Going 80% vegan

[Kaido]

I'm seriously thinking about going to a plant-based diet mainly for my health. My main restriction is a biggie. I 've been taking a blood thinner for most of my life so I should avoid or limit vitamin K intake. I guess this means I need to be consistent with my green leafy veggies.

What resources/links would you recommend to those new to plant-based diets? Most seem to have a vested interest in plant-based diets. I've watched a few of the movies with forks over knives being the best I've watched so far. I've also been watching youtube videos.

For breakfast during the past week I ate overnight oats with flax seed, 1/2 smashed banana stirred with unsweetened almond milk with some blueberries and raspberries on top. On the side I have a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and the other 1/2 of the banana sliced. This is a very filling (and tasty) breakfast. I need to start milling my flax seed though. Now I just have to add two more meals and I'm a convert.

Also, Unnatural Vegan on youtube cited a study that suggests vegans need to eat more protein than you would need to eat if you were eating a "normal" diet. I guess plant-based proteins are different or processed differently than animal based proteins. Is that something you agree with?

Calculate your macros here first to see what you need:

https://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

That will tell you how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you need per day. Source doesn't matter (for results, at least)...vegan or meat-based protein, your body needs what your body needs, based on your goals. Use the calculator & then follow that for your daily intake targets. Knowing what your numbers are makes meal planning really easy because it takes all of the guesswork out of it!

Next, decide how hardcore you want to. The really serious vegans I know don't even eat honey & also go gluten-free. Vegetarian is a good option because you can still eat dairy, and some people still do eggs & fish (lacto/ovo). Make sure to take care of your Vitamin B12.

Next, break down your recipe search by category. Pinterest, Youtube, Facebook groups, and google searching are the best starting points. The main ones are:

1. Breakfast
2. Lunch
3. Dinner
4. Dessert
5. Snacks
6. Drinks

As far as grinding flax seeds go (because your body can't digest them whole), it's easy to grind them at home. I'm not a coffee drinker, but this $20 Krups coffee grinder works perfectly:

https://www.amazon.com/KRUPS-Electric-Grinder-Stainless-3-Ounce/dp/B00004SPEU

You can buy ground flaxseed, but it goes bad a lot quicker than the seeds do. As far as snacks go that uses them, if honey is OK in your diet, try making Energy Bites (I'm sure you could use agave nectar or something else if not). Here's the original recipe:

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/

Also check out Bliss Ball recipes:

https://wholefoodsimply.com/category/all/sweet-snacks/bliss-balls/

Pro-tip, don't eat more than 2 or 3 of them, they have a ton of fiber & will murder your GI tract if you eat too many, haha. If you don't mind sugar, I make these copycat Quaker granola bars all the time, they are super awesome:

https://lovelylittlekitchen.com/copycat-quaker-chewy-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/

So there's a couple snacks. For breakfast, you've already discovered overnight oats. Smoothies work great (plus you can add fruit & protein powder to them to beef them up), as do parfaits (you can use non-dairy yogurts from coconut or almond milk). If you like tuna sandwiches, try Chickpea of the Sea:

http://www.simple-veganista.com/2012/09/chickpea-of-sea-salad-sandwic.html

I actually really like the curry version of that, it's pretty dang tasty! Lots of soup options as well. Hummus is also awesome. On a tangent, the brine that canned chickpeas come in is called aquafaba & can be used to make stuff like frosting & other goodies because it whips up like egg whites. You can even make really good pancakes with it:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/04/...faba-pancakes-chickpeas-vegan-experience.html

A lot of recipes can be converted over with spectacular results, even things like cookies. I make some pretty killer chocolate ice cream using full-fat canned coconut milk (doesn't taste like coconut FWIW). You can make a lot of staples at home as well, like Nina's butter:

https://plantepusherne.dk/vegan-aquafaba-butter/

Mayo:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/03/easy-vegan-mayo-aquafaba-recipe-vegan-experience.html

I am a big fan of cooking with the Instant Pot because it cooks fast & gives good results. Jill Nussinow has some great plant-based cookbooks for pressure cooking, such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Under-Pressure-Perfect-Cooker/dp/0544464028

TL;DR - it's doable & there are a lot of resources online to help you do it. I am a huge fan of meat (eggs, fish, steak, burgers, you name it), but I also think it's a Good Thing to incorporate a lot of veggies into your diet, especially homemade dishes. And the good news is that you can making some really freaking good food that is plant-based...it's not just plain steamed broccoli, haha.

