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Author Topic: Vegetarian, Vegan etc  (Read 10831 times)

SkylarB

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #60 on: March 12, 2012, 12:33:24 pm »
Quote from: yewberry;26396
As the only (mostly) non-meat eater in the house, I've found it's simplest to create a vegetarian entree and a meat side dish.  The meat can be either served on its own (small steak or a chicken breast, f'ex), or cooked and seasoned to be added to the vegetarian entree as desired (browned ground beef or turkey added to a ratatouille). Brina


I know this is an old thread, but something I'm currently dealing with, and essentially battling with my husband about. We want to get healthy and we both have a substantial amount of weight to lose. I have always thought of becoming a vegetarian, and in fact, when I was little and watched where chicken really came from, I refused to eat it for about 20 years. In fact, I was so little, I didn't remember why I didn't like it, I just knew I didn't like it. And a few years ago my mom told me it was because I somehow saw it on TV when she didnt know I was watching such a thing.

First, a friend suggested I watch Foodmatters and The Beautiful Truth, which is free on streaming Netflix right now... and I was enthralled.. awesome and eye-opening movies.. then I watched The Gerson Therapy movie, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, then Food, Inc.. and finally Earthlings, which you can see for free on YouTube. Earthlings was so devastating that I could not watch the whole thing. And I could not fall asleep, and just felt awful and couldn't get those images out of my mind. But, at the same time, I'm glad my eyes were opened and it's like I now know about "the secret" of which is really going on in the world.. something that many people are oblivious to or refuse to acknowledge.

So, I decided I'm going to do a 3-month juice fast and then go vegan. At in the mean time, my cousin, who is vegan, is going to send me a bunch of information that she researched. I have a few other relatives that are vegan, though not in my immediate family... and I will continue to research on my own and gather recipes and start cooking vegan and vegetarian foods now.

At first my husband was supportive, telling me that juicing sounded good and encouraged me to buy a juicer. But the more I talked about it, the more angry he got. He said that it's not a healthy diet and that I'm going to make it difficult for him to cook. I told him to cook what he usually does, I will eat what I can or make my own.  He went on to say vegetarians are stupid and he wanted to do this healthy eating balanced diet with me but now I have to do something different.. etc...

So, I'm struggling with this now. I want to do it, and I will do it, and I'm hoping that my husband will see the benefits as I lose weight and become healthier and more energetic.. and he will change his mind.

This is a great idea from Brina....He also always wants me to cook supper more, so I'm going to cook vegan meals, main dishes, like Brina said she does. And then do some meat separately that he can add in. So the meat becomes the side dish, everyone is getting their veggies, and everyone is happy.

He is making it sound like it will be impossible and difficult to cook meals if I become vegan.. but I don't really think it will at all and I think he's making a big deal out of nothing..and if I want to get healthier, why not eat the healthiest way I can? And why is he made at him for wanting this, just because it's inconvenient for him????? Not good enough!

Sorry.. I'm venting... but I'm going back through the links given to check them out. And I'd love any other links to great sites with recipes, or information about eating vegan. How to get started, etc...

Thanks in advance!
Blessed be,
SkylarB  
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yewberry

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #61 on: March 12, 2012, 06:12:27 pm »
Quote from: SkylarB;45611
So, I decided I'm going to do a 3-month juice fast and then go vegan.

I'm curious as to what this entails.  Anything called a "fast" that lasts for three months sets off alarms for me.

Quote
At first my husband was supportive, telling me that juicing sounded good and encouraged me to buy a juicer. But the more I talked about it, the more angry he got. He said that it's not a healthy diet and that I'm going to make it difficult for him to cook. I told him to cook what he usually does, I will eat what I can or make my own.  He went on to say vegetarians are stupid and he wanted to do this healthy eating balanced diet with me but now I have to do something different.. etc...

Well, I can kind of see where he's coming from.  Making sudden changes in your eating habits can be really jarring.  I don't blame him for being a little nervous.  Especially with the juice fast you mentioned.

