The Vegetarian & Vegan Thread

[Lady Panties]

I have 'slipped up' bad lately........So I decided to bring up this thread again.

Please don't hate me. I have been eating butter, bread and chocolate lately the most gross thing is I can taste ummm yeah it's so gross and my body has become very unwell. The worst bit is it's like a .....drug.....poison... It makes me feel like poop and I can't stop eating even though I don't enjoy it!?!!


I can't remove the food from my house as my mum thinks the 'boys' need to eat 'mens' food.


Has anyone else been through this? Help!!!

 

[Meg]

I actually think it's more difficult to be a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian in UK/Europe. There are a lot less tofu/soy options here same with chicken/turkey options. Ie. no chicken/turkey dogs, no non-breaded chicken/turkey burgers. Just quorn

 

[Ceptuouse]

It is very difficult Meg
i became a vegetarian last wed and i still am one!! apart from 1 fish fingerits actually really got me down

 

[Estella*]

hello, popping in here for the first time but being a vegetarian for ten years now

just to ask .....meg, what is quorn? is it made of wheat? i'm curious because i was talking about being a vegetarian with an indian woman (in english) lately and she kept mentioning quorn but couldn't explain what it is?

do organic food stores not feature a lot of tofu/soy in the uk? they do in germany....

 

[Ceptuouse]

^ its like a man made meat but vegetarian....i dont think ive explained it right

 

[Estella*]

yes, but what is it made of? we have a wheat-meat-substitute here and tofu/soy products that are similar to meat .... sausages etc.....?

 

[iperlchen]

We have lots of meat substitutes over here in Holland! They even occasionally sell quorn burgers at certain places, right next to the real beef. Also at Mac Donald's or Burger King. Not that I would go in there, air pollution Here is more info on quorn Anna: http://www.quorn.com/
I've tried soy/tofu once.. but it tasted like water. Even with herbs added.

 

[Estella*]

thank you, perlefine ... mycroproteine! i can't recall having seen that in germany. i find tofu to be quite tasty when fried....

 

[Lady Panties]

I actually think it's more difficult to be a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian in UK/Europe. There are a lot less tofu/soy options here same with chicken/turkey options. Ie. no chicken/turkey dogs, no non-breaded chicken/turkey burgers. Just quorn

You have it easier than me

I am in Adelaide (Australia) and we have zilch. We have soy milk and tofu, two brands and thats it. Not even quorn.


I am back on track today after drinking warm salt water.

 

[Meg]

It is made from some sort of fungus similar to mushroom I think anna.

Sorry that you have zilch for alternatives, not sure exactly what you eat then LP!

I think having a great selection of alternative products really makes the transition easier. I think I may go fully veggie soon (still eat poultry and seafood) if only because my housemates give me endless guff about still eating some meat (though it's quite common in Canada).

 

[lizloveslife]

Do they only have quorn in Europe? Or is the like veggie burgers, etc...

 

[Nyx]

I have a question for those of you who are strictly vegan. First I'll give you a load of useless background info just to vent my frustration, but you can just skip it and move to the actual question a couple of columns down.

I've been vegetarian for six years now, since I was 16. I've had periods in between when I've been forced to eat chicken due to circumstances. I still eat fish every now and then. My reasoning behind going vegetarian in the first place was unclear and I never thought about it much. I had a vague sense that it was the right thing to do ethically and from a health aspect, and since I never really cared for meat, giving it up was easy.

I've never felt the slightest need to go back to eating meat. I'm relieved that I no longer need to please people by agreeing to eat chicken now that I live on my own. But now there's been some changes in my life (all for the good really), that are confusing me about what I should eat. I've started running regularly and going to the gym, which is great. But I've found that in order to feel good and healthy while being physically this active would require getting enough protein. And I just don't seem to be able to, no matter how much beans or soy milk I consume. I must point out that my diet has never contained the recommended amount of protein, and that now I'd just like to fix that, not to go on some vegan atkins diet.

At the same time I've started to think more about my consumption habits in general and their ethical consequences. And I've started to feel if I'm completetely honest with myself, for me the right thing to do ethically would be going totally vegan. At my current situation this would mean giving up eggs and fish, two of the few sources of protein left in my diet (I've already given up dairy for other health reasons).

Phew, sorry about all this talk. Anyway, if someone managed to read this far, my question is: How do you combine a vegan diet and a physically active lifestyle? How closely are you monitoring your protein intake? What other sources of protein do you have besides beans, nuts and soy in it's different forms?

I would love to get some encouragement from other vegans that I'm not planning the impossible. The conflict between what my body needs and what I believe is morally right is driving me nuts, and I hate the fact that it seems to be making me a diet-obsessed idiot

 

[Lady Panties]

Louna you have reminded me to buy a cookbook tomorrow.

I don't like to classify myself as vegan...I have slipped up once... but yeah I guess I am. I work out 2-3 times a day, fairly hard. I don't eat soy products nor do I take suplements.

Do you know your daily intake of protien which is needed and what you are consuming now?

Corn, oats, peas, artichokes, spinach, nuts, beans, soy, lentils, seeds etc are all sources of protien. Our bodies don't *need* meats at all, there is a way in which you can get all your needs without eating animal products.

Maybe you can see a nutritionist? Sorry I can't help you more.

