# Any Vegans Here?



## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

I am not a vegan. I have heard a lot about veganism. I have read articles online and watched videos on Youtube about people who have switched to veganism and they have all said that in addition to losing weight and improving their health, their moods have improved. Of course, these were all pro-animal rights PETA freaks. A lot of this stuff I read on animal rights websites. 

I know that meat gives us protein and fatty acids and vitamin B12. In this day and age though, you can easily take supplements to get those vitamins. In the past, like in the cave days, this was not an option because vitamin supplements were not around and you basically had to eat what you could get. 

I know that there is nothing wrong with eating meat, however in this day and age the meat is full of harmful stuff. Chemicals, growth hormones, etc.

If I gave up meat and maybe even dairy, it would be for my health, not because I think it is immoral to eat meat. Because there is nothing wrong with eating meat. It is not immoral or some other dumb ****.

Getting sidetracked, vegans also claim to have better moods than meat eaters. This is interesting to me because I want to combat anxiety and depression in any way that I can. Although, they claim to have better moods, a lot of them are kind of stuck up and self-righteous thinking they have some sort of willpower that meat-eaters lack. :roll

Well, any thoughts?


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## googleamiable (Jun 5, 2009)

i am. why did you start this topic then go on to equate vegans with freaks, and dismiss the idea of animal rights and ethical objection to eating meat as "dumb ****"?

to answer your question, it's good for your health. i've never taken any supplements, and you need less protein than you think in your diet. B12 is fortified in a number of foods,so theres nothing to worry about.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't think too many vegans are going to want to answer your questions after what you've said.


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## libertad (Apr 12, 2011)

lol what the... stuck up and self-righteous? ... that's your opinion man..I think its morally wrong to eat meat in this age when you can easily buy vegan replacements...
Im a vegan..I've never taken any supplements and have been healthy for two years now. 

advice dude... quit stereotyping and google it... sheesh


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

I'm going to take this off topic without apologizing for it.  To the folks that responded, you mentioned not taking any supplements. I've had some recent issues with anaemia (low iron) as I just don't eat a lot of meat. I took iron supplements to get better and spoke to a vegan friend and she explained she avoids anaemia and other deficiencies by taking vitamins and supplements. I'm a big fan of spinach but typically have it with some dairy product (cream cheese, etc). I've been told the iron binds with the calcium which is probably why I got sick. Do you eat particular iron-rich foods to avoid this or just consciously avoid combining the two? Supplements are a pricey way to go.

OP: Don't get stuck on generalizations. I know the sort of vegan you're talking about but there are two sides to every story. A vegan puts up with a lot of flack. Some get defensive, some too defensive. Others shrug it off. Unfortunately you can't pigeonhole someone based on what they eat. If the research you're finding tells you it's healthier and you like what you read, why not try it? Worst case scenario, after a few months you notice nothing and go back to how you originally ate.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

Spinach isn't great for iron, even though it has a good amount, because it also has a lot of oxalic acid and calcium.

If I eat plenty of legumes and vegetables my iron levels are okay, but I don't eat dairy. I was anemic as a teenager when I didn't eat during the week and ate mostly white bread and fruit on the weekends.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

carambola said:


> If I eat a good amount of legumes and vegetables my iron levels are okay. I was anemic as a teenager when I didn't eat during the week and ate mostly white bread and fruit on the weekends.


That's what baffles me - I eat a ton of spinach but wondered if maybe combining it with dairy products just cancelled out the iron, so to speak. In the past month I consciously made sure I didn't drink almond milk or add any dairy while eating the spinach and that helped so...gosh that seems like a lot of effort to separate the food groups.


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

seafolly said:


> That's what baffles me - I eat a ton of spinach but wondered if maybe combining it with dairy products just cancelled out the iron, so to speak. In the past month I consciously made sure I didn't drink almond milk or add any dairy while eating the spinach and that helped so...gosh that seems like a lot of effort to separate the food groups.


You saw my post before I edited. I added this:


carambola said:


> Spinach isn't great for iron, even though it has a good amount, because it also has a lot of oxalic acid and calcium.


The oxalic acid binds to iron, so you can't rely on spinach even if you're not having dairy with it.


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## seafolly (Jun 17, 2010)

Haha as I was scrolling down I thought, "Was that there before? I'm totally losing it!" Whew. 

Well it looks like I'll be looking for a new go-to veggie.


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## googleamiable (Jun 5, 2009)

I don't make effort to avoid or eat anything with vitamins or stuff in mind. It's probably a miracle I'm alive at all because pretty much all I do eat is hummus, doritos and tobacco. And Soy milk to be fair, that probably fixes everything because it's fortified with everything from Vitamin A to Z.

IRON: The internet tells me that

Iron-rich foods include:


dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale
iron-fortified bread
beans
nuts
meat
apricots
prunes
raisins
and

Some foods and medicines can make it harder for your body to absorb iron. These may include:


tea and coffee
wholegrain cereals
calcium, found in dairy products such as milk
antacids (medication to help relieve indigestion)
proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which affect the production of acid in your stomach
ok it's not soy milk with that in mind. My money is on it being nuts, I like to eat a few fairly regularly, im sure they're packed full of all sorts of good stuff, apparantly including iron.


