Pressure From Other People to NOT be Vegan Anymore...GRRRR!

[Shelby]

Shelby wrote:

This is TOTALLY off subject, but I just saw that Kathryn has a VEGspace page... OMG! how awesome is that?!?!?! I'm SO gonna join! Screw Myspace! LOL!

 

 

That's another Kathryn! (But she does have a lovely name, doesn't she? )

Woopsie! I'm a dork... I meant to say that LIZ has a Vegspace page. I tried going onto the site to register, but I STILL haven't gotten my confirmation email.... grrrr

 

 

Another thought: what about sprouting some kamut and making kamut bread? Some people who have problems with wheat have less problem with kamut, and sometimes even wheat sprouts. Sprouting kamut would make it doublely more easily tolerated, I think.

I've tried many times to sprout, but it never works. it either gets moldy, yucky, or just wont sprout! IDK what I do wrong, but I follow the directions perfectly... Is there some secret to sprouting that I am unaware of? LOL

[Kathryn]

I've tried many times to sprout, but it never works. it either gets moldy, yucky, or just wont sprout! IDK what I do wrong, but I follow the directions perfectly... Is there some secret to sprouting that I am unaware of? LOL

 

It could be the type of seed you're using (some, like garbanzos, are harder to sprout and need more careful rinsing), or not rinsing enough (for the mold, especially). To much heat? Not soaking before sprouting?

 

I used to sprout, and had good luck with wheat (to make into sprout bread--very tasty) and clover and alfalfa, but I gave it up because I had problems with the basket method I was using (sprouts stuck in the basket, for example).

 

I just ordered an automatic sprouter from www.sproutman.com which seems like it will take care of most problems with mold (because it rinses automatically quite often with a light mist of water) and overheating (from the same misting, which reduces the ambient temperature). I'll let you know how actually 'fool-proof" it ends up being!

[9nines]

I did: the cholesterol and easily absorbed protein and complete amino acids

 

That doctor is either very 'biased' against your diet or he is very ignorant of many medical studies. He is wrong on all three. (1) your body produces cholesterol, (2) a higher percentage of plant protein is absorbed than animal protein (I have read many studies on this; sorry no footnotes now) and (3) the complete protein in sophomoric knowledge (As I recall, corn is the only one, of popular plant protein sources that is slightly deficient in an essential amino acid; rice, wheat, potatoes, peas, legumes, are all complete.

 

Recommendations:

 

(1) Get a doctor that is not 'biased' against your diet. The doctor does not have to be pro-vegan diet but at least not 'biased' From what you wrote, I think your current doctors are biased against it. If you seek a new doctor, first question that you should ask: I eat a balanced vegan diet, do you have any opinions against it.

 

For web medical advise I recommend going here: http://www.vegsource.com/mcdougall/

 

Many posters are very knowledgeable and Dr. McDougall answers many posts.

 

 

 

Here is a listing of his newsletters: http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/archives.htm

 

 

Here is a index to his newsletters: http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/articleindex.htm

 

You can look for newsletter topics there. There are a bunch on the topic of "Intestinal Tract Health" Find the date of a topic and then choose that newsletter from the first page.

 

 

(2) Looking at your diet, I would find some starches that you can eat: rice, corn, potatoes etc. and add those to your diet. That would add calories, protein (each is about 10 to 15% protein) and other nutrients and are a good main item for high calorie (lunch or dinner) meals.

[9nines]

On the incomplete protein myth, please read the following doctor's letter. Also, please go to his website and search his newsletter for medical research on protein. http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/archives.htm

 

I ask that everyone do this (and I will make a new thread on "nutrition") because if we do not try to clear-up this myth or fall victim to it ourselves, then we can never expect a material amount of people to follow our diet. In other words, if we (vegans) propagate this incorrect myth about incomplete proteins, it has no chance of every going away because mainstream people certain are not going to educate others, on it.

 

 

 

Letter to the editor:

 

Plant Foods Have A Complete Amino Acid Composition

 

The Statement for Health Professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association on Dietary Protein and Weight Reduction contains often quoted, but incorrect, information of the adequacy of amino acids found in plant foods.1 This report states, “Although plant proteins form a large part of the human diet, most are deficient in 1 or more essential amino acids and are therefore regarded as incomplete proteins.”

 

William Rose and his colleagues completed research by the spring of 1952 that determined the human requirements for the eight essential amino acids.2 They set as the “minimum amino acid requirement” the largest amount required by any single subject, and then doubled these values to make the “recommended amino acid requirement,” which was also considered a “definitely safe intake.” By calculating the amount of each essential amino acid provided by unprocessed complex carbohydrates (starches and vegetables),3 and comparing these values with those determined by Rose,1 the results show that any single one, or combination, of these plant foods provide amino acid intakes in excess of the recommended requirements. Therefore, a careful look at the founding scientific research and some simple math proves it is impossible to design an amino acid deficient diet based upon amounts of unprocessed starches and vegetables sufficient to meet the calorie needs of humans. Furthermore, mixing foods to make a complementary amino acid composition is unnecessary.4

 

The reason it is important to correct this misinformation is because many people are afraid to follow healthful pure vegetarian diets – they worry about “incomplete proteins” from plant sources. A vegetarian diet based around any single one, or combination, of these unprocessed starches (rice, corn, potatoes, beans, etc.) with the addition of vegetables and fruits supplies all the protein, amino acids, essential fats, minerals, and vitamins (with the exception of vitamin B12) necessary for excellent health. To wrongly suggest people need to eat animal protein for nutrients will encourage them to add foods that are known to contribute to the cause of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and many forms of cancer, to name just a few common problems.5

 

1.

