Oprah's 21 Day Vegan Detox

xschwarz

xschwarz

Cathlete
So, what do you think?

I think if it was anyone else but Oprah I'd take it seriously. But as you read her blog and check out her videos it's clear that she has a chef preparing all the vegan delicacies. I know, I know, she's filthy rich and a busy woman but I just can't help finding it ironic that she is trying to experience "concious eating" yet she dosen't buy or prepare any of the meals herself!

The actual vegan diet looks wonderful. I do like the idea of thinking about the energy that goes into the slaughter of or unnatural imprisonment/abuse of animals for our consumption. That negative energy carries through each human as they consume this food, as opposed to the high, positive energy that is derived from plant life and then transferred through it's consumption.

Personally, I still crave animal protein but am comitted to purely organic or free range protein.

Back to Oprah...just seems she's always reacing for some kind of righteous fix albeit temporary.

I applaud all the longtime vegans that humbly lead by example day in and day out.

X
 
I don't watch Oprah as a rule simply because I am not a tv watcher. I am also not a vegatarian/vegan. While vegetarianism (not veganism) interests me, and I would be willing to give it a shot, it would just be far too difficult when living in a house with 2 meat eaters! I already do a fair amount of extra work to make meals acceptable to all. If I went vegatarian it would quadruple that work and I can't be bothered. LOL
 
>I don't watch Oprah as a rule simply because I am not a tv
>watcher.

Neither do I, I heard about Oprah's "detox" on the radio.

X
 
I heard about it on some internet news site. As a vegan, I think it's kinda silly. Giving up tons of things your body is used to (and probably likes) all at once is a recipe for disaster. I am also not one to believe in the need for 'detox' diets as I believe the body takes care of this itself. If you eat healthy and exercise you shouldn't need to detox. If you're putting lots of junk in your body, change small things and build to a healthy diet. A healthy diet cannot be achieved overnight IMO. That said, I am happy that the vegan diet has some press, I'm just not sure this is the right sort of press we need. :)

Carolyn
 
Oprah, bless her heart, is trying yet another method to lose weight. How many times in the past 20+ years have we seen her use one method, then another, one guru, then another (Bob Green - what did he really accomplish? She just gained the weight back). If I were to talk to her I'd advise her to try Weight Watchers - get with a life-long plan, Girl! Ya gotta be able to do your program for keeps, so you might as well find one that suits your life style, etc. Besides that, which program is most proven to work? Weight Watchers! Off my soap box now.
 
> I am happy that the vegan diet has
>some press, I'm just not sure this is the right sort of press
>we need. :)

I feel the same way. Especially since it's presented as a short-term 'detox' and not a way of life.

Any any 'detox' diet often makes one feel worse before they feel better, which would be even more bad press for the vegan diet!
 
I only watch Oprah occassionally but I was wondering when she would begin to think about being vegetarian or vegan. I am a vegetarian with meateaters in my family and for quite a while I cooked meat for them but now I no longer do that. There are no complaints from 2 of them. They are both happy with the switch and the other one gets take out sometimes to make up for the change. Now I am looking at my dog--who I cook for--and wondering how he would like to be veg. My friends dog is veg and looks amazing at the age of 14 years. The funny thing is her father is a butcher and he tells me that the dog really doesn't like to eat meat but will eat any vegetables you give her. Even he says the dog looks great. Well at least Oprah brings the veg/vegan message to a more mainstream audience and for that I applaud her.
 
A lot of people watch Opra. I wonder how many Cows, Pigs, and Chickens will be saved.
I think at least a few of those people will feel so much better after 21 days that they may continue.

I went Vegan 2 months ago. I feel so much better. I have this healthy balanced feeling in my core. I have never felt this before.
I never knew what it was. I think now that part of it is the absence of decaying flesh in my digestive system. I just learned that it takes five days to digest meat but only two days for vegetables
I have two meat eaters in my family too. I work second shift so they are not dependant on my cooking for them. Lucky for them.:)
 
I think it is a great idea for someone with her reach to promote veganism. Who else has such a huge audience and would even want to do it in the first place?