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## introverted loner (Dec 28, 2011)

I could never go on a vegan diet. I'm a meat eater.


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## andy1984 (Aug 18, 2006)

komorikun said:


> I don't think too many vegans are going to want to answer your questions after what you've said.


yeah i'm siding with the other angrified vegans. although i see your point - you think its moral to eat meat, i don't and you're a moral absolutist on this issue. i'm not the strictest vegan, i'd say i'm 85% committed (your statement made me 85% angrified).

i went to a raw food meetup group once - i've never seen a group of older people look so young before. creepy. as long as you maintain some unhealthy eating habits while being vegan i've found you can avoid the creepiness of being over-healthy. eat too many nuts. eat vegan lollies (yum). ignore things like B12 and iron, that's for fools! eat massive portion sizes.


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## googleamiable (Jun 5, 2009)

andy1984 said:


> yeah i'm siding with the other angrified vegans. although i see your point - you think its moral to eat meat, i don't and you're a moral absolutist on this issue. i'm not the strictest vegan, i'd say i'm 85% committed (your statement made me 85% angrified).
> 
> i went to a raw food meetup group once - i've never seen a group of older people look so young before. creepy. as long as you maintain some unhealthy eating habits while being vegan i've found you can avoid the creepiness of being over-healthy. eat too many nuts. eat vegan lollies (yum). ignore things like B12 and iron, that's for fools! eat massive portion sizes.


we're like kindred spirits! im also a disgustingly unhealthy vegan! hi-5

altho have to edit in i had a recent blood test and no deficiencies, so even being grossly irresponsible with your vegan diet keeps you healthy


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

michael1 said:


> ok it's not soy milk with that in mind. My money is on it being nuts, I like to eat a few fairly regularly, im sure they're packed full of all sorts of good stuff, apparantly including iron.


Iron-deficiency isn't common for men. Women need more iron because of blood loss.


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## andy1984 (Aug 18, 2006)

michael1 said:


> we're like kindred spirits! im also a disgustingly unhealthy vegan! hi-5
> 
> altho have to edit in i had a recent blood test and no deficiencies, so even being grossly irresponsible with your vegan diet keeps you healthy


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## googleamiable (Jun 5, 2009)

carambola said:


> Iron-deficiency isn't common for men. Women need more iron because of blood loss.


Is that why guinness used to be recommended to pregnant Women?


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## paulyD (Feb 16, 2011)

Grapefruits said:


> I am not a vegan. I have heard a lot about veganism. I have read articles online and watched videos on Youtube about people who have switched to veganism and they have all said that in addition to losing weight and improving their health, their moods have improved. Of course, these were all pro-animal rights PETA freaks. A lot of this stuff I read on animal rights websites.
> 
> I know that meat gives us protein and fatty acids and vitamin B12. In this day and age though, you can easily take supplements to get those vitamins. In the past, like in the cave days, this was not an option because vitamin supplements were not around and you basically had to eat what you could get.
> 
> ...


hi , dont worry about your comments, im sure you didnt mean any offence and i certainly wasnt offended. i dont know why everyone is so sensitive

anyway yes im vegan. and my reasons for being vegan are health reasons only. i have absolutely no problem with killing animals and eating them. i just think a vegan lifestyle is better for my health and wellbeing. i just want to feel great, look great and live long and being vegan is helping me with all of those things.

dont read into all of these claims that a vegan diet can cause vitamin deficiencys etc.... it's all lies. theres a ligitimit answer to combat everyone of the false claims. at the end of the day the proof is in the pudding. ive tried eating meat and dairy and combining carbs with proteins in the same meal and ive suffered a lot of problems as a result. ive switched to vegan and my appearance has improved, my energy levels and mood has improved and ive suffered no deficancys or muscle loss that ''experts'' would claim to be a certainty by cutting out meat and dairy

dairy products a scam in my opinion. they claim to be the best source of calcium but dairy products are extremely acidifying foods and your body uses up its own calcium stores, by robbing it from your bones, in order to buffer the acids that dairy produces in the body. that makes dairy the worst source of calcium not the best. but dairy makes money so the goverment goes along with the scam that dairy is a great source of calcium

as for protein 1) you dont need as much as you are being told and 2) meat and dairy are NOT the best sources of protein.
protien is built from amino acids and amino acids are found in veg, fruit, nuts and seeds. you can get all of the amino acids you need from those sources, theres no need for meat or dairy. and you only need a small amount of protein. over consumption of protein acidifies the body. a human being is growing at its fastest rate when it is a baby. human nature has provided mothers breast milk for growing babys and it only contains about 3% protein. if large amounts of protein was really needed for grwoth and repair then its only fair to presume that mothers breast milk would be 50% protein or even 75% prtoein

i firstst got into veganism by l;earning that tony robbins was vegan. i started with a great book that he reconmends, fit for life by harvey diamond. and now ive moved onto robert youngs ph miracle. like i said before the proof is in the pudding. just take one look at tony robbins and you will understand what i mean. the guy is 52 this febuary and just take a look at him. he is bursting with youth and vitality. never mine his overwhelming energy levels. and lets not forget either that the guy is huge. he has a very large frame. does this guy look like he has a protein deficiency ? i think not


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## wolfeyes (Mar 30, 2011)

I'm a vegan and I'm not self-righteous or anything. I find those people really annoying, and they just end up turning people off of veganism. There's no reason to stereotype us, though. You could do that with any group of people.

