Q: My husband is contemplating going vegan and I want to know what you thought about it and would you recommend it?
A: I think it's the way our ancestors ate: fruit, veggies, nuts, grains. I think eating healthier can eliminate many kids of health problems, and make you feel great. Yes, I absolutely recommend it, as long as you're taking vitamin B12 supplements, as the only food that has B12 are animal products. I feel it's ok to cheat.
Q: Is it hard to "go vegan?"
A: Not if you're inspired. I got inspired by reading Skinny *itch and other books that addressed healthy eating. It's hard at first to figure out what to eat, and when I craved meat I ate beans instead. They're a great substitute. I was also very hungry the first 2 weeks, so have plenty of healthy snacks lying around, like almonds, fruits, pita chips and hummus.
Q: What does Josh think about it? Does he eat vegan, too?
A: When we got married, I cooked tons of creamy casseroles and Josh kept telling me he wanted us to eat healthier, I just didn't know how to change. Lately, Josh has made comment after comment about how great he feels, that he loves the way we're eating, and wants to keep it up. Josh eats fruits with me for breakfast, he probably has bean and cheese burritos for lunch, and he loves dinners. He likes to substitute with real meat sometimes, but he will eat anything I cook.
Q: Are there certain recipes you use that you love?
A: Not published recipes. I'm still attempting to find ones that don't have 30 ingredients. I have a few that I make up and eat regularly. I'll share those in another post.
Q: What are some definite "no-no's" that most people wouldn't think about?
A: It depends on the extent of your research. "The term "vegan" was coined in England in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of the British Vegan Society, to mean "non-dairy vegetarian"; the society also opposed the use of eggs as food.[3] It extended its definition in 1951 to mean "the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals," and in 1960 H. Jay Dinshah started the American Vegan Society, linking veganism to the Jainist concept of ahimsa, the avoidance of violence against living things. Neither the Vegan Society nor the American Vegan Society consider the use of honey, silk, or other insect products to be suitable for vegans. Ethical vegans will not use animal products for clothing, toiletries, or any other reason, and will try to avoid ingredients that have been tested on animals. They will not buy fur coats, leather shoes, belts, bags, or wallets, woollen jumpers, or silk scarves... The word was first independently published in the Oxford Illustrated Dictionary in 1962, defined as "a vegetarian who eats no butter, eggs, cheese or milk." Know that veganism is much more than "what you eat" and this causes endless debates between Josh and I about whether or not I'm really a vegan. Obviously I'm not because I only apply my veganism to foods, and I cheat sometimes. PAY ATTENTION to the ingredients listed in foods - don't buy chemicals and limit your soy intake as this impacts reproductive hormones. Replace your white grains with untreated grains, like switch to whole wheat flour and raw sugar.
Q: What are some foods that you have surprisingly found that you like or things that you have bought that have been really gross (and would never buy again)?
A: I have found that I love wraps with hummus and veggies. Recipes to come in my next post. I will only buy BOCA brand vegan burgers - my friends have told me that the other brands aren't as good. I discovered that brownie mixes really should have eggs in them. The egg replacer ruins it. I also buy as much gluten-free groceries as I can. I love pad thai. Yum. I love Veganaise (vegan mayonnaise) and organic ketchup- those have been easy changes.
Q: I'm struggling a little bit with the "no dairy" part of it...can you explain to me a little bit about bread products?
A: Dairy: get Earth Balance butter instead, Ener-G egg replacer, Almondmilk, and soy cheese. It'll be fine, there are substitutes, but you'll find you won't need as much cheese in your life as you thought. Dropping the dairy alone will make the first big dent in your weight, that and sodas. Bread: there's Ezekiel and Live bread in the frozen section, or just buy whole grain.
Drink water. Ditch the sweeteners and sodas. If you can, switch out your coffee for decaf organic green tea. If you can't, drink organic coffee. Eat fruit for breakfast. Take your B12. When you're in a normal restaurant, don't freak out, just try to eat vegetarian at best. Get inspired. Realize your grocery budget will take a hit. When you first switch out pantry staples, the bill will catch your breath. But you'll be happy because you're now eating at home all the time and you feel amazing.
Good luck, and feel free to ask more questions. :)
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