Vegan / Vegetarians Only (Chat about lifestyle, opportunities, food, whatever...)

[Silver Silk]

The girl I'm seeing is a vegan, she makes my lunch for me and the meals taste good. I notice the meals have a lot of fibre and speed up the digestion process if you know what I mean aha. I move out of my parent soon so first the first time in my life ill have full control and I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'll be cooking my own meals fulltime instead of part-time (when mum doesn't cook lol).

I'm in the gym and like lifting iron so naturally meat has been a big part of my recent years well my whole life really, chicken is in the culture lol. I'm aware meat isn't great and the quality of it in the supermarkets or poor too so I'm going to try vegetarian as I'm allergic to fish . When I do fly the nest, we'll see how I do!

 

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[OlivierMo]

If you want to discuss VEGAN opportunities created by the movement toward veganism, please visit this thread.

The Opportunity of Veganism / Vegan Opps

This thread is to discuss the lifestyle itself for those interested.

This is NOT a thread to discuss your world-view on meat or veganism.

Please note: I steered clear of the word "diet" because most vegans do not look at this lifestyle as a diet, but more of a life long choice.



Again, your cravings for the fake meat (and meat in general) should subside over time.

I have to tell myself that the point of being Vegan is to adopt a plant-based diet, not a meat replacement diet.

I'm at the point now where some meat is starting to gross me out.

Now the cheese, that's a whole other story!

I got hit by the same thing. I am convinced it is because seeing that meat makes us relate to our mortality. I have the same issue with violent movies now for example.

I tried to go vegan but it wasn't doable for me. As a good French boy I grew up on cheese and I love my salami. I just decided to stop buying mass produced meat, buy humanly raised chicken and eggs, etc...

Like a reply suggested, if I have wonderful spices I can do without meat. But as a runner, when you train, red meat is actually pretty good to replenish red blood cells and iron. One of my favorite vegan runner, Sage Canaday, for example is very often low in iron when he talks about his blood tests. I'm convinced he's not reaching his potential because of that but I'm no doctor and I respect his choices.

 

[OlivierMo]

Guys,

What do you think of Seitan ? It seems to be a lot healthier, not processed, and as much protein as chicken. Anyone have any experience with this?

Tried it and it's disgusting to me

 

[Claude Roy]

I got hit by the same thing. I am convinced it is because seeing that meat makes us relate to our mortality. I have the same issue with violent movies now for example.

I tried to go vegan but it wasn't doable for me. As a good French boy I grew up on cheese and I love my salami. I just decided to stop buying mass produced meat, buy humanly raised chicken and eggs, etc...

Like a reply suggested, if I have wonderful spices I can do without meat. But as a runner, when you train, red meat is actually pretty good to replenish red blood cells and iron. One of my favorite vegan runner, Sage Canaday, for example is very often low in iron when he talks about his blood tests. I'm convinced he's not reaching his potential because of that but I'm no doctor and I respect his choices.

Great to see that you tried the vegan lifestyle, that's already a big step!! I'm from Quebec and it's fairly easy to be vegan, but I heard from some French that they in fact eat cheese with everything, so that's harder especially in social situations. I'm a triathlete myself and I've been on a vegan diet for over 4 years and I was vegetarian 3 years before that and I'm getting my blood checked often and I never had low Iron levels. Vegan doesn't mean healthy necessarily at all though if you eat corn pops, potato chips, and oreos, that's all vegan, you're not going to be healthy. I know that plant based iron is better absorbed with calcium, so I always make sure I either put tons of broccoli or red bell peppers when I eat a lot of iron to absorb it better. Have a look at Rich Roll, is an Ultra endurance vegan athlete over 50 and still crushing it. If you have any questions, do not hesitate, that will be my pleasure to help

 

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[OlivierMo]

Great to see that you tried the vegan lifestyle, that's already a big step!! I'm from Quebec and it's fairly easy to be vegan, but I heard from some French that they in fact eat cheese with everything, so that's harder especially in social situations. I'm a triathlete myself and I've been on a vegan diet for over 4 years and I was vegetarian 3 years before that and I'm getting my blood checked often and I never had low Iron levels. Vegan doesn't mean healthy necessarily at all though if you eat corn pops, potato chips, and oreos, that's all vegan, you're not going to be healthy. I know that plant based iron is better absorbed with calcium, so I always make sure I either put tons of broccoli or red bell peppers when I eat a lot of iron to absorb it better. Have a look at Rich Roll, is an Ultra endurance vegan athlete over 50 and still crushing it. If you have any questions, do not hesitate, that will be my pleasure to help

