View Full Version : People Who Eat Healthy/Raw/Vegan/Whatever... How do you do it and what made you!???
XAnastasiaX
08-19-2008, 12:05 AM
I have been a vegan for 2 years now. Basically for me it was the fact that I love animals so much I never wanted to contribute to the suffering that so many factory farms succumb them to. I never wanted to say that I kill something in order for my life to go on it just seemed selfish to me. It was a process I don't recommend anyone that has been a carnivore for so long try to just cut everything out all together ( and if you can more power to you). I would suggest that you start by eliminating dairy and red meat products from your diet. You will be amazed how better you will feel after that go to eliminating chicken and turkey then fish and eggs. It's not hard to go vegetarian/vegan these days with all the alternatives out there. try websites such as for ideas and if you really want the truth read the book Skinny Bitch or Fast Food Nation. I would recommend trying Indian Food and Thai also. Most of those cultures are vegan anyways . If anyone wants more advice just message me either here or at
XAnastasiaX
08-19-2008, 12:07 AM
oh and if you are going vegan please take a vitamin with B-12. Deva makes a great one and it's a once daily thing
keira0304
08-19-2008, 12:08 AM
or just eat nutritional yeast and veggies with dirt still on them.
SassyPants
08-19-2008, 12:13 AM
God speed, panda bears!
skinny bitch in the kitch is awesome. they have a ranch dressing that's amazing... however, if you ever make it, don't put a tablespoon of garlic powder like the recipe says. it's outta this world with just a teaspoon.
LilyLove
08-19-2008, 12:20 AM
lol @ Peewee Herman! I think she was just trying to be a loner, Sassy. A rebel.
:heartbeat: you. And all the Peewee-ness that could possibly come with you :)
Dottie Rebel
08-19-2008, 12:27 AM
^^^Aw, right back atcha, love!
Sophia_Starina
08-19-2008, 12:38 AM
Ok, and sometimes I do. What on earth is wrong with that? Seriously? Like, sometimes people make a meatloaf and think, "Hmmm...what would be good with that? Mashed potatoes and peas! Yeah!" They've planned their meal around a meatloaf. I make my meatloaf with Gimme Lean and plan my meal around it. Sometimes my meal is a veggie stir-fry. I really don't see why my eating habits are such a point of contention for you.
Dottie... it's not a personal attack on you. I really don't care who or what you eat. Cutey can hear both sides of the discussion and decide what to do for her self.
I think I am entitled to my opinion.
My opinion happens to be that if you rely heavily on fake-meat products you are doing yourself a disservice.
-Some meat/dairy alternatives have more calories
-Some meat/dairy alternatives have weird additives
-Some meat/dairy alternatives have little nutritional value
-Some meat/dairy alternatives cost more money and provide less flavor/pleasure
So why go through all the trouble of dealing with these sub-par substitutes when you really really crave meat or dairy? To save an animal?
You might believe that you are saving cute animals, but the fact is that each day cute little animals are slaughtered for food. And the ones that aren't killed today will be killed tomorrow. So.... not buying a steak won't bring a cow back to life. Once the product is on a store shelf, it's too late.
I didn't stick to the meat/dairy/egg free diet because I was irritable, constantly hungry, and felt tired. I would be satiated for an hour and then get wicked hungry all over again. I had a lot of trouble going out and eating with friends. It seemed like everything had animal products in it so purchasing food was tough too. But hey I did it for nearly a year... and I stuck with it. No funny business.
I lost weight. I was operating under the theory that the less I can eat, the less I will eat. Believe me that theory works.
Eventually I got tired of obsessing over food. I had better things to do than to check vegan websites, look up vegan restaurants, and re-read product labels.
Now the majority of my diet is still veggie/fruit based. I guess it sort of resembles the Mediterannean food pyramid http://www.volcanoetna.com/gallery/d/5420-2/pyramid_mediterranean.jpg, except Fruits & Veggies make up the largest part of my diet and carbs are about level with beans & legumes.
