Going vegan!

A place to discuss health and fitness, healthy diets. A fit body makes for a fit mind.
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Mojo
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by Mojo »

Well, I just made some steel cut oats cooked with almond milk. I added some frozen blueberries at the end with a couple spoons of flaxseed and a bit of salt and Splenda. It was fantastic. I eat oatmeal every day so this should be a great way to get my ALA.
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BlackBird
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by BlackBird »

Well very good Mojo.

I am glad my suggestion of flax seed has culminated in a positive outcome. Although I had never considered simply putting the oil on foods, but rather gel caps so as to avoid what I would have presumed to be a less than delectable taste. How does it taste, besides oiley?
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

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manas
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by manas »

Mojo wrote:I had my physical today. My weight was 299 pounds, down 26 since the beginning of March and down 76 since April 2011 when I hit my personal high of 375. My cholesterol is at 190, less than the 200 limit for healthy range. My triglycerides are in good order. So I told my doctor I wanted to go from ovo-lacto vegetarian to vegan, and that I wanted to quit taking the fish oil supplements that he originally wanted me to take because of my formerly bad cholesterol. He agreed it would be fine for me. So as soon as I'm done with the eggs I currently have in the fridge, I'll be vegan...at least at home. When I'm away from home, I may need to be a bit more open...but will take the vegan options as long as they are available.
Well done, Mojo. Sounds like a good plan. :thumbsup:

I'm basically lacto-ovo vegetarian, although the eggs have to be truly free-range (and these are expensive, unless you know a person with chickens) because I've found that ordinary eggs from caged or otherwise stressed hens tend to make me nauseous. (I mean this literally.) But from time to time I step up to the Vegan platform, and my mind and body always feels clearer and lighter for it. Just remember not to 'carb out' too much. The diet needs to have a balance between (preferably whole) grains, protein sources (eg nuts, seeds, legumes, beans), veggies (remember to eat green leafy veggies also!) and fruits. And some fermented foods are good also, such as miso (great in soups). One more thing you should learn is how to correctly combine foods. For example, fruit should be eaten on it's own and not at the same meal as other foods, because it digests faster than, for eg, grains or beans. If we mix fruit and, say, grains together in our stomach, we can end up with unhealthy fermentation in our gut, which taxes the body of energy.

I wish you well with this health-giving diet.

kind regards,
manas
:anjali:
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
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Mojo
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by Mojo »

BlackBird wrote:Well very good Mojo.

I am glad my suggestion of flax seed has culminated in a positive outcome. Although I had never considered simply putting the oil on foods, but rather gel caps so as to avoid what I would have presumed to be a less than delectable taste. How does it taste, besides oiley?
I used ground flaxseed not flaxseed oil. =)
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BlackBird
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by BlackBird »

Mojo wrote:
BlackBird wrote:Well very good Mojo.

I am glad my suggestion of flax seed has culminated in a positive outcome. Although I had never considered simply putting the oil on foods, but rather gel caps so as to avoid what I would have presumed to be a less than delectable taste. How does it taste, besides oiley?
I used ground flaxseed not flaxseed oil. =)
Ah whoops, guess I misread you completely :)

That sounds much more palatable.
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
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Ben
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by Ben »

BlackBird wrote:So personally Ben, I would bother.
Good for you Jack.

BTW, I did say "personally". If you have confidence in the efficacy of a product based on the merit of an analysis of the source and message - then act accordingly. I am more than happy to be proven wrong. My over riding message is to always investigate truth claims when it comes to health benefits of products and to always follow the evidence.
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

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BlackBird
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by BlackBird »

Ben wrote:
BlackBird wrote:So personally Ben, I would bother.
Good for you Jack.

BTW, I did say "personally". :shock:
So did I Ben ;)

No disrespect was intended.
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
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Ben
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by Ben »

No worries, Jack.
No disrespect intended by me neither!
kind regards,

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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marc108
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by marc108 »

hi Mojo,

the flax seeds themselves contain toxic compounds that could possibly cause health problems in the long term. no one knows for sure, but I would suggest you avoid using the flax seed itself and use an oil. flax oil is also not suitable for cooking so the best way to consume it is either just pouring a little on your food or making/mixing it into a salad dressing (my preferred way).

since you said you eat nuts you could also alternatively consume some walnuts. 1/4 cup per day will give you almost 100% of the omega3 you need. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... ce&dbid=99

diversity of source is key. if you have the ability, rotating your sources is good. maybe have some walnuts a few days (or weeks) a week & some flax oil the other days (weeks).
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
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Mojo
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by Mojo »