It is a good idea to take vitamins if a person isn't careful. You can get all the nutrients you need, though, if you really know what you're doing. But the same goes for any kind of diet. I know meat-eaters who don't get enough of certain things, either. And, as you said, all the chemicals and hormones in meat and dairy are very harmful.

Vegans are also less prone to high cholesterol, heart disease, cancer, etc.


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## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

About 90-95% of my meals would be considered vegetarian, and I know about the problems with meat, fish, processed foods, and sugar.

My therapist years ago recommended a healthy diet of real fruits and veggies to improve your life.


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

paulyD said:


> hi , dont worry about your comments, im sure you didnt mean any offence and i certainly wasnt offended. i dont know why everyone is so sensitive
> 
> anyway yes im vegan. and my reasons for being vegan are health reasons only. i have absolutely no problem with killing animals and eating them. i just think a vegan lifestyle is better for my health and wellbeing. i just want to feel great, look great and live long and being vegan is helping me with all of those things.
> 
> ...


Thanks! The problem with going vegan is that I love cheese, yogurt, and meat. I have switched to non-dairy milk like soy, almond, rice, or coconut and use that with my cereal. I've been doing that for the past year or so. I've also been making switches when it comes to meat, such as eating turkey sausages or turkey bologna instead of pork or beef. I only eat beef or pork no more than once a week. Instead of eating ice-cream full of saturated fat I switched to yogurt. However, I love tuna fish and shrimp and cheese. This whole thing will take time. Even if I can't become vegan, I can definitely reduce the amount of animal products I eat. Like, not eating meat in more than one meal a day and only having pork or beef on the weekends or one day a week, only having one dairy product a day.


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

Classified said:


> About 90-95% of my meals would be considered vegetarian, and I know about the problems with meat, fish, processed foods, and sugar.
> 
> My therapist years ago recommended a healthy diet of real fruits and veggies to improve your life.


So have a diet of mostly fruits and veggies and only meat, fish, processed foods, and sugar in moderation? I don't think we can all give up all of those things. I think we would be miserable and feel deprived.


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

carambola said:


> Spinach isn't great for iron, even though it has a good amount, because it also has a lot of oxalic acid and calcium.
> 
> If I eat plenty of legumes and vegetables my iron levels are okay, but I don't eat dairy. I was anemic as a teenager when I didn't eat during the week and ate mostly white bread and fruit on the weekends.


You didn't eat AT ALL during the week?


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## sansd (Mar 22, 2006)

Grapefruits said:


> You didn't eat AT ALL during the week?


I was at school from 6am to 10pm. They didn't really sell any vegan food at the school. I never had time to eat in the mornings and was too tired to make anything when I got home, so I only ate anything during the few hours I had between my seventh period class and diving practice. I'd walk to the store and get a basket of cherry tomatoes or a bag of carrots or an apple or something. Sometimes my mom would bring me a sub that was basically a salad on bread, but that was the most substantial thing I ever ate during the week. I was constantly exhausted and ended up changing schools to get out of that schedule.


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

carambola said:


> I was at school from 6am to 10pm. They didn't really sell any vegan food at the school. I never had time to eat in the mornings and was too tired to make anything when I got home, so I only ate anything during the few hours I had between my seventh period class and diving practice. I'd walk to the store and get a basket of cherry tomatoes or a bag of carrots or an apple or something. Sometimes my mom would bring me a sub that was basically a salad on bread, but that was the most substantial thing I ever ate during the week. I was constantly exhausted and ended up changing schools to get out of that schedule.


Wow...you were probably so malnourished, sleep deprived, and over-worked.


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## Classified (Dec 7, 2004)

Grapefruits said:


> So have a diet of mostly fruits and veggies and only meat, fish, processed foods, and sugar in moderation? I don't think we can all give up all of those things. I think we would be miserable and feel deprived.


The only reason it feels like being deprived is because fast food (aka easy food) doesn't qualify for the most part. Even going around the grocery store, there is a shorter list of what you can eat compared to all of the stuff you shouldn't eat.

It might not kill you today, but it is like a calculus problem. Small amounts add up over time and become big problems.


























And the cheap diet of sodium rich foods does cause problems. I ate quite a bit of fast food and food from a can when I didn't have a lot of money, but it made me feel pretty bad after a while.