 

[balloonshark]

My last eggs and frozen stuff went last week, all the animal product left in my fridge is cheese, and I when I eat some, it is more to get rid of it, than because I want it, I want it gone, but I am too frugal to throw it away.

I still have a fair bit of canned fish/meat and some whey protein powder... I figure by the new year, I will be mostly clear, but should be ramping down soon. By next week it will only be the canned stuff and Whey powder.

BTW For Blood Pressure, try adding ground flax seed, results have been as good as, if not better than BP meds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaMAQ5CIuIs

Its going to sound a bit nutty, but after adding a big scoop (~30g now, might be a bit much for some to start with) of ground flax to my oatmeal, I find that I get a real sense of well being after eating it, which I didn't get before adding flax. I must be really Omega 3 deficient or something. I never noticed anything with any other foods(plant or animal), but it really seems my body loves flax.

I'm also too frugal to throw what I have left away. I doubt my family would eat most of it either. I've been eating the same crap for at least 15 years and I'm finally getting tired of the same food. Other than bread and milk I only go to the grocery store once every 3 to 4 months. Anxiety is a cruel disease.

I didn't know about flax seed and blood pressure. That's good to know since I take a pill for another symptom that lowers my BP a little.

It's Interesting you feel good after eating flax. On Bob's Red mill package it says Hippocrates would prescribe it for intestinal issues and King Charlemagne was convince of its benefits he passed laws requiring his subjects eat it.

 

[balloonshark]

Calculate your macros here first to see what you need:

https://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

Wow! Thanks for all the information and links. I do have a Instant Pot as well as a Vitamix and I have a cheap food processor on the way.

Although I've always preferred crunchy snacks but the energy bites and bliss balls look yummy. Those are the type of recipes that will keep people from cheating on their diets.

As far as strictness goes I'm mainly doing this for my health. The side benefit is that it helps the environment with animal cruelty a distant 3rd. I'm not opposed to honey but It's good to know I have options. It does bother me a little that some keepers burn the bees when the season is over. I'm going to try and eliminate meat, diary, most of the oil and salt. I'm not opposed to using a little oil or salt when necessary.

Quick question. Almond milks have long expiration dates but you're supposed to use it within 7 days after opening. Is that something that I should follow? A 1/2 gallon will last me a week and a half to 2 weeks after I open the carton. My milk stays in a cold refrigerator and is only removed to pour.

 

[PeterScott]

Wow! Thanks for all the information and links. I do have a Instant Pot as well as a Vitamix and I have a cheap food processor on the way.

Quick question. Almond milks have long expiration dates but you're supposed to use it within 7 days after opening. Is that something that I should follow? A 1/2 gallon will last me a week and a half to 2 weeks after I open the carton. My milk stays in a cold refrigerator and is only removed to pour.

You are ahead of me on gear with the Vitamix (out of my price range) and Instant Pot, I have been thinking about a decent blender and pressure cooker, since I started to think about going Veggi, but I don't have either.

Most plant-milks say something like that, and I think it's about you potentially introducing contaminates after you opening it.

I sometimes have three cartons on the go, so one of them is probably open as long as 2 weeks, and I usually drink out of the carton.

I wouldn't worry too much about going 2 weeks if you just pour it in a glass and put it right back in the fridge.

 

[Kaido]

Quick question. Almond milks have long expiration dates but you're supposed to use it within 7 days after opening. Is that something that I should follow? A 1/2 gallon will last me a week and a half to 2 weeks after I open the carton. My milk stays in a cold refrigerator and is only removed to pour.

FWIW, store-bought alternative milks are kind of a scam. They're mostly just water with flavorings, sugars, and thickeners. I mean, they're not bad to drink, but stuff like almond milk hardly contains any actual almonds (or nutritional value). You can make them at home pretty easily though, lots of recipes online. Although the store-bought brands are formulated to taste good, so they're a convenient scam, haha. Here's a comparison of a few different brands of almond milk:

https://healthyeater.com/almond-milk

As far as use-by dates, here's a good article on it:

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-tell-when-almond-milk-goes-bad-article

If you have more than you can use before it goes bad, I would recommend either buying small containers of the milk you like (like a 6-pack of the lunchbox-sized drink rectangles) or going the DIY route & just making a small batch. Since you already have a Vitamix, it's pretty easy: soak some almonds overnight, blend with water in your Vitamix for a couple minutes the next day, strain, and then add flavorings (sugar, cinnamon, etc.) to your liking. You can use a cheesecloth or a yogurt strainer bowl to strain. Very easy to make a small batch every day or a few times a week, and you can customize the flavor (and ingredient list) to your liking, which is pretty easy to do after you make a few batches & figure out your formula.