It looks like researchers are still confused about the our ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA and the benefit of ALA alone. I am more confused now.
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marc108
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by marc108 »

Mojo wrote:It looks like researchers are still confused about the our ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA and the benefit of ALA alone. I am more confused now.

yes, the research has been all over the place. some studies show adequate conversion and some show almost none. it will vary according to diet & genetics. that's why i (we) suggested a flax oil supplement with some added DHA. you can get them on iherb.com for cheap. if you're not ethically opposed to eating fish you could always just take some fish oil a few times per week.

variety of sources is KEY!
"It's easy for us to connect with what's wrong with us... and not so easy to feel into, or to allow us, to connect with what's right and what's good in us."
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LG2V
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by LG2V »

It's great that you've decided to go vegan! I was vegan for about 6 months last year until I changed to a lacto-ovo diet due to low energy levels.

As far a eating cheaply goes, carrots, dried beans and cauliflower are your friends. The nutritional value of these three are awesome. Getting a large pot and some large tupperware and boiling the beans yourself/mixing them with veggies before a meal is a great time/money saver. You can then combine them with white or brown rice or any of the whole grains (my favorites are millet and buckwheat). You can make relatively cheap daily smoothies by mixing orange juice with frozen strawberries as well. You can buy a decently-sized blender pretty cheap, for around $20-25.

You can pretty easily make your diet more robust by adding whatever fruits you like at the moment. Some of them also help out with promoting active bowel movements (Especially Apples). Apples, Bananas, and Kiwis are my top picks. I'd also advise doing a cheap parasite cleanse (Black Walnut, Wormwood, & Cloves Tincture; Diatomaceous Earth; and Thyme/Oil of Oregano), followed by a good probiotic regimen. This will take ~2months to do, but you'll feel a lot better for it.

I agree about the need to take some ground flax seed/flax oil. I would cut back on oils in general and go more for avocados (a good Omega 3 source) if possible. Also, almond milk is a delicious substitute for cow's milk. Nuts in general are going to be your friends while on a vegan diet.

Have you considered going gluten free? That might be an excellent option to choose, although it might make eating within your diet a bit more difficult.

Lastly, I would try to eat raw as much as possible. If you keep at a vegan diet and don't go too hard on the sweets, all of your food will eventually start to taste better and sweeter; the diet takes some getting used to.


Best Wishes,
LG2V
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violetyoga
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by violetyoga »

Glad I came upon this post. Although not vegan and recently vegetarian (still eating eggs/milk/honey), I wanted to know if any of you could share some knowledge with me. I was a vegetarian in the past when I was in my early teens but got sick...ended up becoming anemic. I've become wiser and more careful since then lol plus there are now more options than just salad and tofu on the table!

I'm curious about the fish oil vs. flax/other oil for not only omega 3s but also the DHA/AHA? I know that fish oil has DHA if I am not mistaken, which deals with brain functioning/memory/eye sight...I am more concerned about this since I don't seem to have any issues with cholesterol or heart at this point. Overall I'm quite healthy and fairly fit (knock on wood). But, I want to ensure that I am getting the same benefit from another type of oil as I would from the fish oil, especially for the brain/eyesight aspect. Do any of you have any knowledge of this and comments? Is it impossible to get DHA from any other source but the fish? I still have a bottle of fish oil in my fridge as I have always been taking it on a daily basis so I intend on finishing it but would prefer not to have to go back to it if there are other options.

Furthermore, any vegan/vegetarian recipes you can all share that are filling and great for dinner? Hot and 'meaty' to keep you full? Always on the lookout for hearty veg meals. My husband is Indian...I'm Polish/Russian so I am always cooking south asian foods since the eastern europeans don't have all that many veg options....a few delicious ones, but not as many.

Looking forward to some of your responses :)
Namaste!
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Mkoll
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by Mkoll »

Dear violetyoga,

I eat flax, chia, and walnuts for ALA which the body can convert to DHA/EPA as it needs.

I also occasionally take algae supplements that provide DHA. Just search "algae DHA".

The best meal I've found for keeping full are rice/beans with some fat (olive oil) and some steamed vegetables. The grain that "sticks to the ribs" the most I've found to be oat groats. These are the least processed form of edible oats. I eat them with fruit, nuts, and seeds. You can get them on amazon.

:anjali:
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Roland
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Re: Going vegan!

Post by Roland »

Less than 5% of ALA converts to EPA and less than .5% of ALA converts to DHA, in healthy people.

http://chriskresser.com/why-fish-stomps ... of-omega-3
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