I try to eat as many of my fruits and veggies raw as possible. That way I get maximum vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes. Forgive me if a spongy gray/brown piece of faux meat is less appealing to me than a large colorful salad or a veggie stew.
I suppose I struggle with the fact that many people don't enjoy eating natural fruits and vegetables but go vegan/vegetarian in order to "do the right thing". In the long run, I think relying heavily on hyper processed faux food will result in considerably more harm than good to a person's body. And one person's choice to not buy meat will have the most miniscule of impacts on the non-vegan industries... if any impact at all.
Lobbying and petitioning would probably be more effective.
That being said, I wholeheartedly agree that mistreating animals is wrong. I am in favor of humane practices and organizations that work to achieve that.
NinaDaisy
08-19-2008, 12:45 AM
You know, you don't have to be vegan to eat vegan food, right?
Totally. I love great vegan and it definitely exists out there. When I lived in Baltimore I went to this place called The Yabba Pot that was all vegan but had some of the best food of any place I'd ever been to.
But ever since I read "The Omnivore's Dilemma", the factory farming system for veggies too isn't all it's cracked up to be either. Especially when you read about all the surplus corn and soy and the petroleum and nitrates (including the runoff they produce that pollutes) it takes to make them.
Don't know if I could go fully veggie/vegan again, but I've cut way down on animal products in the last few months. Rarely I'll have a yummy organic grass-fed burger and fish/seafood are usually my preferred animal food, but I gravitate more and more to a diet free from animal products. I actually like how soy and almond milk tastes and fresh, leafy greens are awesome.
I just overall feel healthier and "cleaner" after some good veggie/vegan meals.
Jenny
08-19-2008, 12:47 AM
So why go through all the trouble of dealing with these sub-par substitutes when you really really crave meat or dairy? To save an animal?
Yes. Everyone is obviously perfectly aware that there is a slaughter industry that relies on more than our single purchase. However some people make the conscious decision to not involve themselves with it. Like I know someone today is going to be murdered for money - it doesn't mean I have to contribute or that my contribution would be neutral if it was happening anyway. Light a single candle. As well, you might consider that each person's decision to be as cruelty free as possible ignites something in themselves. That is - it is important to me to not contribute, it means something to me and to my character.
I admit. I've seen lots of non-vegetarians attack the hell out of vegetarians for eschewing meat. I've seen the occasional vegetarian freak out on a meat eater for eating meat. This could be the first intra-vegetarian fight I've ever seen: it is very strange to me that you are trying to convince people that they are foolish for embracing an anti-cruelty lifestyle. I appreciate your point that faux meat is not as healthy as a stir fry, but it strikes me as a fair distance from the contention that vegetarians who eat it might as well not bother.
Sophia_Starina
08-19-2008, 12:59 AM
But if you had said that I wouldn't have been able to hear you. You know, 'cause
Vegan-related hearing loss?
Sophia_Starina
08-19-2008, 01:04 AM
This could be the first intra-vegetarian fight I've ever seen: it is very strange to me that you are trying to convince people that they are foolish for embracing an anti-cruelty lifestyle. I appreciate your point that faux meat is not as healthy as a stir fry, but it strikes me as a fair distance from the contention that vegetarians who eat it might as well not bother.
It's just goes back to the age old question: can a vegetarian eat animal crackers? :thinking:
Roxelle
08-19-2008, 01:17 AM
But ever since I read "The Omnivore's Dilemma", the factory farming system for veggies too isn't all it's cracked up to be either. Especially when you read about all the surplus corn and soy and the petroleum and nitrates (including the runoff they produce that pollutes) it takes to make them.
The vast majority of that corn and soy is grown to feed farm animals, not for direct consumption by humans. In the US, 90% of the soy crop, 80% of the corn, and 70% of the grain is used for raising livestock. Raising animals for food is a very inefficient use of resources.
If you're concerned about environmental issues and meat,
Grazing occupies an incredible 26 percent of the ice- and water-free surface of the planet Earth. The area devoted to growing crops to feed those animals amounts to 33 percent of arable land. Meat production is a major factor in deforestation as well, and grazing now occupies 70 percent of previously forested land in the Amazon region. In Brazil, 60 to 70 percent of rainforest destruction is caused by clearing for animal pasture...
http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4264
And, 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to raising livestock for human consumption, which is more than all the transportation systems (including cars) combined!
