Annie01

Oh my lawd!! That's an incredible change!!! Congratulations!

I took my first 'system dynamique' class yesterday.... sort of a fusion between reformer pilates and strength training... And my whole body HURTS! Feels great, in that masochistic sort of way I'm sure many of you can identify with! Anyone else a pilates nut? I did it years ago, and never quite got the physical shape I wanted, but loved it anyway. I'm hoping this new pilates/s.d. thing will take me a few steps farther... Took 'before' pics today.... I look forward to posting them with some 'after' pics!!

Good one!

I have a pretty big aversion to fish, too. They freak me out! Breathing underwater? WHAT!!?!?!

Wow, she's great! I found that very inspiring.

Fair enough. Hadn't thought about it that way, just thought it was an interesting article.

I found an awesome article I wanted to share: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_1999_April/ai_54232138/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 My favorite part (and reason #1 on the list): You'll live a lot longer. Vegetarians live about seven years longer, and vegans (who eat no animal products) about 15 years longer than meat eaters, according to a study from Loma Linda University. These findings are backed up by the China Health Project (the largest population study on diet and health to date), which found that Chinese people who eat the least amount of fat and animal products have the lowest risks of cancer, heart attack and other chronic degenerative diseases. And a British study that tracked 6,000 vegetarians and 5,000 meat eaters for 12 years found that vegetarians were 40 percent less likely to die from cancer during that time and 20 percent less likely to die from other diseases. I'm bookmarking this one and referring it to anyone who tries to give me crap about my personal choices!!

I'm not a raw vegan myself, but I find that some of my most filling meals can be the raw ones. And I'm NO chef, so we're talking limited ingredients here.... but a veggie concoction where lots of broccoli and a quarter to half an avocado are present always do the trick for me. (Throw in carrots and peppers and whatever else you like, of course, but I find broccoli consistently filling). Any vegetable or nut with a particularly high fiber content will do you well... Here are a list of good fibrous foods: http://www.healthcastle.com/high-fiber-foods.shtml (Scroll down past the cooked grains and pastas, of course!) Also, here is just one of many fiber content charts: http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html Spend a little time there and on google finding raw items with high fiber counts that will keep you full and satisfied! I don't know if as a raw vegan you can have dried fruit, but in small portions they can be quite filling (but lots of sugar too, so don't overdo it!)..... Apples, Pears, Broccoli, Figs, Spinach, Avocados are all raw, filling, healthy, high fiber foods! Just found this little high fiber list, too: # Dried fruit such as figs, apricots and dates # Fruits like raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, cherries, plums, pears, apples, kiwi fruit, guava, banana # Vegetables like Fresh or frozen green peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Sweet corn, beet root, baked potato with the skin, carrot # Greens vegetables including spinach, beet greens, kale, collards, Swiss chard and turnip greens. # Nuts such as almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, and walnuts

Ah, yes! Vegan junk food. This has been on my mind a bit lately. Yes, I live in LA where there are more vegetarian and vegan options available.... but I've realized since I recently cut out dairy/eggs that all of the vegan restaurants in a driveable range from my apartment are just what you described..... "vegan junk food", which I find so disappointing!! Delicious, and I love not having to worry about butter touching my food..... but in the end, not very good for me (or my waistline!). It's also disappointing to think that healthier vegan places probably wouldn't stay in business very long.

Ha! Thanks, I might just use that one.

"a sewage plant is too useful to name after Bush" Amazing!!!

Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! I look forward to sitting down with the link you posted!

Oh I LOVE ashville! I went to college not too far from it, in Winston-Salem, and always looked forward to my trips up there. So scenic, and the people are so nice!

OK, so ethically speaking I would like very much to give up dairy and eggs (I've been off meat for 2 years). I've been off dairy for a week ( I must say, it has not been as easy as I thought It would be---but I'm committed to it!), and I'm currently eggs away from Veganism. I do have some health concerns... and I've been doing quite a bit of reading and research, yet I don't feel satisfied with my findings. I have no issue with giving up dairy, I am glad to be rid of that. Protein wise...... I know soy and tofu in moderation are fine, but I've come to believe/realize that they are no 'superfood'. I've read quite a bit now linking them to both breast and cervical cancer in women, when consumed daily. This concerns me! I've never been a huge fan of tofu anyway.... I don't like the idea of genetically engineered food. I always figured I was getting enough protein from eggs, beans, and lentils. Mostly the eggs, though. Eggs have been a daily staple for me..... and I'm worried I won't get adequate protein without them..... I guess my (first) question is..... Can I be a vegan without copious amounts of tofu? I have it now once every week or two. My next issue is with essential fatty acids.... Omega 3's, specifically. Even as a vegetarian, I cheated and took "Omega 3 fish oil" pills everyday. I'm willing to try flax.... or anything else, for that matter.... but is flax oil as beneficial? I know that fish oil provides DHA and EPA.... and flax provides ALA..... and that a normal, healthy person's body has the ability to convert ALA to DHA/EPA.... BUT, I've read that the human brain needs rather large amounts of DHA to be fully cognitive.... and that oftentimes the human body won't convert ALA properly, or won't convert it if it is needed elsewhere. Does flax seem to work just fine for all of you? My last issue/question is with aging..... this is a weird one, but I'd love to hear the results of other people's research on this.... I've read now in a number of different places that although Vegans are more likely to avoid diseases and sicknesses as they age, that the internal organs (as well as our skin, actually) age quicker than the organs of people who, say, eat fish. The study I read reported that red meat eaters obviously aged the quickest, with strict Vegans not too far behind... The people who both lived the longest and looked the youngest were "pesco-vegetarians." I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on all this. As I said, ethically I don't believe in the consumption of animal products or bi-products.... but I want to be a healthy person too. I figure many of you have to be SUPER healthy to be as in fantastic shape as you are and might have nuggets of information I might not have. And personal experiences that may speak louder than the findings of any research group. Thanks in advance for any input!

"I don't know. An alien?" Priceless!! I would like to hope most people are better informed!

SO true! Thank you for your support. Awesome site.

Hi all, I don't think I've ever posted in a forum like this, ever! I'm in LA, I've been a vegetarian for 2 years, and want to try going Vegan based on some recent readings/articles and a renewed dedication to my belief system. I have to say though, I'm nervous about it, and don't quite know if I can stick to it..... I hesitate to say this, but the reason for that is not that I feel I'll miss dairy or eggs..... but I deal with so much negativity on a daily basis, simply being a vegetarian. Meat eaters take such issue with our/my personal choices!! I work in 2 restaurants, and I feel like I deal with constant criticism and mockery. I'm sick of it. And I have NEVER mocked them, never told them about the atrocities they are supporting by eating meat or dairy. Oh no! Not looking to start off on a negative vibe here, though! I just thought it might be nice to find a support group of like minded folk that I could turn to and think about when faced with that negativity, is all. I look forward to getting to know some other Vegans/Vegetarians and posting regularly! Thanks!