Going Organic & Vegan

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HyperAgressiveDonk

HyperAgressiveDonk

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Aug 6, 2008
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I'm 29, average weight, no health problems, but used to smoke, drink a lot and eat s**t food. Seven days ago, I decided to go vegan and organic and rid myself of these bad habits. Despite food costing 3x as much, there are no complaints as I really do feel 110% better.

Just wanted to encourage anyone thinking of doing the same thing. Well worth it in my opinion.
 
My diet is nowhere near as bad as you describe, and I'm only 21. I wouldn't switch to organic/vegan because it would just be too much of a hassle to consume the correct nutrients within such strict parameters.

I've switched of all sugar except for fruit which I have once or twice a day, and whatever sugar is in bread (which is as good as negligible in most cases anyway). I've also started having either steamed or fresh veggies with every meal including breakfast, and sometimes not even having cereal. Well worth it.
 
UseYourIllusion said:
My diet is nowhere near as bad as you describe, and I'm only 21. I wouldn't switch to organic/vegan because it would just be too much of a hassle to consume the correct nutrients within such strict parameters.
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Exactly!. I don't know where I would get the protein i need if i didn't eat meat and dairy.

Yes, I love tofu but a. I have a dietry requirement to stay away from too much soy and b. how much tofu and nuts can you eat without getting bored?

I believe you can have an extremely healthy vegan diet but it takes alot of work. On top of that there's taste and satisfaction to consider. Again, it's possible but alot of work.

UseYourIllusion said:
I've switched of all sugar except for fruit which I have once or twice a day, and whatever sugar is in bread (which is as good as negligible in most cases anyway). I've also started having either steamed or fresh veggies with every meal including breakfast, and sometimes not even having cereal. Well worth it.
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Your diet sounds similar to mine.

As for the op I already buy organic.
 

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I've been vegetarian for well over a decade and I'd suggest that if you are going to go vegan, unless you have taken the time to educate yourself very, very well you could be doing yourself more harm than good. It's not a decision to be taken lightly.

(Incidentally, most people consider veganism to be a philosophy rather than a diet, hence the term "vegan" usually describes someone who has not only removed meat from their diet but animal products from their lifestyle as well- so no leather, for instance. Anyway)

Quitting smoking, drinking, and all the toxins in non-organic foods and vegetables is going to do wonders for you though.
 
HyperAgressiveDonk said:
I'm 29, average weight, no health problems, but used to smoke, drink a lot and eat s**t food. Seven days ago, I decided to go vegan and organic and rid myself of these bad habits. Despite food costing 3x as much, there are no complaints as I really do feel 110% better.

Just wanted to encourage anyone thinking of doing the same thing. Well worth it in my opinion.
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Come back in seven months and tell us if you still feel the same way. Not a payout, but you can do anything for seven days, the real test will be if you can "happily" stick to this for the long term.

Cudos to you for giving up the smokes and the drink and heating healthier, you are bound to feel better, no rocket science there.
 
nicky said:
Exactly!. I don't know where I would get the protein i need if i didn't eat meat and dairy.

Yes, I love tofu but a. I have a dietry requirement to stay away from too much soy and b. how much tofu and nuts can you eat without getting bored?

I believe you can have an extremely healthy vegan diet but it takes alot of work. On top of that there's taste and satisfaction to consider. Again, it's possible but alot of work.



Your diet sounds similar to mine.

As for the op I already buy organic.
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I've never had tofu and will avoid it for as long as possible. And actually, I really like seeds and nuts, to the point where since making them a permanent part of my diet in place of junk food I now have to cut back on them too!

Have you (or anybody else) read Sweet Poison? Good read with good solutions to getting healthy. I will likely start a thread about soon.
 
WinmarToLockett said:
I've been vegetarian for well over a decade and I'd suggest that if you are going to go vegan, unless you have taken the time to educate yourself very, very well you could be doing yourself more harm than good. It's not a decision to be taken lightly.
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This is a really pertanent point. A family friend one day maybe 15 years ago now just decided in an instant to become a vegetarian. However, she thought this mean simply eating as per usual, minus meat.

After many years her hair started to fall out. Not just a few here and there, but noticable portions.

You really have to do your homework.
 
HyperAgressiveDonk said:
I'm 29, average weight, no health problems, but used to smoke, drink a lot and eat s**t food. Seven days ago, I decided to go vegan and organic and rid myself of these bad habits. Despite food costing 3x as much, there are no complaints as I really do feel 110% better.

Just wanted to encourage anyone thinking of doing the same thing. Well worth it in my opinion.
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Great.

I'll have to eat another steak to pick up the slack you left.
 
Not dissing your choice here at all HAD, but from the description of your previous diet I reckon you'd be feeling just as good after 7 days if you'd quit the ciggies, drink and junk food and just ate a healthy diet of fresh food (including meat). Personally I reckon giving up that stuff would have more to do with you feeling rejuvinated than the switch to vegan.

