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H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist
Any vegans in the house?
- Thread starter electronbloo
- Start date
MynameisnotDeja
Bluelight Crew
Wow interesting, I didn't know about this at all, thanks. Unfortunately super powered juicers are off my affordable list for the moment. But I may like to try this one day. I've always thought those seeds looked magical.
belarki
Bluelight Crew
*bump*
Is this the official vegan thread?
Okay so I've been lacto-ovo vegetarian for about 10 years and am thinking of giving up the eggs and dairy too. My problem is they form most of my protein intake at the moment and I'm trying to gain lean muscle mass so want to keep my protein to carb/fat ratio high. Any suggestions? Am I going to be looking at mainly nuts, beans and legumes?
Having a browse through this thread and some wiki-skimming it looks like I should be mainly concerned about vitamins D and B12, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc and iodine yeh?
Is this the official vegan thread?
Okay so I've been lacto-ovo vegetarian for about 10 years and am thinking of giving up the eggs and dairy too. My problem is they form most of my protein intake at the moment and I'm trying to gain lean muscle mass so want to keep my protein to carb/fat ratio high. Any suggestions? Am I going to be looking at mainly nuts, beans and legumes?
Having a browse through this thread and some wiki-skimming it looks like I should be mainly concerned about vitamins D and B12, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc and iodine yeh?
delta_9
Bluelighter
^Seems like you're on the right track
Males generally don't need to supplement iron though. Get some blood work done before you even buy an iron supplement. It's true that the iron in veggies is Fe3+ which is absorbed by the body less than the Fe2+ found in meat, however iron is still one few supplements that can be a literal time bomb for your body and health.
Zinc - Unless you have a deficiency, this is another supplement you can easily avoid buying. Again, some simple blood tests will provide you with an answer here. If you do need to supplement though, avoid zinc oxide. Also if you supplement too much you may end up throwing off your copper levels.
Iodine & calcium - Again I have to wonder, is there anything that leads you to believe you actually need to supplement these 2? You can likely get plenty from you diet.
Vitamin D/B12 - Definitely keep these. I use a methyl B-12 @ 1mg once per week.*
And ideally you want an oil based D3 @ 3,000 IU-4,000 IU per day.* Consider taking with 45ug-50ug of K2, they synergize quite well. This will also help with keeping your calcium levels in check.
Run a google search for a program called "CRon-O-Meter" It lets you track the nutritional content of your food. I can't recommend it enough it's been a huge help for me when I was trying to figure out what gaps I needed to fill with supplements when I turned veg.
*Not counting what I get from my daily multi.
Males generally don't need to supplement iron though. Get some blood work done before you even buy an iron supplement. It's true that the iron in veggies is Fe3+ which is absorbed by the body less than the Fe2+ found in meat, however iron is still one few supplements that can be a literal time bomb for your body and health.
Zinc - Unless you have a deficiency, this is another supplement you can easily avoid buying. Again, some simple blood tests will provide you with an answer here. If you do need to supplement though, avoid zinc oxide. Also if you supplement too much you may end up throwing off your copper levels.
Iodine & calcium - Again I have to wonder, is there anything that leads you to believe you actually need to supplement these 2? You can likely get plenty from you diet.
Vitamin D/B12 - Definitely keep these. I use a methyl B-12 @ 1mg once per week.*
And ideally you want an oil based D3 @ 3,000 IU-4,000 IU per day.* Consider taking with 45ug-50ug of K2, they synergize quite well. This will also help with keeping your calcium levels in check.
Run a google search for a program called "CRon-O-Meter" It lets you track the nutritional content of your food. I can't recommend it enough it's been a huge help for me when I was trying to figure out what gaps I needed to fill with supplements when I turned veg.
*Not counting what I get from my daily multi.
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addictivepersona
Bluelight Crew
^D3 isn't Vegan. D2 is. I know about how D3 is supposedly "more absorbable" but whatever.
