Kathryn

It's controversial because there is some misinformation out there. Also, some people want to believe that if a vegan diet is a natural diet meant for humans, that should mean we don't need to take any supplements (more on that later). The controversy is mostly regarding some supposed plant sources of B12, like seaweeds. These have been found in studies to contain B12 analogs, which appear to be B12, but are not assimilated by the body. (Though some people will claim them as sources of B12, this is both misleading and dangerous.) B12 is created only by bacteria, which is where animals get in in their systems in the first place. As for the "if veganism is a natural state, then why do we need B12?" argument: Humans used to be able to get it from bacteria remaining on fresh-picked and lightly rinsed produce, or from drinking water from streams, but since our water is now chlorinated and processed, and our foods are the same, this is not a current source of B12. The best thing to do as a vegan is to use a B12 supplement, which is created from bacteria in a culture. I like the Methylcobalamin spray by PUre Advantage, which www.veganessentials.com carries. Methylcobalamin is a more effective form of B12 than cyanacobalamin (which is broken down in to methylcobalamin in the body), and is what I've also used to reverse neuropathy in my diabetic cat.

I'd go for muscle first, since added muscle mass will help you burn more calories by increasing your metabolism (though there are conflicting opinions about how much of a boost one can get).If you're a guy (?) then adding more muscle would be easier for you than if you're a woman. And women naturally store more fat than men, so we may need more cardio for our goals. But, if you have a lot of fat on you, then concentrating on losing some fat first, by doing more cardio while still doing weight work (perhaps circuit-type workouts, as they are bigger calorie burners and have somewhat of a cardio effect) would be a good approach.

Kind of strange for you to post it without saying it was someone else's story (someone else's words, in fact).

The sulphur in MSM is supposed to help with tendons and ligaments, I think. Also, it's good to take MSM with whatever other supplements you are taking, as it will help them be absorbed in your system. MSM comes from DMSO, which has been used to heal lame horses. One property it was found to have is to transport other substances into the tissues (which meant that some people giving horses a rub-down with it would inadvertently absorb toxic substances that they had handled before or after). Vegan Essentials has a glucosamine/MSM and something else tablet that might be helpful.

Actually, the Hallelujah diet is a raw food, vegan diet that has nothing to do with this guy. I think he's probably a cattle rancher!

Fish (at least at the size humans eat) is high on top of the food chain, eating not only algae, but smaller fish, so any contaminants are concentrated in its flesh. Also, not only do they drink the water they are in, but they are surrounded by it, so if the water is contaminated (and most water is nowdays), they also pick that up.

Actually, the only one I've tried so far is Wisdom herbs. Some tea bags, but mostly their instant (yerba maté and stevia), which is easy to add to a bottle of water when I'm at work or travelling. (In fact, that reminds me I have to order some more, because I'm almost out!)

You made one! (all you do is cut and paste the URL from the Address box at the top of your browser).

Let us know how it goes.

Flax seed (ground and sprinkled on cereal or in a smoothie) is a good addition to the diet as well, as it has antiinflammatory properties. www.veganessentials.com sells a flax powder that has some other joint nutrients in it (including vegan glucosamine). One problem with joints is inflammation, so avoiding inflammation-producing foods (animal products--that's a given, most grains, most nuts) and emphasizing anti-inflammatory foods (veggies--especially greens, fruits, almonds, quinoa/buckwheat/millet) can help.

I think he's just trying to justify by his 'bodily cravings" what are actually just a jones for cheese or beef or whatever he wants the taste of (and not 'needs the nutrients of'). Kinda like when my body 'craves" some vegan Pecan Joy candy! Who is this Chet Day anyway? What is his background in nutrition? Just sounds like a disgruntled vegan/vegetarian to me.

I agree with Raven. Green, white, red (rooibos) and yerba maté teas are the best. Raven: I've never heard of green rooibos. I though rooibos was from the flower of some plant (not related to tea at all) and that honeybush was just another name for it.

