What are the benefits (besides a clean conscience)?
Did anyone notice any differences in their energy levels or weight after cutting out animal products?
What are the benefits (besides a clean conscience)?
Did anyone notice any differences in their energy levels or weight after cutting out animal products?
Read the China Study. It'll blow you away. It details all the health benefits of cutting animal based proteins out of your diet.
http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html
I was pissed. I went vegan for three weeks and was expecting a ton of weight to fall off. not so-- and I wasn't gorging on junk food either.
the worst thing I had, which I found out later on is not pure vegan is Rice cheese which has Casein in it-- a milk derived protein.
argh.
felt cleaner though-- but I can feel clean like that the less processed crap I eat too.
if you're ever in dallas ft. worth check out the spiral diner. granted it's the only vegan restaurant I've ever been to but it's SOOO good-- kicks so many other diners asses. and it's not overpriced either.





I was thinking about becoming a vegan. I think it will do me some good. But how do you fight the cravings for meat.
If you want the present to be differant from the past, study the past.
Baruch Spindza
It is what it is, not what you want it to become, that's important -- at least for now. Today, remember that things worth having are worth waiting for!
The Stars
Minds are like parachutes: They only function when open.
Thomas Dewar
Dont throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water.
Swedish Proverb




i am vegan 6 days a week but allow myself a meal with my family that usually includes meat & dairy on sundays.
even since i got whooping cough in high school my energy levels have been really low...becoming vegan with high levels of fruits & veggies is the only thing that has made me focused and energized during the day.
personally, the change was very dramatic. colors even look brighter to me now. & i didn't lose any weight (i've been at a consistent 5'6", 118 lbs for a few years now), but i do look leaner & more toned now.
the only thing i still occasionally cheat with is ranch dressing (& on sundays i always eat some kind of seafood cause i CRAVE it!). i recommend allowing yourself one cheat day or a few cheat items every now & then to not feel deprived & give up.





I was vegan for like six months, and I got terribly anemic. I know that's an atypical result. I'm trying vegetarianism now. I don't know if I could go all the way again.
I wanted to ask vegans though-- is there a big difference between veggie plus dairy, vs. fully vegan? Health wise and nutrition wise? I know the ethical argument for veganism, which I agree with, but I still like to think like a Kantian, insofar if everyone went at least vegetarian, the big problems would be solved.





To me, dairy is absolutely THE WORST. I would eat a steak a day before I would drink a glass of milk. It's breast milk meant for baby cows and it's completley unnatural. I cut out meat, then eggs, then dairy from my diet and all the positive health changes occurred when I cut out the dairy.
If you are going for health, I would strongly recommend vegetarian with dairy. It would be better to eat meat and cut out the dairy.





Thanks for the responses y'all. I'm def giving this a try!
I really recommend baby steps. It's hard to make all the adjustments and it's so overwhelming all at once, I think it's a lot harder to make it work long term.
Are you currently vegetarian?
^ Yup. Since I was 13-ish? Plus I know I could live without dairy (it fucking grosses me out), and I only use eggs when I bake. The only reason I'm not fully vegan right now is because it's so much easier. I just need to take the time to find substitutes and make sure I get enough calcium/b12.
oh, then it should be a walk in the park for you.
Good luck!
Is it really dairy that's the problem? I was a happy vegetarian for 11 or 12 years and I've been thinking of going veg again. I've been considering veganism for the health benefits. I can easily live without meat and I don't like eggs anyway... but oh do I love cheese. I like soy milk and I'm fine with other nondairy things like soy ice cream and tofu smoothies, but I LOVE cheese. Soy cheese tastes like shit. Is cheese really all that bad for you?
I never really understood the dairy debate.
On one hand, it's unnatural. if we didn't have farming, would human beings drink milk? (besides when nursing from your mother as an infant, of course) I don't think it makes sense. No other animal seeks out the milk of another mammal. Eggs though....yeah
On the other hand, there is a lot of research that suggests that dairy is good for you. Of course, the dairy farmers are putting this out.
I feel better on a vegan diet.
When I eat dairy these days, I get nasty gas.



Huge difference,since last November I'm off wheat,meat,sugar, and dairy...dropped a LOT of weight but more importantly,I am healthy again and have energy to spare!
Once you get past the first few weeks,life gets "better" and you learn how to adjust!
I was doing good eatting just fish and elimating most dairy (I can't turn down ice cream once in a while, I sometimes get sorbet though instead) then I found out I was anemic and started adding in turkey or chicken a couple times a week. I've never been fond of eggs or cheese so that's not a problem for me. Plus I think soy milk is much better for us than cow milk.




that's why i eat seafood when i crave it; it's a huge protein boost & has a lot of healthy fats in it.
re: dairy. i was vegetarian for a few years in high school & i was always still very tired. cutting out dairy is definitely the thing that improved my energy levels & gave me more muscle definition/less fat. at first it was really rough because i <3 cheese, but the feeling i get after i eat dairy just isn't worth it anymore.
i love ice cream too, but there's a lot of great substitutes out there now! tofutti cutie ice cream sandwiches are great & the purely decadent dairy free brand is good too (comes in a pint).
i am anemic too, but i take my iron pills & i'm fine.![]()
Actually some do. Lions in particular love milk and will go for that first if they kill lactacting prey (they'll just tear open that part of the body first and fight over who gets the milk when it spills out).
I know that some three-fourths of humans are lactose intolerant but it seems that those of North Atlantic origin are healthier with a dairy-heavy diet. So maybe it's good for a few people and not for others. Maybe I'll try the six-day vegan thing and have my cheese on Saturdays or something.





Just a note for anyone trying to go vegan - I took out dairy cold-turkey and I was a HUGE milk-drinker. Seriously, I would have about 5 cups of milk a day. It took 2 weeks for my body to adjust and about 3-4 weeks to see health improvements. This may not be the case for everyone but I wanted to throw it out there!




Just a hint for anyone who wants to try giving up dairy but loves the taste of milk:
Almond milk.The nectar of the gods. IMHO it actually tastes a lot better than cow's milk.
I love almond milk, but I buy soy because they sell it in bulk at Costco. $10 for 10 boxes.
I'm cheap.
The one thing I don't like is rice milk. It tastes like that extra water left over after you cook rice. I'm curious about help milk, but that's a little too earthy hippie for me.
My boyfriend loves soy milk too and he's like so... not vegan. I converted him on milk. I'm working as best I can to get him to come to the vegan side. He eats real vegetables now and it turns out he likes them and feels better when he eats them!
^^^^ I agree about almond and rice milk! Sometimes we get hazelnut milk, which is delicious. But vanilla soy milk is way cheaper and suits my needs. I do like that better than cow's milk.
Just wish they could come up with some decent vegan cheese.





I had an avocado sandwich and cheese. I know it is not hard core vegan. I am starting at least one meal a day. This way I think if will help me stick to the diet.
If you want the present to be differant from the past, study the past.
Baruch Spindza
It is what it is, not what you want it to become, that's important -- at least for now. Today, remember that things worth having are worth waiting for!
The Stars
Minds are like parachutes: They only function when open.
Thomas Dewar
Dont throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water.
Swedish Proverb
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