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

Classified said:


> The only reason it feels like being deprived is because fast food (aka easy food) doesn't qualify for the most part. Even going around the grocery store, there is a shorter list of what you can eat compared to all of the stuff you shouldn't eat.
> 
> It might not kill you today, but it is like a calculus problem. Small amounts add up over time and become big problems.
> 
> ...


I did notice that. I thought I was the only one. I always feel sluggish after eating fast food. Like, sleepy. I used to eat fast food multiple times a week and I took a lot of naps. I don't eat fast food that much anymore. Maybe once every two to three weeks. And I haven't taken a nap during the day in a long time!


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## ryobi (Jan 13, 2009)

Hitler was a Vegetarian....

I don't eat pork and I rarely eat beaf, but I eat turkey, chicken and seafood


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## googleamiable (Jun 5, 2009)

ryobi said:


> Hitler was a Vegetarian....


that wouldn't be relevant if it were true, and as it happens he wasn't a vegetarian


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## paulyD (Feb 16, 2011)

Grapefruits said:


> Thanks! The problem with going vegan is that I love cheese, yogurt, and meat. I have switched to non-dairy milk like soy, almond, rice, or coconut and use that with my cereal. I've been doing that for the past year or so. I've also been making switches when it comes to meat, such as eating turkey sausages or turkey bologna instead of pork or beef. I only eat beef or pork no more than once a week. Instead of eating ice-cream full of saturated fat I switched to yogurt. However, I love tuna fish and shrimp and cheese. This whole thing will take time. Even if I can't become vegan, I can definitely reduce the amount of animal products I eat. Like, not eating meat in more than one meal a day and only having pork or beef on the weekends or one day a week, only having one dairy product a day.


what you will probably find is that once youve made the switch to vegan your love of meat cheese yoghurt etc... will begin to diminish and in the end you will no longer crave them. it just takes a bit of time. adjusting to the new diet can be a bit of a struggle at first and there will be cravings but once youve fully adjusted its like your whole tastes and desires have been rearanged

like you said it may be best to just gradually cut down on these things week by week instead of trying to chage everything at once

when i first started out what i did was, for 3 months, i just had lots of fruit in the morning. i'd eat fruit from the time i'd wake up until about 11.30am. usually i'd eat fruit 3 times during the morning. i'd usually have a full pineapple or 2 bananas then later on have 2 apples and then after that either have half a pack of grapes or a full pack of blueberries.
dinner at 12.30am would be protein+veg & salad. that would mostly mean almonds with brocoli, peas and salad. 
then tea would be around 5.30pm and would consist of carbs+ fat & salad. so i'd usually have steamed potatoes, avacado, tomato, udo's oil and salad.

now though i dont have fruit at all except for grapefruit, lemon and lime. meals just consists of lots and lots of green salad and veg combined with either protein (almonds, pumpkin seeds etc...) or carbs & fat (steamed potatoes, avacado, udo's oil etc...)

it would have been hard to cut the fruit out straight away so what i did was kept the fruit for 3 months whilst getting rid of the other stuff like meat and dairy. then after the 3 months, when i was used to no meat and dairy, i could concentrate on eliminating the fruit


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

paulyD said:


> what you will probably find is that once youve made the switch to vegan your love of meat cheese yoghurt etc... will begin to diminish and in the end you will no longer crave them. it just takes a bit of time. adjusting to the new diet can be a bit of a struggle at first and there will be cravings but once youve fully adjusted its like your whole tastes and desires have been rearanged
> 
> like you said it may be best to just gradually cut down on these things week by week instead of trying to chage everything at once
> 
> ...


Wow, so no sweets, no salad dressings, etc.? Sounds rough. I know they make vegan ice cream made from coconut milk or almond milk.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

Vegan diets are not healthy. They cause deficiencies of so many things ! You don't have to eat a lb. of steak daily either. Just have lots of fruits and veggies (low calories) and some animal fat and protein. If you think being vegan protects you from cancer, think again.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142427.php


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## paulyD (Feb 16, 2011)

Beggiatoa said:


> Vegan diets are not healthy. They cause deficiencies of so many things ! You don't have to eat a lb. of steak daily either. Just have lots of fruits and veggies (low calories) and some animal fat and protein. If you think being vegan protects you from cancer, think again.
> 
> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142427.php


all lies. dont beleive them. vegan diets do NOT create deficiencies. dont fall for the scam

the so called ''experts'' would have you beleive that you need dairy for calcium and that a vegan diet can lead to a calcium deficiency. but it's the EXACT OPPOSITE. dairy creates acid in the body and your body uses its own stores of calcium from your own bones to neutrilise the acid. you can get enough calcium from seeds and its easily absorbable by the body cos it doesnt come with acid

youve got more chance of having a calcium deficiency by consuming dairy. dairy is a multimillion dollar industry. the goverment will tell you absolutely anything , any lie no matter how destructive to your health , just as long as they are making money from you

the proof is in the pudding. try vegan and see what happens to your health. try eating meat and dairy and see what happens to your health


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## nbtac41 (Nov 13, 2011)

im a vegetarian..i follow the advise of my church (seventh-day adventist) and the bible..
seventh-day adventists are one of the longest life expectancy in the world

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/what-adventists-mean-to-you

http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/longevity-hot-spots


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

paulyD said:


> all lies. dont beleive them. vegan diets do NOT create deficiencies. dont fall for the scam
> 
> the so called ''experts'' would have you beleive that you need dairy for calcium and that a vegan diet can lead to a calcium deficiency. but it's the EXACT OPPOSITE. dairy creates acid in the body and your body uses its own stores of calcium from your own bones to neutrilise the acid. you can get enough calcium from seeds and its easily absorbable by the body cos it doesnt come with acid
> 
> ...