The heme/non-heme iron debate always gets me. I had pretty bad anemia while eating meat. Was on numerous supplements, nothing was helping. Gave up meat and quit supplements without letting the doctor know. Had some blood work done: Totally normal iron levels. Have remained Vegetarian (now Vegan) for years. Had some blood work done over the summer (while Vegan) and iron levels are still fine without supplementation.
So, my suggestion with ANY vitamins/minerals: After you're Vegan for awhile, if you feel weak/whatever, get blood work done and then decide to supplement or to add foods to your diet: Vitamin D is found naturally in sunlight and shiitake mushrooms. Calcium's in dark green vegetables. Protein's in everything (except oil), so you're right about nuts/beans/seeds--Just watch the fat content of some.
The heme/non-heme iron debate always gets me. I had pretty bad anemia while eating meat. Was on numerous supplements, nothing was helping. Gave up meat and quit supplements without letting the doctor know. Had some blood work done: Totally normal iron levels. Have remained Vegetarian (now Vegan) for years. Had some blood work done over the summer (while Vegan) and iron levels are still fine without supplementation.
So, my suggestion with ANY vitamins/minerals: After you're Vegan for awhile, if you feel weak/whatever, get blood work done and then decide to supplement or to add foods to your diet: Vitamin D is found naturally in sunlight and shiitake mushrooms. Calcium's in dark green vegetables. Protein's in everything (except oil), so you're right about nuts/beans/seeds--Just watch the fat content of some.
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belarki
Bluelight Crew
^ thanks for tha advice guys 
I'm actually not worried about lack of iron (the opposite as I have haemochromatosis) but will research the others more. B12 could be an issue, I don't eat much processed food and don't think anything I eat is fortified with it.... maybe I should start eating marmite lol?
I'm actually not worried about lack of iron (the opposite as I have haemochromatosis) but will research the others more. B12 could be an issue, I don't eat much processed food and don't think anything I eat is fortified with it.... maybe I should start eating marmite lol?
addictivepersona
Bluelight Crew
B12 deficiencies take years to develop as your body stores enough for years... but if you want to eat marmite, go ahead--I've heard it's good!
delta_9
Bluelighter
You're right.
This slipped my mind for some reason.
My bad.
Yes you may want to keep an eye on the omega 6 content of certain nuts and seeds. Walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds are the main sources in my diet.
To the question asked about blenders on page 5-
I bought a Vitamix a while back (Super 5200 I think? The most recent model). Mine was refurb I believe, and came in at $300-something. Very good investment! It's really cool to just put anything you want in and blend it up without having to worry about not having enough power, the machine breaking, etc.
I went back and forth between the Vitamix and the Blendtec; in the end opted for VM, but I think either way you can't go wrong.
I bought a Vitamix a while back (Super 5200 I think? The most recent model). Mine was refurb I believe, and came in at $300-something. Very good investment! It's really cool to just put anything you want in and blend it up without having to worry about not having enough power, the machine breaking, etc.
I went back and forth between the Vitamix and the Blendtec; in the end opted for VM, but I think either way you can't go wrong.
TheAppleCore
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2007
- Messages
- 5,510
The most recent information I've read stated that the maximum safe daily intake for (oral) D3 was @ 2000 IU. I wonder if that's overly-cautious, though?
delta_9
Bluelighter
IMO, it is. Acute toxicity starts at around 8,000-10,000.
One could lower there intake by approximately 1,000 IU per day during the summer, but it takes about 4-5 months of supplements at the dose listed above to raise 25-D plasma levels by any significant amount.(For males, optimal plasma levels should be around ~40-45ng/mL I believe)
Of course, someone who spends a lot of time in the sun wont need as much, but of course not all of us get sun and during the winter months a supplement is always recommended. Excessive sunlight is not so good for the skin anyway![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
One could lower there intake by approximately 1,000 IU per day during the summer, but it takes about 4-5 months of supplements at the dose listed above to raise 25-D plasma levels by any significant amount.(For males, optimal plasma levels should be around ~40-45ng/mL I believe)
Of course, someone who spends a lot of time in the sun wont need as much, but of course not all of us get sun and during the winter months a supplement is always recommended. Excessive sunlight is not so good for the skin anyway
iliketoast
Bluelighter
What's the vegan situation around here now?
