New to VegWeb and looking for advice on health/nutrition
Hello.
I'm new to VegWeb. I went vegan again last December! I was vegan between 2000 and 2003, went back to ovo-lacto vegetarian, and am now vegan again.
I am personally vegan for ethical reasons. I want to lead a life that is true to a vision I hope for: a world--or at least a society--that cares enough about animal life to move past resourcing them. It seems to me that--especially in the Western world--it is becoming increasingy more (and more) unjustifiable to continue using animal products. Perfectly reasonable alternatives to animal products are available for food, clothing, and everything else, and the supply of alternatives increases practically daily.
It might be true that when I buy vegan products, my money inevitably funds companies that continue to resource animals. Nonetheless, I think it's important to keep the ball rolling for what it's worth, to continually prove to myself and to others that a vegan lifestyle is sustainable.
This time around on the vegan train, I'm finding myself to be very interested in and concerned about the health and nutritional aspects of the vegan diet. Something I'm particularly curious about is how long-term vegans have fared throughout the years. If any of you are long-term vegans or know personally of others who have been vegan for decades, what are some of the most common problems you (or they) have encountered?
I'm not saying that every long-term vegan is necessarily going to run into all sorts of health obstatcles and turn up with nutritional deficits, but I figured this group of people (the super long-term vegans) would have the most advice to offer, since they have lived it out the longest.
What are some of the nutrients or vitamins that been easily overlooked and neglected and lead to problems? I'm aware of the more important and obvious ones. I know about Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D (and the controversy between D2 and D3). In my own diet, I try to actively minimize the amount of soy I eat, or alternatively, I try to make sure I am eating foods made out of a variety of plants including but not limited to soy. I change up what I eat, eating rice burgers, soy-free vegan cheeses, etc. rather than only eating soy products. I sprinkle a little nutritional yeast in practically everything I eat. I eat broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms everyday; also apples and bananas too. I only eat whole grain pastas and breads. I take a vegan multi-vitamin (includes B12 and D2) and a vegan 25 mg/day iron supplement.
What kinds of health advice, suggestions, or even warnings do some of you out there have for a new vegan? My goal is to stay vegan, and in order to do that, I don't want to slack off on understanding nutrition. I don't want the day to come when I realize I've overlooked something and feel that being vegan is too difficult for me and too risky for my health. I know it must be possible to remain vegan throughout a lifetime. Certainly many people have done so successfully, right? So: what is their (or your) secret?
I've been vegan for about 19 years and have only had improvements in my health as a result. I don't take supplements (other than using nutritional yeast occasionally, which has B-12 in it).
In my experience (and I also work with others as a wellness coach, etc.), going vegan is pretty much the healthiest thing you can do for both short and long-term health. Good luck! :)
p.s. Welcome to VegWeb! It's a great community.
Thanks for that, Quintess. I have been wanting to stop taking a B12, because it seems so artificial, and I eat a ton of NY, so I was hoping that would cover me in the B12 area. I was just nervous about it, since I run, and I don't want to be low on energy! I don't eat a ton of tempeh (not my fav protein source), so that wouldn't help me too much.
My warning to original poster: EAT A WIDE VARIETY OF WHOLE FOODS. You absolutely cannot go wrong by doing this. Don't eat refined crap, don't depend on vegan meat substitutes that are highly processed (as a treat, yes, but don't lean on them!). If you eat a whole foods diet, you will feel fantastic. Period.
Thanks for your responses!
I am trying to eat more whole foods. In my conversion last year from a comfort-food vegetarian to a vegan, I think I'm doing okay.
I'll give you an example of what I've eaten so far today. Tell me what you think and whether I should be fine or I should consider making adjustments.