Read it yourself from a former Vegan who went on to make a career out of cholesterol research. Yes, eating meat and dairy acidifies the body, but this is why you consume potassium and calcium rich foods like fruits and veggies. This is balance out the acid load of animal foods. Consider it a fail safe device engineered by nature.

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Vegetarianism.html

Vegan diets also create deficiencies for:

Lysine (which causes anxiety when low)
Leucine (decreases protein synthesis when low)
Choline (needed to make acetylcholine)
B12 (bacteria in your colon make lots of it but it doesn't get absorb 
because the colon doesn't absorb anything but water!)
Uridine (found in organ meats)
Omega-3
Iodine
ALL the fat soluble vitamins specially Vitamin A, D, K2 (which you only get from animals.)

Not to mention that it can shrink your brain and forces you to depend on grains to get the majority of your calories! I mean, a whole head of broccoli only has roughly 500 calories. A 5 lb. bag of spinach has 100 calories. That means you'll be hungry most of the day!

http://www.asylum.com/2008/09/15/a-vegertarian-diet-shrinks-the-brain/


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## Olesya (May 8, 2011)

I am vegan and though I switched my diets not too long ago, I think i start noticing that my mood is getting better and my depression is lifting. so it wouldn't hurt you to try going vegan for some time, and if you'd like it, you can continue


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## bn4now (Jan 5, 2012)

Not quite vegan. I have been lacto vegetarian since 1998 and it feels right to me. I might eat vegan meals, usually at least one a day, but I still eat cheese sometimes. Alot of foods, especially natural food products, are fortified with stuff like iron, calcium, zinc, b12. One thing that I think is important is to eat fruit by itself, so it can digest by itself. Fruit, especially apples, is a good source or boron which we need to absorb calcium. 

So basically I eat alot of whole grains, beans, rice, and many different vegetables. And I don't really worry about getting enough nutrients.


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## Addler (Apr 28, 2011)

Really? Page 2 of a thread, and someone's already throwing Hitler around? As another poster pointed out, Hitler wasn't a vegetarian. And if he were, that doesn't make vegetarians little Hitlers by association. 

The ONLY dietary deficiency linked with veganism is B12, and that takes YEARS to become deficient. And once it gets low, it's easy to supplement; it's in energy drinks, for crying out loud.

I've been vegan for nearly four years, and I'm better off than I've ever been. I haven't lost a ton of weight or shrivelled up into a shell. I'm stronger than I was, more active, I take better care of myself because I'm thinking about what I eat, and I don't have to worry about those yearly panicked meat recalls.


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## beethoven (Jan 17, 2011)

1 - Nobody likes being sick and miserable.
2 - The number of vegans is dramatically increasing.

So using simple logic you will find that most vegans are happy and healthy. Of course, people who have never tried (or properly tried) a vegan diet will have lots of bad things to say about it, specially the ones who think their life styles are threatened by it. But logic mandates that we take the opinions of people who actually experienced both diets more seriously than of those who experienced only one diet.

I became vegan for ethical reasons 7 years ago and the health benefits came as a surprise. Before that, I used to have colds 3 or 4 times every year, where I wouldn't be able to get out of home for a few days. In these last 7 years I have had 4 mild colds and all my blood work results are perfect (including b12). I also felt a significant improvement in energy levels after the first few weeks. Digestion became easier and constipation stopped being a problem. It's also good to know that I won't die from heart disease like most North Americans. But don't take my word for it, do your own research and experiments. I recommend a documentary called Forks Over Knives and the China Study book.

Health is not a major concern in my life and I don't usually get out of my way to eat the healthiest foods. My diet consists of beans, lentils, rice (brown and white), potatoes, nuts, pasta, fruits, almond chocolate milk, chocolate, ice cream and occasionally some type of mock meat. I hardly ever eat raw greens, that's something I have to get better at.

I've never had any problems gaining muscle mass on this diet. If you are one of the few people who still believe you need animal foods to build muscles, again, don't take my word for it, take a look at www.veganbodybuilding.com to see how many vegans are competing professionally.

Oh and if you think that eating meat in a capitalist system (where profit is always the end goal) is not wrong -when you have so many other options available- you may want to watch Earthlings  and reevaluate what the word "wrong" means to you.


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

Ventura said:


> I'm vegan. I've bee vegan sense I was 12 years old!
> 
> At the age of 7 I went to being a veggie... and worked Dairy and eggs out of my diet.... Been 6 years but I still crave cheese, ugh lol....