Quote
This is a great idea from Brina....He also always wants me to cook supper more, so I'm going to cook vegan meals, main dishes, like Brina said she does. And then do some meat separately that he can add in. So the meat becomes the side dish, everyone is getting their veggies, and everyone is happy.

Well, thank you.  It worked for me and mine.  The guys get their meat fix, and they both end up eating less meat overall (although my too-skinny son doesn't need to worry about his figure...and gets to enjoy all the carbs he likes, lucky monkey).

Quote
And why is he made at him for wanting this, just because it's inconvenient for him????? Not good enough!

Or, depending on how you look at it, completely understandable on his part.  I see where you're both coming from, really, and I'm wondering if a more gradual approach to healthier eating might work better, and make you both happier and likelier to stick to it.

Lifestyle changes can be pretty daunting, and in my experience, it's just so much easier to deal with a lot of small changes instead of single, huge ones.

Brina
« Last Edit: March 12, 2012, 06:13:06 pm by yewberry »

SkylarB

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #62 on: March 13, 2012, 12:25:30 am »
Quote from: yewberry;45645
I'm curious as to what this entails.  Anything called a "fast" that lasts for three months sets off alarms for me.  Brina


It's also called a juicing feast. It's that you are not eating solid foods, which is where the word fast comes into play. You make these super healthy vegetable and fruit juices with a juicer (not the same as a blender. A juicer crushes and squeezes the juice from the plant material and is much more healthier because it releases more of the nutrients in the veggie or fruit, and your body will absorb more of the nutrients then if you blend in a blender or when taking bites and eating it.) And you drink this juice as your meals. It's a detox, cleansing, and super nutritious. If you've ever seen Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, it's all about juicing fasts. I highly recommend it! One guy did it for like 6 months, if I remember correctly, another guy did it for like a year. They both had skin diseases, one guy was extremely obese at like 500 lbs. And they lost weight and their diseases cleared up and they were able to stop all their medications.

I need to lose like another 20 or 30 lbs and get some more energy so I can start exercising more! And juicing is perfect for that too. Ultimately, I'd love to lose 100 lbs, but even if I can lose 50 -70, I'd be thrilled!

Actually, I am doing it slowly...because like you said, I don't want to shock my system.  We've been adjusting our eating habits for a few months now, adding in a lot more veggies and fiber and lowering our fats, carbs, dairy intake, and walking.  Drinking pretty much just water, once in a while Chrystal Light, and my morning coffee, which I'm weaning myself off.. currently drinking one cup every other day. I am now taking a multi vitamin, plus omega-3s. This week, I've stopped eating meat, and I'm having only very limited dairy. Next week I'm going to try my best to totally cut out dairy, if not next week then the week after. And I hope to start my juice fast on April 1st. I'm actually going to blog about it! I'm going to do a daily entry through the entire fast. Or at least every weekday.  I don't know if I can post links to my own websites here, so let me know if I need to remove it, but it is TheJuicingLife.com. I've only just started to build the site.  When it's ready, I'll put a link in my siggy.

On a side note, hubby was happier today, and he cooked chicken for himself and the kids and I had pasta, and I had leftover squash with it...and there was no trouble what so ever.  I'm really hoping once he can actually see the benefits, he'll feel better about my choices and not give me a hard time! At least things went smoothly today!

And he's been making his own fruit drinks, kind of like smoothies.. so I know he'll like the juicer! (Waiting for it to come in the mail).

