Thank you to those who posted positive, encouraging comments! I tried going vegan 28 years ago but it was too difficult living where I do & not having the dietary education that a huge decision like this takes. I have studied nutrition for over 30 years. It has always been a passion of mine. I've eaten vegan off & on for many, many years & have tried lacto-ova & pesca vegetarianism & even ate poultry for the past 10 years. I am SO ready for this lifestyle change. Some examples of what I have eaten this past week include:

Blueberry muffins made with oat flour, mashed sweet potatoes & bananas.

falafel with sliced tomatoes, avocado, pepperoncini & homemade tofu mayonnaise (that tasted so much better than I expected).

Kashi berry cereal with almond milk.

butternut & sweet potato soup.

hummus & pita with veggies.

stir fried tofu & veggies.

Nuts

And my favorite Soy Dream Maple nut ice "cream"

I have an Amy's roasted vegetable pizza without cheese in the freezer, Kashi frozen Mayan bake, soy crumbles & "chicken" cutlets. I have tried all of these dishes in the past & already know I like them. I also bought some soy cheese slices. It is SO easy to eat this way now. All grocery stores sell great varieties of vegan foods. I also pulled my juicer out of the cupboard, dusted it off & have been enjoying carrot, lemon, apple, celery juice!

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Thank you Silva. I doubt I will do a blog but may be interested in sharing recipes here & on facebook.................Liz

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Posted by: hollykins
Date posted: Wed Jan 4 13:17:14 2012
Message:
That's too extreme. Your body needs certain proteins and calcium. You're probably going to wear your body down. A lot of these vegans are just so sickly all the time. It's an unnatural diet. You're denying your body what it needs. I am trying to go vegetarian and would like to some day, it's really hard since I grew up on meat. I already elimated pork from my diet. Please rethink this extreme form of dieting.

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I noticed how my comment got skipped while everyone else got a response. I wasn't trying to be mean. I was just saying I don't think this diet is all healthy. I have done research on it so I do know what I'm talking about. You can look it up if you don't believe me. A lot of vegans are sickly and get light headed because they do not get the nutrients they need. A lot of them cannot function properly. It's all there if you do your research.

I guess you know a lot of sickly vegans? I don't know any sickly vegans. Perhaps the sickly vegans you know should have done their research more carefully. This is a lifestyle that should not be entered into without a lot of planning & thought. Thank you for your comments. Your opinion has been noted......................Liz

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Posted by: ingyandbert
Date posted: Wed Jan 4 9:59:49 2012
Message:

I've been a vegetarian (but not vegan) for over 25 years.  Once I made the decision, I never looked back.  It really opened up a whole new world of foods that I may not have discovered otherwise. 

Both vegetarianism and veganism are on the rise.  It's surprising to learn some of the people who have switched to v-diets (Bill Clinton -- Mr. Cheeseburger himself -- has been a vegan for several years now).  I wish you good luck with your new lifestyle!

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Yes but there is a big difference between vegans and vegetarians. The vegan lifestyle is dangerous. It's about as dangerous as people who eat red meat all the time. It's way too extreme. How is your body supposed to get it's proper amount of calcium and vitamins found in dairy protects? Taking a ton of vitamins everyday?

Hollykins, veganism is not dangerous if you educate yourself about nutrition. For instance, are you aware that dark green plants contain calcium? Or that edamame and certain other soy-based foods are fiber rich, cholesterol and saturated fat-free sources of protein? It's like anything else in life, you just have to learn about it and do it right. ~i&b

Yes I know but are they getting enough? They would have to eat a ton of beans and other things to get the proper amount of protein and calcium you can get from dairy. Why is it then that every vegan I know seems so sickly all the time? It's because they are not eating enough and denying their bodies what it needs. It's unnatural. I don't support it.

As I said before, one has to learn about proper nutrition before becoming a vegetarian or vegan. Obviously, your sickly vegans friends did not do that. It sounds like you could stand some education in that area as well. The American Diatetic Association endorses ''appropriately planned'' vegetarian and vegan diets and points out their nutritional advantages, including low levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. When done correctly, it is a much healthier way of eating than the standard American diet. ~i&b

That's just a pain and it eliminates all the good foods such as ice cream and cheese. Vegetarian is the way to go not vegan. It's a lot more natural and convienient.

