Vegans: Can you please give me some advice?!
I am a born vegetarian. This year I am trying to slowly move towards becoming a vegan. I have some questions for you. You can answer all or any. Any good advice that you give is much appreciated.
1.) How do I progress slowly without shocking my system? I stopped milk and realized I was feeling tired or craved for it in coffee! I dont even like milk and I found it interesting that I wanted to have it suddenly in my coffee.
2.) Are there any good books or websites you can recommend for changing to a vegan lifestyle?
3.) I don't like cheese much but I've not been very particular about not having cheese until now. Are there good alternatives to cheese? I'd like to keep in mind.
4.) Are there any good creamers (non - Nestle. Anything Nestle, I avoid, they test on animals.)
5.) What are some foods that I must definitely incorporate to maintain good health.
6.) Those who became vegans (not born vegans). How did you help yourself change? Any tips?
Thanks a lot!
Answers: Hi there
I am a born vegetarian. This year I am trying to slowly move towards becoming a vegan. I have some questions for you. You can answer all or any. Any good advice that you give is much appreciated.
1.) How do I progress slowly without shocking my system? I stopped milk and realized I was feeling tired or craved for it in coffee! I dont even like milk and I found it interesting that I wanted to have it suddenly in my coffee.
2.) Are there any good books or websites you can recommend for changing to a vegan lifestyle?
3.) I don't like cheese much but I've not been very particular about not having cheese until now. Are there good alternatives to cheese? I'd like to keep in mind.
4.) Are there any good creamers (non - Nestle. Anything Nestle, I avoid, they test on animals.)
5.) What are some foods that I must definitely incorporate to maintain good health.
6.) Those who became vegans (not born vegans). How did you help yourself change? Any tips?
Thanks a lot!
Buy books. Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living. Isa Chandra's books, Sarah Kramer's books. I love them!!!
1.) How do I progress slowly without shocking my system? I stopped milk and realized I was feeling tired or craved for it in coffee! I dont even like milk and I found it interesting that I wanted to have it suddenly in my coffee.
Kicking the dairy habit will be easier than you expect. It's really bad for us. So after about three days, the body begins to feel SO much better!
Vary your alternative milks. Soy milk, Amond milk, Grain milk. Hemp milk is my favorite right now. It's really creamy for use in coffee.
2.) Are there any good books or websites you can recommend for changing to a vegan lifestyle?
See the above book list.
3.) I don't like cheese much but I've not been very particular about not having cheese until now. Are there good alternatives to cheese? I'd like to keep in mind.
My favorite cheese alternative is in one of Sarah Kramer's books. I think "How It All Vegan" - it's the "sauce" for her vegan eggs benedict. It's largely base on Nutritional Yeast. It makes great mac n cheese, great nachos, great dipping sauce. Yum Yum. Also Jo Stepaniak's book "Ultimate UnCheese Cookbook"
4.) Are there any good creamers (non - Nestle. Anything Nestle, I avoid, they test on animals.)
Silk makes a good tasting one. But it's got canola oil in it and I hate anything genetically engineered. I'm rather fond of hemp milk right now.
5.) What are some foods that I must definitely incorporate to maintain good health.
Nutritional Yeast. It's got all your B vitamins. Many the meateaters are lacking since their cows are no longer grass fed. Poor saps... It's one of those things you can't over do with.
6.) Those who became vegans (not born vegans). How did you help yourself change? Any tips?
I went vegan for Lent. Total overhaul for 40 days. I felt so much better on the other end.
PS: Dear Ford, we have the teeth and intestines of vegetarians.
The only one I can help with is the vegan cheese. I recommend Vegan Gourmet - mozzarella.
I make my own pizza at home and although I am not a vegan, I have dairy allergies (here in the US). It melts like dairy cheese and tastes like cheese, but does not have the same stringy, rubbery texture (in a sense I miss that). However, compared to ordinary buffalo mozzarella - it has more of a cheesy flavoUr.
Also to make sure that you are eating healthily - make sure that you have the usual starches - bread, rices, grains. Proteins from - tofu, lentils and other pulses. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, dairy or "fake" dairy from enriched soy milk/yoghurts, and some fats (again, soy based), try and get intake of omega-3 as well, this can be found in olive oil for example. Oh, and don't forget nuts!!!
I am a born vegetarian too. Hindu up bringing! I turned vegan on my B’day in Dec 2007.
Big tip: Make sure you have pre made foods with you, or things you can eat, so you are not hungry and have nothing to eat. Keep dried fruit and nuts with you. Eating out , is bit more different, but its just matter of getting used to. -
1.) I consumed the things I ready had, but slowly they ran out. I just stopped buying new dairy foods, and I eat more fruits and veggies.