---7:30 a.m.---
One and one-half cups of fortified, original hemp milk
Tofu scrambler: One-fourth block of tofu, crumbled and cooked in a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil; topped with onions, garlic salt, and a fourth cup nutritional yeast flakes
Steamed broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms (covered with onions and a pinch of red pepper)
---9:00 a.m.---
One banana
---11:00 a.m.---
One large slice of pizza from Whole Foods, topped with vegan mozzarella cheese (Daiya brand), artichokes, spinach, and red bell peppers
---2:00 p.m.---
One apple
--4:00 p.m.--
One VERY LARGE bowl of raw salad with spinach leaves, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and sprouts (alfalfa and clover); topped with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and a pinch of black pepper
...
Later this afternoon, I'll probably eat coconut yogurt as a snack--or maybe pretzles with peanut butter. I may have a glass of orange juice and/or some more hemp milk. Tonight, I'll have another "meal"--probably a rice burger on a whole grain bun (Ezekiel brand) with sauteed mushrooms, spinach leaves, sprouts, and vegan mayo.
What do you guys think? Am I doing okay thus far?
Looks like you're off to a life of health and wellness.
Might I suggest some nuts, including walnuts, and something that contains omega 3's like flax oil/seeds, or walnuts, etc.
The key to a successful vegan diet is a wide variety, I repeat variety, variety, variety, of whole foods, grains, legumes, and healthy fats and something that includes B12, and sunshine for Vit D and you won't be deficient in a thing.
Tweety!
I remember your screen-name from several years ago. I was vegan in high school between 2000 and 2003, and I visited this site very often during that time, posting from time to time.
My name is Dustin. I don't recall what I used as my screen-name then.
I sort of fell off the vegan bandwagon after 2003 and was ovo-lacto vegetarian (and, occassionally, even pescatarian! *gasp*). But, even during that time, I always knew I really wanted to be a vegan. I was in college after 2003 and suddenly "had a lot more on my plate" than before my college days. LOL. I became a lazy vegan and finally one day realized I couldn't wear the label anymore and just gave up, deciding I would just be an ordinary ole vegetarian. But, I always hoped I'd return to the vegan diet and lifestyle one day.
So here I am again, on my second try! Hopefully this time I will stick with it permanently.
Anyway, thanks for your suggestion. Another common breakfast of mine is pumpkin seed granola which does also contain flax seeds. In fact, I'm pretty sure that will be my breakfast tomorrow, with hemp milk and a banana. And I do eat nuts sometimes, but you're right... perhaps I should try to make sure I am eating at least a handful or so of walnuts a day. Maybe take a spoonful of flax oil sometimes.
Nice to see you're still here!
Hi Dustin,
I highly recommend this site for advice on vegan nutrition: http://www.veganhealth.org/
It's by a Registered Dietitian who bases his recommendations on scientific research. Everything is thoroughly explained and documented. But if you don't want to read all the hows and whys, then you can skip right to the recommendations page to see what you should make sure you're including in your diet: http://veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs
Probably not a surprise to anyone, given my recent thread, but I disagree that occasional consumption of fortified* nutritional yeast is likely to be enough to maintain sufficient B12 levels.
*B12 does not naturally occur in nutritional yeast; some brands are fortified with B12.
Just throwing this out there: Can a Natural Diet Require Supplements?
VeggyDog,
Thanks for your comments. I do eat B12-fortified nutritional yeast. I check to make sure. Also, most of the plant milks I consume are fortified with calcium, B12, and D2. I usually drink hempmilk, which is fortified with all of those things.
In addition to that, I take VegLife One a Day Multi-Vitamin which contains B-12, as well as the VegLife Vegan Iron 25 mg that also contains some B-12. I've noticed that the coconut milk yogurts and rice burgers I eat also contain small amounts of B12.
I would assume I'm pretty doing good with B12. What do you think?
I am a little concerned about D2. There are no vegan sources of D3, which I've been hearing often lately is the most "bioavailable" form of D. Most D3 comes from wool or animal hide, so I actively avoid anything fortified with D3 since it's always animal in origin. I've read some articles that claim that D2 is absolutely inadequate, and that a diet lacking D3 needs to be religiously supplemented with plenty of sunlight exposure. I've also read that D2 is okay but needs to be taken in higher doses than D3 for optimal absorbtion, with D3 supposedly being much more readily absorbed by the body than D2.