Thanks for the insight but I won't go vegan again I can't do no cheese and no salami

 

[WildHoneyTree]

I find that doing a cleanse helps to reset the palate so that people once again love the taste of simple fresh vegetables and fruit. A week of juicing is usually enough. Some people water fast as a reset but that's a bit hard core for most. Relying on faux meats simply keeps the palate set on meat and it is unhealthy and an environmental disaster...think GMO soybeans and the clearing of rainforest... then all the processing to make that texturized veg protein stuff. After a cleanse, simple whole foods taste amazing and processed, greasy foods have a very unpleasant aftertaste. Also good to look into 'ethnic' cuisines that use real produce to create great tastes...think veggie pad thais, ethiopian shiro, home baked falafel and hummus, dals etc.
I'm not in any way affiliated with this guy and his books but check out Dr Joel Fuhrman(?) Eat To Live and the nutritarian lifestyle. Focuses on increasing nutrient dense foods, phytochemical etc.
He has a 6 week program outlined in the Eat to Live that is supposed to reverse most health issues and launch a permanent change into a healthy/optimal lifestyle. It does allow for a 5-10% of high quality animal products for people who don't want to be vegan or who don't thrive on a purely plant based diet after the 6 weeks.
The 6 week program however does require LOTS of veggies...and food prep. But I guess it's a good way to ease into the lifestyle. Learning to cook decently or living with someone who does seems to be the key to success in keeping up with the healthy lifestyle.
If anyone ever wants to try it out...I would love an accountability partner.

 

[G-Man]

I'm not in any way affiliated with this guy and his books but check out Dr Joel Fuhrman(?) Eat To Live and the nutritarian lifestyle.

I've been doing the Nutritarian, Eat to Live program for about 2 mos now. The way to un-complicate the cooking and food prep is to ditch the recipe book and just learn to love your veggies. Eating a big bowl of steamed mixed veggies with an apple take about 15 minutes to prepare and gets you your pound of cooked veggies for the day. I make my breakfast in my nutribullet. There's your pound of greens in 5 mins. Once you just get over your own taste buds and learn to actually enjoy veggies, the cooking becomes super simple.

Like @amp0193 pointed out, once you get all the HFCS out of your system, even carrots and tomatoes will taste sweet. You won't have to do a bunch of prep to enjoy your meal.

The other key is red onions... although my wife I think is getting tired of onion breath

 

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[Raoul Duke]

Interesting side note...

Had a talk with a pharmacy tech and asked what the most prescribed medications were...

4 of 5 medications are related to people eating like sh*t.

I've been doing the Nutritarian, Eat to Live program for about 2 mos now. The way to un-complicate the cooking and food prep is to ditch the recipe book and just learn to love your veggies. Eating a big bowl of steamed mixed veggies with an apple take about 15 minutes to prepare and gets you your pound of cooked veggies for the day. I make my breakfast in my nutribullet. There's your pound of greens in 5 mins. Once you just get over your own taste buds and learn to actually enjoy veggies, the cooking becomes super simple.

Like @amp0193 pointed out, once you get all the HFCS out of your system, even carrots and tomatoes will taste sweet. You won't have to do a bunch of prep to enjoy your meal.

The other key is red onions... although my wife I think is getting tired of onion breath

My guidelines have been these two videos:

That first week was brutal... burnt the shit out of em. I'm a full on chef now!

 

[NoLackey]

Very cool to see this pop-up on the forum.

I finally switched to a vegan diet in January after watching Forks Over Knives last year. I did it mostly for health reasons, but now the ethics are clear too.

I struggled with cheese at first. I eventually just accepted there is no such thing as a "vegan cheese". Cheese is cheese. After I accepted that, I found a couple good alternatives. And if you get a vegan alternative you don't like, just throw some nutritional yeast on it. Done.

 

[Roli]

Thanks for the insight but I won't go vegan again I can't do no cheese and no salami

...and no honey apparently?

 

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[WildHoneyTree]

Eating a big bowl of steamed mixed veggies with an apple take about 15 minutes to prepare and gets you your pound of cooked veggies for the day. I make my breakfast in my nutribullet. There's your pound of greens in 5 mins.