 

[Melisande]

I would love to get some encouragement from other vegans that I'm not planning the impossible. The conflict between what my body needs and what I believe is morally right is driving me nuts, and I hate the fact that it seems to be making me a diet-obsessed idiot

Oh, dear Louna, you are not asking the impossible at all! I used to be very strict vegan and now I'm like you...mostly vegetarian, eat fish now and then, but no meat. I know vegans who are very physically active, involved in hardcore sports, some of them are very brawny and muscular even . I think Carl Lewis was vegan if I'm not mistaken...

I've forgotten specific amounts, but you don't need to monitor down to the gram. You must do some basic research initially as to what your body requires and what foods contain those nutrients, and then go ahead and just approximate that in your daily diet. Always choose whole grains over refined: whole grains are sources of protein too. I've heard that we really don't need as much protein as people say we do. And beans are known as a far better source of protein than animal products, because their amino acids are more easily and completely assimilated by the body.
Be sure to eat lots of green leafy veggies for your iron and calcium supply too, and take a B12 supplement, or allow yourself yoghurt . Good luck, but being too hard on yourself can have adverse effects~~take it easy!

 

[Nyx]

Thanks for your kind words and sorry about my rant! I feel much more hopeful about going vegan now. I just need to do a good basic research on what exactly I need and how much, and then figure out some different options on how to get it all. And most of all I need to calm down and stop freaking out so much! Thanks for giving me some confidence that veganism is doable for me too.

 

[J'aime_la_mode]

I've recently become a vegan and i love it. I also work out 7 days a week for about 30-40 minutes. Protein just isnt a problem, I have soy milk in fruit smoothies, beans on my salads, boca burgers(my favorite brand of veggie burgers) and theres so many other options. Gardenburgers are also fabulous!! Theres just no reason to eat pus and chemical filled dairy. If i ever do need a pick up b4 a workout I simply have a cup of green tea!

 

[J'aime_la_mode]

Hey does anyone know any models, designers or other people in the fashion industry that are vegan/vegetarian? I think it would be fun to see who lives this lovely vegan lifestyle!

 

[Melisande]

You're welcome, Louna! Good luck, and have fun!

J'aime la mode, I only know the most obvious...Stella McCartney...

Also, Jurgen Lehl is a Polish designer with a well-established fashion firm in Tokyo since 1972...apparantly the cafeteria food at his company was macrobiotic vegan, prepared by a Buddhist monk. How cool is that!

 

[woodenhouse]

That's one of the reasons why my mom because a vegetarian. She had constant headaches, fevers, and could barely get through the day. Yogis say that meat, comming from a dead animal, has negative energy which lowers you "life force" if you eat it and also contains toxins (who know WHAT they feed farm animals these days); all of this slows down your metabolism and vitality and makes you feel lethargic. So yes, cut out the red meat and substitute it with something else. Fish is a good alternative but be careful with all the mercury and pesticide poisoning going on

Thats one of my reasons for a vegetarian diet, i'm glad you brought that up It's something most people don't talk about as much of as they should when discussing vegetarianism; I suppose because it's a product of your beliefs. I wholeheartdly agree- I believe when we eat animals that have been tortured and killed, we are consuming all their negative energy, which like you said, lowers your "life force." I'm mostly a vegetarian for moral reasons. I love life, I won't eat it or kill it unless it's required for my survival. I feel VERY strongly on the matter, just like some people feel strongly about the yankees or w/e, my thing is vegetarianism. Health is part of it, because I respect and love my body so I don't want to put total toxins and chemicals in it, but all in all it's a moral thing. I know "vegetarians" who don't eat meat because their just being vain, all concerned about their weight and image, and I laugh at them. They have no sense of true vegetarianism. If you don't eat meat or animal products for the health benefits, call yourself a healthy person, because you are, no denying that, and I commend you. But a vegetarian, IMO, is someone who is morally opposed to eating meat. I mean some people just don't like the taste of meat, so they don't eat it. Are they vegetarians? No, they are essentially healthier people, but really just people who don't like the taste of meat. A vegetarian believes in the cause, loves the animals, isn't just in it for their own selves (health benefits)

That said, I think it's great so many people have adapted the vegetarian "lifestyle"-- It shows a higher consciousness of people who care about their bodies and other who care about life.

That said, why am I not a vegan? I'd love to be, and it's probably the healthiest diet out there (though some have argued with me that it's not, the healthiest diet would be eating all raw foods). But at only 16, my mother (who's fully supportive of all my decisions) doesn't feel "comfortable" with eliminating all dairy, and quite frankly, it'd be quite a hassle. I mean everything in our house is vegetarian, but to ask my parents to switch their lifestyle to VEGAN? It won't happen, so I just make sure the animal products I eat are organic. Eventually when i'm on my own, a vegan lifestyle will be more practical.

And as for leather and fur, fur= 0. Never will. I don't like it, not even faux. I do buy leather products if they are vintage or consignment. Eventually, I would hope to weed off all animal products (as associated with a vegan life) but at this point, just buying leather products that are consignment/vintage is good enough for me. At least my money isn't going to the manufacturer who has to pay a company to slaughter animals. it's just going to the boutique/store owner. I feel guilty alot of times, so i'm guessing my *no-leather at all* will end up coming before vegan.

Phew. That's that.

 

[J'aime_la_mode]

Also, Jurgen Lehl is a Polish designer with a well-established fashion firm in Tokyo since 1972...apparantly the cafeteria food at his company was macrobiotic vegan, prepared by a Buddhist monk. How cool is that!

That is so awesome ! I wish I could find more places to eat like that...