Vegetarians or Vegans Out there?

[Dionysus]

Originally Posted by blackbird

I am a vegan. I started in 1992.

Here is a link to the largest vegetarian restaurant chain in the world:
http://www.kingdomofyah.com/Soul%20V...Worldwide.html

Today, being a vegan is simple. There are vegan hotdogs (brand: Yves), vegan hamburger patties, vegan ice cream, vegan pizza, etc.

WOW. Not only I didn't know there were vegetarian restaurant chains, there's one located in my city. You learn something new everyday.

I applaud you for going vegan and staying vegan that long. There's no way I can give up cheese.

[AChiOhSnap]

Originally Posted by Dionysus

I applaud you for going vegan and staying vegan that long. There's no way I can give up cheese.

So true. Mozzarella stix are my downfall.

ETA: Dionysus, I hear you about the vegetables... I hate bell peppers and onions and so when people try to be nice and order me a veggie pizza or whatever, it is usually loaded w/peppers and onions.... they think I'm totally weird for wanting to pick them off. But I love all other vegetables! Even Brussels sprouts, radishes, and beets. Go figure that one out!

[blackbird]

Here is one of the best links to vegetarian restaurants in the USA:

www.happycow.net

[AKA_Monet]

I am a strict vegetarian. I use to be close to vegan, but then I got very sick with an undiagnosed seizure disorder. So, I had to go back to eating dairy. I had to make that compromise.

But, I highly recommend giving yourself a timetable as to when you want to be come a "level vegetarian". If you want to become a vegan, you will need to give yourself at least a year to accomplish that goal. Especially if you have not had your metabolism checked by a professional healthcare provider.

You need to know your basic blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and possibly other levels such as your AST and Albumin levels.

Then, you need a good multi-vitamin for vegetarians. I have had to switch recently, because I react to something in the Maxine's Nature Made Brand. And some of them have too much stuff in them that I personally disagree for human consumption--that is my professional opinion.

The last thing you must do is get your B-vitamins. Vitamin B12 is NOT made by plants. You MUST use an animal source. Cyanocobalimin is insufficient for required B12 amounts. Or you can have anemic issues even with a Iron booster...

And you cannot do this without meditation or spirituality.

Good luck on your pursuit.

[blackbird]

Vegans can get Vitamin B-12 from nutritional yeast.

Iron can come from a multi-vitamin or blackstrap molasses which has the highest amount of iron outside of the animal kingdom.

Vegans can get calcium from soy milk, soy cheese, etc.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by blackbird

Vegans can get Vitamin B-12 from nutritional yeast.

Iron can come from a multi-vitamin or blackstrap molasses which has the highest amount of iron outside of the animal kingdom.

Vegans can get calcium from liquid coral calcium, soy milk, soy cheese, etc.

Actually, according to Cecil's Medical Books, Nutritional Yeast produce cyanocobalamin-a Cobalt coordinated porphyrin crystal lattace. Which means it has an attached functional group that is not properly absorbed through the gut. You will get some level of B-12 from yeast, but not enough to make-up for the loss. The first symptoms are psychiatric and neurological...

The best source of Iron is from Beets, actually... Blackstrap is okay especially as an alternative to caffienated beverages, such as coffee. Usually, iron is coordinated with other chemicals that cause it to be malabsorbed...

Calcium in soy products is added probably from shells. I would avoid coral because it destroys the coral ecosystem... Coral has been utterly destroyed throughout the ocean and it takes millennia for coral beds to make a comeback.

As for calcium, you really don't need THAT much, especially if you have vitamin D--colecalciferol. Vitamin D sits with melanin. As long as you have sunlight, you have activated Vitamin D. The absorption of light makes it work and converts calcium to a usuable source. The bone morphogenic genes are just becoming known. The importance of adequate sunlight has only just become more appreciated in molecular studies.

I had to go back to eating some dairy--I still do not drink any milk, straight-up--for the free fatty acids I needed for neurological reasons. I was having one too many dizzing and fainting spells, an undiagnosed and asymptomatic seizure disorder. I have had 4 MRI's that are unable to find anything and 1 seizure test. I already have benign hypertension. All of these issues are genetic. I inherited genes from my parents. My genes activated on me at an early age. As a stop-gap measurement, I had to change my lifestyle to one more consistent with my "spiritual beliefs". I refuse to be dehabilitated by cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease. I've watched my grandmother and grandfather die slow deaths due to stroke and diabetic complications.

That is why I am a strict ova-lacto-vegetarian. I eat egg beaters, or egg whites. I might have whip cream or cheese. I eat these items once a week or less. But, I take a B6/B12 vitamin I know is made from milk products. I add cream to my coffee unless a non-dairy creamer is available... One day if I can, I will go back to being full vegan. But, given my health and my genetic composition, I doubt I will every be able to.

[blackbird]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

I am a strict vegetarian. I use to be close to vegan, but then I got very sick with an undiagnosed seizure disorder. So, I had to go back to eating dairy. I had to make that compromise.

Hello AKA_Monet,
Why did you have to go back to eating dairy? Couldn't you use soy cheese and soy milk?

[SoCalGirl]

AKAMonet, have you been to Sipz in Clairemont Mesa? There used to be one in Poway but it's closed. They're going to open one in North Park. I've heard it was good but the Poway one closed before I got to try it.

I'm not a vegetarian but I eat so little meat compared to your average American that everyone thinks I'm a vegeatarian. I love Morningstar Farms! Their breakfast sausage patties are delicious. I eat them as snacks.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

AKAMonet, have you been to Sipz in Clairemont Mesa? There used to be one in Poway but it's closed. They're going to open one in North Park. I've heard it was good but the Poway one closed before I got to try it.

I'm not a vegetarian but I eat so little meat compared to your average American that everyone thinks I'm a vegeatarian. I love Morningstar Farms! Their breakfast sausage patties are delicious. I eat them as snacks.

When I am in Clairemont again, I'll have to check it out. It wasn't there when I lived near there... So it must be rather new. Is it any good? I'll have to tell my folks, because my father is a vegetarian...

I like the Morningstar Farms sausage patties too... They do add chicken stock to their products. Of course they are owned by Kellogg, which I think is partly owned by Campbell's Soup... But I'm not sure.

Dayum, I really miss Cereal Match. Where I am now, they don't sell it.

[lovelyivy84]

I am not vegetarian, but my boyfriend is, and that means that my meat consumption has dropped drastically. I might have chicken twice a month, but thats really it.

We do a lot of stir-frys. Trader Joe's has a wide variety of sauces for stir-fry, and we occasionally do a west indian-style curry (the key to making it edible was adding a bit more oil then we would usually use). I will eat pretty much any vegetable outside of onions, and there is nothing he doesn't eat, so that makes it easy for us.

The most important thing for us in eating is definitely time. When we don't have time or energy to cook and start eating out our diet suffers dramatically. It goes from vegetable stir-fry with brown rice to pizza 4 times a week. Thai food is a great alternative (the place near us makes an OUTSTANDING eggplant and tofu curry), but they don't deliver and papa john's does.

I have also discovered Amys brand frozen foods- they make FANTASTIC frozen meals, burritos and wraps. My new favorite is the vegan spinach paneer wrap- it's amazing.

Basically, find a good health food store with some variety and start thinking about how you can adapt the things you already eat to fit into a vegetarian lifestyle (for Thanksgiving we had a quorn roast that I cooked like a turkey, with stuffing on the side made with mushroom broth. It was wonderful!).