2.) Veganomicon. Its great. I am cooking at home more and its all very cool and healthy! My skin is really glowing lately. There are more books, but I have not bought them yet.
3.) Soy, cheese is good, you have to experiment to see what you like.
4.) Go to a wholefood store, or organic place and check out the selection.
5.) Spinach, I think that has a great deal of protein and iron. I have been drinking almond milk, but really I have not “had to take anything”. I am fine.
6.) The first few days were a bit weird, like I was jazzed to be doing this, but scared. Then, I learnt that all can still have all my old fav. Foods but I had search and use alternative. No biggy!
for point number 5: Quiona. it is a grain, but it is very high in protein. It is very nutritious and so easy to prepare. You simply rinse it and cook it up like you would cook rice. You can use it all the recipes that you would use rice. Also check out the PC Blue Menu "meatless" meats at Superstore (Loblaws) if you have one in your area. They really do taste different from the standard "fake meats". They are great to bring to BBQ or if you feel like having a "chicken breast" without eating the real meat. Doesn't taste like meat, but has a great taste and texture and you can cook, grill, broil, etc it.
Point number 3) Soy cheese, once put into dishes like lasagna, or sandwiches, tastes pretty "real". Most soy cheese has casein, which is a milk protein, but you can get some without that.
Point number 6) I went cold turkey (vegetarian to vegan) until got preggers. (I couldn't stand soy while pregnant so I went back to eating eggs). Even now (no longer preggers) I only eat an egg now and then or a slice of cheese when at a restaurant. I constantly tried new recipes to keep myself from getting in a rut. It was fun to discover new foods. Consider ethnic foods. Indian, Mediterranean, etc have some great vegan dishes.
1) With dairy you just have to stick it out. Casein is addictive but you'll get past that in time.
2) Check out "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina for thorough coverage of vegan nutrition, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living" for a wide variety of info, "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandr Moskowitz and "Veganomicon" by Isa and Terry Hope Romero for great recipe ideas. Isa's website is http://www.theppk.com and has recipes, a forum and links to her and Terry's public access vegan cooking show.
3) Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet is OK (it melts, anyway.) But I haven't been wowed by any of them. I just don't eat cheese.
4) Don't know because I don't drink coffee or tea
5) Pretty much all nutrients are found in more than one food. Just make sure you're getting a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes. B12 is the only nutrient that you need to supplement, but there are fortified foods that have it as well.
6) For me it was just about making the right decision at the right time. Once I knew it was what I was committed to, it was easy. Sorry - that's not very helpful!
I would suggest substituting soy, rice, cashew, almond, or hemp milk for cow milk. Silk also makes a soy creamer.
Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet "Cheeses" are supposed to be fairly good - melted on other foods. I've also heard Sheese is good but I haven't had the chance to try it yet.
Books:
- Animal Liberation by Peter Singer: I highly recommend this book. I was previously a lacto-vegetarian, only occasionally eating dairy - but after Animal Liberation, I couldn't fathom ever eating dairy (or any other animal products) again.
- Becoming Vegan: Good nutritional guide for vegans.
- Vegan with a Vegeance & Veganomicon: Two great cookbooks.
After being confronted with the reality of the dairy industry, I couldn't eat dairy anymore. If I had a craving, I would just read a passage of Animal Liberation or look at some of my vegan brochures. It's all about self-control and compassion.
1.) I was not born vegetarian (I envy you) but gave it all up at once. No shock to the system. I felt energized. You'll get over any cravings or habits.
2.) Um... Becoming Vegan by Vesanto, American Vegetarian Cookbook by Marlyn Diamond, pcrm.org, earthsave.org, books by Dr. Michael Klaper, ... there are tonnes of vegan books these days.
3.) I just tried Scheese and it was good. It's not a N. American melting cheese, it's a European spreading cheese.
4.) I never use any creamers... for coffee you mean...? Haven't a clue, go to the health-food store.
5.) Well, fresh organic whole fruits, veggies, grains, etc. Flax oil. Nutritional yeast. No vitamin pills - spirulina instead (if you don't get enough veggies etc.). ... variety variety variety... try it all... korean, japanese, indian, iranian, russian...
6.) I had no probs with the change. Doing lots of intensive exercise at the time I think was key to this and my body reacted very well and said, "more more!" I totally flipped my lifestyle upside down in the span of a week, so... I had to teach myself to cook, did lots of experiments, created my own recipes, just throw things together and see what happens. Looked to other cultures for lots of information, tips, ideas, recipes, techniques... Basically people born and raised in N. America generally do not know how to cook at all. They watch all these horrible stupid cooking shows on TV and still don't know how to cook.
Oh, and start a garden. This is the most important thing. Read One Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka (can get if free on the net) http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary... It's an older version out of print now, but free pdf book. Just do as it says, fill out the form, then when it asks if you want to make a donation, say "no thanks" and get your book.