 

[Kaido]

You are ahead of me on gear with the Vitamix (out of my price range) and Instant Pot, I have been thinking about a decent blender and pressure cooker, since I started to think about going Veggi, but I don't have either.

While still expensive, there's an Oster blender that works as good as a Vitamix or Blendtec, according to reviews, and it's half the cost of those:

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-blender/

 

[mike8675309]

The ongoing and utterly stupid concern about protein is simply that, stupid. Most people don't ever need to consider how much protein they take in. If you eat enough calories from a variety of whole plant sources you'll get all the protein you need to thrive. If you are trying to add skeletal muscle to your body then you may want to start tracking protein and hit some specific targets. Otherwise it simply isn't necessary. There has never been a case of protein deficiency in a human who has eaten enough calories for their body and activity.

 

[PeterScott]

While still expensive, there's an Oster blender that works as good as a Vitamix or Blendtec, according to reviews, and it's half the cost of those:

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-blender/

Thanks, bookmarked for later reading. But I am already annoyed that a $200 blender has a plastic jar. I threw away an old cheap blender last year, but at least it had a glass Jar. Plastic sucks, especially when you are going to have ingredient whizzing at high speed against the sides. BPA free, doesn't mean it doesn't leach crap into our food:

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certichem-eastman-bpa-free-plastic-safe/

 

[balloonshark]

You are ahead of me on gear with the Vitamix (out of my price range) and Instant Pot, I have been thinking about a decent blender and pressure cooker, since I started to think about going Veggi, but I don't have either.

Most plant-milks say something like that, and I think it's about you potentially introducing contaminates after you opening it.

I sometimes have three cartons on the go, so one of them is probably open as long as 2 weeks, and I usually drink out of the carton.

I wouldn't worry too much about going 2 weeks if you just pour it in a glass and put it right back in the fridge.

I bought a refurb Vitamix. It was a little over $200. A Blendtec cost about $225 on sale. Definitely a luxury item for me which I hope lasts a very long time. The Instant Pot IP-DUO60 7-in-1 can be had for $70 a several times a year.

FWIW, store-bought alternative milks are kind of a scam. They're mostly just water with flavorings, sugars, and thickeners. I mean, they're not bad to drink, but stuff like almond milk hardly contains any actual almonds (or nutritional value). You can make them at home pretty easily though, lots of recipes online. Although the store-bought brands are formulated to taste good, so they're a convenient scam, haha. Here's a comparison of a few different brands of almond milk:

https://healthyeater.com/almond-milk

As far as use-by dates, here's a good article on it:

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-tell-when-almond-milk-goes-bad-article

If you have more than you can use before it goes bad, I would recommend either buying small containers of the milk you like (like a 6-pack of the lunchbox-sized drink rectangles) or going the DIY route & just making a small batch. Since you already have a Vitamix, it's pretty easy: soak some almonds overnight, blend with water in your Vitamix for a couple minutes the next day, strain, and then add flavorings (sugar, cinnamon, etc.) to your liking. You can use a cheesecloth or a yogurt strainer bowl to strain. Very easy to make a small batch every day or a few times a week, and you can customize the flavor (and ingredient list) to your liking, which is pretty easy to do after you make a few batches & figure out your formula.

Thank you for the information on the milks. I wouldn't mind making my own if I can afford the nuts. Other than that it sure sounds easy enough and would be much more healthy/natural.

 

[Kaido]

Thank you for the information on the milks. I wouldn't mind making my own if I can afford the nuts. Other than that it sure sounds easy enough and would be much more healthy/natural.

At the very least, you can clone their recipe using only a handful of nuts, so then it'd be 1:1, just without the additives. Nuts freeze pretty well for storage.

 

[Tweak155]

While I am far from vegan, I am closer to vegetarian. I still eat meat once every other week for 1 meal (or it's in my meal, such as a salad I had the other day with ham squares). But compared to my twice per day + that I used to do, I am way more plant based. I still eat cheese, but I do reduce it.