Roxelle
08-19-2008, 01:21 AM
It's just goes back to the age old question: can a vegetarian eat animal crackers? :thinking:
Can you eat Girl Scout cookies?
bellasera
08-19-2008, 01:29 AM
:P^^
I like flax crackers.
Me too! I make my own b/c they are so expensive
bellasera
08-19-2008, 01:33 AM
primal strips are gross compared to stonewalls' jerquee... just sayin. ever tried it? I'm obsessed with it but I refuse to buy it because it's not healthy.... to much sodium.
I love Stonewalls too! Used to order it in bulk but haven't eaten any in a while. Is it really that high in sodium? :(
Dottie Rebel
08-19-2008, 01:37 AM
I guess I never really responded to your OP, cutey. :D Here's my take:
I got to thinking today about eating healthy. I'm always reading on here how you guys are all following extreme lifestyles, like cutting out all dairy or all animal products or whatever. I really try and take care of myself well, by working out and looking good all the time, and I just wish I could do something like this. I'd love to feel good INSIDE as well as outside....I just don't know how I'd get the motivation to do it!
Some consider veganism "extreme". I consider a triple bypass extreme. That's what eating large amounts of cholesterol leads to.
Check out the China Study: http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html
It's an amazing 20-year study that concluded
“People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease … People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored,” said Dr. Campbell.
For me, avoiding many types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, is a huge motivation.
How did you all decide to follow these lifestyles? Was being healthy always a thing you enjoyed, or were any of you former fatties and fast-food lovers?
Also, do you ever fuck it up? Like, don't you have the extreme urge to just go to McDonalds and order a Quarter Pounder meal and ice cream sundae?!?
I wonder...Are my tastebuds, like, different or something? How come I just can't stand the thought of healthy food? I really would like to change my eating habits, but I am convinced healthy food doesn't agree with me.
Oh, girl. I was raised by southern stock on a diet of ribs, fried chicken, cornbread, and I never ate a vegetable what didn't have a slab of fatback or a hamhock in it. I was not raised to be a healthy eater, nor did it come naturally to me. Which is probably why I was about 30 pounds overweight for a good portion of my life.
Trust me, your tastebuds aren't different! Fast food is appealing for a reason. Even cats prefer junk food! My cat will stare at pieces of chicken, a big bowl of tuna, or even premium cat food and beg for his nasty old Purina. Studies have shown that junks foods release chemicals that inhibit our ability to know when we are full (http://washingtontimes.com/news/2005/aug/03/20050803-120357-9444r/). Dr. Neal Barnard, author of "Breaking the Food Seduction" argues that meat, cheese and sugar are actually additive:
“It’s not gluttony, weak will, or an oral personality that keep some of us tied to certain foods,” explains Dr. Barnard. “There’s a biochemical reason many of us feel we can’t live without our daily meat, cheese, or sugar fix. Cheese, for example, contains high levels of casein, a protein that breaks apart during digestion to produce morphine-like opiate compounds, called casomorphins. These opiates are believed to be responsible for the mother-infant bond that occurs during nursing. It’s no surprise many of us feel bonded to the refrigerator.”
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2005/aug/03/20050803-120357-9444r/
So NO, you are not alone :D
But once you start to eat more whole foods, greens, fresh vegetables with rich flavorful sauces...you will learn to LOVE them. I promise. There are times when all I want in the the world is a bowl of spinach and veggies with a great dressing and maybe some Bacos or a sliced up chikin patty. Or maybe just a bunch of veggies and teriyaki sauce on brown rice. Yes, brown rice--the girl who was raised on cornbread stuffed with bits of pig skin! :D :)
Do I "fuck up"? No. No such thing as fucking up! When I get the urge to have a hamburger and an ice cream sundae I have Soy Delicious with hot fudge and a "cheeseburger" cooked as I described earlier in the thread (YOU WILL SERIOUSLY DIE! But not from an actual heart attack ;) )
Please, please don't look at it like it's all steamed veggies and rice cakes and bland crap interspersed with indulgences in awful, wonderful junk foods. It's a matter of learning to do healthy food tasty and junk food healthy. Does that make sense?