So, maybe things won't be as bad as I thought and he'll have a better attitude about my eating choices. I know some people don't like change, even if it's someone else changing.. so maybe he just needs some time to get used to the idea. And again, maybe once he sees how good I'm doing and how healthier I'm getting, and losing weight and having nicer skin and hair, etc.. he'll think it was a good thing after all.
Blessed be,
SkylarB  
My Wiccan Blog - From The Phoenix Flames

yewberry

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #63 on: March 13, 2012, 01:25:49 am »
Quote from: SkylarB;45692
It's also called a juicing feast. It's that you are not eating solid foods, which is where the word fast comes into play. You make these super healthy vegetable and fruit juices with a juicer (not the same as a blender. A juicer crushes and squeezes the juice from the plant material and is much more healthier because it releases more of the nutrients in the veggie or fruit, and your body will absorb more of the nutrients then if you blend in a blender or when taking bites and eating it.) And you drink this juice as your meals. It's a detox, cleansing, and super nutritious. If you've ever seen Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, it's all about juicing fasts.

Actually, it's got a lot more to do with one guy's attempt to leverage his weight loss/fitness success.  It's basically an infomercial.  You should save your money and just eat most of your veggies.  I own the kind of juicer you describe.  What gets removed is healthy, beneficial fiber (and lots of it).  Fiber helps you feel full longer, which helps you stick to your diet plan.

Juicing has its place, don't get me wrong.  My own semi-addiction to carrot-ginger juice is testament to my abiding love for liquefied plant matter.  But a more balanced approach to eating your veggies will give you all of their benefits.  Some cooked, some raw, some juiced...some with a little cheese sauce to make meals worth eating and life worth living.

I recently lost 45 pounds.  I didn't fast.  I just ate well and not too many calories.  I kept a diet journal for a few months and counted calories to get a better idea of what I was consuming.  I exercised (and still do) a whole helluva lot.  The weight disappeared gradually, which is the absolute best way to lose weight and keep it off.  I still have the thyroid disease and hypertension I started out with, though.  There's no such thing as a cure-all.

I understand the urge to do something drastic, but you're better off just having all-juice days now and then.  I think you might be surprised at how hungry you'll get consuming just juice for that long.

Brina
« Last Edit: March 13, 2012, 01:26:06 am by yewberry »

benvarry

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #64 on: March 13, 2012, 08:18:55 am »
Quote from: SkylarB;45611
And I'd love any other links to great sites with recipes, or information about eating vegan. How to get started, etc...

Thanks in advance!


I'm vegan!  (For a little more than 2 years, and vegetarian since I was 14.)  Feel free to ask me anything :)

The BEST cookbooks out there are:
Vegan with a Vengeance (seriously, if you buy nothing else...)
Veganomicon
Subscription to Vegetarian Times
& Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World ;)

Unfortunately, lots of people don't lose weight when becoming vegan.  However, if done right, it's an awesome way to go.  Have you read Eat to Live?  I'm convinced it's the absolute best/fastest/easiest way to lose weight, as does everyone I've recommended it to.  Basically you just eat vegetables, fruits, and beans in unlimited quantities, and lose weight like crazy.  Obviously it's not for everyone, but if you're looking for an animal-friendly way to get rid of weight quickly, ETL is the best.

As I recall, Fuhrman (the author of ETL) was actually interviewed in Fat Sick, and the juice fast is basically a liquid version of ETL.  As others mentioned, it might be a good idea to skip the juice part, because fiber really is important.

Good luck!!!  Please let me know if you have other questions.

Finn

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #65 on: March 14, 2012, 12:24:04 am »
Quote from: yewberry;45699
But a more balanced approach to eating your veggies will give you all of their benefits.  Some cooked, some raw, some juiced...some with a little cheese sauce to make meals worth eating and life worth living.

 
I'm nodding and seconding every thing you said (fiber hearts your guts!), but this in particular. Also: butter. And garlic. :ange:
Fight evil: read books.

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yewberry

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #66 on: March 14, 2012, 07:23:12 am »
Quote from: Finn;45813
I'm nodding and seconding every thing you said (fiber hearts your guts!), but this in particular. Also: butter. And garlic. :ange:

Or if you're going with the vegan thing, a little rich toasted sesame oil or almondaise.

