Anyone a part-time Vegan?

M

mini-natty

Cathlete
I don't think I could ever become a Vegan permanently, I just love my meat, fish, eggs & dairy too much to give them up entirely. I would however, like to maybe try 1 or 2 days/week which I can be totally Vegan. My sis-in-law did 1 month of Vegan and said it was amazing! She had lots of energy and even lost a few pounds without trying. My main concern would be getting adequate protein and nutrition. I know protein sources come from tofu & beans. Would that be enough? Also, healthy carbs is a main concern for me. I love whole wheat rice and couscous and buckwheat soba noodles. Are these forbidden foods? If anyone is vegan or even part-time vegan, I would love to hear your thoughts/suggestions.

Thank you,

Natasha
 
I am a full-time vegan as are my husband and children. I won't go into all the reasons why you don't need to worry about getting adequate protein and such from a vegan diet (you can research those for yourself), just know that it is NOT an issue when you eat a variety of whole foods.
The foods you mentioned are vegan. As long as foods do not contain animal products, dairy or eggs, they are considered vegan. The only thing I do not eat vegan is chocolate, but then I only eat very dark chocolate and only rarely.
Try reading or watching Forks Over Knives and reading The China Study. We love living this way, and I would highly recommend it to anyone! It is simple, inexpensive and wonderful for your body.
Also, if you care to visit the website, I love veganbodybuilding.com. If you have ANY concern about your ability to get adequate protein and nutrition from a completely plant-based diet, these athletes will put your fears to rest.
 
Last edited:
Remember that plants have twice the protein calorie for calorie than meat does. Protein is where the calories in plants come from. It is a myth that you have to eat certain foods together to create "complete proteins." Simply not true. Your body will create or save all essential amino acids to complete proteins as you digest. Consider that the biggest animals on earth DO NOT eat any meat: elephants, rhinos, hippos, giraffes, etc... even the largest dinosaurs were exclusively herbivores. Those big bodies and huge muscles did not come from meat, they came from plants. Eat To Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD is a great book as well. Lots of fantastic information on how to live this way.
 
Thank you!

Thank you so much for your wonderful information/thoughts/suggestions. If I could change my dietary lifestyle, it would most definitely be to Vegan, no question. I love all different foods but especially veggies, whole grain, beans, tofu & soy. My daughter may already be vegan, she HATES meat!! Give her black beans and broccoli and she is good to go!! I do make it a priority 1-3 days/week to not consume meat. But I do eat yogurt, eggs & tuna. That's my weakness :(

I heard Forks Over Knives was very good. Although I would not have to watch it to know that Vegan is probably one of the healthiest ways to live. I am also a huge fan of The Okinawa Diet. I do believe that they consume very little meat. To have the highest life expectancy in the world and lowest rates of Cancer, obesity, chronic diseases, speaks for itself.

Thanks again for your response. I will look into the books of reference you mentioned.
 
You should watch it anyway! It is so interesting, and is much more than a plug for veganism. Some stuff will blow your mind. If you are interested in vegan cookbooks, my favorite vegan chef is Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She has lots of cookbooks on Amazon. I haven't found a recipe of hers yet that I didn't just love.
 
nkhansen1 said:
You should watch it anyway! It is so interesting, and is much more than a plug for veganism. Some stuff will blow your mind. If you are interested in vegan cookbooks, my favorite vegan chef is Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She has lots of cookbooks on Amazon. I haven't found a recipe of hers yet that I didn't just love.
Click to expand...


Of course I plan on watching it anyway!! I know the wonderful benefits of adapting to a plant based/whole foods lifestyle. I don't consider Vegan just another fad diet. It's a healthy lifestyle worth committing to.

I will never forget this Vegan cafe I used to work beside a few years back. Some of the most delicious meals I ever ate!! I was a frequent lunch costumer, and tried everything on their menu! I rarely went anywhere else!

I will also check out the cookbook you mentioned. I love, love cooking (and eating). I am also sure my daughter would love vegan foods. She is not a fan of meat, so I won't have any problems there! Thanks again!
 
My children love vegan food. We were vegetarian for years before making the full switch, so they have been eating this way their whole lives. It's funny, at school lunch time, my kids' lunches are the ones the other kids want to trade their Cheetos for. :) My kids won't make the trade, so sometimes I put a little extra lunch for them to share.
Enjoy your food experiment! I think you'll really love it!
 
Natalie, I'm transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, always good to 'meet' others who do it as a family too. I have to know, what do you put in your kid's lunches that they won't trade and that the other kids oohed and aaaah over?:D
 
I love Spicy Black Bean burgers by Morning Star in the frozen meat section of grocery stores; the regular, non-spicy ones are super-high in sodium (gasp) so I stay away from those.
I'm not vegetarian or vegan (sorry!) so you should not take my word for it that they are what you're looking for.
 
Hi everyone,
Natasha..thanks for asking this question and Natalie...thanks for the great answers! I am trying to move toward a vegan diet. It just seems to make so much sense! ...for my health (and also the planet! ..but that is a whole other story!)

