Plant-based life

[Second Chance]

Just what is "vegan"? I have been reading a lot about it but can't seem to really tie it down other than no meat (what about fish) in the diet. My quick study indicates to me that the vast majority of folks do not stay on it for very long. I am most interested in the idea that we can/should eliminate processed foods.

A vegan is a person who does not consume any animal products. That includes meat, eggs, milk, cheese, any form of animal fat, etc. We are not vegan, per se - we are what Dr. Fuhrman refers to as "Nutritarians." The Nutritarian lifestyle allows for occasional meat, but avoids things like cheese, bacon, sausage, or any processed meats altogether. Yes - I had a couple of eggs for breakfast yesterday morning! It's the quantity over time that matters and I don't do it more than once a week or so. The emphasis with the plan we follow is on taking in the things your body needs - as well as avoiding the things that are harmful to your health. Things we need include plenty of greens and fiber, whole grains (not white flour or white rice), nuts, seeds, and a few items to ensure that we get the omega-3 fatty acids that we would otherwise get from a constant diet of animal products (a few walnuts every day fulfills this need).

You are right, Dick, in that highly processed foods should be avoided. A quick exercise is to count the ingredients on the package. If there are more than a couple of ingredients, move on. Another approach is, when grocery shopping, to shop the produce section and the outside walls - stay out of the isles except to pick up beans, brown rice, brown rice noodles and pasta, etc. Nearly all of the processed foods (except for some processed meats) are found in the isles.

We have followed this lifestyle for about two years, now, and have maintained the progress we have made (-50 lbs. for my wife/-10 lbs. for me, off of statins, BP meds, etc.). The couple who introduced us to the lifestyle is been following it for about seven years, now. All I can say is that the science is there to support this approach and we have reaped the benefits. We know lots of others who have stuck with it, as well. Feelling so much better is a great motivator.

Rob
(RN, MSN)

[WhittleBurner]

I'm not vegan but I have had gut issues for many years. I gave up dairy about 40 years ago but my problems kept getting worse. Finally about 18 months ago I gave up all gluten in my diet and my gut issues have reduced to almost non-existent.

So, do I get to post about dietary issues? Certainly giving up a lot of "grown" things have helped me, but if giving up animal matter helps other's diets and health...bravo. The point I'm making is that this thread can contain information not specifically aimed at veganism but also other diet related health issues makes sense to me as well. YMMV.

If this is a wrong conclusion, please feel free to delete this post.

I agree, so much of what they are doing to our food really isn't very healthy for us. This GMO thing they are doing now doesn't sound very healthy for us at all. We now check what we buy at the grocery and avoid it. With all the different things being done for preservatives they make things so they can last a long time but at what expense. It's sad when you read the ingredients and you don't see any food items listed till the end of the long list.

[Second Chance]

I'm not vegan but I have had gut issues for many years. I gave up dairy about 40 years ago but my problems kept getting worse. Finally about 18 months ago I gave up all gluten in my diet and my gut issues have reduced to almost non-existent.

So, do I get to post about dietary issues? Certainly giving up a lot of "grown" things have helped me, but if giving up animal matter helps other's diets and health...bravo. The point I'm making is that this thread can contain information not specifically aimed at veganism but also other diet related health issues makes sense to me as well. YMMV.

If this is a wrong conclusion, please feel free to delete this post.

Jeff (or Jen),

I may be wrong, but I don't think that DaveMatthewsBand's intention was to start a thread specifically on veganism. The thread title is "Plant Based Life." This does not totally exclude other sources of food. There are certainly those who have issues with specific food components such as gluten, etc. - and these are valid. It's well known that white wheat flour is not good for any of us - even if we're not gluten intolerant or have celiac disease. In the end, it's all about inflammation at the micro level. Lipid (fat) deposits in the vascular system are linked to inflammation and are the root cause of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral vascular disease. Vascular and metabolic/hormone changes also lead to all kinds of issues including kidney failure, metabolic syndrome (which often leads to diabetes), and others. The trick is to avoid foods that contribute to the inflammation process while still getting the nutrients our cells need to do their work and heal from damage.

Rob

[J&G garage]

I went through the same thing as DMB last year in that the doctor said party's over. We never ate most processed food, no fast food, didn't shop in the frozen food isle except for ice cream but BBQ and a lot of beef/pork were on the menu often. Also, I haven't seen anybody mention it yet, we cut out stuff with added sugar. I think that made the biggest difference in my health. I loves me some cake or ice cream or cookies or pie, you get the idea. Once I quit the sugar I got rid of muscle pain and am no longer considered pre-diabetic. We've always eaten a lot of veggies but now protein comes from chicken or fish or yogurt. No more "red meat". Exercise is also very important to keep from freezing up. Feels pretty good to feel pretty good. And now that the suspension on my Reflection is fixed I may have time to concentrate on meatless Monday every week.

[Keebler]

Super easy read on being healthy. https://www.amazon.com/Short-Guide-L...gateway&sr=8-1

Everything based on data; which Doctor Agus details in another book. This one just sums up the recommendations, and is a quick read.

[Ditchdigger]

I have a intolerance to all red meats ( beef, Veal, Lamb, Venison, Elk, you get it). So my main meat is chicken, and Sea food.
I got the Pop corn.

[JColeman]

I have a intolerance to all red meats ( beef, Veal, Lamb, Venison, Elk, you get it). So my main meat is chicken, and Sea food.
I got the Pop corn.

Interesting. The more red meat in my diet the better my metabolism likes it. Just got my annual done and my cholesterol level is 130 with a resting heartbeat of 49. I can eat pretty much all vegetables and any protein but the only grain I tolerate is rice. 30+ years of gut issues went away along with dairy, gluten and grains.

So I am a vegetarian, just one that eats meat. I think that's called paleo by some.

[DaveMatthewsBand]

We eat tacos several times a week, they just don’t have any meat in them so we’ve come up with a lot of ways to make them flavorful.

This is a good list showing some examples of vegetarian tacos. Even our friends that do eat meat really like a lot of stuff that I cook.

https://www.self.com/gallery/vegetar...co-recipes/amp


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[JColeman]

We eat tacos several times a week, they just don’t have any meat in them so we’ve come up with a lot of ways to make them flavorful.

This is a good list showing some examples of vegetarian tacos. Even our friends that do eat meat really like a lot of stuff that I cook.

https://www.self.com/gallery/vegetarian-taco-recipes/amp


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Some of those recipes look pretty good. Do you eat a lot of soy products? I wonder about the hormone levels in soy but I haven't done any research. I just avoid it when possible. Rational or reactionary?

[Dick Noble]

Keebler -- Thank you. I just downloaded the book to my ipad. It was free. I remember Consumers Report writing that the only diet they found that worked long term was Weight Watcher's but that is not plant based alone. I wonder about the Keto diet.