Nice tip! I was doing the super huge salad bowls like twice a day. Couldnt take it any more! Eating was getting to be too much work. Nutribullet for at least half the raw veg requirements sounds like a plan!
Any major health changes for you? I love those "before and after" stories.

 

[G-Man]

Any major health changes for you? I love those "before and after" stories.

Changes I've noticed in the last 10 weeks or so:

• Down 25 lbs
• Higher energy levels, no after meal sluggishness
• Better sleep
• No gas, burping, indigestion,
• Clearer skin and eyes
• More mental clarity

 

[MJ DeMarco]

but now the ethics are clear too.

Sad that my own personal health wasn't enough for me to make the move, but that was.

Any major health changes for you?

I dropped ten pounds about 2 months in.

After I accepted that, I found a couple good alternatives.

I found some pretty good ones out there and have been happy with the replacements. Even better, pizza without cheese is actually pretty good, light, and doesn't bog me down after eating it.

 

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[Tom.V]

I gave the vegan thing a go last year for most of the summer. While not super strict as I still enjoy a juicy steak and meat on occasion, 90% of meals consisted of fruits, veggies, grains, or dairy. I actually just started back this week for mainly health reasons as this whole sitting most of the day is brutal and I'm trying to make this whole life thing last as long as possible. There is definitely a noticeable difference mentally and physically.

The one thing I was not a fan of however is the reduction of creatine in the system which results in lower strength levels when lifting. It can be easily supplemented, but just my experience.

 

[Fox]

I know not to post about Religion so I added this from an only diet perspective. Both my parents are Seventh Day Adventists...

Members Of This Religion Live 10 Years Longer Than Most Americans

Adventist Health Studies - Wikipedia

Basically their life expectancy (as a group) is way higher than normal. Apart from genetics and environment, it is one of the best variables for living a long life. Of course there are people in that religion who don't follow the guidelines with diet but those who do are insanely healthy.

My dad was a huge drinker when he was younger and joined when he was around 34. He has a younger brother who didn't change his habits (still drinking) and the difference at 65 is massive. My dad looks better than me with really clear skin and amazing energy. Up at 5am and doesn't go to bed till around midnight. I catch him napping the odd time but he is very, very healthy.

You can read up on their diet but its dairy, meat, and seafood free. Also no alcohol, stimulants, or sugar. Plenty of water and the odd fasting too.

If anyone has any questions about it let me know but if you are serious about health its a diet I highly recommend.

 

[amp0193]

Like @amp0193 pointed out, once you get all the HFCS out of your system, even carrots and tomatoes will taste sweet. You won't have to do a bunch of prep to enjoy your meal.

However, no one told me what switching to veg and eating tons of fiber could do to your insides...

Too much of a good thing can be a terrible thing.

Me and vegetarian lifestyle are in a complicated relationship right now.

 

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[Tom.V]

However, no one told me what switching to veg and eating tons of fiber could do to your insides...

Too much of a good thing can be a terrible thing.

Me and vegetarian lifestyle are in a complicated relationship right now.

I'd love to say I don't know what you're talking about, but oh do I. In light of this I have significantly reduced how much whole grain rice I'm eating. Seems to be helping quite a bit. I've been reading that increases in healthy fats/oils also helps on this front.

3 weeks in now and getting super lean. Veggie burritos are my new dinner staple and I'm loving them!

 

[amp0193]

I'd love to say I don't know what you're talking about, but oh do I. In light of this I have significantly reduced how much whole grain rice I'm eating. Seems to be helping quite a bit. I've been reading that increases in healthy fats/oils also helps on this front.

3 weeks in now and getting super lean. Veggie burritos are my new dinner staple and I'm loving them!

It was all gravy for like 3 or 4 weeks... and then the pain train came on strong for 2 weeks in a row and I was done.

Not even sure what to do. Just cut back across the board... taking it easy. In a holding pattern. I'll look into fats/oils.

 

[G-Man]

However, no one told me what switching to veg and eating tons of fiber could do to your insides...

Too much of a good thing can be a terrible thing.

Me and vegetarian lifestyle are in a complicated relationship right now.

I just power stanced my way through about 3 weeks and added a mega dose course of probiotics. Now I'm fine.

 

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[amp0193]

I just power stanced my way through about 3 weeks and added a mega dose course of probiotics. Now I'm fine.

Really?

My wife kept saying to try probiotics but I thought they were hippy bullshit.

You still having to take the probiotics? Or once you did that... you were ok?