I think she's totally sincere. Remember her battle with the Texas cattle industry? And her show on puppy mills? It's only natural that she'd want to explore veganism at some point. If you look at her blog, she seems to be doing it for the "right" reasons. And maybe she'll keep it up. It hasn't been long, but she seems to be enjoying it and feeling good. Even DH, who is always skeptical of everything she does, thought it was cool.

I think we truly need more people like her who use their power and privilege to advocate for the powerless...really who else does it do the extent that she does?
 
Amy,

Yea, I think what she's done with the puppy mills and the cattle industry were/are great. I just hope she's not promoting veganism as a 'detox' diet - or a short term diet ya know?

Carolyn
 
>I just hope she's not
>promoting veganism as a 'detox' diet - or a short term diet ya
>know?

Oh I totally see your point here and I agree that it's being hyped as a detox diet. That's silly, but I can deal with it. I guess I think that it's better than nothing. And I believe that she'll inspire many people to become vegan for real, even if it begins as a "detox". I mean, getting started is the hard part, and if she and others really give it a try, I think they'll love how they feel and may decide to continue. So no, it's not perfect, but I'll take it enthusiastically.
 
I just read Oprah's blog. OMG, I would be a vegan in a heartbeat if I had my own personal chef to prepare my meals. I swear. That's the only reason I'm not a vegan. I've tried, but I'm way too lazy.

I think almost anyone could be a vegan if they had someone else preparing such tasty meals.

So, anyway, I'm annoyed at Oprah. (In my opinion) 99% of the work it takes to be a vegan is getting the ingredients and preparing the meals. Oprah's totally wimping out. My sister is a vegan (has been for years) and we used to live in an apt. together. She worked HARD on those meals.

Allison

http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90
 
> I think almost anyone could be a vegan if they had someone
>else preparing such tasty meals.

It's pretty simple actually to prepare your own meals. I actually think it's easier, and it's a relief that you don't have to be super careful with cooking stuff enough and you have almost no risk of food-borne illness (something I've had from eggs which I still live in fear of). Sometimes when I'm in the mood I love to cook elaborate meals, but we also eat a lot of super quick and simple (and tasty) food. Plus there are so many products out there now that didn't used to exist, and that makes a huge difference. Of course, like anything else it's all about what you're used to and I imagine it takes a huge adjustment to make the switch. Once this adjustment is over, it's just like anything else-you don't even think about it. However, that is not so say however that I wouldn't welcome a personal vegan chef to cook all my meals. :9

I also want to add that after thinking about it the whole "detox" angle may be the best way for Oprah to sell it to her audience. To actually make the change permanently and for real would turn off a lot of people and they wouldn't even give her a chance. This way, it's much more casual and low-pressure and people can take an interest without having to totally question and change their lives and reject their beliefs all at once.

I don't want to sound like a paranoid weirdo, but I think that vegans are a pretty detested group in mainstream society. I mean, I think it's changing and improving, but I also think that many many people think we are some of the worst people out there. Which I can kind of understand, since we stand in opposition to an entrenched belief system and an entire way of life that seemingly *everything* follows and believes in. So any vegan message communicated to mainstream culture has to be done very delicately, otherwise we are shut out from the get-go.

This is an interesting thing to me and one that I've thought about lately. There was a fake story circulating on some vegan blogs a few months ago that Obama had become vegan. Being as gullible as I am, I totally fell for it. My first reaction was "OMG that is so cool!!!", but then I got worried. I like Obama (and Clinton too actually), and I realized that he would have NO CHANCE at winning the election if he was vegan. It would probably be THE biggest liability. I mean, maybe I'm just paranoid, but I don't think our country as a whole would accept that. So I decided, sadly, that if he really were a vegan, great, but he shouldn't advertise it.

Sorry I've rambled so much. This is just an interesting topic to me and I couldn't control myself! :p
 
I think that Oprah is a person that never gives up. She may give in, but will never give up. Her struggle on weight is just as real as ours. The only difference is she is so so very rich. It is a complete life style that most of us will not ever experience.