I tried vegan for two weeks and noticed a huge improvement in my sleep and thus the reason I limit the consumption of meat. I still notice the improvement on a daily basis.

As far as cost though and existing foods in my house - you have to consider that if you don't pay for it with your wallet, you might be paying for it with your body / health. The money is replaceable, your body is not. Once I finally caved and said "no more meat at home", I gave away what I had to friends that wanted all the frozen meat I had, which was mainly turkey sausage, ground turkey and chicken breast. I replaced chicken with cashews in my lunches and it is WAY cheaper, so much so that it counteracts any increase cost in buying organic / plant based foods. I think it is definitely cheaper if you look for the right things to buy.

Like I said though, I still eat meat / eggs / etc, but since I don't keep it at home, it's a rare occasion and I clearly see a benefit in doing so.

 

[Mike64]

day 2 of it. so far so good. look noticeably more youthful.

The placebo effect is such a beautiful thing. It really is too bad it's so hard to harness consciously ...

PS: Being "80% vegan" is like being "80% pregnant". If you're eating animal-derived products, you haven't "gone vegan" at all, whatever exactly you may be doing (whether that's eating a "vegetarian" diet or an "Internet-vegetarian diet", which of course allows for "a little fish or chicken a 'few' times per month"....)

 

[HitAnyKey]

I would also consider myself mostly plant based nowadays as well. I went from eating up to two chicken breasts per day along with half-n-half with my coffee, to not cooking any meat at all and using almond milk in my coffee. I also make a green smoothie every morning (yay vitamix!), and because of that, I drink less coffee. Overall, I eat a lot of fruit, vegetables, grains, and lentils. Quinoa with roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, and chickpeas is one of my favorite dishes these days. On special occasions I'll eat meat, like if I'm at a cookout with friends (burgers and hotdogs are still delicious), or if it's served in front of me when I visit family, but otherwise I don't purpose cooking it on my own anymore. I've been doing this for over 3 months now.

Changes?
-I'm not pounding 150-200+ grams of protein a day anymore, but zero loss in strength at the gym. Energy is great.
-My skin health improved. In fact, because of the way I was born, my ears are prone to ear infections and very sensitive to loud sound (and not in a good way). My quality of life significantly improved with my ears, as I haven't had an ear infection in a while now and loud sound isn't as painful to me. This also happened when I did Keto, but being plant based is a lot easier and cheaper than doing Keto.
-I can't scientifically prove that my high plant intake was the reason I didn't get sick, but we recently had a plague go through the office with nearly everyone getting sick...but me.
-Meals are way, way more filling than I expected.
-Not trying to get TMI here, but #2's are effortless and gas is significantly less potent.
-Beer is vegan, lawlz~
-My wife and I spend more money buying fruits and vegetables than we did before (Vitamixes will devour your fridge), but they get eaten now rather than half of them going to waste. Grains are also a lot cheaper than buying meat, and they have a much longer shelf life, so overall it evens out.

All in all, I really enjoy it. It's definitely a new lifestyle for me, and I'm getting more creative with recipes and dishes.

This interesting. Do you lift daily and run? Not to get too personal but how tall and what's your weight.

I have been tempted to try something like this but even fasting for me gives me the shakes, feeling kinda weak and lethargic.Not a good feeling at all.
Did you experience something like that early on when switching to Plant based diet?

 

[mike8675309]

This interesting. Do you lift daily and run? Not to get too personal but how tall and what's your weight.

I have been tempted to try something like this but even fasting for me gives me the shakes, feeling kinda weak and lethargic.Not a good feeling at all.
Did you experience something like that early on when switching to Plant based diet?

The biggest problem those have when switching to plant based is they don't eat enough food. Most whole plant foods are not calorie dense which means you need to eat a larger volume of them than you might be used to with processed foods. It often helps to spend a couple weeks of tracking your food in something like Cronometer or Myfitness pal so you can make sure you get enough calories.

It can help if you start out slowly, doing meal replacements. Start with replacing breakfast. Then try some other meals, slowly working to where you know how much of various meals to eat replacing all your old non-plant based meals.

 

[PeterScott]

The biggest problem those have when switching to plant based is they don't eat enough food. Most whole plant foods are not calorie dense which means you need to eat a larger volume of them than you might be used to with processed foods. It often helps to spend a couple weeks of tracking your food in something like Cronometer or Myfitness pal so you can make sure you get enough calories.