Half the threads online were "I powered through and then it was fine". And then the other half were "I powered through for 2 years, and it never got better".

Didn't really give me much encouragement. Had another fun day today. Didn't even want to eat lunch.

I just want to eat fruits and veggies. I read maybe eating more root veggies and less kale.

What do ya'll snack on between meals? I've been doing nuts/seeds, but I think that makes it worse.

Maybe I need to eat some fish.

 

[G-Man]

Really?

My wife kept saying to try probiotics but I thought they were hippy bullshit.

You still having to take the probiotics? Or once you did that... you were ok?

It's not hippie BS, it's definitely a real thing. In a clinical setting there's even been limited success curing people of neurological disorders by getting their gut bacteria straightened out. What might be BS is how effective the supplements are. The best information I could find is to use probiotics that have been always refrigerated, and, of course, there's no pill form that's as good as eating actual probiotic foods (kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt, etc)

I took a 5 day mega dose course, and now I take a little pill every day that I add to my dinner green drink. I got mine at Natural Grocers in the fridge section. Both are Garden of Life products.

What do ya'll snack on between meals? I've been doing nuts/seeds, but I think that makes it worse.

I haven't been snacking, but that's because I have more weight to lose. For you, I'm sure it's different. You thought about breaking out the Nutribullet?

 

[JAVB]

I wonder, if we didn't have the ethics problem we have today with the way we raise and kill animals, would this even be a subject of discussion?

Imagine you live in the country, like my grandma did... I used to go there as a kid, for her birthday... The farm worker had already killed 4 gallinas (female adult Chicken) .. their meet was stiff of just growing and running around the farm for months...

My grandma died of 90 years old.

Vegetables, roots, legumes, and MEAT, all organically grown, natural. All good. Balanced. Energy.

I don't know, no meat doesn't sound natural to me. Killing without torturing does. Killing without slavery does. Just like other animals in our kingdom.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

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[Ascension]

I wonder, if we didn't have the ethics problem we have today with the way we raise and kill animals, would this even be a subject of discussion?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Yes, we would still have that discussion. For one thing there is nothing like suffering free killing.
But setting that aside the health benefits of a whole-foods plant-based diet are very clearly documented.
Lower risks of diabetes, heart disease (our number one killer), neuro-degenerative diseases, all-cause mortality and on and on.

Sure organic meat is healthier than typical factory farmed meat but that still doesn't make it healthy. There are a lot of interventional studies I can search out if you are interested.
One of the most well-known population studies is that of the seventh-day adventists. Which are a pretty homogenous group in regards to their lifestyle, they live actively, they plant their own food in their backyard.

Basically, from the traditional point of view on nutrition and lifestyle they are doing everything right. And they are probably one of the healthiest meat-eating populations you can find.
Still the meat-eating adventists fared significantly worse than their vegan counterparts.

75% less Hypertension in vegans
47-78% less Type 2 Diabetes in vegans
14% risk reduction for all cancers in vegans
15% lower all-cause mortality

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4073139/pdf/nutrients-06-02131.pdf

 

[amp0193]

It's not hippie BS, it's definitely a real thing. In a clinical setting there's even been limited success curing people of neurological disorders by getting their gut bacteria straightened out. What might be BS is how effective the supplements are. The best information I could find is to use probiotics that have been always refrigerated, and, of course, there's no pill form that's as good as eating actual probiotic foods (kefir, sauerkraut, yogurt, etc)

I took a 5 day mega dose course, and now I take a little pill every day that I add to my dinner green drink. I got mine at Natural Grocers in the fridge section. Both are Garden of Life products.

Alright, I'll give it a shot this week. I know aldi's got some pro-biotic yogurt.

I haven't been snacking, but that's because I have more weight to lose. For you, I'm sure it's different. You thought about breaking out the Nutribullet?

Yeah, I drink green smoothies every day for breakfast. I have no weight to lose. Just trying to eat well.

I actually didn't need to snack when I was eating huge salads for lunch... but I kind of quit that when the tummy problems happened. I'll try to go back at it this week, with the probiotics.

 

[El Príncipe]

I wonder, if we didn't have the ethics problem we have today with the way we raise and kill animals, would this even be a subject of discussion?

Imagine you live in the country, like my grandma did... I used to go there as a kid, for her birthday... The farm worker had already killed 4 gallinas (female adult Chicken) .. their meet was stiff of just growing and running around the farm for months...

My grandma died of 90 years old.