Definitely give "Forks Over Knives" a try. It is a great movie and very motivating. Since watching that movie, I got interested in Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn who has a book about reversing heart disease and his son Rip Esselstyn who has a book called the Engine 2 Diet. (he's a firefighter ..hence the engine 2) They both have websites and "Engine 2" is pretty active on Facebook. I also like the site: Happy Healthy Long Life She puts out a lot of good content on FB as well.

I'm not completely strict yet, but since the first of the year, I've tried a lot of new recipes and have been eating a lot healthier!

Liz
 
I'm transitioning towards veganism (is that a word? :), and I would also recommend Dr Joel Fuhrman's book, Eat To Live. It's an amazing, eye opening book that will really make you think twice about how you choose to fuel your body and life.
 
I am becoming Pescatarian myself. I feel a lot better since I started. I can't be complete vegan due to numerous food allergies such as soy and nuts, but I think I can make Pescatarian work for me.
 
I bought 2 of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cookbooks and I can't wait to try out her recipes! They look amazing!! Thanks for recommending her to the forum!





nkhansen1 said:
You should watch it anyway! It is so interesting, and is much more than a plug for veganism. Some stuff will blow your mind. If you are interested in vegan cookbooks, my favorite vegan chef is Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She has lots of cookbooks on Amazon. I haven't found a recipe of hers yet that I didn't just love.
Click to expand...
 
Nourishment

I've been dabbling with raw food for about a month now, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I LOVE IT!!!! I notice a BIG difference in my mood [VERY important at my age! :eek:], I have a LOT of energy :eek: and my weight is just right. :cool: Since incorporating more raw foods into my diet, I don't have any cravings. I eat when my tummy starts growling, lol. There is an abundance of delicious chocolate and sweet treats that you can make that are raw, yet packed with nutrition!! How great is that?! :D There's a lot to learn. Really wish I had starting learning about raw foods MUCH, much sooner. I have no plan to go 100% raw, as that would be too extreme for me. I think 65% raw is attainable though. Whatever the case, I'm enjoying the journey. :)

I do eat fish (salmon, mostly) once a week, when DH and I go out, and I also enjoy Greek yogurt. I love eggs, but oddly, haven't had time to eat them lately. I have not eaten meat in a VERY long time. The thought of chewing it is so unappealing to me, and yet, I was raised on meat & potatoes! *shudder*

I'm currently on week 3, month 2, of the STS/LIS rotation, and I'm pleased with the results thus far. A number of times, I did some "add on" or "extra" workouts when the mood struck. Lately, I've not done any extras, but all is well. :)

Ok... that's my story for today. Time now for me to get crackin' with Cathe & the crew! ;)

Have a great day, Cathletes!
 
Ani Phyo is a raw vegan with good, easy recipes. She's just started working with a trainer so hopefully, she'll blog about her experience.

I like her because much of her recipes take advantage of food in their natural form; she doesn't have a lot of time-consuming recipes that mimic cooked food.
 
mostly vegan

my family is mostly vegan. we have soy and nut allergies in our house so we are pretty limited. we are absolutely dairy free but eat some fish. I find that I do need a bit more protein when lifting heavy (STS right now) and have been taking a couple of protein shakes a day. there are so many vegan options out there for protein shakes, especially the natural versions. I use omega naturals pumpkin seed protein, vega (all kinds), rice protien, pea protein and my favourite... manitoba harvest hemp protein - they have so many kinds. the pro70 is good with water and flavoured stevia.
my 3 year old is thriving on beans and hemp and so are my husband and I.

the pressure cooker is definitely a must too. (for beans)

I think that transitioning with one or 2 days a week or one or two meals a day is a great way to transition, or to eat forever if that makes you happy too.

we also eat a high raw diet in the summer, although it is hard with a nut-free diet. I love Ani Phyo and Kristen's Raw too. i have been on a Isa Chandra Moskowitz bent lately too as well as Mosewood cooking for health.:)
 
Hi girls. I have been on all sides of the diet spectrum. From Raw to Paleo. Just recently paleo and it's just not for me. I do not digest meat. I do so much better on a vegan diet with a high raw percentage. I'm a firm believer of doing what's right for your own body. My best friend thrives on paleo. I just do better eating a ton of veggies and beans and fruit.

Now if there was a successful sourdough bread diet. I would definitely do that!!!
 
Oh, this thread has been around for a while, I see. :p Since I last posted here in May, I gave up fish, eggs and dairy completely. I am thriving very well on a plant-based diet. Love it! :D
 
I am a little late on this thread but I did want to chime in. I eat very little meat, and eat a mostly plant based diet free of animal products although not for philosophical reasons but simply because I feel so much better when I do not have meat, dairy etc. I'm not sure if this is mentioned, but you must be sure to get your B-12 from either a supplement or some other source (I think some brands of Nutritional Yeast will do as well). A slight deficiency of vitamin B-12 can lead to anemia, fatigue and other health problems. Vitamin B12 can only be manufactured by bacteria and can only be found naturally in animal products.

Also, you can be a unhealthy Vegan. I would suggest staying away from "fake" foods because they are too processed. Some might argue with me on this one, but it's just my opinion.

If you are going with a variety of leafy greens, veggies, whole grains, fruits, etc, you will feel fantastic and will get plenty of nutrition, most likely more than most meat eaters. You can also eat more ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top