It can help if you start out slowly, doing meal replacements. Start with replacing breakfast. Then try some other meals, slowly working to where you know how much of various meals to eat replacing all your old non-plant based meals.

I don't think you need to be that gradual in switching. I have gone full plant for the last 4 weeks. Major meals should probably just be Beans,Greens,Veggies and starch. Simple really. Add oatmeal/fruit/nuts for breakfast/snacks. You can figure that out in a day or two.

But I agree Cronometer is great to get a handle on your nutrition/macros, as initially you will likely drop your caloric intake (I lost a couple of pounds that I didn't intend to), but I felt great all through with no energy loss and improvement in a couple of minor health issues.

I still have some canned fish/meat, and some whey protein, and am undecided whether to use it up gradually or donate it.

 

[mike8675309]

Canned items, I bet a food shelf would love it. whey protein, I would just use it up. Some people need to be more gradual. If you can go faster than you can go faster but you don't want people to give up if they find going fast is tough. Depending on your age you will have eaten a certain way for a long time. It can be challenging to change how you eat. though it is worth the challenge.

 

[Ventanni]

This interesting. Do you lift daily and run? Not to get too personal but how tall and what's your weight.

I have been tempted to try something like this but even fasting for me gives me the shakes, feeling kinda weak and lethargic.Not a good feeling at all.
Did you experience something like that early on when switching to Plant based diet?

I am 34 years old, 5'11", 218lbs as of this morning. I'm well built, and I lift reasonably heavy (I do sets of 8x reps of 225+ bench/squat, 315+ deadlift, 65lb dumbells) and run far (5-8 miles). My energy is much better than it used to be. I jokingly call them "7 Course Meals" at the gym, but it's 6x sets (each 3x8reps) of doing something, and a little bit of running. But I can finish those without feeling woozy of any sort.

Like the poster said above, the biggest key to success with a plant based diet is making sure you're eating enough. Unlike other diets where you have to make sure you don't eat too much, being plant based is the opposite. The food is significantly higher in fiber, and the caloric density is lower. I've even seen a few "vegan fail" videos on YouTube, and they can almost always be attributed to either not eating enough, or not eating enough variety. As long as you're purposing eating enough and "eating your colors", you won't run into any feelings of being lethargic when you start.

And for instance, my morning smoothie is one of these: 2x cups of water, 2tbsps of ground flax seed, 5x cups of spinach, 1x cup peas, 2x apples, 2x cups of frozen fruit, and maybe an avocado if I have one. And if I really, really want to plow down the calories, I make a peanut butter smoothie with 4x cups of almond milk, 1x cup of peanut butter powder, 1x cup of oats, 2x tbspns of ground flax seed, and 2-3x cups of frozen strawberries or blueberries. Having a Vitamix is a life saver if you're doing plant based.

Honestly though, 4 months into it, I still love being plant based. It's easily one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm easily the healthiest, strongest, and have the most energy I ever have been. If I were to give any advice on being successful at it, I would give you these three things:

1. Eat bountiful quantities
2. Eat your colors (daily)
3. Be willing to learn how to cook new dishes

Your body will thank you.

 

[HitAnyKey]

I am 34 years old, 5'11", 218lbs as of this morning. I'm well built, and I lift reasonably heavy (I do sets of 8x reps of 225+ bench/squat, 315+ deadlift, 65lb dumbells) and run far (5-8 miles). My energy is much better than it used to be. I jokingly call them "7 Course Meals" at the gym, but it's 6x sets (each 3x8reps) of doing something, and a little bit of running. But I can finish those without feeling woozy of any sort.

Like the poster said above, the biggest key to success with a plant based diet is making sure you're eating enough. Unlike other diets where you have to make sure you don't eat too much, being plant based is the opposite. The food is significantly higher in fiber, and the caloric density is lower. I've even seen a few "vegan fail" videos on YouTube, and they can almost always be attributed to either not eating enough, or not eating enough variety. As long as you're purposing eating enough and "eating your colors", you won't run into any feelings of being lethargic when you start.

And for instance, my morning smoothie is one of these: 2x cups of water, 2tbsps of ground flax seed, 5x cups of spinach, 1x cup peas, 2x apples, 2x cups of frozen fruit, and maybe an avocado if I have one. And if I really, really want to plow down the calories, I make a peanut butter smoothie with 4x cups of almond milk, 1x cup of peanut butter powder, 1x cup of oats, 2x tbspns of ground flax seed, and 2-3x cups of frozen strawberries or blueberries. Having a Vitamix is a life saver if you're doing plant based.