The payoff for me has been the slammin' body in my avatar, (a loss of over 30 pounds), a cholesterol count that literally made the nurse at my dr. office ask me for my "secret" at my annual physical three weeks ago due to my cholesterol levels, my iron level, my blood pressure--everything was hella awesome. For the record, my family's health is fucked. My dad's cholesterol was 315 last check up! And the older ones are beginning to have srokes and develop heart disease.
Perry
08-19-2008, 01:46 AM
I'm a vegetarian and have been for 7 years. I started because I grew up in a farming community and just loved all the animals too much to eat them.
I really think I could survive off all raw nuts. Not the salted, canned ones, though. The ones you crack open and make a big mess with! But I can only find them around the holidays :'(
A lot of veggies taste yummy raw! Beets with salt and pepper, baby carrots, salad lettuce with some oil and vinigar, fresh tomatoes and peas. And any fruits or nuts too, really.
I think the trick for eating fresh raw foods is that I just keep snacking on them throughout the day, instead of the 3 square meals diet that's popular. Granted, I do that now that I have a family, but the fake meats make that easier. And more traditional, which is why I buy them.
This thread is making me all hungry. And in love with Dottie Rebel.
Dottie Rebel
08-19-2008, 01:49 AM
^^^Haha! I'm in love with you and your buff, adorably-geeky boyfriend. :D And veg? Holy mama...
SassyPants
08-19-2008, 01:53 AM
This thread is making me all hungry. And in love with Dottie Rebel.
i concur. :P
NinaDaisy
08-19-2008, 01:58 AM
Some consider veganism "extreme". I consider a triple bypass extreme. That's what eating large amounts of cholesterol leads to.
The payoff for me has been the slammin' body in my avatar, (a loss of over 30 pounds), a cholesterol count that literally made the nurse at my dr. office ask me for my "secret" at my annual physical three weeks ago due to my cholesterol levels, my iron level, my blood pressure--everything was hella awesome. For the record, my family's health is fucked. My dad's cholesterol was 315 last check up! And the older ones are beginning to have srokes and develop heart disease.
Veganism or vegetarianism is no guarantee of good health automatically. I'm not saying that to be argumentative, but a balanced diet that includes lean meats and especially fish and also lots of veggies is can provide excellent health benefits too. And of course avoiding processed (especially fast) foods is crucial.
I knew one "Vegan" years ago whose diet was pretty heavy in fried foods. But there were no animal products...I know she's the exception. Pretty much all the other ones I've met make sure to get the nutrients they need.
I've never been overweight (and Puerto Rican food is almost on par in terms of unheathiness as Southern food is!), my cholesterol and other vitals were also low and at very healthy levels as of December last year. My great-grandparents died in their 90's and my maternal grandfather, who eats veggies, lean meats like grilled turkey and still stays active, will turn 90 this year. But my uncle also runs a health food store and for a while had an adjacent vegetarian restaurant. So for them a balanced diet and activity (plus yeah, good genes) have worked well for a few generations.
In fact, I was vegetarian for a year and a half late in high school and early in college and even though I "did it right", I was sick all the time. Now I almost never do even though I eat fewer animal products these days. Everyone's different, I guess.
No one should eat a T-bone with butter-laden mashed potatoes slathered in gravy and creamed spinach all the time. That shit will lead to a QUINTUPLE bypass! But having that kind of meal here and there and rarely if you crave it isn't the worst thing in the world either. ;)
Roxelle
08-19-2008, 02:18 AM
No one should eat a T-bone with butter-laden mashed potatoes slathered in gravy and creamed spinach all the time. That shit will lead to a QUINTUPLE bypass! But having that kind of meal here and there and rarely if you crave it isn't the worst thing in the world either. ;)
It's the worst thing in the world for the animal, whose life on earth had to be taken away for that T-bone (they have their own experience of life too, separate from how we can use them), but I agree that healthwise for the person it's probably not that big of a deal.
