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Trimac20 wrote: I think it was a decent article, it didn't say one shouldnt be a vegan, just to consider the possible risks. Good for those who can eat a healthy vegan diet, but I personally think a life without dairy, let alone occasional meat, would hardly be worth living, for myself anyway lol. id be craving a cheeseburger like crazy lol.
I'm with you on the dairy aspect. I love cheese, yogurt, & ice cream! For me, it's ocassional fish. I've eaten no meat or fowl for 40 years. I grew up in a meat and potatoes family, so I did experience some meat cravings during the first year or two of transitioning into a mostly vegetarian diet. Everyone else I know who made the transition, says the same. But it does pass. In the early years of eating vegetarian, the scent of somone grilling a burger or steak in the back yard, smelled good to me. A few years later however, I could no longer stand the smell of flesh on the grill.
Trimac20 wrote: I think it was a decent article, it didn't say one shouldnt be a vegan, just to consider the possible risks. Good for those who can eat a healthy vegan diet, but I personally think a life without dairy, let alone occasional meat, would hardly be worth living, for myself anyway lol. id be craving a cheeseburger like crazy lol.
I'm with you on the dairy aspect. I love cheese, yogurt, & ice cream! For me, it's ocassional fish. I've eaten no meat or fowl for 40 years. I grew up in a meat and potatoes family, so I did experience some meat cravings during the first year or two of transitioning into a mostly vegetarian diet. Everyone else I know who made the transition, says the same. But it does pass. In the early years of eating vegetarian, the scent of somone grilling a burger or steak in the back yard, smelled good to me. A few years later however, I could no longer stand the smell of flesh on the grill.
I'm with you two on this. I understand vegetarianism, but veganism a bit too far for me. Some people don't even eat eggs? No dairy?
Anyway, to address the OP I agree that there are risks but the same is said of carnivores. You can often get sick or even die from eating the wrong piece of meat. Meat also has more calories so you'd be risking weight gain (although as I've said on another thread, an MD noted that you can still gain weight as a plant eater if you eat excessively large portions).
I'm with you two on this. I understand vegetarianism, but veganism a bit too far for me. Some people don't even eat eggs? No dairy?
Hi Elle!
I've been a Vegetarian my entire life and have been trying to make the transition into Veganism this past year (my mother has been Vegan for about 5 years).
I personally think that Eggs have been the hardest thing to cut out- so now buy my eggs from local farmers who I know have truly free range, well cared for hens. If I'm unable to obtain any of these kinds of eggs, I do without or use a Vegan Egg Replacer.
I never ate much dairy to begin with (I never bought it to have at home) but never turned down dairy when I was out... until the last year or so.
One of the reasons (my reason and my Mum's reason) that people try to avoid eggs and dairy amongst other animal by-products is due to how the animals are treated. Even 'Cage Free' or 'Free Range' Eggs at the supermarket don't necessarily mean all that much. It, in some cases just means that the Hens have a tiny bit more room than poor Hens in battery farms. As for Dairy, I won't even go into the treatment of cows on Dairy Farms. Let us just say that in 99% of cases they aren't grazing in acres and acres of meadow... ever!
I know that there are also health benefits to being Vegan (Bill Clinton adopted a Vegan diet after his health issues) but I'm in it for the sake of the animals.
With regards to the topic however, there's nothing 'scary' about Vegan diets. I think of Veg*nism more as a way of life than a diet per se... but with that said, as long as the 'diet' is within balance along with everything else in life, there's nothing 'scary' about it.
If I'm unable to obtain any of these kinds of eggs, I do without or use a Vegan Egg Replacer.
Have you tried the new "Vegg" vegan egg replacer? It's INCREDIBLE - a true game changer. I made cake, french toast, you name it. absolutely beautiful
And for cheese, there are so many delicious vegan ones now:
Daiya for pizza/grilled cheese
Cheezly in the UK & many other parts of the world
Notzarella in Australia
Vegusto from Switzerland - complex flavors
Dr. Cow - gourmet cracker cheese
Teese - best for liquid nacho sauce
I know that eggs are very healthful for us and a natural food - I do buy our eggs from a local farm where the hens are fed organic garden vegetables - lots of spinach and kale (their egg yolks are dark orange) - of course they eat worms and bugs because that is what chicken's do when they aren't kept in cages. Anyone can drop in any time during business hours to have a look at the operation. If I were a chicken this is the place I'd like to be!