This isn't about convenience. Besides, the grocery stores have many convenient vegan offerings these days in the deli & frozen foods sections. People can find convenient at the McDonald's drive thru.................Liz

Vegans are way healthier and to say they are sickly is crazy. I know several vegans and they are far from sickly. Cow's milk is meant for baby cows to drink not humans. Lots of athletes are vegans including the Williams sisters. If you want to live a compassionate healthy life and care about the planet then vegan is the way to go. - Pronoun

I don't drink milk because it makes me sick. Veganism is way too extreme, and it's just unhealthy and unnatural. People need calcium and vitamins provided by dairy product, it's a proven fact. You can lead a plenty healthy and compassionate life by being vegetarian. A lot of vegans are just so sickly because they're lacking all the vitimins and proteins that they need.

You are completely wrong Holykins and obviously have never researched the subject or ever tried it. - Pronoun

I have researched the subject many times and it is ridiculous. These people are malnourished.

Well show me some data then. Because I can certainly give you reams of links that show the truth and not your crazy ramblngs. On second thought, don't bother, you only come here to argue and not for intelligent discussion - Pronoun

Why is it unless you say ''I agree'' you're arguing?

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Posted by: Glitter
Date posted: Wed Jan 4 9:29:53 2012
Message:

I hope this works for you but keep in mind..the body still needs fat . I heard something about the late Linda McCartney..totally into a veggan diet and she still got cancer..that's how she lost her life. The human body still needs meat.

I found something to keep my weight down.."Apple Cider Vinegar Plus Pills" from :"Swanson's double strength..cost $1.79 a bottle for 120 pills..I found my miracle. I also cut salt from my diet..to me, salt was toxic to my system. I get their catalog in the mail..Swanson's Health Products.

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No need to worry, Glitter. There are still sufficient fats in a vegan diet. ~i&b

Like what? They can't have any cookies, cakes because it's made with egg, no ice cream.... The only thing I can think of is pop, or I guess they can have dark chocolate. What else?

For starters, there's nuts, oils, olives, avocadoes -- even corn, bok choy, and cauliflower contain fats and the list goes on. You really should learn more about nutrition before becoming vegetarian. ~i&b

I know but it's not enough fat. Again you would have to eat a ton of it to get the proper amount of fat your body needs. That is one of the reasons it is unsafe. Sure you can get fats and protein but you have to have a lot of a certain food and often they don't do that. A lot of them starve themselves.

Linda McCartney died of breast cancer DESPITE a vegan diet but not because of it. It's likely she had a family history which is your biggest risk factor. As for the fat issue. There are plenty of plant based foods to get necessary, unsaturated fats from. Plant based milks are calcium fortified & as ingy noted, dark leafy vegetables contain calcium...Liz

But you have to eat a lot of them to get the proper amount of fat your body needs. I would not recommend this extreme diet to anyone.

Read some food labels before you going shooting off your mouth about an issue you apparently know nothing about.......................Liz

Apparently you don't know anything either. If you did you would know how unatural of a diet this is. I'm almost vegetarian now and I feel super healthy. If went vegan I would be starving myself and depriving myself of the proper nutrients. My experience, vegans tend to think they're better than other people. I wouldn't want that label either.

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Posted by: Ricky
Date posted: Tue Jan 3 22:30:15 2012
Message:
Just be sure you get your protein.  But you're a nurse; you already know about that ;-)

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I have researched the hell out of this decision. getting protein without meat, eggs & dairy is much easier than people think. oh & I take a good multi vitamin every morning.............Liz

If you want to starve yourself go ahead. Don't be surprised when you start feeling lightheaded and dizzy.

I doubt she'll ''starve'' ... I tried it for a couple of years, and it was fine .... Ricky

Why aren't you doing it now if it's so great?

Because it was too much trouble for me, since I'm a bit lazy .... Like most Americans, I'm basically a lazy pig who finds myself at McDonald's more often than I should gobbling a Big Mac, which is utter junk but it's easy and convenient. I just don't have the discipline to do vegan properly .... Ricky

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