Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

So I'm interested in the vegan idea...but I love my high protein sources from fish and egg whites...etc.

I find a lot of foods cause my stomach to get upset (IBS, i'll stop there) - I can't take oats or wheat or breads...I avoid sugars as well just because I do...

So supposing I don't want to pile on the carbs found in brown rice - it's fine for 1 or 2 meals but not all of them (for my current goals) what is a girl to do?

Just eat a lot of...um...tofu? Hemp?
I'm thinking real meals here...besides veggies and what I just listed, what can I have for protein?

I have suffered from IBS too, but not in the same way as you're describing. How does your body react to nuts? They are a good source of protein. Also soy milk, soy milkshakes good with any meal. It also depends on what you want to achieve; this will alter how much protein you even need. You may not require that much.

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Nuts are good. i limit them for the sheer fact I"ll eat a ton at once. Hahaha.
They are high in fat as well and I consider them more fat than a protein.

Some of these links might help with ideas for high protein foods: Sorry if the charts are kinda hard to follow in some of them:

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/471

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/470

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/469

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/466

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/468

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/article/111

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Check out my Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness Book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Bodybuildin ... 497&sr=1-1

Also there is what I consider a misconception about how much protein the body needs. Yes if you are getting 500 grams a day (or 100 etc) then suddenly dropping that in half will result in a very slight decrease in strength/muscle size. But the body will adjust and there are no long term effects beyond that slight weakening in the short term.

I shoot currently for 100-125 g per day. Under 100 is lower than I would like to remain at. I agree that a lot of people overestimate protein's importance, and that sedentary people likely need less than people who lift weights.

Too much protein can over work your organs and can cause kidney damage now or in the future. Americans consume way too much protein in general. Protein from animal sources cause added stress on your organs organic or not.

Just something to think about.

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"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner."

Colette

I have digestive problems as well.... I won't bore u with the details, but I have Celiac Sprue, so I can't eat anything with wheat/gluten. Plus, most other non-gluten grains upset my stomach as well. It sucks, especially being vegan, since it cuts out a lot of your food options.

As for protein, I do soy protein shakes (one per day, with OJ or some other fruit juice to replenish glycogen stores... try Jay Robb Soy Protein Powder), I eat a bunch of tofu (marinade it in Bragg's Liquis Aminos... it's a gluten-free soy-sauce that is low sodium and very yummy!), Hummus (YUM!), Peanut and almond butter (organic) on apples, Soycrips, ANDI Bars (vegan and gluten-free protein bars...delish!), nuts/seeds, and Soymilk (Pacific Ultra... it has the most grams compared to other soymilks: 10g per cup!).

As for the amount u need, it depends on many factors: weight, workout goals, Kcals, amount of activity u do, the type of protein u eat.....

Hope this helps.... let me know if I can help ya out some more!
-Shelbs

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"May I always be the type of person my dog thinks I am"

"Don't Hassel the Hoff!"

"Don't Mess with the 'S'!"

I eat stuff like that...lately I've been having a lot of soy shakes. And if I cook the veggies, it really helps.
I got tested for celiac but they said I don't have it. Still, celiac or not, gluten and wheat and oats generally make me miserable so I avoid them anyhow! And dairy is another bleghhh-inducer.
Course you don't eat that either since you're a vegan

I had been tested numerous times, but it all came back "negative." I still had serious problems, so I went to a Naturopathic doctor who confirmed my suspicions, as well as discovering many other allerigies and intolerances. Ever since I've cut out all that stuff from my diet, I've never felt better. However, I have some serious damage to my intestines due to the prolonged undiagnosis of my Celiac, which is most likely irreversible. Celiac is commonly undiagnosed and has extremely high false-negative and false-positive test results. So, even if your conventional Dr. says u don't have it, trust your gut (literally!) and steer clear from it! U'll be glad u did in the long run!

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"May I always be the type of person my dog thinks I am"

"Don't Hassel the Hoff!"

"Don't Mess with the 'S'!"

I still have really bad gut problems. My diet is basically: (sorry I'll include everything without lies!)

- tuna
- occasional tofu
- veggies and lots of them!
- soy protein
- very little fruit
- some brown rice or sweet potatoes
- no dairy
- some egg whites
- no processed foods, no sugar, no crap
Dairy, bread, gluten, oats, yeast, all of them make me ill. So I stay away. Same with things like mangoes, pineapples, oranges, so I get my vitamins from all kinds of veg. by the truckload.

I (almost daily or several times weekly) have massive issues with my tummy anyway. SOrry for the details - basically just terrible gas and cramps.
I have no idea what to do. I have used digestive enzymes but whatever...also tried Gas-X (simethicone), activated charcoal...but nothing works and I'm always soooo bloated and gross. Can anyone relate?

I get that reaction from some food with my IBS. As far as I know, you should carefully examine your reactions from individual foods and see what's causing the problem, or if it is a constant problem regardless of what you're eating. More often than not, I think it'll be an intolerance to certain foods or types of foods, even more than the ones you've listed perhaps

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Hmm...well, the foods I listed are pretty much the bulk of my whole diet. I'm boring, what can I say. It seems that if I eat, i get these symptoms.
Actually today is pretty good. It's the first out of several that I could actually have another person living in this house!

Yeah I don't mean necessarily try new foods. Just like, go through the foods you want to eat and see how you react to them individually, not mixed together, if that's possible. Then you can see if it's anything in particular that you're eating now which is giving you a problem, or if it's just continual no matter what

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I have the same problem with food and the symptoms that certain foods may influence. My diet has little variety due to that, but I get by. Are u eating raw veggies? Many times, raw foods are difficult for a weaker digestive system to break down, causing the food to ferment in your gut, which leads to gas and bloating. It may help to steam the veggies, for it makes them softer and easier to digest. It also helps to break down some of the oligiosaccharides, which have been known to cause gas. I take DigestMore digestive enzymes, found at Whole foods. They seem to help most of the time.

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"May I always be the type of person my dog thinks I am"

"Don't Hassel the Hoff!"

"Don't Mess with the 'S'!"