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lilangel

lilangel

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2008
Messages
2,758
Location
Hull,Quebec(not far from Ottawa)
Hello well i want to stop eating meat :dance: problem is what exactly do i need in means of vitamins? Is there a "one" pill for veggie people that i could take? See i have many problems right now i have high blood pressure, I am anemic(i take iron pills my doc prescribed to me), I also take birth control that controls my periods(I have 4 periods a year) this is part of my anemic problem and to save some blood lol. Oh and i take pills given from doc also for heartburn.


I did read a bit on veganoutreach.org but i just want to be sure about the vitamins thing and not end up at the hospital.

Also i am so craving a veggie burger! Does anyone have a great recipe?
 
Hi! Good on you for going vegan! I take a women's multivitamin, a calcium supplement in tablet form and a B12 tablet. I take one of each daily. From what I have read, that is sufficient to cover all my needs - along with a healthy diet and exercise of course. If you are low in iron, then I would imagine you should continue taking your iron supplement.

I haven't made veggie burgers yet, so I don't have a recipe for you sorry!
 
Bundyrats said:
Hi! Good on you for going vegan! I take a women's multivitamin, a calcium supplement in tablet form and a B12 tablet. I take one of each daily. From what I have read, that is sufficient to cover all my needs - along with a healthy diet and exercise of course. If you are low in iron, then I would imagine you should continue taking your iron supplement.

I haven't made veggie burgers yet, so I don't have a recipe for you sorry!
Click to expand...

Ok so i need 3 types of pills then right? I just want to make sure i do it right :)

My brother tried it once or i should say he ate those 25 cent noodle packages for a bit and gave up ( I guess lmao that is no way to start)

I guess you can say a good thing is i do like some of the items made vegan like the burgers, hot dogs (so yummy) I tried bacon too. I just need to be sure what i buy when the day comes(i get about $100 or so to spend on food a month for me)
 
The only real supplement you need is the B12. In fact, even meat eaters should take a B12.
In the winter, I also take D3.
Your iron pills, are they prescribed or over the counter at the pharmacy? Ferrous Gluconate 35 mg? I used to be anemic and needed to take iron for over two years but since I've been vegan, I've been able to stop them. I get plenty iron through all the different veggies.

That is the KEY to being vegan, lots of whole foods, a wide variety... legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits and then your extras like bread and minimum oils. For your Omega 3 and 6, you really only need to worry about your 3. Grind flaxseed and add to your meals, that's the best B3, better than any supplement pill form.

Do you have GERD? or just heartburn? I'd recommend staying away from tree nuts like almonds and cashews.
 
jorats said:
The only real supplement you need is the B12. In fact, even meat eaters should take a B12.
In the winter, I also take D3.
Your iron pills, are they prescribed or over the counter at the pharmacy? Ferrous Gluconate 35 mg? I used to be anemic and needed to take iron for over two years but since I've been vegan, I've been able to stop them. I get plenty iron through all the different veggies.

That is the KEY to being vegan, lots of whole foods, a wide variety... legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits and then your extras like bread and minimum oils. For your Omega 3 and 6, you really only need to worry about your 3. Grind flaxseed and add to your meals, that's the best B3, better than any supplement pill form.

Do you have GERD? or just heartburn? I'd recommend staying away from tree nuts like almonds and cashews.
Click to expand...

Pretty much same thing i take Ferrous Sulfate 300mg twice a day.

The only thing is i am not a big fruit eater, i do not like many fruits :(

Joanne said:
If you have issues with GERD or heartburn, is it a problem drinking almond milk?
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I have not been diagnosed that i have that but if i do not take my pills i get HB with just drinking water in the day(say i only did that all day id still get HB :( )
 
Bundyrats said:
I take a women's multivitamin, a calcium supplement in tablet form and a B12 tablet.
Click to expand...

Ya, I should clarify sorry, I've always taken a multivitamin and calcium but since starting on the vegan journey I've read that B12 is important, so I am taking that also now.
Good luck with it all!
 
Joanne said:
If you have issues with GERD or heartburn, is it a problem drinking almond milk?
Click to expand...