 

St. Jeor S, Howard B, Prewitt E. Dietary protein and weight reduction. A statement for health professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association. Circulation 2001;104:1869-74.

 

2.

 

Rose W. The amino acid requirement of adult man. Nutr Abst Rev 1957;27:63l-47

 

 

3.

 

J Pennington. Bowes & Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. 17th Ed.

Lippincott. Philadelphia- New York. 1998.

 

 

4.

 

M. Irwin, Hegsted D. A conspectus of research on protein requirements of man. J Nutr 1971;101:385-428.

 

 

5.

 

Weisburger J. Eat to live, not live to eat. Nutrition 2000; 16:767-73.

 

 

 

John McDougall, MD

 

The McDougall Program

 

Santa Rosa, CA 95402

[Shelby]

Wow guys, thanks again for the great info!!! I really appreciate all your help! I'm not seeing those doctors anymore.. screw them, lol. Unfortunately, It's hard to find docs around here that are tolerant of the evena vegetarian diet, let alone a vegan diet. (Gosh, I can't wait to move outta here! LOL)

One of my lifting buddies is really into holistic remedies and suggested doing an epson salt and lemon water cleanse for one day. I might try it next week. You drink a liter of this concoction and lay on your right side. It's supposed to help clean out your system and make it easier to absorb/digest foods as well as just become plain healthier. You preface it with a light, clean diet of fruits and veggies (and if you want, a little bit of nuts/seeds, beans), then do the drink at nite or the next AM, then follow up with the same diet the next day. Afterwards, you should feel much better. So, we'll see if that helps. He also told me aboue this Native American and homeopathic remedy that calls for taking 1 drop of 100% pure gum turpentine under your tongue (once in the AM and once in the PM) for a week to help kill any parasites in your intestines. I started it on Wed and it's actually really helpful! I was skeptical at first, but it does work and it's been around for hundreds of years... plus, I'm not dead for toxicity, so thats a good sign! LOL. But, you'd have to chug a LOT of this stuff for it to be toxic. Turpentine is made from Pine trees, so it is natural and not a man-made chemical.

Anyways, thanks again guys! you all rock!

[Shelby]

Update: Things are SO MUCH better (knock on wood... if I'm jinxing myself right now, I will SO cry! lol).... I am slowly reintroducing the foods that I was having problems with (soy, and soon glutenous grains) and so far, things are better than EVER! I think my problem was that I would get stuck in ruts and eat the same exact thing dayin and day-out, whihc caused my body to become intolerant to certain food groups. So, I went on a "clean" diet for about 2 weeks to let everything heal (plus, I went off the meds that my doctor Rx...I know for a fact that those only added to my problems b/c they interferred with my ability to absorb and digest the food I was eating... even though the medicine was supposed to help it... and THAT'S another reason why I don't like traditonal medicine/doctors!) and now am reintroducing those problem foods in, and so far so good! I'm going to try some gluten-containing foods today, so today will be the big test to see if my gut has healed and if I only had intolerances or if i actually DO have an allergy (and if the latter is true, I will be sad, lol). So, I bascially need to stop being lazy, learn to cook, and have variety in my meals... and things will be a-ok! Man, it would SO rock if I could again eat those mock-meats and breads and other "normal" vegan food... I know I will be able to b/c I'm awesome, lol.

On the plus side, I've been able to gain a bit of weight (ok, only a pound, but that's hard for me to do!) Soon, I'll look this this:

 

So, thanks for all your help and advice! Big hugs out to everyone!

Edited March 13, 2006 by Shelby

[Crash]

I'm glad things are getting better for you Shelby..

[savebabe]

Hey I suggest meditiation & peppermint tea-great for inflamation of the gastro tract. As for hummus, I only make my own.

 

If you can get some organic chick peas (tinned-no added anything, or just soak chick peas o/night)

 

1 x tin chick peas

2tbs organic unhulled tahini

freshly squeezed lemon juice (garden grown or organic)

sweet chilli sauce (to taste optional)

1/2 tsp cumin powder

 

Drain chick peas, place in blender, with all ingrediants, add enough water to blend to a smooth consistency, and enjoy. Its delic!

 

My doctor in the middle of hicksville is a vegan, BUT all of my specialists are anti-vegan. I've even been told to "go eat MacDonalds" its good for you! Not to mention that they all think I'm a bit on the weird side (my family mostly) beacuse I'm into alternative health & healing (strange name for something thats beeen around for hundreds of years, and nearly all of our drugs are derived from plant sources anyway).

