thread about how and when they made the change and if it is working for them the way they wanted it to.

[jjfanec]

I would look into Karen Hurd. She is a nutritionist around Eau Claire WI. She has helped a bunch of people with health issues everywhere from diabetes to arthritis and other things. I know a lot of people who go to her and swear by her. She is not a vegan by any stretch of the imagination, she promotes eating meat. She is big into beans and no sugar though.

 

I have no idea about the guy you brought up and have no real thoughts on vegan stuff.

[twobrewers]

I am going "vegan" for a week with some friends from work.

 

I normally eat a really healthy diet, so other than not having milk with dinner, I don't expect many changes.

 

I don't really understand "vegan". I discussed it with our "vegan" at work and he explained his motivation. I just don't see drinking milk from a cow as abusive. I guess I've been on enough farms and never seen a cow bothered by being milked.

 

There are certainly some health benefits - but I doubt being "vegan" is healthier than being "vegetarian"...

 

And That is a vegetarian, I think. But he might be "vegan".

[jjkoestler]

I'm not vegan, but I am vegetarian. I made the switch about 10 years ago when I found myself eating nothing but fast food and junk because I was a poor student. Something seemed wrong to me when I could eat at Burger King for $2, but couldn't afford to buy anything healthy. I just decided to cut out meat entirely because it basically eliminated all fast food. I can't really say if I feel any healthier (because its been so long), but I have not gained any weight and I feel good.

[SeriesFinale]

There are plenty of reasons why one would go vegan besides moral ones, although it's always a sticky issue as to whether an animal is "bothered" by being domesticated (and one I won't get into here).

 

My wife's vegetarian and she does the cooking, so by extension most of the meals I eat are vegetarian and a goodly number of those are vegan, and I frankly never notice.

 

We both love our cheese too much to ever go full vegan I think, but I guess my point is that you'd be surprised by how many meals you probably already enjoy are inherently vegan or can easily be adapted.

 

(Depending on how absolutely strict you want to be with your veganism, you may also be surprised by how how things you'd think of as vegetarain and especially vegan have some kind of animal-based derivative--jello, for instance, is a prime example)

 

Good luck.

[thevaccinator27]

I'm a fifth level vegan. I don't eat anything that has a shadow.

 

Seriously though, a couple of weeks ago, I switched to being a vegan before 6. I'm not uber strict about it. I can handle vegetarian before 6 without much problem. The issue for me is with cheese.

[CrewDood]

Now, I just thought the term 'vegan' was short for vegetarian.

I am still reading up on that site.

So, what is your definition of 'vetgan' as opposed to 'vegatarien'?

The plan is to not eat any meat,fish,chicken,eggs,etc. Mostly starches complimented with fruits and vegetables.

[hawing]

Here is a link that briefly explains the difference between various non-meat diets.

[pretendastronaut]

The plan is to not eat any meat,fish,chicken,eggs,etc. Mostly starches complimented with fruits and vegetables.

 

No proteins?

[twobrewers]

No proteins?

I would think nuts are an important part of a Vegans diet. (Lots of peanut butter sandwiches!)

[blatzlight]

No proteins?

I would think nuts are an important part of a Vegans diet. (Lots of peanut butter sandwiches!)

The issue with just nuts is you don't get all of the amino acids you need. Soy (tofu) is the only non-animal product that gives you what your body needs via food. Even as a meat eater with a very healthy diet I come to really enjoy soy (tofu, edamame) - especially in Thai, Indian and Chinese cuisine.

[hawing]

Mmm....edamame.

[pretendastronaut]

Soy is not without numerous problems, especially in the ways we typically consume it in the U.S. If you're going to eat a lot of tofu, you should try to find some tempeh instead.

[CrewDood]

The plan is to not eat any meat,fish,chicken,eggs,etc. Mostly starches complimented with fruits and vegetables.

No proteins?

I also forgot to mention dairy products.

 

As far as the subject of protein goes, it is one of the most misunderstood and, consequently, most abused substances in the food supply. First, you should know that all plant foods contain protein. All the protein you need and more can be easily derived from plant foods alone.

[homer]

I thought a lot of vegans ate black beans to get their protein?

[Bikeage77]

I know a lot of vegans (being into punk and hardcore bands). I can never do it mostly because of cheese. I do think you can cook tons of great meals without meat and it can be done pretty affordably.

 

Good luck. Check online at the food network.com or other places, there are plenty of vegan recipes out there.

[jjkoestler]

For protein I eat a lot of beans and rice, and tofu. Morningstar, Boca, and Gardenburger have a lot of tasty, protein packed fake "meat."

[ewizabeff]

CrewDood wrote: As far as the subject of protein goes, it is one of the most misunderstood and, consequently, most abused substances in the food supply. First, you should know that all plant foods contain protein. All the protein you need and more can be easily derived from plant foods alone.

 

What exactly are you basing this opinion on?

[flosses like fossas]

why are we putting quotes on vegan? do you not believe that this is a real phenomenon, that people actually do this?

 

in my experience (was vegan for a stretch of almost 2 years, would happily do so again) being vegan can be very easy, enjoyable, and healthy. a tip: instead of overloading your diet with empty carbs (too much pasta and bread), get adventurous. going vegan can be really eye-opening as to the possibilities of different foods, and the experience can be all the more enlightening if you enjoy cooking.

[pretendastronaut]

As far as the subject of protein goes, it is one of the most misunderstood and, consequently, most abused substances in the food supply. First, you should know that all plant foods contain protein. All the protein you need and more can be easily derived from plant foods alone.

 

I tend to think carbs are the most abused substances, because of misunderstandings in our diet. On their own, fats are easily the most misunderstood elements of our food supply. I don't think protein registers for most of the general public.

I know you can get really all the carbs you need from plant foods, instead of starchy options, but I don't know of a single veggie that has a high protein value. Yes, some veggies have protein, but they have way more carbs. If you know otherwise I'd be curious to know about it.

[jjkoestler]

Soy is a vegetable that contains a lot of protein.

[pretendastronaut]

Legumes are most likely not vegetables, they're closer to fruits, but seeing as "vegetable" isn't a botanical term and thus is subjective, one could consider them vegetables. Outside of say, sweet peas, I've never considered most legumes a vegetable, so I wasn't considering those in that category. The vegetarians I know seem to classify them (legumes/beans) in their own category.

 

However, yes, legumes are great sources of protein. Soy is the only complete protein that I'm aware of in the legume family, but as mentioned early, it isn't the miracle bean so many people thought it was 10-15 years ago. Soy intake should still be limited, meaning people without meat in their diets need to pay attention to the proteins their foods have, and make meals that can provide a complete protein.