So, I wish to become vegan. First, let me say that I wish to do this, soley for health purposes. I am not an animal rights activist. Its not my problem, I dont kill them. So what are some of the facts, I cant seem to find any info that isnt based on the animal stuff. Its like most of the info is based on why not to eat animal by-product versus why to eat vegan. go ahead, call me selfish. I only want to better MY health. so I live and feel better. So where are the real facts?
im not 100% on all of this but afaik meat is nothing but hard to digest saturated fat, cholesterol, and un-easily absorbed protein. i know for sure that dairy is something that humans arent supposed to consume and has MANY negative health aspects. i can instctively tell when certain people do dairy now, thats how big of an effect it and the other chemicals it has in it have on you i think, makes you sordove pale and tired... and to me that is just common sense. who came up with the idea that we should breast feed from another species? or who came up with the idea that were supposed to eat cows? why not rabbits, possums, whatever? just doesnt make sense and instinctively doesnt feel right to me... i know soymilk is WAY healthier though... and tastier imo, and rice milk is ideal for health. always get vanilla when your first starting and getting used to it, then maybe wean yourself off to a more natural kind. vanilla or not though, soy is way better than anything from a cow. btw- you dont gotta be an animal rights advocate to know that the meat industry is cruel, greedy, immoral and destructive to this planet. and dont forget, your an animal too and you want rights dont you? also, if you eat meat that was raised unaturally and immorally, it IS very much your problem if you know about it. if you eat them knowing what your truely contributing too, your are accepting and promoting it. its like eating the forbidden fruit sordove, you ate this knowledge so you cant turn back, not with a truely clean and happy conscious i dont think. but they arent simply killing animals like you said, its far more complex than that. i have no problem with killing sometimes and sometimes i think its a totally good and proper thing... but the meat industries are far from what i would deem good and proper.... but yeah many people are vegetarians and vegans simply for the health benefits i think.. ever been to a health/natural/whole food store or a coop?
jesus, this is exactly what I wanted to avoid. why are ppl so pushy about their damn views on the animal crap. im already vegetarian, have seen the 'mass killing' and I still only dont eat animal crap for MY health. not theirs. I cant ingest any dairy as is, Im lactose intolerant, again, the only reasons Im looking to do this are: MY health.
Well, as far as I know ... people don't go vegan because of health issues; rather, for animal rights. Vegans don't eat any animal byproducts at all; I'm sure you are aware of this, but it makes me wonder why you'd also want to attain the same goal for health reasons? One of the first things you should do is buy only organic and non-genetically modified foods. That'll probably do the most good for your health, if you haven't done that already. Anyway, as far as finding facts about becoming vegan for your health; there really aren't that many facts out there, because people just don't typically become vegan for health reasons, and I have a hard time imagining that going from vegetarian to vegan would do very much for your physical health to begin with (aside from consuming no dairy, which you can't do already, and no poultry such as egg). I mean, it does wonder for mental anguish and spiritual grief, but ... Well I'll leave you with that.
i feel sick every time I ingest something made with animal by-product. to where I feel the need to throw up... it seems that veganism is more about the treatment of animals. so maybe im thinking of "raw-foodist" or whatever its called. heres my attempt at describing what Im trying to do: #1 to only eat the amount of nutrients I need to sustain life, through the perfect balance of vitamins and minerals. #2 for that food, to be organic, and animal free yes, MOST ppl become vegan cause they are worried about the animals. How many vegans do you know, or do YOURSELF, attend protests? free animals? go to the extra length to see it through? or do most vegans just preach it to others? do you write letters to companys? call political leaders to share your veiws? my guess is very little of (the vegans on here) do that. im not knocking you by any means, its just everyone seems to be worried about this great cause, yet noone has said what they do about it, other than partake in the non-eating of, and non-wearing of. trust me, thats not enough to stop the animals from being killed.
Eating vegetarian can potentially lower your levels of saturated fats and cholesterol, while increasing your input levels of antioxidants, fiber and a number of vitamins. Personally, I believe omnivorous or vegan/vegetarian diets can both be either healthy or unhealthy. It's pretty much about watching what you eat. Here's a resource link (with links to other resources): combining proteins
look for health info on the sites, and lighten up or you'll croak early anyway. I slog through sites that push political views for info I can use all the time. What do you need the info for, if you get ill from milk/eggs/meat anyway? Isn't THAT enough? Listening to your body?
jumping from omnivore to raw vegan is a big step, and it probably wouldnt stick or feel right. better to do it gradually... first just go vegan which should be easy...then ease more fruits veggies whole grains and soy foods into your food, or at least healthier whole foods. then look into fasting and raw veganism, or just look into fasting now.