Man...I'm hungry.  ;)

Brina
« Last Edit: March 14, 2012, 07:23:35 am by yewberry »

SkylarB

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #67 on: March 14, 2012, 11:49:26 am »
Quote from: yewberry;45825
Man...I'm hungry.  ;) Brina

 
Okay, LOL! I'm starving now! :D:

Thank you all for your recommendations, suggestions, and thoughts! I really appreciate it! I'm going to look at the books and add them to my wish list. :)
Blessed be,
SkylarB  
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stephyjh

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Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #68 on: March 14, 2012, 12:00:00 pm »
Quote from: benvarry;45713
I'm vegan!  (For a little more than 2 years, and vegetarian since I was 14.)  Feel free to ask me anything :)

The BEST cookbooks out there are:
Vegan with a Vengeance (seriously, if you buy nothing else...)
Veganomicon
Subscription to Vegetarian Times
& Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World ;)

Unfortunately, lots of people don't lose weight when becoming vegan.  However, if done right, it's an awesome way to go.  Have you read Eat to Live?  I'm convinced it's the absolute best/fastest/easiest way to lose weight, as does everyone I've recommended it to.  Basically you just eat vegetables, fruits, and beans in unlimited quantities, and lose weight like crazy.  Obviously it's not for everyone, but if you're looking for an animal-friendly way to get rid of weight quickly, ETL is the best.

As I recall, Fuhrman (the author of ETL) was actually interviewed in Fat Sick, and the juice fast is basically a liquid version of ETL.  As others mentioned, it might be a good idea to skip the juice part, because fiber really is important.

Good luck!!!  Please let me know if you have other questions.

You know, there are plenty of us our there who want to avoid meat for reasons that don't relate to the animals themselves. Just sayin'. ;)
A heretic blast has been blown in the west,
That what is no sense must be nonsense.

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SkylarB

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #69 on: March 15, 2012, 08:12:26 am »
Quote from: stephyjh;45852
You know, there are plenty of us our there who want to avoid meat for reasons that don't relate to the animals themselves. Just sayin'. ;)


Oh, I totally agree with that! :) For my own personal reasons, it's like a big circle...(or a Celtic knot!) I first got interested in it for health reasons, then for the environment and for NOT supporting the awful food corporations, and then I saw and learned about the treatment of animals. I also feel a vegan lifestyle ties in with my Wiccan spirituality very well... such as described in the 13 Goals of a Witch. But, although I learned each aspect separately, I now view them as all intertwined and no one reason is more important for me than another. They are all very important for me. I feel that eating this way will enhance my spirituality and bring me closer to the cycles of the Earth and be a more "aware" person of the world around me.

It's kind of "funny" because as I'm learning all about the big, nasty food corporations, and the inhuman farming practices, and all about the foods that humans eat, it's almost like I'm learning a big secret... something that most of society doesn't know, or doesn't want to know. And now that I'm armed with this information, how can I NOT be vegan? I need to at least make the effort, and if it doesn't work out exactly as I'm planning and preparing for, then it doesn't, but at least I know I tried. And if I can't be 100% vegan, then I'll be as close to it as I can! (But I really don't think I'll have any troubles because I know what to expect, from the detoxing through the daily foods I plan to eat. I am preparing myself and weaning myself off some bad foods now, before I plan to officially start my new lifestyle on April 1st.)  :D:  

Luckily, my very close cousin (close to my heart, not physical distance) has been a raw vegan for many years and is very knowledgeable. She recently started helping me prepare and research and giving me tips and direction on this lifestyle. So not only do I have someone to help me, I have someone that understands what I'll be going through and can help me, from things like detox all the way to how to talk to people about my choice of lifestyle in a positive way and not a defensive way.

I am getting more and more excited about this change! :)
Blessed be,
SkylarB  
My Wiccan Blog - From The Phoenix Flames

benvarry

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #70 on: March 15, 2012, 01:40:24 pm »
Quote from: SkylarB;45941
it's like a big circle...(or a Celtic knot!) I first got interested in it for health reasons, then for the environment and for NOT supporting the awful food corporations, and then I saw and learned about the treatment of animals....