I live in New Orleans and get plenty of sun pretty much everyday. There is D2 in my multivamin, and I eat lots of mushrooms which are supposed to contain D2 too. As I stated before, there is also D2 in the plant milks I drink. Should I be any more concerned about D?
And about "Can a Natural Diet Require Supplements?" ...
Personally, for me, I don't mind taking supplements. I'm vegan first and foremost for ethical reasons, and I don't even think the "vegan" diet and/or lifestyle is "more natural" or even necessarily "more healthy" than a diet and lifestyle that includes animal products. Being vegan to me is about moving away from using animals as much as possible, since I feel it's so unnecessary in my part of the world (thus unjustifiable). I believe there is some sort of underlying relationship between the way human violence and aggressive politics are playing out in our times, and our ability to transform animal lives into nothing more than a resource. In a way, unquestionable domination of animals by humans in our culture can become yet another ritual; a practice that works to "naturalize" (justify) the social inequalities of and cruelty to people we see around us every day. Said in another way, the self-assured feeling that, "Of course animals can be used by humans however humans please," translates into, "It is only natural that one should neglect the lives of other people in making a life for oneself."
I'm all about doing the dirty work to be a healthy vegan, even if it means seeming "unnatural" to ominvores and to fellow vegans alike. Veganism is not about being pure or natural to me at all. I don't believe most people in the world are in situations where they could make a vegan diet sustainable. I feel we are very fortunate here in the Euro-American world to have so many products to choose from in such abundance, and to be able to totally avoid animal products. Most human beings who are alive on this planet today just couldn't avoid using animal products while remaining healthy. Here, we have all the different kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and nealty packaged processed vegan foods we need to make veganism healthy and sustainable. For me, NOT taking advantage of being in such a situation is murky ethical territory. I feel compelled to forego animal products not because it's the right thing for all human beings to do in every situation, but because it's possible for me to do in my own situation. Until things change a whole lot for everyone in this world, I can only do what is possible for me to do today.
I'm vegan first and foremost for ethical reasons, and I don't even think the "vegan" diet and/or lifestyle is "more natural" or even necessarily "more healthy" than a diet and lifestyle that includes animal products.
I'm totally with you there. ;)b
I can't really say whether you're getting enough of the various nutrients. If I were you, I would track what I eat for maybe a week and compare my daily intake of various nutrients to these recommendations: http://veganhealth.org/articles/dailyrecs
DUSTIN!!! OMG! So happy to see you. I never would have recognized you. You were just a scrawnly little kid and now you're all grown up and a fine young man and I'm so old. So nice to see you. I feel off the wagon my self a time or two over the years, but am 100% vegan today.
Sounds like with the pumpkin seeds, flax and hemp milk, you got your omega 3's covered. No need to eat nuts every day, but several times a week in moderation offers super nutritional value.
If you are getting plenty of sunshine, don'e worry about Vit D. Your body is going to use about 5000 units a day and 15 minutes of sunshine can manufacture about 10,000 units.
ok now I have a question how good is soymilk for vegetarians?I ask because i bought some today and i want to know if i can have it or not.
If you are getting plenty of sunshine, don'e worry about Vit D. Your body is going to use about 5000 units a day and 15 minutes of sunshine can manufacture about 10,000 units.
I kind of feel like an idiot asking this, but.... does a cloudy day count toward those units? I know you can still get burned with cloud cover, so I would assume you could still take in all the sun has to offer. But hey, I studied music, not science!
If you are getting plenty of sunshine, don'e worry about Vit D. Your body is going to use about 5000 units a day and 15 minutes of sunshine can manufacture about 10,000 units.
I kind of feel like an idiot asking this, but.... does a cloudy day count toward those units? I know you can still get burned with cloud cover, so I would assume you could still take in all the sun has to offer. But hey, I studied music, not science!
yeah but you do have to be out a bit longer... it also depends where you are. i used to have this thing bookmarked... AHA! here you go..
http://nadir.nilu.no/~olaeng/fastrt/VitD-ez_quartMED.html