Oh my Gosh...I didn't even know about veganism until I was 16 years old.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)




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## kirbyisawesome (Jan 25, 2012)

I was looking at all of the foods in my panty and the Kashi cereal I eat has plenty of b12 in it for the mornings. I'm assumung all cereals have b12 in it though.


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## candiedsky (Aug 7, 2011)

I am vegan and I agree that a lot of vegans are stuck up.
But you'd have to be vegan to really understand how it works. I live with my meat-eating family and I treat every carcass-encrusted dirty dish that I have to wash as a poisonous substance. Once you've been vegan for long enough it just makes sense. It's normal to not eat animal products. And when I see other people buying bags of frozen chicken wings in the grocery store along with a lifetime supply of "Muscle Milk', I almost laugh. I can see why omnivorous people may feel inferior or that they're 'looked down upon' by vegans, but it's not so much a NEGATIVE association as it is just a completely different way of life.


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## Melinda (Feb 5, 2009)

I am currently making the switch from vegetarian to vegan. With the exception of one type of protein bar, all animal products are out of my diet. It's not that difficult to do and I feel a lot better as a result. As soon as I find a vegan protein source that I can eat on the go, I'll be 100% there. 

Since I committed to being vegan I have only told a few people, most of them have just stared at me. A few have asked "how are you going to be healthy on such a restrictive diet?" They asked me that when I became vegetarian at age 15. When I eat animal products, I feel bad both mentally and physically. I don't want to subject myself to that when I have the knowledge and the ability to choose a better alternative.


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

candiedsky said:


> I am vegan and I agree that a lot of vegans are stuck up.
> But you'd have to be vegan to really understand how it works. I live with my meat-eating family and I treat every carcass-encrusted dirty dish that I have to wash as a poisonous substance. Once you've been vegan for long enough it just makes sense. It's normal to not eat animal products. And when I see other people buying bags of frozen chicken wings in the grocery store along with a lifetime supply of "Muscle Milk', I almost laugh. I can see why omnivorous people may feel inferior or that they're 'looked down upon' by vegans, but it's not so much a NEGATIVE association as it is just a completely different way of life.


You sound very stuck-up. Seeing other people buying meat makes you want to laugh? You treat any plate that had meat on it as some poisonous substance?

If being vegan means thinking the way you do, then maybe I'll reconsider.


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## candiedsky (Aug 7, 2011)

Grapefruits said:


> You sound very stuck-up. Seeing other people buying meat makes you want to laugh? You treat any plate that had meat on it as some poisonous substance?
> 
> If being vegan means thinking the way you do, then maybe I'll reconsider.


Again, it's a vegan thing you wouldn't understand. It's like an allergy, if you were allergic to peanuts, would you be so eager and willing to scrub out an empty jar of peanut butter? Coming from someone who would 'reconsider' veganism, a completely life-changing decision, on account of one stranger's take on it, I think I've proven my point. Do you really think every vegan is like me? No. As a matter of fact, I am not stuck-up, but I could be if I wanted to. I rarely if EVER mention that I'm vegan to other people upon meeting them. It's not something I am proud or ashamed of, but my reluctance to say that I'm vegan is rooted because of people like YOU, who automatically assume all vegans are self-righteous dickheads.


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## She (Jun 30, 2010)

Well, yeah, I'm vegan and have been for about 6 years now. I would say my depression has been singificantly more manageable since I became vegan, but I don't know if it's necessarily causative or if its just that my life is generally more awesome now.

As a side note, I do kind of get what the person above is saying about seeing meat etc as a "poisonous substance" although that maybe makes it sound a bit crazier than it is. Because I haven't eaten any of that stuff in so long, it doesn't really seem like food to me - any more than if you saw, I don't know, a finger in the middle of your salad. It's not food, it's a human finger and it's kind of gross that it is sitting on your plate. That is basically how I feel about meat. That said, I have been travelling for a while lately and while I do specify when I order food that I don't want this this and this, if I forgot something (like if I say no eggs, but then I get a salad with a dressing which possibly has mayo in it) or if I am given soup which questionably has broth or something in it, I usually just eat it anyway (or try to eat around it, if possible. that said, if its big chunks of meat or fish I wouldn't do that because the juice that comes off it grosses me out). I really think being vegan is about doing the best you can to avoid animal products, more than purity, which is why the poison analogy kind of creeps me out. 

Anyway that was incredibly rambly but I hope it makes some sense! I'm glad to help if you have more questions or anything though, when I went vegan I didn't know anyone else that was vegan and it was a bit difficult at first to deal with other people's responses, etc.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

candiedsky said:


> Again, it's a vegan thing you wouldn't understand. It's like an allergy, if you were allergic to peanuts, would you be so eager and willing to scrub out an empty jar of peanut butter? Coming from someone who would 'reconsider' veganism, a completely life-changing decision, on account of one stranger's take on it, I think I've proven my point. Do you really think every vegan is like me? No. As a matter of fact, I am not stuck-up, but I could be if I wanted to. I rarely if EVER mention that I'm vegan to other people upon meeting them. It's not something I am proud or ashamed of, but my reluctance to say that I'm vegan is rooted because of people like YOU, who automatically assume all vegans are self-righteous dickheads.


