diet questions for Carole

T

Tallchick

Cathlete
You said you are a vegan? Is that where one does not consume any type of anmimal source? Do you not eat cheese or fish or milk? If so, where do you get calcium? How long have you eaten like this? What positive changes have you received since you have gone vegan?
I am interested in going somewhat vegetarian but I cannot give up fish or yogurt.
Next section of questions: Have you always had a pro-athlete look or have you ever had a flabby moment? Or have you been less fit in years past?
Sorry for all the questions, but once again, you are such a great role model and I am looking for answers (on many things, but I will keep it at fitness)
Thank you again,
Kate
 
Yes Kate I am Vegan. Vegans that eat cheese or milk products would be more commonly known as Vegetarians...:)...I get my calcium from soymilk, tofu, soybeans, tempeh, brocolli and some other veggies. I have eaten this way for 2 years next month. There is soy yogurt, not real pretty to look at but it tastes good. I was a huge yogurt fan before going Vegan. One thing I should do is get my cholesterol checked as I know being Vegan had dropped it. I just feel good eating this way, even before Vegan I always ate clean. People I work with laugh at me because they say I never eat anything bad!! But I do eat too many chips sometimes (A huge addiction!) I will say I have always been athletic, but I have had my moments of not being in good shape and gaining 10-15 pounds. I wouldn't say fat but sometimes just your pants getting tight is irritating. I always workout no matter what..:)..HTH...
 
so you feel better, more energy? If so then this is the life for me. I am going begin that way, but I cannot give up the fish. Can a vegetarian eat fish? Is it cheating? I want to drop the cheese. With me, it is all or nothing. So I have to drop cheese for good.
Wish chocolate would drop me.
You like chips? What kind? If you weren't in such good shape, would salt be calling your name?
 
Not Carole, but there are lots of different kinds of vegetarians, and if you're not becoming a vegetarian for ethical reasons, you can really eat whatever you want. There are pesco-vegetarians, who eat fish, and lacto-ovo vegetarians, who eat dairy and eggs. Strict vegetarians wouldn't eat any of those things (nor do they eat chocolate, because it contains milk products), and vegans don't use any animal products whatsoever, not for eating nor for any other part of their life (no wool sweaters, no leather anything).

Just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean you eat healthy. There are LOTS of unhealthy choices you can make if you're vegetarian. You can live on a diet of potato chips, french fries and onion rings if you like. All vegetarian, but certainly not healthy.

Salt "calls your name" if you eat lots of it. Once you stop eating it, it leaves you alone;)
 
Shelley is right to a degree. There are lacto-ovo vegetarians...but there is some disagreement on pesco vegetarians (those who eat fish)...:)..depending on who you ask. I would say if you get your fish right from a lake or stream you might be better off. I do feel good eating this way. In the beginning it was for health reasons but after reading "The Food Revolution" by John Robbins it became ethical for me. Jcrew3082 or Gina recommended that book to me...if you get a chance you might want to read it to know where I am coming from..:)

I dropped cheese a long time ago, I think it was the fat free phase! There are some vegan cheeses but they are better off used in a recipe than just slicing and eating. Vegan Rella and Follow Your Heart are 2 I have tried (mozzarella only).

As for salt...I have cut it out before, but alas the cravings do come back. I feel it is alot better than any dessert out there...for me anyway...:)
 
Hi Kate,
I'm not Carole (but she definitely inspired me to become vegan!) but wanted to say think in terms of what you might gain instead of what you might need to give up. I transformed gradually into eating a vegan diet and I definitely feel better in many ways. I also feel enlightened from reading books, like Carole recommended. The Eat to Live Book and a book called Becoming Vegan helped me understand the thinking behind eating a vegan diet.

I recently bought the John Robbins book, but haven't read it yet. I started with dropping dairy products and felt an enormous boost in energy over time. I have tracked my calcium intake and it is really not as hard as it seems to keep it up in a good range.


For me, I identified some "symptoms" that I wanted to eliminate, e.g. fatigue and then best I could kept everything constant, e.g. exercise routine, sleep, etc. and then made one food change at a time evaluating whether my target symptom was helped. This might sound too anal, but it helped me focus and not feel deprived because the first few days of "giving up" something is always really hard.

Stick with your instincts and believe in yourself and I'm sure you will find your own way through this!


:) :)
Barb
 
Yes, Kate, Shelley is partly right but there are way too many Vegan goodies IMO. Mighty-O Donuts (chocolate donuts I haven't tried yet), Newman's Hint O Mint chocolate chip cookies (my weakness), and so many decadant cookies made by the Alternative Baking Company just to name a few x( :+

And yes Carole....you look awesome!

Robin :)

PS. I also like pretzels...but I have been so good lately. I'm working on giving up salt and I'm on day 3:eek:
 
Question for fellow Vegans-

How do you all feel about Red-40? I've noticed this ingredient in lots of food (especially anything with food coloring, I've even seen it in cereal if you can believe that). Do you avoid it? I steer clear of it cause it creeps me out. Comments? Any other weird ingredients you can add (beside the obvious, casein, lactic acid, etc)?