Look around for organic seeds, order some, get started gardening...
Extremely awesome you were born vegetarian, and even more so that you plan to go vegan!
1.) How do I progress slowly without shocking my system? You can go instantly, you definitely will not *shock your system*. For some cravings are a normal part of transition (for others do not even get cravings). There a plenty of milk substitutes out there such as soy, hemp, rice, oat, & almond.
2.) Are there any good books or websites you can recommend for changing to a vegan lifestyle?
Yes, some great sites are: veganpeace.blogspot.com & the top sites listed there.
And some great books include:
The China Study, Veganomicon, Vegan Freak Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living, Vegan Planet, & Skinny *****.
http://astore.amazon.com/thvebl-20?%5Fen...
3.) . Are there good alternatives to cheese?
To me the best cheese alternative is cheese sauces made with nutritional yeast. Also Vegan Gourmet by FYH is good when melted. I hear Cheezly & Sheese are also good but they are difficult to find in the US.
4.) Are there any good creamers?
Nestle is not even vegan. But vegan creamers include Westsoy Crème de la Soy & Silk Original Creamer.
5.) What are some foods that I must definitely incorporate to maintain good health?
Water, fruits especially berries, dried fruits, pears, bananas, tropical fruits, & watermelon, vegetables especially kelp, kale, dried nori, spirulina, peas, broccoli, potato (with peel), & dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach, nuts (especially walnuts & almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, etc), beans (black, pinto, baked, kidney, etc), seeds (especially flaxseeds, but also sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, hemp, etc), soy products (tofu, TVP, tempeh, fortified soy milk, miso, etc.), pulses, whole grains, quinoa, seiten, nutritional yeast, cereals, chickpea, seaweed, lentils, wheat germ, & vegetable, hemp, and flaxseed oils. Dairy & meat substitutes are optional but sometimes good to include.
6.) How did you help yourself change?
I just researched about the vegan diet, learned what happened to cows in the diary industry and eliminated the animals products from my diet and replaced them with non animal products. I was a vegetarian for 7 years before becoming a vegan (last year).
Vegan nutrition:
http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2008/02/v...
Sites to check out for grocery shopping & foods:
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/eat.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_veg...
http://www.vegcooking.com/
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=07groce...
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
Hope I helped, and good luck to you!
1) Well, you have to do what works for you--phase out dairy and eggs or just one day stop eating it.
2) "Skinny B!tch" is cute and will explain why dairy is so bad. If you don't mind a little salty language, you may like this. Sarah Kramer's cookbooks also have some awesome tips.
3) I was never a cheese freak, so it was no big sacrifice for me to not eat it anymore. The only thing I miss is really good cheese pizza. Follow Your Heart just doesn't do it for me--the restaurants around here that serve it practically liquefy the stuff.
4) I don't drink coffee, and when I drink tea, it's with sugar only, so I really can't help you there.
5) You're a vegetarian; you should know healthy foods to eat! Fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts! But you can check out "Being Vegetarian for Dummies," and it will tell you what foods are good.
6) I was in my 30s when I went vegetarian, and I went vegan within a few months. I just got so disgusted with eating meat, that vegetarianism seemed right. And when I learned of the dairy/veal connection and how hens kept for their eggs are treated, I felt going vegan was a moral imperative.
In general, I commend that vegans concentrate their attention on the most obvious animal ingredients, instead of getting bogged down by reading lists for every possible animal-derived ingredient. My experience has been that many vegans burn out because they are worn down by the details, missing the true meaning of veganism.
ISN'T IT HARD TO GO VEGAN?
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It can be, especially if you hold yourself to too high a standard. But the important thing is to make changes you feel comfortable with, at your own pace. While reducing your consumption of animal products completely may be ideal, any reduction is a step in the right direction. The vegan lifestyle is an ongoing progression. Everyone should go at their own pace and remember that all steps towards veganism are positive. It is most important to focus on avoiding the products for which animals are bred and slaughtered. Animal by-products will exist as long as there is a demand for primary meat and dairy products. When it comes to avoiding items that contain small amounts of by-products, vegans must decide for themselves where to draw the line. Some vegans will adjust their level of abstinence according to the circumstances. For example, as a consumer, you might make sure the bread you buy is not made with whey; but as a dinner guest, you may accept bread without asking to see the ingredients. These types of compromises can actually hasten the spread of veganism, in that they help counter the attitude that it's very hard to be vegan.
mmmm....i'm sure enjoying this bacon im eating........
life without meat = hell
No one is a born vegetarian. If you will look at your teeth, you will see evidence that we are "born" to eat what ever is handy, be it fruits and nuts ,or meat , or greens........But if you "choose" to eat vegan, good luck and enjoy.