I don't seem to have any issues with drinking dark chocolate almond milk. But when I eat real almonds, I'm in quite some pain.
I read up on GERD/hearburn and almonds and sure enough, tree nuts are a big allergen.
 
Ok so to clarify I really only need B12? Because I did read in the veganoutreach that there is veggie pills but i'm just not sure they sell that here where I live(It sucks out here sometimes) Also the problem for me eating is I do not eat breakfast sometimes not even lunch but then I eat like a dinner and a half >.< I know bad right well for my starting out should I get a multivitamin in case? Along with B12.

My whole reason to want to switch from not eating meat is because well i'm sick of eating it >.< it is starting to make me sick to my stomach thinking about the next meat eating meal.

Also is there a way to have say bacon(non meat of course) & eggs(I so far only read the cooking egg replacer)?

Thanks again for any answers I know this is not a vegan forum but i trust you guys as my family when it comes to some things and to ask on a forum i just joined is hard.
 
most people should take a vit D supplement, even my doc who does not believe in vits said that most ppl do not get enough sun and should take vit d. (presumably because ppl who do spend a lot of time outdoors now use sunscreen)

there is a fake bacon product made by Morningstar farms that is better than real bacon, never greasy and very tasty.
there are several other bacon substitutes as well

I just got some Go Lean ground meat substitute to make tacos with and it was great.
not sure about egg replacers.
 
oh here's some interesting info on iron and vegans/vegetarians:

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/iron-for-vegetarians/
QUOTE:
5 ways vegetarians and vegans can absorb more iron

1. The less you eat, the better it is absorbed.

Seriously! I know people who take one 15 milligram pill a day and think they are covered, but it doesn’t work that way. When consuming higher amounts of iron at one time, the percentage that our bodies absorb is actually lower than when your meal contains only a few milligrams. Plant-based foods may contain less iron than animal foods, but eating smaller amounts throughout the day is a great way to increase absorption.

2. Eat non-heme iron foods with vitamin C foods, and absorption can increase as much as five times.

Five times! Culturally these combinations are already happening: think beans and rice with salsa, falafel with tomatoes and hummus with lemon juice. The iron in beans, grains and seeds is better absorbed when combined with the vitamin-C found in fruits and vegetables. Bonus: some iron sources, like leafy greens, broccoli, and tomato sauce already contain vitamin-C.

3. Avoid coffee and tea when eating high-iron meals.

Coffee (even decaf!) and tea contain tannins that inhibit iron absorption. I recommend avoiding them an hour before or two hours after your meal.

4. Cast-iron skillets increase iron absorption.

The answer to the true or false question is true! Cooking with an old school cast-iron skillet increases the iron in your meal — especially when you cook a vitamin-C containing food in it.

Even better, a cast-iron skillet purchase puts you in the realm of official serious cook. I bought mine almost 10 years ago for $8 and it is one of my most valued possessions. (Yes, I’m that much of a food nerd that a skillet is one of my most valued possessions!)

5. It pains me to say this, but you may want to avoid spinach as an iron source.

Spinach contains oxalates that block absorption. Sucks, right? There is some disagreement in the research about this, but with all of those other iron-containing plant foods, why not try some new ones?

And for the record, even if you take an iron supplement, you should still follow the advice above. I recommend that if my clients take one, they break it in half and take half in the morning and half at night, always with meals or juice.
 
Ya, D is important if you don't go outside much. I'm outside all the time, so I only take it in the winter.

A multi is good for anyone who skips meals and don't eat properly. lol You really need to start eating your 3 meals a day!!!! I can't stress how important that is.
Breakfast can be as simple as an orange or as much as a bowl of cereal with fruits. You should force yourself to eat some fruit, at some time during one of your meals. I pick breakfast for that and then I do a mid day milkshake with fruit. Lunch can be a soup and a bread. There are all kinds of good homemade soups. You can start with a base of vegetable stock, throw in carrots, peas, corn, rice, barley, pasta. Or start with a tomato sauce base and throw in same veggies. Then you can play around with herbs and spices, choose the ones you like. I always use garlic and onion powder. I don't like much spice but I do like oregano and basil and italian seasonings.