Carolyn
 
Thanks Barb...good post! Elimnating things little by little is a much easier way...:)

Robin...thanks...:)...yes there are always those bad things out there vegan or not! I have tried the Newmans Hint o Mint snadwich cookies...but my DH has the sweet tooth in our family! For me it is the Lundberg rice chips....YUM!

Carolyn...I have not paid much attention to the Red-40, it is a bit creepy...I will say in the beginning when I started looking at labels...casein snuk in on alot of them...:)..I will look a bit more closely now though...
 
>so you feel better, more energy? If so then this is the life
>for me. I am going begin that way, but I cannot give up the
>fish. Can a vegetarian eat fish?

No, there are people who eat fish (or chicken) and call themselves vegetarians, but they are misusing the word.

Why can you "not give up" fish? Someone holding a gun to your head? LOL?
 
>Question for fellow Vegans-
>
>How do you all feel about Red-40?

I'm not sure if that's the red that's from insect shells or not. But I don't eat foods with added food coloring, unless it's a natural source like beets, so it's a moot point for me.
 
>Question for fellow Vegans-
>
>How do you all feel about Red-40? I've noticed this ingredient
>in lots of food (especially anything with food coloring, I've
>even seen it in cereal if you can believe that). Do you avoid
>it? I steer clear of it cause it creeps me out. Comments? Any
>other weird ingredients you can add (beside the obvious,
>casein, lactic acid, etc)?
>
>Carolyn
>
>

Carolyn,
What specific foods is this Red-40 in? Honestly, the only "unwhole" food I eat is the Newman O Mint Creme Cookies and Pretzels once a month. Other than that I don't buy anthing that isn't a fruit, vegetable, nut or whole grain (unless it is for DH). And now that Carole mentioned those rice cakes I will have to try them;-)

Robin:9
 
Carole--what about eggs in a mix. Or do you use substitute?

I can't stop fish because I love it. The fishier, the better.
 
Kate....about the only time so far I have needed to use egg's I use an egg product like Egg Beaters. I make cookies every holiday so that's when I have used them, and yes I might have a few..:)..I know there are some egg substitues though that are vegan, maybe Kathryn knows of one?

Robin, not rice cakes (I hate those!) Lundberg Rice Chips. They are like tortilla chips...and yummy...:)
 
Carole,
Oh....Rice chips. Oh no...I bet they have salt:eek: I only say that because I am on day 4 of no salt:). I can't believe I've made it this far:) All I have to say this is absolutely the hardest food I have ever given up. After going through an entire salt shaker in 2 weeks and reading how bad it is I decided it was time to bite the bullet. I must say it is getting easier each day.

As for egg substitues, I use EnerG Egg Replacer for baking. It is gluten free, wheat free, no preservatives or artificial flavorings or sugar. Some people are more creative and can improvise.

Robin:)
 
I've used the EnerG Egg Replacer, and it works pretty well for most stuff, though in some, there is a difference. Just play with it, and you'll find out which recipes you like with it.
 
>I know there are some egg substitues though that
>are vegan, maybe Kathryn knows of one?

Depends on what you're using the eggs for. If they are just for a binder, then using blended flax seed and water (until it gets gooey, I think it's about 1 1/2 Tbsp flax to 3 Tbsp water for each egg...I'll check on that), a couple of Tablespoons of blended tofu and water. There are several other substitutions.

To replace eggs that not only bind, but raise, you can use EnerG egg replacer (a powder).

I used to convert recipes that used eggs, but now have pretty much switched to using vegan recipes. "Simple Treats" is a great cookbook for tasty cakes, cookies, bars, muffins, etc., that use a combo of baking powder/baking soda and an acid (usually apple cider vinegar, but apple cider and lemon juice can also work). By keeping dry ingredients separate until just before baking, the powder/soda and acid liquid interact to make the cake or whatever rise.
 
Got off my lazy butt to check on egg replacer proportions in "The Garden of Vegan":

For "flax eggs" blend 1/3 cup whole flax seed with 1 cup water to make 6 'eggs.' (3 Tbsp 'flax eggs" = 1 egg). Blend up the seeds first, until they have an even consistency, then slowly start adding water while blending. Continue blending until mixture becomes thick. Will keep refrigerated for 3-6 days.

Banana: use 1/2 mashed banana to replace one egg in sweet baked goods.

Applesauce: add about 1/4 cup apple sauce in place of an egg in sweet baked goods. Good as a binder, but for risiing, you might need to add a little extra baking powder (1/2 tsp.)

Soy flour: use 1 heaping Tbsp soy flour, cornstarch or arrowroot plus 2 Tbsp. water to replace each egg.
 
>Got off my lazy butt to check on egg replacer proportions in
>"The Garden of Vegan":
>
thank you for getting off your butt, but I doubt it is lazy!
>
>
>
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