Personally I cannot see myself going vegan because I have Celiac disease - so no rye, wheat or barley - so many things have wheat in them or are prepared where other products with gluten are also prepared. So I already have many restrictions on my diet - to take eggs, cheese and the occasional milk out of my diet would be very difficult for me.
Hi Elle!
I've been a Vegetarian my entire life and have been trying to make the transition into Veganism this past year (my mother has been Vegan for about 5 years).
I personally think that Eggs have been the hardest thing to cut out- so now buy my eggs from local farmers who I know have truly free range, well cared for hens. If I'm unable to obtain any of these kinds of eggs, I do without or use a Vegan Egg Replacer.
I never ate much dairy to begin with (I never bought it to have at home) but never turned down dairy when I was out... until the last year or so.
One of the reasons (my reason and my Mum's reason) that people try to avoid eggs and dairy amongst other animal by-products is due to how the animals are treated. Even 'Cage Free' or 'Free Range' Eggs at the supermarket don't necessarily mean all that much. It, in some cases just means that the Hens have a tiny bit more room than poor Hens in battery farms. As for Dairy, I won't even go into the treatment of cows on Dairy Farms. Let us just say that in 99% of cases they aren't grazing in acres and acres of meadow... ever!
I know that there are also health benefits to being Vegan (Bill Clinton adopted a Vegan diet after his health issues) but I'm in it for the sake of the animals.
With regards to the topic however, there's nothing 'scary' about Vegan diets. I think of Veg*nism more as a way of life than a diet per se... but with that said, as long as the 'diet' is within balance along with everything else in life, there's nothing 'scary' about it.
Amber
Yeah, I heard that the chickens are often bullied into producing more eggs. It's also considered undesirable because the eggs come from the chickens, who don't live very long. We had the same information available at my college. Once you've grown up eating meat and dairy though, it gets difficult to stop. For example, as a young girl I grew up eating with milk and eggs. I felt bad when I learned that the animals are overworked just for us. Well, it's time to find a good substitute.
Yeah, I heard that the chickens are often bullied into producing more eggs. It's also considered undesirable because the eggs come from the chickens, who don't live very long. We had the same information available at my college. Once you've grown up eating meat and dairy though, it gets difficult to stop. For example, as a young girl I grew up eating with milk and eggs. I felt bad when I learned that the animals are overworked just for us. Well, it's time to find a good substitute.
Usually it's pretty common for people to eat mostly eggs and dairy products when they are first going vegan/tarian. There are few people who jump from eating a meat and potatoes diet to pure veganism. Sometimes it depends on what foods you were raised on as a child; I don't recall us being heavy meat eaters to begin with although my immediate family members eat more red meat now vs ten years ago. I usually followed a pescetarian diet until about three years ago, for example.
We went from meat/dairy eating right into being vegan - we are on day 9 and so far so good. We are doing this for health reasons only. I did add egg whites back into our diet since there is no fat and only 17 calories per egg white - there just doesn't seem any reason not to have egg whites and a little veggie/egg white scramble is great. Husband is not too keen tofu although I like it a lot. We are eating lots and lots of raw and cooked veggies (and beans of many kinds, quinoah, brown rice and lentils and fruit (but not too much) and a few nuts daily. All the fiber has has been a little hard on our digestive system. I ordered a Vitamix a couple of days ago and hope to get a few veggies from green smoothies. We are adding no oil to anything - I saute veggies in vegetable broth and made som good muffins the other morning with no added fat (oat bran based). I cannot eat gluten so other than oat meal and oat bran and the occasional gluten free bread, I am not eating a lot of grains. I take several supplements but think maybe I should go on a daily multiple vitamin just to be safe.
Can those of you who are vegan think of anything that I need to add to our diet?
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