I went vegan for a little while while backpacking once, not really by design but because I starting travelling with a vegan I met and it was just easier since we were eating together most of the time.

I found it a really boring diet (mind you this was vegan on a backpackers budget so we weren't exactly scouring the shelves for all sorts of exotic replacements).

It was only for a few weeks and, funnily enough, though I didn't miss meat in the slightest I was getting massive cravings for cheese. I ended up buying a big block of cheese to put on toast in the mornings just to satisfy the pangs.

So I reckon I could handle going vegetarian if I ever felt inclined, but vegan would just be a bridge too far for me.
 
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How did this thread last so long without saying - "You don't win friends with salad".
Funny, yet true. The 'Oh I can't eat this' at parties is just annoying.
 
Yeah - if you're going to go vegan then start taking your own food to parties, dinners at peoples' places, etc. My cousin is vegan and if he didn't bring his own food nobody in our family would ever invite him anywhere.

I don't mind cooking for vegetarians but vegan is just way too much hassle. I don't own half the substitutes needed to put together an edible/interesting/enjoyable vegan meal.
 
lol it wont last

it takes a special kind of nutter to become a vegan

just cut out processed foods as much as possible and cut down on sugar

vegans are just annoying
 

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cynical said:
l

it takes a special kind of nutter to become a vegan
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Well, judging by his posts on the main board HAD certainly fits the bill.

I'm a semi-vegetarian. I don't eat red meat.
 
This girl was telling me that she ONLY eats organic free range chicken, totally agreed with her on that one. Anyway we went to the supermarket to get a free range chicken for her dinner party and she ended up buying a regular chicken because it was bigger and cheaper. :D Seriously though people think they have a right to cheap meat and i don't think it should be that way.
 
I don't get why people think they need to cut out certain foods from their diet to feel better.

If your meat consumption was primarily heavily processed big macs and deep fried chicken wings then of course you'll feel better after cutting it out. With the extra $$ you're splashing out on organic veg and nuts and seeds etc you could be buying prime cuts of steak or high quality free range chicken. Even go to the seafood market and pick up some snapper or something and fillet it yourself.

I am in fine health and I don't follow any strict guidelines with my diet aside from a simple philosophy of fresh ingredients and keeping it simple. I also allow myself the occasional indulgence in fatty fish and chips or pizza or macca's. Food is made to be enjoyed and if you employ a little bit of self-control it can be great.

I recommend taking a trip to the villages of Italy or France. Food in European culture is more than something to shove in your mouth to shut your stomach up from rumbling. These people love food with undying passion and none of them keel over and die from heart attacks or cholestrol blocked arteries.

Being an Arts student I meet a lot of people who are vego's and none of them give me a good reason as to why they do it. A lot of these same people will have no qualms about wearing leather boots, carrying a leather wallet, having some scrambled eggs. Hell, even going to the Zoo can be construed as supporting animal cruelty to some. Just saying, contact the Animal Welfare fund and find another way to stop animal cruelty besides sitting their with your growling stomach and ****ing salad at dinner time and pretending you wouldn't kill for a big juicy burger.

And like I said for the OP, meat and healthy food don't have to be mutually exclusive and there are ways to make yourself feel better than eating like my ****ing canary.
 
We'll I'm NEARLY a vegan (only animal based products I have is eggs, but in cake)
But don't eat any animal based products apart from that and I seem to be going alright health wise :)
But I have to stick to this sort of diet mainly due to food allergies.

Regarding to the first post, a vegetarian/vegan diet should be cheaper if you cook everything yourself with fresh ingredients.
 
Just watch your mineral levels. Some people can't sustain being vegan because of a lack of vitamins and minerals, and end up eating more food supplements than actual food.
 
Commitment to a vegan lifestyle requires great discipline, but being a vegetarian does not.

Lack of iron absorption is the main concern regarding those who do not eat animal meat. Vitamin C is essential for absorbing iron from plant-based food.

Other foods that are highly beneficial for a vegetarian diet include quinoa (rich in amino acids), chia (excellent source of omega-3) and a variety of beans and legumes (for protein intake).
 
Yeah cleaning up the diet in general to add more vegetables etc would do most people wonders.

I've yet to come accross any evidence that Organic food is better for you - I recall reading in The Conversation that it makes no difference, but the benefit is that the way it is grown is much more sustainable.
 
My girlfriend is vegan so I'm sort of going down that path. My diet has been very healthy for years (no cigarettes or alcohol, low fat, high vegetable and fruit content), but it's more of an ethics thing.

I'd recommend getting regular checks on B12 and Iron levels - they can be very hard to keep up without animal products.

Organic is not of much interest to me; I don't feel that the benefits justify the cost.
 
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