It's kind of "funny" because as I'm learning all about the big, nasty food corporations, and the inhuman farming practices, and all about the foods that humans eat, it's almost like I'm learning a big secret... something that most of society doesn't know, or doesn't want to know.

..

 And if I can't be 100% vegan, then I'll be as close to it as I can!


I'm excited for you!  That's really great that you'll have people around you who will support you.  And I understand that being 100% vegan is very difficult (there are a number of food and cosmetic items that I use with full knowledge that they aren't vegan, but these are very few) - don't let the outspoken extremists make you feel like your efforts aren't valid.

And yes, factory farming is society's best-kept (or best-overlooked) secret.  The industry's stakeholders don't want you to know, and people eating the Big Mac don't want to know, so by not talking about it, "everybody" is happy.  I'm not saying that it's practical for everyone to become vegan - but it is practical for people to ignore the issue and go on making unhealthy, inhumane food choices.

Also, stephy: I'm aware not everyone goes vegan for animal welfare reasons, but as it's the central reason that most choose to do so, it's an assumption I generally feel justified in making.  Vegetarians, on the other hand, are more likely to cite other reasons for making their choices.  And that's fine.  ;)

Martin

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #71 on: April 03, 2012, 01:32:31 am »
Quote from: DomesticWitch;6469
Are you a veggie? Anyone in your family a veggie? Are there any problems at meal times if not everyone in your family are veggie?

Both me and my other half are meat eaters but my mums a veggie so when she comes to stay my other half gets all huffy because of the lack of meat (it doesnt bother me, I'm happy without meat for a week or so when she's here) but I always have a bit of a panic when she comes - what on earth do I feed her?? Thankfully I have a load of veggie recipes already in my recipe book but it does make me feel a bit out of sorts lol!

 Awesome buddy,..
I watch out your post and very informational about vegetarian and veggie.Its
a best solution for good health and good fitness.I agree with your review and thanks a lot for great sharing.
Martin

Violet Flower Witch

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Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #72 on: November 18, 2012, 09:03:19 pm »
Quote from: DomesticWitch;6469
Are you a veggie? Anyone in your family a veggie? Are there any problems at meal times if not everyone in your family are veggie?


My husband and I have been pescetarians officially for a year and a half. I eat fish one time a week. I love our vegetarian meals, and I feel there is much potential for variety in them.

I learned a lot from reading Vegan Holiday Cooking. I deeply love "comfort food" and cook a great deal with my crock pot. Among my favorite main courses are black beans, butternut squash and chickpeas.

Grimnir

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Re: Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #73 on: November 19, 2012, 04:23:54 am »
Quote from: Violet Flower Witch;81544
My husband and I have been pescetarians officially for a year and a half. I eat fish one time a week. I love our vegetarian meals, and I feel there is much potential for variety in them.

 
I don't have anything against veggie food but for me veggie and especially vegan are out of the question. I am a firm believer in good farming practice and ideally would do as a couple of friends in New Zealand do, raise my own meat animals.

One of the things that has bothered me in the past is whether I could butcher an animal for food or not. One question I'd asked myself many times was, did I deserve to eat meat if I couldn't actually do that? While I was with my friends in NZ last year I found out. They were due to butcher a sheep while I was there and were happy to let me be a part of the process.

I was never ignorant as to where my food came from and the experience on the farm has made me appreciate it even more.
Kind Regards, Raven
Gæð a wyrd swa hio scel! - Fate goes ever as she shall!

Violet Flower Witch

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Vegetarian, Vegan etc
« Reply #74 on: November 19, 2012, 09:13:05 pm »
Quote from: Grimnir;81589

I was never ignorant as to where my food came from and the experience on the farm has made me appreciate it even more.

I respect your perspective! I think what we eat is a personal choice, and different things are right for different people.

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