Ello, Ive been a vegetarian for 4 years, and have decided now is the time to become vegan. I was just wondering, will i have to take any more suppliments? Im already on iron tablets, and was wondering if id have to start on calcium now too? My reasons for wanting to change are not just about my own health, although sure thats a part of it. Its just recently ive began a whole new way of thinking and looking at things. Its simply the principle now. I want to live as naturally as possible while doing as little damage to others as possible. Anyway advice would be great...and any suggestions of good things to try to begin with? Thanks, Love-Maxi.Xx P.s- Whoever said they were doing it for health reasons, i think thats just fine. I originally went veggie because i heard about hormones bein pumped into meat, selfish as that sounds. But about a year after the change, i was free and standing outside the meat-eating majority...and from that viewpoint, i had a much clearer perspective. While i wasnt eating meat myself, i was able to see the true horror of the cruelty and exploitation involved in the meat industry. And so, what im trying to tell you is, your reasons may change with time I also think this is a main reason most meat eaters cannot see anything wrong with what theyre doing. Theyve been doing it so long, they actually believe its natural. My brother insists its the most natural thing in the world, just as i used to. And so maybe itd be good to encourage this new interest in their own health these people have suddenly got. Xx
Hey man I get where you're coming from. My original motivations were 100% selfish (I just wanted to look good), but it's evolving into something much more spiritual now. It's ok to focus on the microscopic health aspects for now, but imo you won't get the true benefits until you swallow the whole package. Those benefits are, like Hikaru sez, mental & spiritual. But ok, here's some pure science babble for ye (from Medical News Today, Sep 2004 article "Is veganism the optimum nutrition of the future?" http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=13478):
The Vegan Sourcebook by ......j. stephiniak (i think thats the authors name, the book is all the way downstairs and im lazy today) BEST book ever...atleast that ive found on everything vegan. Nutrition, ethics....it covers everything. Give it a read~
When I went vegan, health reasons were a big part of it. I was already vegetarian, but as I found myself battling a chronic illness, I felt I could do more to boost my body's natural ability to heal itself. So bye bye dairy. (If you're curious, I think it helped.) As a vegan, my cholesterol is amazingly low. I should never have to worry about taking all these expensive and potentially harmful statin drugs to control runaway HDL. But if the health concerns aren't enough to sway you, the most compelling non-animal-cruelty arguments in favor of veganism - not that we should discount pro-animal arguments, I feel - are related to pollution and world hunger. Factory farms spew an alarming and unconscionable amount of filth out into the environment. The massive amounts of runoff - we're talkin' poop here as well as chemical fertilizers and pesticides - contaminate groundwater, and the amount of water needed to operate feedlots contributes significantly to the depletion of aquifers. But even more chilling is the amount of waste involved in meat production and the role it plays in global hunger. I can't quote you the exact stats - they're readily availble if you Google it - but something like 20 or 30 people could be fed a grain-based diet with the amount of resources it takes to produce one pound of beef. Most of the grain grown in the world is fed to animals, not people. It's a grossly inequitable system that perpetuates a lot of the unjust and ugly power structures in the world and guarantees that people are going to go hungry. John Robbins and Frances Moore Lappe have written eloquently on this topic, I highly recommend that you check out their works.
Ophelia, are you named after Shakespeares character in Hamlet?... Well like i said its sometimes hard to care about animals while youre within the meat eating group...or even when you consume dairy, like i used to. While i was doin it it seemed natural, and i wasnt aware of the scale of the cruelty. Its like eatin meat blinds you to it in some way...wish i could describe it better. Was only when i stopped i could see how wrong it was. Love-Maxi.Xx
Uh... im sure youre one of these people who tells vegetarians and vegans that a nice dead steak would make them much heathier. congrats on the hypocracy. im sorry if i sound harsh but it annoys me when people who dont care try to act like they do. the first thing people say when you say 'im a vegan' is 'so, youre an animal rights activist?' so, i think youre pretty buggered if you think people wont think the same of you coz youre doing it for heath reasons. Oh and they ARE the real facts!
if you really want to know exactly what nutrients you need to be healthy. Try either book "Becoming Vegan" or Becoming Vegetarian" both list requirements for healthy living.
one word: quinoa eat, eat it, love it, eat it. mix it with vegetables, put it in soup with miso, add some beans or legumes once or twice a week, and youre well on your way to a healthy balanced organic vegan diet. wheat is supposedly really unhealthy too but i like it. sprouted wheat bread is delicious. learn about food combining too. i dont know that much about it, but basically don't eat different kinds of food in one meal like grains and fruit they are too different and your body cant digest both at the same time causing stomach aches.