The longer that I'm vegetarian the more grossed out I get by meat. Sometimes my roommate will cook meat or heat up her takeout (fried chicken) in the toaster oven. The smell is so foul, like the smell of death. She had the gall the other day to complain about how stinky it was when I made curry with tons of onions. I pointed out to her that she doesn't open up the windows long enough when she cooks her meat but apparently curry is worse in her opinion. She also got slightly offended when I told her that it's okay to use my cutting boards but not to cut meat on them.

Actually you do see many roommate ads specifying only vegetarians or only vegans or if you do eat meat don't bring it home.



Melinda said:


> I am currently making the switch from vegetarian to vegan. With the exception of one type of protein bar, all animal products are out of my diet. It's not that difficult to do and I feel a lot better as a result. As soon as I find a vegan protein source that I can eat on the go, I'll be 100% there.
> 
> Since I committed to being vegan I have only told a few people, most of them have just stared at me. A few have asked "how are you going to be healthy on such a restrictive diet?" They asked me that when I became vegetarian at age 15. When I eat animal products, I feel bad both mentally and physically. I don't want to subject myself to that when I have the knowledge and the ability to choose a better alternative.


I'm working on that too now, gradually decreasing the dairy. I stopped using milk a while ago and am only using soy milk (mainly for coffee). I'm going to switch to soy yogurt soon and stop buying cheese.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

candiedsky said:


> I am vegan and I agree that a lot of vegans are stuck up.


At least you're not in denial about it...



> But you'd have to be vegan to really understand how it works. I live with my meat-eating family and I treat every carcass-encrusted dirty dish that I have to wash as a poisonous substance. Once you've been vegan for long enough it just makes sense. It's normal to not eat animal products. And when I see other people buying bags of frozen chicken wings in the grocery store along with a lifetime supply of "Muscle Milk', I almost laugh. I can see why omnivorous people may feel inferior or that they're 'looked down upon' by vegans, but it's not so much a NEGATIVE association as it is just a completely different way of life.


...because this post look like that of a typical stuck up vegan.

Vegans don't make us omnivores feel 'inferior', they make us laugh, and the reason for that is the typical vegan smugness and scientific ignorance, of which your post is a shining example.

Since when is it not normal to eat animal products? Are you telling me that you've never seen an animal eat another animal? SERIOUSLY? WHAT?


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## candiedsky (Aug 7, 2011)

Duke of Prunes said:


> At least you're not in denial about it...
> 
> ...because this post look like that of a typical stuck up vegan.
> 
> ...


Ahhhhha. How did I know I was going to get so much **** for this post? But I digress.

99 percent of vegans would never admit that most vegans are arrogant. But believe it or NOT, I am pretty objective when it comes to veganism. I call it like I see it.

As SOON as I tell anyone I'm vegan, I am treated differently. I don't say it snootily or in a way to suggest I'm full of myself. In fact, I prefer to avoid telling people this entirely. Why? Because non-vegans treat vegans as they assume they are: *******s. This prejudice comes from ignorance and how most vegans are portrayed on television and in movies. And just as you claim that vegans are preachy and full of themselves, I have every right to claim, from what I've experienced first-hand, that omnivores are even more arrogant. Every ****ing time; "PETA: People Eating Tasty Animals."

"I bet you're pretty weak, since you don't get enough protein!"

I have heard every single comeback in every amateur argument I've ever been in with someone who eats meat. And it's always the same.

And, see, that's where you're wrong. The inferiority complex is SO OBVIOUS in every omnivore that knows I'm vegan. I can say absolutely nothing against meat-eaters, and they feel personally attacked. They honestly think all vegans are out to preach them to death about how veganism is the 'healthier, more evolved choice.' I don't give two ****s about what other people eat. If you eat meat, then leave it on your plate, don't try to shove some strange pride in my face about your food choices, and you can expect the exact same response from me.

As for vegans who really go overboard an DO preach and DO shove their pretentiousness in other people's faces, I can't speak for them. But I understand it. It's a broken record, but it's true: y*ou would not understand how a vegan thinks unless you are one. *Everyone else's opinion of vegans is purely a spectator's thoughts. Even I can see how ludicrous we may seem in today's society. But I don't impose MY views on other people, which may seem rare, but, 'tis true.

When I said it was normal to not eat animal products, I meant as a _vegan. _Over time, it just feels NORMAL. Of course, if you put it up against the standard human's diet, then it may seem strange. But as a five-year vegan, I don't think twice about not eating animal products. It is normal _to me._ That is what I meant, and - surprise! Another omnivore takes it as a personal attack. That is not what I meant at all.

Being vegan is about causing the least amount of harm possible. That is why I avoid eating animal products. If you see it as preachy and annoying and overly factual, blah blah blah, then I'm sorry you feel that way. Some vegans who go vandalize slaughterhouses and hold scientists as hostages aren't spokespeople for every vegan. In fact, they're in the minority of vegans. But you would never know that because of how everyone blows up veganism as extremely retarded and 'urban' whatever.