Portion control is very important specially with heartburn. Eating three meals a day should keep your gastric acid low. My sister who suffers from severe GERD is no longer needing her daily nexium since being on a vegan diet. But you have to be smart about your diet. Anybody can be vegan and eat crap. You need to be on a whole foods plant base diet. It's different than being on a no meat diet.
There are so many meat substitute that taste like the real thing, even cheese now. This is good to help people transition but eventually, I urge you to start going without all that processed stuff. Since you are already suffering from multiple ailments and you are so young still, a whole food plant base diet will help you get your health back.
 
The only supplement you really 100% have to take is B12. Lots of people (without absorption issues) do just fine with plant based sources of calcium and iron. It really does come down to each individual person.

A good vegan multi vitamin will have 100% of your b12, and often 100% of your iron too. Calcium not usually, but 250 mls of almond milk gives you 30-50% of your daily calcium needs, so it shouldn't be too hard to make sure you're getting a good amount if you eat a varied diet. Deva is apparently a good brand, and pretty inexpensive. I had a link here somewhere for a Canadian source of vegan vitamins online but can't find it now.... drrrppp.

But that's the key, to being vegan - you really can't get stuck in too much of a rut with the same things over and over unless your diet is super nutrient dense. And that's why a lot of people fail - they think a bagel with vegan cream cheese for breakfast, a peanut butter sandwich and a salad or basic stir fry is all that's available to them and is enough to keep them going.
 
On the positive side, it sounds like more and more people are becoming aware, realising that they are compliciant is the torture, pain & suffering and brutal murder of innocents and may be decreasing the amount of animal products they use.
 
jorats said:
Godmother said:
FYI
http://m.psychologytoday.com/blog/anima ... egetarians
Click to expand...

Well this is very disappointing. I'm saddened to think that we are barely making a dent in helping the animals.
I need to remember that at least I'm not a hypocrite and I'm not taking part in any animal suffering and extreme cruelty all for the sake of my taste buds.
Click to expand...


Oh Jo, I wouldn't be too disappointed if I were you. The studies sited were very small, and not very scientific either (calling people and asking them what they ate?? seriously? that's not a reliable way to collect data)

there's clearly a large online movement toward veganism and that alone is very encouraging, at least to me, because social media is pretty powerful these days.

also this reminds me of something my HS history teacher said, when it comes to news or any thing else, for that matter, consider the SOURCE of the information (he was talking primarily about the media at the time, who controls the media?)

there's so much money involved in getting people to continue to eat poorly, from the sales of the meat and the garbage that passes for our overpriced, over processed "food" to the marketing of that crap (they have a financial stake) to the packaging of it, and on and on and on.

then there's treating the diseases and conditions that result from our poor diets.
it was even mentioned on the news recently that the amount of money that a hospital gets paid if there are complications after a surgery is so out of proportion to what they get paid for a normal surgery without complications, it wasn't unreasonable to worry that hospitals are not as careful about avoiding these complications, because of their financial gain.
Horrifying to think about, but sadly, all too true that money and financial gain are trumping ethics left and right in our society/societies.

so, don't be too discouraged. the word is getting out there, the pieces are all coming together, about how the production of meat is ruining not only the environment but causing suffering and starvation across the globe.

the health benefits of a plant based diet are getting a lot of exposure too. The total package is hard to ignore.
so, I have a lot of hope that people will turn on the meat industry the same way they did the tobacco industry, it might take a little longer, but I really think it will happen.

People seem to know, on some deep level, that eating animal flesh is somehow not quite right.
No one I know has ever apologized to me for being vegan, but virtually ever meat eater I know HAS been either defensive, or apologetic, or will outright say, I'd love to be vegan, but I can't imagine giving up meat.

It's up to us to help them to imagine it.
=)


ETA- just checked the date on that article, it's OLD lol Sept 2011
 
I read it too and felt disappointed. I think I had a dream about eating chicken last night....it's what they wrote about craving meat.... I feel guilty about the dream and it's made me question myself. BUT, on a more positive note, I spoke to my Aunt about this on the weekend (she's not vegan or vegetarian but was for a while after her mother became ill) and said that the world HAS to go this way eventually...I agree...and that's what keeps me positive; that one day it will happen and people will realise what's going on and the animals will be saved.
 

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