This Vegan Thing......?

[ChrisK]

I like that vegan til dinner idea Moon. I really do want to cut out stuff but I don't want to be a huge hassle for my mom making 2 different meals and such. And I mean any cut out is a good cut out. I think what has always stopped me before is the idea of cutting everything out always I think if I go into it with the idea of cutting back and not eliminating it wouldn't be so scarey . I think for this next week I will try to eat only vegetarian things when I am eating lunch and breakfast and snakes and stuff. Then diner can be whatever it being made.

I like to look at it a bit differently... rather than as cutting things out... look at all the fruits, veges, and whole grains that I MUST eat every day instead.

One of the things that brought me to a vegetarian diet a few years ago was that I was trying to control my high blood pressure thru diet. There are studies which have proven that if I eat double the amount of fruits and vegetables that's in the Canada Food Guide, on a daily basis, it will help lower my BP... well, don't you know it worked!

But I had to look at it not as eliminating other things I no longer had enough room in my stomach to eat, but rather look at all the good foods I had to eat more of each day... this is VERY helpful for me, because instead of feeling deprived, I am pushed to look at the bounty of fruits and veges available to me to eat.

 

[Joanne]

I think for this next week I will try to eat only vegetarian things when I am eating lunch and breakfast and snakes and stuff.

I'm pretty sure snakes aren't in a vegetarian's diet... :giggle:

(Sorry, I just couldn't help it!!!!)

 

[ChrisK]

I think for this next week I will try to eat only vegetarian things when I am eating lunch and breakfast and snakes and stuff.

I'm pretty sure snakes aren't in a vegetarian's diet... :giggle:

(Sorry, I just couldn't help it!!!!)

:laugh4:

 

[Cinderwolf]

bahahaha thats hilarious!

 

[SQ]

I made supper yesterday, and it was my first official vegan dish. I took one of the recipes I liked, a Thai pineapple chicken dish, and just ommited the chicken. It has pineapple, coconut milk, onions, green and red peppers, ginger, garlic, peanut butter, tahini, etc served over rice. So tasty!

That sounds wonderful!

 

[Moon]

About vegan chocolate! If you live in an area with a decent Jewish population, you might be able to find kosher chocolate around Passover. Apparently it is typically vegan and you just have to watch out for weird egg additives but I don't think they're the norm. I just read this elsewhere online, and it makes sense. I have chocolate covered marzipan in my desk that is apparently vegan. "Accidentally vegan" is what we call things that you wouldn't expect to be but then you look and... Hey! No animal bits!

 

[ChrisK]

About vegan chocolate! If you live in an area with a decent Jewish population, you might be able to find kosher chocolate around Passover. Apparently it is typically vegan and you just have to watch out for weird egg additives but I don't think they're the norm. I just read this elsewhere online, and it makes sense. I have chocolate covered marzipan in my desk that is apparently vegan. "Accidentally vegan" is what we call things that you wouldn't expect to be but then you look and... Hey! No animal bits!

Yup... Ritter Sport marzipan chocolate is accidentally vegan.. and very yummy!

 

[Moon]

About vegan chocolate! If you live in an area with a decent Jewish population, you might be able to find kosher chocolate around Passover. Apparently it is typically vegan and you just have to watch out for weird egg additives but I don't think they're the norm. I just read this elsewhere online, and it makes sense. I have chocolate covered marzipan in my desk that is apparently vegan. "Accidentally vegan" is what we call things that you wouldn't expect to be but then you look and... Hey! No animal bits!

Yup... Ritter Sport marzipan chocolate is accidentally vegan.. and very yummy!

Good to know for when this stick is gone! I loveeee marzipan.

 

[Petunia]

I gotta stop reading this thread, I'm putting on wt just thinking about these treats LOL

 

[SQ]

"Accidentally vegan" is what we call things that you wouldn't expect to be but then you look and... Hey! No animal bits!

:laugh4: and :thumbup:

 

[Joanne]

My biggest hurdle to moving to a better diet is that raw fruits and vegetables give me heartburn. I just don't know which is worse: not eating as much fresh veg as I should, or being on a medication indefinitely that may have negative side effects.

Do you meant fresh fruit and veg even if they're cooked, or just raw? Because, being vegan does not have to be loads of salads and raw fruit and vegetables. I go long periods without touching salads, so much so that lately the only raw produce I've had is apples. Everything else has been cooked.

If you mean fresh fruit and veg period, even if they're cooked, there's still things you can do. Lots of people have improvement taking Apple Cider Vinegar, even though it is in acid, it has something to do with equaling out the amount of acids already in your stomach so it doesn't work to produce more. Speaking to a holistic doctor or dietician may be able to give you ideas on how to handle it without meds, or with less medication.

My husband goes through periods where he needs to take meds for his heartburn, but does remarkably better when he takes ACV. He loves the stuff and drinks it straight from the bottle. I find it helps my digestion but I dilute it with water. But I haven't bought it in a while and need to again.

I googled ACV and I'm going to try it. I'll do it for a few days and see how things feel. Can't hurt!