For me it comes down to a relatively trivial human desire for animal flesh (because it's a fact that we can get every nutrient we need without killing animals); but for the animals their life is everything.
Dottie Rebel
08-19-2008, 02:24 AM
^^I feel ya, you know I do. But I have to say that it pains me to hear people say, "I could never give up (cheese/steak/hamburgers) so I could never be a vegetarian."
Just make the best choices you can for your health and your conscience. And if you slip up, you haven't shattered the sacred vegetarian code. Eating vegetarian 6 days a week and having Nina's T-bone with the works on Sunday is way better than saying "Fuck it. I'll just have McDonald's every day." For you, for the environment, for animals...just way better.
Roxelle
08-19-2008, 02:37 AM
How come I just can't stand the thought of healthy food?:-\ I really would like to change my eating habits, but I am convinced healthy food doesn't agree with me. :O
You might want to start introducing healthier foods into the foods you already eat, or might like to eat. For example,
I made a great smoothie the other day out of
* Strawberry Spiru-tein (it's a vegan high protein/energy powder you can get at a lot of stores)
* chocolate almond milk
and
* kale!
Normally I really don't like kale, but I'm trying to add more dark leafy greens to my diet. I couldn't taste the kale (I added maybe 7 leaves to it). It was a really good shake (although it was terribly green).
glitzy
08-19-2008, 03:04 AM
to reward myself for upping my raw intake over the weekend i tried out a soy mac & cheese.
it tasted like such crap!
i think my tastebuds are changing.
or soycheese has always sucked & i have just been in denial.
ahmeerah
08-19-2008, 04:39 AM
^^^ Soy mac and cheese is gross, right? I used to eat that crap.
Speaking of veganism. I totally recommend Vere Chocolate: www.veregoods.com. I think the 75% cacao (cayenne & cacao nibs) is my current favorite. Taza Stoneground is delicioso too!
They're based in NYC so if any of you girls in ny are as crazy about chocolate (vegan) as I am, Vere Goods opens it's doors to the public on Fridays from 12 noon to 6p for tours and sales. (12 W 27th St). I want free samples!
keira0304
08-19-2008, 07:59 AM
Perry- you can find raw shelled nuts at the health food store in the bulk section, and sometimes in conventional grocery stores they are in the produce section in the shelves under the produce in bags (shelled), not sure if they're organic though.
I need to buy a dehydrator and a blender....my blender died on me this weekend. I want to make my own flax crackers!
kitana
08-19-2008, 08:00 AM
I got to thinking today about eating healthy. I'm always reading on here how you guys are all following extreme lifestyles, like cutting out all dairy or all animal products or whatever. I really try and take care of myself well, by working out and looking good all the time, and I just wish I could do something like this. I'd love to feel good INSIDE as well as outside....I just don't know how I'd get the motivation to do it!
How did you all decide to follow these lifestyles? Was being healthy always a thing you enjoyed, or were any of you former fatties and fast-food lovers?
Also, do you ever fuck it up? Like, don't you have the extreme urge to just go to McDonalds and order a Quarter Pounder meal and ice cream sundae?!?
I wonder...Are my tastebuds, like, different or something? How come I just can't stand the thought of healthy food?:-\ I really would like to change my eating habits, but I am convinced healthy food doesn't agree with me. :O
<---------NOT vegan or veggie or anything "extreme" like that, I try and eat healthy yes, whole foods if possible and raw fresh (organic if possible) veggies and fruits and lean meats and NO milk, or sugars or processed flours (think white bread), and low starches.
It was more cause I was told I HAD to eat like that, then desire to at first; now it's second nature. If I eat junk food, I get violently ill and puke for hours, so no McCrap for me, lol.
kitana
08-19-2008, 08:12 AM
Of course PETA is biased. They have an agenda (shhhhh, don't tell anyone!) to prevent cruelty towards animals.