 

Also, there is a book called "vegetarian cooking without" and it has a lot of gluten free/soya free meals-desserts etc. If you can get hold of it, its by Barbara Cousins. The recipes are free of sugar, dairy, yeast and saturated fats.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0722538979/203-8873492-8699116

.

You can substitue rice/almond milk for soya milks....it s just a matter of getting used to the taste.

 

If you go agianst your beliefs, you true inner core beliefs and morals, you damage not only your integrity, but also your soul. People like to pull you back to THEIR comfort zone. Its easier for them to relate to you. It makes THEM more comfortable. Thats why you tend to find that people who are on the same "wave length" levitate to one and other..low self-esteem attracts low self-esteem etc.

 

Keep your chin up!

[Shelby]

If you go agianst your beliefs, you true inner core beliefs and morals, you damage not only your integrity, but also your soul. People like to pull you back to THEIR comfort zone. Its easier for them to relate to you. It makes THEM more comfortable. Thats why you tend to find that people who are on the same "wave length" levitate to one and other..low self-esteem attracts low self-esteem etc.

Couldn't have said it better myself! Thanks for all the great advice! I actually have that book you mentioned, but cooking is not my specialty! I'm trying to learn how to cook better though! As for the meditation, I try to do it as often as I can (which means not often enough! lol), and yoga as well. Peppermint tea is my favorite tea... I drink it at least 2-4x a day! (Too bad I don't work at Caibou coffee anymore.. we were allowed to take home some gound coffee or 15 tea bags per week... not being a coffee drinker, I always opted for the tea. But my supply is low! It's worth it to work there again just for the free tea!!! )

 

I'll try your hummus recipe....maybe this time it'll work right!

[savebabe]

I don't really enjoy cooking....I cook out of necessity. I'm about as domesticated as my cat I love books, and I love food (eating it that is), but I hate mess......I meditate when I can also (have a problem with the sitting still bit though). I love raw foods, and salads. Hope you meet some dedicated medical staff who actually appreicate your lifestyle choices.

[Matt]

Shelby, it's good to hear you are doing better. After reading your daily diet, I had some ideas which it sounds like you are implementing, particularly variety. I would also recommend buying a bunch of vegan cookbooks and cook up the meals. By doing so you'll introduce a number of new ingredients that you may have never even heard of before, and create some wonderful meals this way.

 

About the original diet, I had immediate concerns that it was very low in overall calories in addition to not being very diverse. As someone who was underweight for many years as an endurance athlete (but still felt I was eating enough) I fell into ruts where I got sick and could not eat certain things and it all came down to not eating a balanced diet. This could be the problem, but it appears you are moving toward correcting that as well being excited about the new food possibilities. I would try this as the first, best holistic remedy.

 

Glad you are sticking with your beliefs and morals.

[Shelby]

Thanks Matt!

I agree, it is VERY easy to get stuck in ruts... especially when u are trying to eat a lot, u kinda of run out of variety. I'm trying to learn to cook, and while I'm not the greatest, at least it's edible, lol.

I have been incorporating more variety and I sure am liking it! However, I always make sure to have at least 1 protein shake a day (I am loving that VEGA stuff! Expensive, but definitely worth it!), as well as many fruits, seeds, nuts, and veggies. I used to rely on soy for practically every meal, but I'm only having it periodically now. I'm still hesitant to try the wheat, but I will soon.

 

I still get a lot of grief all the time from people, especially my buddies at the gym. They are hard-core carnivores and kid me all the time for being a vegan. In fact, they stopped calling me by my first name and instead call me "Tree Hugger." I'm actually very proud of this nickname, lol. Their big thing is for me to eat eggs. They think it's the cure-all for everything and will make me put on lots of muscle. Yeah right. I'll stick to my tofu, nut butters, and vega thankyouverymuch!

 

VEGANS ROCK!!!!!!

[CollegeB]

I ususally just have frozen peas with some tofu, or rice and beans usually with a frozen veggie. I buy the $1 bags at kroger when they have a 10/$10 sale, so stock the freezer. Not the ideal for limiting waste though since there are only 5 servings in each bag, i get about 2 yadda yadda. Anyhow with such a boring diet I add Spike seasoning....http://www.modernfearn.com/index_files/page0001.htm I have tried only 2 of these. They work well to flavor sauces such as olive oil and vinegar, or yeast flakes with olive oil...yeah it's all about the olive oil with me. And Shelby dont let others influence you to give up what you like, they dont know what they are talkin about. My parents tried to get me to start eating eggs/milk/ all that crap but they've seen how i've changed for the better on a vegan diet. Stay healthy!

[Odidnetne]

I know how you feel about wheat, I don't eat much at all, just raw wheat germ.

 

I'm allergic to it, but not relying on soy is normally a good thing, if you ask me, and definitley a step towards adding the variety to your diet that you seek.