Honestly though, 4 months into it, I still love being plant based. It's easily one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm easily the healthiest, strongest, and have the most energy I ever have been. If I were to give any advice on being successful at it, I would give you these three things:

1. Eat bountiful quantities
2. Eat your colors (daily)
3. Be willing to learn how to cook new dishes

Your body will thank you.

This is very helpful information. If your lifting and running and eating plant based and your still 218lbs, then this sounds like something I could probably pursue because we are similar in height/weight (I am 225lbs). I think my strategy has to be, as you and others have mentioned, to ensure I am getting more than enough calories to compensate. I think that has been my missing component and my downfall when testing the waters. I need to learn how to count the calories properly and eat the right foods - anything but Brussel Sprouts (yuk!). I guess its time to do some readings and learn this the right way.
Been too lazy and just ate and lifted until now. But I suspect these meat products I have been eating are not that healthy. And I need to watch the Blood pressure as well or end up like my Dad on meds and then Kidney failure because of related complications.

I would probably go plant based but keep Eggs (hard boiled and scrambled only) - at least for now - so I guess technically Vegetarian type not really Vegan - but close enough I suppose. I love Eggs too much to give them up. But I am pretty sure I could kick Chicken and Meat to the curb with the right diet and enough calories. Fish I will keep for holidays and date nights. I think any reduction of meat while maintaining my muscle mass would be an improvement.

Thanks dude. This might be the kick I needed to go for it.

 

[Yuriman]

I've been following a mostly* vegan diet/lifestyle for the last 7 years, and have every reason to believe it has been good for me. Shortly after changing my diet, my weight, blood pressure and cholesterol all dropped, and have stayed low since.

I don't count calories or watch protein/fat/carbs. What I've read suggests that as long as I'm getting my calories, I'm getting far more than adequate macronutrients if I'm eating a large variety of "good food". I generally keep in mind that I should generally eat more fresh vegetables (especially greens), and less processed, packaged, frozen or canned foods, and that I'm better off eating something different every day.

Not all packaged/processed foods are bad, but you have to be careful. For instance, alternative milks are often full of sugar, and you should go for unsweetened if you can find it. Companies like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have extremely inexpensive fortified unsweetened soy, almond, coconut, and sometimes several others, though they usually have an emulsifier in them to "improve texture", and may have small amounts of salt. West Soy's ingredients list reads "soy beans, water". I tend to drink the former because they taste good and are cheap, even if there are studies which show emulsifiers aren't very good for us.


*"Mostly" in the sense that I typically watch micro-ingredients for things I buy at home, such as not buying breads with ingredients of questionable source ("flavoring", "dough conditioners", that sort of thing), but don't mind while I'm out with friends or visiting others. Although I doubt there are health impacts from these things, having a strict diet with an ethical component keeps me from cheating, and eating healthy foods.

 

[mike8675309]

I would probably go plant based but keep Eggs (hard boiled and scrambled only) - at least for now - so I guess technically Vegetarian type not really Vegan - but close enough I suppose. I love Eggs too much to give them up. But I am pretty sure I could kick Chicken and Meat to the curb with the right diet and enough calories. Fish I will keep for holidays and date nights. I think any reduction of meat while maintaining my muscle mass would be an improvement.

Thanks dude. This might be the kick I needed to go for it.

Just keep in mind that eggs are not a healthy food. Just one large egg hits the daily recommended limit for dietary cholesterol. If you eat more than one a day regularly you could inhibit your bodies ability to store the carbs you eat in the muscle cells. When that happens your insulin response will be increased and your benefit from your workouts reduced.

 

[PeterScott]

Just keep in mind that eggs are not a healthy food. Just one large egg hits the daily recommended limit for dietary cholesterol. If you eat more than one a day regularly you could inhibit your bodies ability to store the carbs you eat in the muscle cells. When that happens your insulin response will be increased and your benefit from your workouts reduced.

Yeah. Sticking with eggs is more like cutting down on smoking, when you should really quit smoking. Or it may even be worse if you eat more eggs as you cut down on other animal products. I say this as someone who ate his last egg in November, and ate way too many before that, and loved them.