So why do they kill over 60% of the healthy adoptable animals they take in, and have a deadly grudge against American Pit Bull Terriers and feel that the breed MUST be exterminated? That doesn't sound very cruelty free to me.
kitana
08-19-2008, 08:15 AM
^^^I think this is a great concept. How many meat eaters could hold a captive bolt gun to a cow's head and skin it, or hang a chicken up to be sliced by a razor through the neck? Oh, I'm sure there are many. But imagine if all the ones who are too cowardly or senstive to do the killing themselves would stop eating meat...
I could and would in a half a heartbeat. But then again I hunt animals for food and fur as well...
Emily
08-19-2008, 09:50 AM
soy mac and cheese is never right, but if you are having a craving for pasta and cheesiness, tofu lasagna is pretty good. You can buy it frozen, but there's a good recipe in Vegan with a Vengence cookbook.
oh, and +1 for Spirutein, but I like vanilla.
btw, I'm making a big pot of lentil soup right now. The lentil is just about the most perfect legume! Very filling without a lot of fat or calories.
cutey5032
08-19-2008, 10:17 AM
Thanks everyone for your responses.....they are making me think! And also for the recommendations :)
Dottie your payoffs make me excited! Do you find yourself having a lot more energy now? Also, how long ago did you become a veg? I am just wondering how long it took to become healthy after eating southern food your whole life
For the record, I have been eating actual veggies and fruit with every meal and taking vitamins too. I am also avoiding fried foods (which is a big step for me, as I pretty much have eaten fried shit almost everyday for the last 4 years). I'm not weighing myself or anything (too scared to step on the scale, haha), but my stomach feels a lot less bloated than usual. Next is cutting down the diet coke intake! (I've already cut back a lot)
I was just excited the first night and wanted to eat the 2 things I thought would taste best heh heh.
Sophia_Starina
08-19-2008, 12:06 PM
For the record, I have been eating actual veggies and fruit with every meal and taking vitamins too. I am also avoiding fried foods (which is a big step for me, as I pretty much have eaten fried shit almost everyday for the last 4 years). I'm not weighing myself or anything (too scared to step on the scale, haha), but my stomach feels a lot less bloated than usual. Next is cutting down the diet coke intake! (I've already cut back a lot)
I don't think anyone can argue with that. What you are doing is good for many reasons. I wish you the best of luck with your new eating plan.
*Iris*
08-19-2008, 12:36 PM
I've been hearing that some fruits can make you fat. Is that true?
Also cutey5032 I wish I could eat alot of veggies I like them but after a while I can't seem to want to put them in my mouth .
ahmeerah
08-19-2008, 12:46 PM
I've been hearing that some fruits can make you fat. Is that true?
False. Depends on your chemistry/metabolic type and how much of it you're eating. AND some fruits have higher concentraitions of sugars (higher on the glycemic index) than others. So someone might fare better on a handful of blueberries or a green apple instead of a ripe banana.
Emily
08-19-2008, 12:53 PM
well, excess calories make you fat. It's not really about the food.
You could gain weight on fruit or lose weight on Big Macs
glitzy
08-19-2008, 03:05 PM
[quote=*Iris*;1671259]I've been hearing that some fruits can make you fat. Is that true?
quote]
This guy documented his transition into raw foods. His calorie intake went up a lot, but he still lost weight.
XAnastasiaX
08-19-2008, 03:47 PM
Nutritional yeast is awesome when making tofu scramble. I also have some great recipes if anyone is interested
Emily
08-19-2008, 03:53 PM
I'm interested because I still can't get excited about nutritional yeast or tofu. I buy it because I mean well, but it just sits there until I run out of fake chicken nuggets and ribs, and it's about to expire and I force myself to eat it. Actually, my dog probably eats more tofu than I do around expiration date time.
Perry
08-19-2008, 04:37 PM
Tofu is really good in a lot of Japanese recipes. This site (http://japanesefood.about.com/od/tofu/p/tofuprofile.htm) has some that look yummy.