It's also got to be hard to keep coming up with a variety of subjects to talk about on her show.

She's super smart, her generosity for humans and animals is phenomenal. As you can see I admire her very much. I only wish I could do that much for people and animals and our planet.

A lot of people will take a look for the first time about vegan meals. Their experience with this type of lifestyle will be something they have never tried before. It's not for everyone, but hey, since Oprah is highly regarded, vegan meals will now be looked at more seriously and with more knowledge.

Many years ago when I first heard of no meat, no dairy meals... I thought at first how unhealthy and unbalanced that is. Then I heard of people getting sick because of the lack of nutrition it has on people.

All myths of course, but not when you were trying it out and no one else ate like that around the entire country. In the 90's when I tried eating this way, you were looked at with such a prejudice look. It Gave me chills.

Anyway my point is, Oprah can only give people more knowledge about the subject and that can only improve finding more and better food out there, and I believe more people will want to eat vegan.

Not to insinuate that I'm vegan, but when I do want vegan food, I'm now more knowledgeable about it and have more of it during the week. Perhaps one day a week will become 2 and then 3...

Janie

4760884_bodyshot_175x233.gif
[/url]

The idea is to die young as late as possible.
 
I am always a bit suspect of Oprah, but in this I think the message she is sending is a great one. I've given up all mammals this year for the same reasons. I just can't condone it any longer. Now, the idea of the stuff turns my stomach. I still eat poultry and fish, at present, but I don't buy the mass-produced stuff. I also try to buy only local, "friendly" farmed, free-range poultry. I also try to stay aware of which seafoods should be bought wild vs farmed and really try to watch that to the extent I can. I also only eat animal protein once or twice a week. I love dairy, so that's not going anywhere but I still try to make educated choices. I have a virtual love-affair with tofu, thank goodness. I eat it as much as I can. Plus lots of veggies, veggie burgers, pasta, etc. The older I get and the more I learn, the more I can't condone the food industry as we know it. I know I feel much better both physically and "mentally" by eliminating those foods from my diet. Veg on!!
 
I agree that this is a good thing. I'm not vegetarian, but I do eat much less meat than I used to, and have several days a week when I eat none at all.

I would like to see the shift of focus for going vegetarian, or adding more vegetarian meals to a diet from the Animal Rights focus that can cause such polarities, to a focus on the enviromental and health benefits of a vegetarian diet as there are many. I sincerely believe that more people would adopt a healthier lifestyle that includes less meat and provides a greater sustainable food source than will convert totally. But if you think about it - if it becomes more vogue to eat more vegetarian it will help the enviroment, our national obesity issue, and it will save animals in the long run.
 
>>...her generosity for humans and animals is
>phenomenal.

Though her throwing a birthday party for herself where she served veal, lobster and paté (definitely two, and arguably three, of the cruelest animal foods you could choose) doesn't put her on my "friend of the animals" list.:-(
 
I have been a vegetarian, then vegan for 16 years. Oprah is growing in her consciousness and I think it is wonderful. We all learn at our own pace and she is still learning, too.
Also, Why slam someone for having a chef? Who cares?

Any exposure to the suffering of animals and for adopting a healthier and more humane lifestyle...I am all for it. Go Oprah!

Also, for those of you thinking about going veg...it is easy! Especially after getting a glimpse of the suffering and mistreatment of animals. And, it is the single greatest thing you can do for the environment because farms are one of the leading causes of pollution in this country. OK, off my soap box!
 
My husband and I are both vegan and are thrilled that veganism may reach a few more people with Oprah's help. She does have to be very careful with what she says since the last time she stated she would never eat a hamburger again, she was sued -- but she won.

I agree with another poster that stated that vegans are often viewed with dislike or as freaks and that is absolutely not true. Also, I think it is a big misconception that preparing vegan meals is difficult or time consuming. It truly isn't once you have staple ingredients on hand, just as a meat-eating household has their staples on hand. For anyone interested in easing into a vegan diet or just making some subtle changes I recommend Dr. Joel Fuhrman's new book, Eat for Health. I have posted before about it so I won't go on an on.

Monica
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top