My switch was instigated by researching the cluster of health issues my mother has, that medication just seems to pile on more side effects. It kept coming back to food again and again, animal products again and again.

I don't know the exact moment but somewhere in there I had an epiphany that broke through the cultural programming, and industry marketing.

After that realizations that seem obvious in hindsight fell into place. The "eggs are good" meme are largely a massive marketing campaign backed by flimsy industry studies. Eggs are not good. They brag about protein, but an egg has only about 6g of protein. My serving of oatmeal has over 10g and the added flax and nuts another 10g. Eggs, contain way too much cholesterol, and a lot of Choline that gets converted into TMAO (another pathway to heart disease). Choline is also implicated in lethal prostate cancer. So eggs are a double whammy for heart disease, with really not that much protein to make the risks worth it.

I am not sure if it was eggs or dairy(both can be allergens/inflammatory), but in my month of going animal free, I had persistent/resistant patches of eczema, just go away. These were only small patches but they were in place for many years, no matter what I treated them with.

 

[Ventanni]

This is very helpful information. If your lifting and running and eating plant based and your still 218lbs, then this sounds like something I could probably pursue because we are similar in height/weight (I am 225lbs). I think my strategy has to be, as you and others have mentioned, to ensure I am getting more than enough calories to compensate. I think that has been my missing component and my downfall when testing the waters. I need to learn how to count the calories properly and eat the right foods - anything but Brussel Sprouts (yuk!). I guess its time to do some readings and learn this the right way.
Been too lazy and just ate and lifted until now. But I suspect these meat products I have been eating are not that healthy. And I need to watch the Blood pressure as well or end up like my Dad on meds and then Kidney failure because of related complications.

I would probably go plant based but keep Eggs (hard boiled and scrambled only) - at least for now - so I guess technically Vegetarian type not really Vegan - but close enough I suppose. I love Eggs too much to give them up. But I am pretty sure I could kick Chicken and Meat to the curb with the right diet and enough calories. Fish I will keep for holidays and date nights. I think any reduction of meat while maintaining my muscle mass would be an improvement.

Thanks dude. This might be the kick I needed to go for it.

Not a problem! Glad I could help man.

As for replacing eggs, it can be done. I like eggs too, but I found some tofu scramble recipes out there that were way, way tastier than I expected. This one I found particularly good, but there are many out there, as tofu is versatile to cook with.

https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/tofu-scramble-breakfast-vegan-champions/

Yes, I initially was hesitant 'cause it's tofu, but it's amazing. It's also incredibly protein packed and energy dense for a plant based option, but without the high cholesterol of eating eggs. I typically pair it with roasted potatoes and a green smoothie. The wife thinks it's the best dish I make.

 

[HitAnyKey]

Just keep in mind that eggs are not a healthy food. Just one large egg hits the daily recommended limit for dietary cholesterol. If you eat more than one a day regularly you could inhibit your bodies ability to store the carbs you eat in the muscle cells. When that happens your insulin response will be increased and your benefit from your workouts reduced.

Crap really? I was listening to a few medical shows that were saying how great Eggs were. My muscles seem pretty good but I could try a week without eggs and see what happens.
You guys got me really thinking here. No Steak, Chicken and now Eggs... I can't believe I am considering this lol

 

[mike8675309]

Crap really? I was listening to a few medical shows that were saying how great Eggs were. My muscles seem pretty good but I could try a week without eggs and see what happens.
You guys got me really thinking here. No Steak, Chicken and now Eggs... I can't believe I am considering this lol

Eggs are really scary stuff because they are so prevalent in society today and the industry itself has worked to dupe the public every chance it gets. No doubt those medical shows are getting paid to say those things about eggs. Note though you will never see a show where they call eggs "healthy". You can't legally call them that. You also will never see them say they are nutritious, because they can't say that legally either.

https://nutritionfacts.org/video/who-says-eggs-arent-healthy-or-safe/

 

[mike8675309]

FWIW, store-bought alternative milks are kind of a scam. They're mostly just water with flavorings, sugars, and thickeners. I mean, they're not bad to drink, but stuff like almond milk hardly contains any actual almonds (or nutritional value). You can make them at home pretty easily though, lots of recipes online. Although the store-bought brands are formulated to taste good, so they're a convenient scam, haha. Here's a comparison of a few different brands of almond milk:

That is true of many "nut" milks, but not the same for Soy milk. Soy milks are a better alternative for cow milk than any other.