As for nutritional yeast, I just sprinkle it on everything. Pizza, sandwitches, soups, popcorn, anything. It's got a light, nutty cheese flavor that I really like. Seems to go well with everything and keeps my iorn levels up.
Emily
08-19-2008, 04:45 PM
yeah, I know how to use it. I just...don't love it. I have to force myself to eat it. I actually omit nutritional yeast from vegan recipes to make them taste better. I have a huge ass can of it that is collecting dust. And I love cheesy and nutty, so I feel like I should like it.
So when someone suggests an awesome recipe with my two least favorite vegan staples, I'm all ears.
NinaDaisy
08-19-2008, 10:51 PM
Eating vegetarian 6 days a week and having Nina's T-bone with the works on Sunday is way better than saying "Fuck it. I'll just have McDonald's every day." For you, for the environment, for animals...just way better.
It's not MY weekly t-bone! But it might be my twice-monthly grass-fed burger. ;)
And I forgot who made a comment about poo fertilizer being icky. It's SUPPOSED to be made of poo! Synthetic fertilizers made from chemicals are bad for the soil, food and eater.
Seriously folks, read "The Onmivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food" by David Pollan.
For the junk food junkies, try slowly integrating healthier food in your diet. Healthy home-made smoothies are usually a good way to start. And dark leafy greens (like kale) have a lot more flavor than iceberg lettuce. Baby steps is better than nothing.
I personally don't know how to kill animals and prepare them for food. But if I absolutely had to, I would learn. But then I don't know how to make tofu from soybeans either...but that likely wouldn't make people as squeamish as having to kill, skin and gut another living creature.
bellasera
08-19-2008, 11:26 PM
As for nutritional yeast, I just sprinkle it on everything. Pizza, sandwitches, soups, popcorn, anything. It's got a light, nutty cheese flavor that I really like. Seems to go well with everything and keeps my iorn levels up.
I can't get enough of it! So yummy, I'm always looking for new things to put it on. Right now I have been eating warm pita bread and dipping it in hazel nut oil with NY.
Dottie Rebel
08-20-2008, 01:04 AM
^^^I know!! Me too. I weep for Emily.
I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE nutritional yeast.
SassyPants
08-20-2008, 01:15 AM
nutritional yeast is good in excess.
vaginal yeast, however, is not.
ya' heard?!
ahmeerah
08-20-2008, 06:42 AM
Seriously folks, read "The Onmivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food" by David Pollan.
For the junk food junkies, try slowly integrating healthier food in your diet. Healthy home-made smoothies are usually a good way to start. And dark leafy greens (like kale) have a lot more flavor than iceberg lettuce. Baby steps is better than nothing.
I personally don't know how to kill animals and prepare them for food. But if I absolutely had to, I would learn. But then I don't know how to make tofu from soybeans either...but that likely wouldn't make people as squeamish as having to kill, skin and gut another living creature.
Word to everything you said.
I can't wait to get my hands on those books. I skimmed through one of them the other day.
*Iris*
08-20-2008, 01:36 PM
^ Im the same way. All I ate as a kid and teen was Fast food and mexican food and I was super skinny now that I have had kids I gain weight so quickly and it's super hard to try and stick to a diet when I would stuff my face and not gain a pound.
*Iris*
08-20-2008, 07:57 PM
I found this website. Thought it could be useful. :)
http://www.rawfoods.com/recipes
DarkMoon08
08-23-2008, 12:27 PM
I went vegetarian for health reasons ( I had a breast cancer scare and serious female problems). I researched vegetarian nutrition before giving up animal products so I would not rely so much on the fake 'dairy' and fake 'meat' products (which aren't healthier than the real thing by any stretch of the imagination). My goal now is to become vegan. Cheese is my weakness though.
Saoirse
08-25-2008, 06:44 PM
I'm a pretty healthy eater. Lots of veggies, homemade stuff.
I did it by becoming a food snob :D
Which pretty much ensures I'm not eating fast food or junk foods. And making a lot of my own food or going out for more gourmet type stuff. I don't think I'd be able to go back to wonderbread after experiencing freshly baked goodness, for example.