Definitely refrigerate. At room temp, you wouldn't really get more enzymes, just bacterial growth (one can make nut/seed 'cheeses' by taking the solid stuff that you strained the 'milk' from---but not with any added sweetener---and letting it sit at room temp for 24 hours or so, but you have to watch that you don't get harmful bacteria, and can't leave it too long. And I'm not sure how long nut milks last, but it seems like maybe 3-4 days (maybe longer, but not much...my recipe books would say, but it's Friday, and I'm too pooped to get up and walk over to my bookcase! I can check later for you, if you'd like).

Another thing: I think you both look at least 10 years younger from the 'before' to the 'after' photos (and you'd better keep an eye on that gorgeous wife of yours! I'm sure other people are! )

That's ridiculous! Protein is very acid-forming (especially animal protein, but too much veggie protein can be as well), which throws off your body chemistry and causes your body to either not absorb some alkaline minerals (like calcium) that are used to form bone, or to actually leach those minerals from the bone. It can also be hard on the kidneys, that have to work overtime to rid the body of the excess protein. Andrew Weil states that excess protein is harmful to the immune system. In studies on protein balance, it's been very hard to find a diet that is too low in protein, unless it is unbalanced (junk food, lots of processed foods, or high in citrus fruits). Aiming for about 1 gm. of protein per KILOGRAM of body weight (1 km. = 2.2 pounds, so a little less than half your body weight in protein) or as much as 1 gm. per pound of body weight (though that may be an unnecessary amount) is a good range.

Security is actually very haphazard, IMO. I travelled shortly after 9/11, and at one airport, I had to open my carry-on because I had underwire bras, a CD player, an extension cord, and some makeup in opaque containers with me. At another airport, I was just let right through. I started to make a game of thinking of how people passing security could be harboring dangerous objects: like the guy on metal crutches, who could hide something down the hollow leg of the crutch. I was told that absolutely no liquids were allowed now, not even water, and not even the water you could buy after passing security (which made no sense to me). One thing for sure, hotels are going to make a lot more incidental money from people buying lotions, water and all the other stuff they usually carried (though I think you can still take them in your checked luggage---problem is, I don't like to check my luggage----I don't like waiting for it, and I don't like taking a bag big enough to have to check. I just like to take my carry-on on wheels and speed my way through the airport and to my destination).

I wasn't even talking about implants, but bras with a gel insert (chicken cutlet is what they are sometimes called because of their shape). But how about them not allowing nail files on board, even the tiny ones on nail clippers (you can take the clippers, but they break off the file). As if anyone could do much damage with an inch long file. At least not as much as women who have long fake fingernails! I think they should be banned from airplanes (and most public places, but that's more an aesthetic objection than a national security issue ).

Way to go! Thanks for sharing your journey. You both look great in your recent photos: not just slimmer, but your skin looks really great. Keep up the good work.

Yeah, that's more like it!

Yummy! Thanks, but you mean you aren't going to make it and send it to me?

Soy "juice"? You mean soy milk? A 'raw' alternative would be to make nut or seed 'milk' (soak nuts or seeds or a combo ---overnight for larger, harder nuts like almonds, a couple of hours for sunflower seeds or sesame seeds), to deactivate the enzyme inhibitors and activate the enzymes, then put in a blender with about 2x as much water (more or less to taste). You can sweeten with some dates. Blend up, then strain through cheesecloth or a nutmilk bag.

What, no balloons and vegan carrot cake? Thanks, Robert! I knew I was getting close the other day, but I didn't notice I'd hit the big 1000! As for articles, what do you want? You had mentioned posting some of my previous posts as articles, which I could 'edit' and spiff up a bit to make them article-worthy. Let's PM about it.

I agree. Contact PCRM (Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine). They may be able to help you with your legal rights (which I am sure include the right to not fail because you refuse to dissect a cat!). (Your teachers suck! )

I assume the same reason why www.rawfood.com has such outrageous shipping costs.

I know someone who had gel shoe inserts confiscated (and they were kind of expensive). I wonder about women who wear gel bras (maybe you guys don't know that much about them, but they are like implant material, but in the bra rather than in the person). If terrorists can hide explosive chemicals in shoe inserts, they could certainly carry them in a bra.