 

[ChrisK]

I googled ACV and I'm going to try it. I'll do it for a few days and see how things feel. Can't hurt!

Please post and let us know how it works for you.

I've never had a problem with raw fruits and veges, but I've taken Apple Cider Vinegar a number of times to help balance out my system when experiencing various other ailments, which can not be so easily measured, but it seemed to help. i.e. sinus issues, constant colds.

Good luck!

 

[jorats]

How do you drink it? I can barely go near that stuff.
I remember my sister trying to drink it religiously because of her severe GERD and it didn't help much at all.

 

[Petunia]

I have GERD but it's mostly under control these days. But if I do get heartburn, the thing that works the fastest is, in fact, apple cider vinegar. Doesn't even have to be that one with "the mother" (Braggs)

I have to dilute it in water, and sip it slowly but 1 TB works very quickly for severe heartburn.(The first time I tried it, I poured out a TB of it and swallowed it down and that was not very pleasant. My eyes didn't stop watering for like an hour :lol: )

I was really reluctant to try it, I was sure it would make things worse, but it worked. :joy:

Now I always have some on hand, just in case. But I rarely need it, knock on wood.

I also have IBS but the thing that helps my IBS the most is being careful to have enough soluble fiber in my diet, to always put the soluble fiber in my stomach FIRST; to avoid eggs and dairy and fatty foods, and meat. In short, a vegan (or as close to vegan as I can get) diet seems to successfully treat, (or possibly cure?) IBS

For ppl with GERD it often helps to never drink water on an empty stomach, as well. Also eating small meals, four or more instead of 3.

 

[Joanne]

On a couple of sites it said to dilute it in a cup of water. It never hurts to drink more water!

 

[ChrisK]

The times in the past I've used it, I mixed it with honey. 1 tablespoon of each. I've read you're supposed to mix the vinegar/honey solution with water, but I drank it straight. Anyway, that was before I became vegan, and I don't know if mixing it with agave nectar or something other than honey works just the same or not.

 

[KingCastaway]

It's nice to see some discussing going on! As I've said, I could never be vegan or vegetarian, I grew up hunting and fishing. Sadly the only dealings I've had with vegans have been poor, I've been called awful names for supporting hunting/fishing. Don't even get me started on when people found out I had pelts! I know to you guys I must sound like some evil person for supporting this stuff and loving meat, but I guess I just don't think much about what I eat. I prefer game meat over bought meat any day however, but sadly that only comes around in seasons, and only for a few months.

 

[RKbusy]

What's stopping you from not fishing and not hunting?

Just don't put that bait on that hook, don't throw the line. Don't stalk that animal and don't shoot that rifle.

Not that hard. Bleh. That's just my opinion. I grew up on a rabbit/chicken/goat farm in China. We killed rabbits and chickens secretly (so that we didn't have to give them to the government as part of our "pay". We also raised rabbits on a cement floor balcony (again, to hide it from "tax" collectors). It's how I grew up, and it's what my grandparents are still doing. Doesn't mean that you gotta keep doing it, just cause it's traditional, or part of the "family culture".

Honestly, people just gotta try it. How you feel after a month will make the decision for you. And if you never try it, you can't claim that you CAN'T go vegan.

I just wanted to mention though, you've got to cut out the dairy. That's what makes a HUGE difference.
Dark Chocolate almond milk. Mmmmm. And I personally don't like the fake meats, but I'm a huge fan of Vegannaise (spinach dip!!!) even if it deflates my wallet. And Sheese. I can't remember what brand it is. but it's fake cheese, and it's awesome. And I like daiya just fine... for like... just melting on top of things. For other cheesy flavour, a little nutritional yeast, melted and mixed in works just fine

 

[Petunia]

KingCastaway

I think it has to be a personal decision. I would never suggest that anyone stop eating meat if that's what they want to do.
I wouldn't want anyone telling me what to eat either!

I don't smoke. But I used to, for almost 15yrs. The people who tried to convince me to quit only had the opposite effect, they made me so stressed out I couldn't even think about what *I* wanted to do.
I think when it comes to what we do with our health, it really has to come from within.

It does help, though, to surround yourself with others who are similar, sort of like it's hard to stop drinking if you're always with drinkers. I had to stop hanging around with smokers in order to quit.
It makes the change to a plant based diet easier for me if I don't go to a BBQ or to dinner at someone's house where I know the main course is going to be meat.

I think it's great that you are kinda hanging around this thread, perhaps on some level, you are thinking about maybe giving it a try? no problem if you aren't. But if you do think you'd like to try it, you'll have a lot of support.
and if you decide you don't want to try it, I fervently hope that you will get no grief over that choice either.

 

[KingCastaway]

Actually I am thinking bout trying it.. It seems like such a healthier way to live! I'm going to try Meatless Mondays and cut out dairy( I'm actually allergic to milk, I only ever eat cheese so that shouldn't be so hard!) The few foods from animals I will eat I can get from a local farm down the street, which I know treats their chickens right. I'll go from there and see what happens, it likely won't be too hard hopefully! Wish me luck!

And nothin is stopping me from not hunting or fishing, but the fact that I see no problem with it.