I was vegan for almost 3 years, and thanks to a lot of reading and careful attention to my body, never had much issue nutrient-wise but for some slight anemia. About 8 months ago I wasn't taking care of myself at all; overall malnutrition + staying vegan was draining me fast. I started eating fish occasionally and now anytime I do it's like my body/mind instantly gain 324987987 points.
I KNEW once I started eating fish again I would start making other exceptions - the only two that I will are dairy and eggs. I won't touch cheese, but butter within a pastry I've touched way way too much... I work at a bakery, so thousands of very un-vegan pastries/cookies are in front of me every workday.
I think I was compensating during the days after a drug binge and went overboard the other week - I think I ate the equivalent of almost 3 pastries within just a few hours. I felt so miserable.... Luckily the misery is a good reminder why I went vegan in the first place. Except when I'm experiencing a frenzy, I'm usually pretty in touch with what my body needs - and it definitely doesn't need dairy, I can barely digest that stuff.
For the time being I plan to continue eating fish (primarily salmon) and the occasional egg, but other than that I want to stick with eating plants! I think I'd like to go back to eating completely vegan at some point, but I want to make sure I stay healthy right now, and don't completely trust myself not to repeat past mistakes.
Have you any of you ever gone back to eating animal products, then back to vegan again?
Also, what are some of your favorite nutritionally dense, quick and easy foods to have on hand? I'm out of practice here! I love fruit, nut/seed butters, bowls of quinoa, but would love to hear some more.
I was vegan for almost 3 years, and thanks to a lot of reading and careful attention to my body, never had much issue nutrient-wise but for some slight anemia. About 8 months ago I wasn't taking care of myself at all; overall malnutrition + staying vegan was draining me fast. I started eating fish occasionally and now anytime I do it's like my body/mind instantly gain 324987987 points.
I KNEW once I started eating fish again I would start making other exceptions - the only two that I will are dairy and eggs. I won't touch cheese, but butter within a pastry I've touched way way too much... I work at a bakery, so thousands of very un-vegan pastries/cookies are in front of me every workday.
I think I was compensating during the days after a drug binge and went overboard the other week - I think I ate the equivalent of almost 3 pastries within just a few hours. I felt so miserable.... Luckily the misery is a good reminder why I went vegan in the first place. Except when I'm experiencing a frenzy, I'm usually pretty in touch with what my body needs - and it definitely doesn't need dairy, I can barely digest that stuff.
For the time being I plan to continue eating fish (primarily salmon) and the occasional egg, but other than that I want to stick with eating plants! I think I'd like to go back to eating completely vegan at some point, but I want to make sure I stay healthy right now, and don't completely trust myself not to repeat past mistakes.
Have you any of you ever gone back to eating animal products, then back to vegan again?
Also, what are some of your favorite nutritionally dense, quick and easy foods to have on hand? I'm out of practice here! I love fruit, nut/seed butters, bowls of quinoa, but would love to hear some more.
You don't have to, i dont need to worry about wearing any animal products or eating food which comes from the same line as meat.
I have friends who have been Vegans for years, I was vegeterian for like 3, and if i could take it back i would.
I have friends who have been Vegans for years, I was vegeterian for like 3, and if i could take it back i would.
llama112
Bluelight Crew
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2010
- Messages
- 4,468
That's kinda like me! I'm vegetarian and we never have animal products around the house. I do eat eggs/dairy if I'm at a friends place or eating out or something like that. And pizza is my downfall too. So, still working on becoming completely vegan, I hope to by the end of the year. I know it's a long way off but I'm doing pretty good at it right now and it is fun and challenging
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ebola?
Bluelight Crew
I should be doing this, but cheese is so fucking tasty...I was a vegan for 5 years.
ebola
ebola