Vegetables, roots, legumes, and MEAT, all organically grown, natural. All good. Balanced. Energy.

I don't know, no meat doesn't sound natural to me. Killing without torturing does. Killing without slavery does. Just like other animals in our kingdom.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

This is something I've given quite some thought as well. My personal conclusion is that the way our ancestors ate meat throughout our evolution is very different from the way we eat it today.

Meat probably was an occasional treat, as killing an animal that doesn't want to be killed is hard and dangerous. The animal lived a natural life and must therefore be relatively healthy. And the meat is consumed as fresh as possible. That's nature, I agree, and personally I'd have no trouble eating it in any comparable scenario. Or even traditional farms.

But compare that to today's usual scenario though.

On a side-note: My grandparents lived in the country side in Argentina, somewhat like your grandmother maybe. So I can relate to your way of thinking. Often in these discussion I think of my grandparents and how they must've lived.

 

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[WildHoneyTree]

So far, halfway through the Fuhrman plan. I have made some adaptations such as eating more fats (nuts, seeds, olives, avocados etc) and more a bit more starch - not limiting things like sweet potato, arrowroot etc even though he recommends that because I'm not trying to lose weight with this. I do try to stick with the 1 serving of grains/day to see if I will generally feel better with less grains (Was a big oatmeal, brown rice and wheat person).
I get a large portion of greens from moringa, spirulina and such in my morning smoothie, I put some fresh picked leafy greens in there - kale, spinach, comfrey, cilantro depending on what's available in the garden but I can't handle half a pound of those messing with the beautiful taste of fruit so I cheat with the superfoods. I do try to get in some berries daily.
Have worked up to 2 salads/day and get more leafy greens in there in the form of arugula, romaine lettuce, pak choi.
I can definitely do lots of steamed, cooked veggies and I think I'm over 1lb/day with that. Try to get mushrooms in everyday but organic ones are quite expensive and my mushroom growing experiments...have been...OK, let's just say I haven't mastered that yet. Too much fuss. Would appreciate anyone giving me tips on simple ways to grow mushrooms.
The beans and lentils are easy to get in everyday and were my staples anyway.
So far...changes I have noticed are in my energy levels. I feel so energetic and have better wellbeing. I often feel blissed out. I sleep really well and don't wake up tired anymore. Mental fog is decreasing. I eat a lot more than I have ever eaten before on this program. I'm a little gassy though sometimes. Will see how that goes.
Now I want to get more consistent with my meditation and exercise program and channel all the energy and good feelings into a positive direction.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Money follows consumer shifts and tastes...

KFC is right — people are gobbling up ’meat replacements’

 

[Zenoviy Kovtun]

Money follows consumer shifts and tastes...

KFC is right — people are gobbling up ’meat replacements’

The shift is very clear. Even I've gone plant based for a while. I'm considering ideas that can provide value for consumers in this space. Thinking more along the line of selling shovels in a gold rush. The obvious idea of a plant based food product seems too saturated..but of course feasible.

@MJ DeMarco , any thoughts on the perspective of providing value for vegan consumers outside of a pure vegan food product?

 

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[ZF Lee]

What do ya'll snack on between meals? I've been doing nuts/seeds, but I think that makes it worse.

Maybe I need to eat some fish.

For me, it can be raisins, cherry tomatoes and the odd biscuit from organic stores.

I suppose I can afford to go vegan if not for FISH. Every meat substitute for fish I have tried in Buddhist restaurants, as well as organic stores, is too coarse and tough for my liking. Nothing better than a tender slice of fish...steamed, not fried BTW. Cooking methods do matter.

For me, fish is probably the safest meat....unless the toxic waste dumpings and overfishing (sometimes with bombs) have done their worst to the seas.

So, yes, it's no biggie to have some fish. Steamed, with a garlic-soya sauce mix.

 

[El Príncipe]

The shift is very clear. Even I've gone plant based for a while. I'm considering ideas that can provide value for consumers in this space. Thinking more along the line of selling shovels in a gold rush. The obvious idea of a plant based food product seems too saturated..but of course feasible.

@MJ DeMarco , any thoughts on the perspective of providing value for vegan consumers outside of a pure vegan food product?

I was thinking on this too.

Maybe a product that helps people with the shift to vegan. Or a product or service that helps owners of vegan focused companies. A unique problem they have. Or maybe not even a unique problem, but just focusing on them as your niche and therefore understanding and helping them better.