And I'm sure you're rolling your eyes and thinking of some smart-*** comebacks. But I don't care.


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## philosophy (Oct 15, 2010)

I think that I would quite literally go insane if a totalitarian government suddenly forbid meat, and I could never again enjoy the sweet, succulent taste of a medium rare steak! :um


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

philosophy said:


> I think that I would quite literally go insane if a totalitarian government suddenly forbid meat, and I could never again enjoy the sweet, succulent taste of a medium rare steak! :um


Sounds like your life is pretty worthless then....


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

veggieboards.com is a great veg/vegan froum by the way


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## philosophy (Oct 15, 2010)

Donnie in the Dark said:


> Sounds like your life is pretty worthless then....


It was supposed to be a comment made half jokingly, but I understand internet sarcasm often fails...


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

Donnie in the Dark said:


> Sounds like your life is pretty worthless then....


How so?


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

I would not want to go vegan because of moral reasons. I see nothing wrong with eating animals. However, many animals now are given hormones and fed things that they should not eat and this could affect our health. 

I would have no problem maybe eating unprocessed grass-fed meats, but I just wanted some info on personal improvements that vegans have noticed, if at all. Not what some website says, but what you have actually EXPERIENCED. 

I have heard that going vegan can improve your mood and acne. This is a big motivator for me but I have read other sites which claim that this is false. I wanted personal accounts from vegans.


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## philosophy (Oct 15, 2010)

Grapefruits said:


> However, many animals now are given hormones and fed things that they should not eat and this could affect our health.


And many fruits and vegetables are sprayed with a myriad of different pesticides which probably aren't too good for us, either. Pros and cons with just about everything.


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## Melinda (Feb 5, 2009)

Grapefruits said:


> I would not want to go vegan because of moral reasons. I see nothing wrong with eating animals. However, many animals now are given hormones and fed things that they should not eat and this could affect our health.
> 
> I would have no problem maybe eating unprocessed grass-fed meats, but I just wanted some info on personal improvements that vegans have noticed, if at all. Not what some website says, but what you have actually EXPERIENCED.
> *
> I have heard that going vegan can improve your mood and acne*. This is a big motivator for me but I have read other sites which claim that this is false. I wanted personal accounts from vegans.


Going vegan has definitely helped boost my mood and energy. I'm not sure about the acne though I would believe it. Also I don't overeat as much as I once did. Once I get full, I stop eating. When I ate dairy products, I would want to keep eating even after I had a perfectly normal serving and should have been full...Not sure if this is because of the switch but it is something I've noticed.


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## jane dough (Jan 19, 2012)

Duke of Prunes said:


> At least you're not in denial about it...
> 
> ...because this post look like that of a typical stuck up vegan.
> 
> ...


this is why i don't discuss my diet with meat eaters. it is not being stuck up, it is about understanding what you are eating and being disgusted by it; TOTALLY understandable. can i bring religion into this, how about thou shalt not kill? also i don't care what people eat, i'm just not going to be any part of it or perpetuate the cycle. i don't wear leather either. i am not vegan (yet) but i've been meat free for 4 or 5 years now and could never go back, i don't want to hurt something just because it "tastes good". also red meat is ****ing terrible for you. phew. rant over.


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## brycek34520 (Jan 17, 2012)

im not vegan but im vegetarian so i do eat dairy. And the reason is because i do find it morally wrong, as i don't think that the brain capacity of an organism should determine its right to live. and in todays day and age it is very easy and healthy to not eat meat. we do not need it.


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## kiirby (Oct 8, 2010)

I sympathise with vegans solely for putting up with the assumption that admitting you're a vegan is some sort of invitation for moral debate. Still, I refuse to accept that it's anything more than a personal dietary choice.


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## beethoven (Jan 17, 2011)

I don't see why thinking meat is gross means you are a stuck-up. Most people would be disturbed if they saw a cow being slaughtered in front of them and that's what comes to my mind when I see meat on a plate. 
I don't see animals as food. I don't arbitrarily compartmentalize animals into two different groups: the ones we have to love and protect, and the ones we are allowed to use and abuse to satisfy our most trivial desires. So try to imagine your reaction if you saw someone eating a cat or a dog. You would probably be grossed out, right? The only reason you are not grossed out by farm animals' meat is because you LEARNED that it is okay for them to be slaughtered (as long as you are not the one who has to do the slaughtering, of course).

Speaking of gross...


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## Grapefruits (Oct 26, 2010)

Melinda said:


> Going vegan has definitely helped boost my mood and energy. I'm not sure about the acne though I would believe it. Also I don't overeat as much as I once did. Once I get full, I stop eating. When I ate dairy products, I would want to keep eating even after I had a perfectly normal serving and should have been full...Not sure if this is because of the switch but it is something I've noticed.


Maybe the fiber and water in the fruits and vegetables have something to do with it?


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