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To Vegan or not to Vegan


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whimsical_memory

I am currently trying to decide if switching to a vegan lifestyle would be better for me and my children.

 

Are any of you on here vegan? If so, what recipes do you use? I would like to try using tofu once, but seriously? I am afraid that I'll screw it up.

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It won't be better for your children unless you 100% know what you are getting them into. Brittle bones and slow mental development are just a few of the side effects in un-regulated vegan diets in children. Not to mention un-relenting ridicule at school. Also the fact that vegan diets are murder on the female body as well, even more so if you want to have more kids in the future.

 

Please, do some research outside of the PETA website before you screw up your children's health and do permanent damage.

 

Also, tofu isn't really that healthy. It's still a processed food. Soy is also one of the top 8 allergenic foods out there. As well as over consumption of soy products, yes tofu is soy based, can lead to dementia or Alzheimer's later in life. That study was done by the Pacific Health Research Institute. I'm sure it's a stupid high amount of tofu or soy intake, but people don't research things these days.

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whimsical_memory

It wasn't about not wanting to eat meat (LOVE meat) it was about trying to do what was healthier for myself and for my children. I will certainly look more into all that you wrote about. Thank you so much for your input!

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...it was about trying to do what was healthier for myself and for my children

Humans evolved to be omnivores. That's why we have sharp teeth at the front of our mouths (for tearing meat) and molars at the back (for crushing plant material).

 

Cats, on the other hand, can only eat meat. And elephants only eat plants. It's how they evolved.

 

The healthiest diet for a human is an omnivorous diet.

 

See this.

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whimsical_memory
Humans evolved to be omnivores. That's why we have sharp teeth at the front of our mouths (for tearing meat) and molars at the back (for crushing plant material).

 

Cats, on the other hand, can only eat meat. And elephants only eat plants. It's how they evolved.

 

The healthiest diet for a human is an omnivorous diet.

 

See this.

 

 

Good gosh. Okay, so that article has definitely opened my eyes! Thank you for posting it, and it is clear to me that a completely vegan diet is not the answer for my children or me! I will continue to just add more veggies to our diets and forget about going vegan. Thank you for the response!

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You can still be completely unhealthy and not eat meat. Eating vegan or vegetarian just simply isn't enough. In fact, some of the most sickly humans I know are vegans. They look like walking corpses and are calling off work sick at least once a week. They have no immune system becuase they are not getting the vital nutrients we get from animal based food and they are not properly supplementing those. As Thaddeus pointed out, our bodies are simply not designed for vegan or even vegeterian diets.

 

Tell your kids to put down the xbox controllers and get outside. A little exercise can go a long way, and God forbid they won't get skin cancer. Think about when you were a child, were you ever indoors duing the summer? I know I wasn't and I'm part of the Nintendo generation. My mom simply said, in a loving motherly tone, "Go outside and play!! You two are driving me nuts!!!!" She, wait for shocking gasp, actually played the role of a parent and not a buddy.

 

Maybe cut back on the red meat and cook more poultry and fish. For sure, cut out any and all fast food. I never ate fast food growing up, only on special occasions. Before you say it, my mom was a single mom raising my brother and I. She worked full time as a teacher and eventually a principal, got her master's degree and eventually her phd degree all while raising us. Yet, we still had time for a family meal everything at 6pm. So it's not impossible. She simply cooked one meal, if we were picky eaters we went to bed hungry. We got the classic, "I'm not running a God-damned restaurant here! Now eat or go to bed hungry!" Again, parent not a buddy.

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whimsical_memory
You can still be completely unhealthy and not eat meat. Eating vegan or vegetarian just simply isn't enough. In fact, some of the most sickly humans I know are vegans. They look like walking corpses and are calling off work sick at least once a week. They have no immune system becuase they are not getting the vital nutrients we get from animal based food and they are not properly supplementing those. As Thaddeus pointed out, our bodies are simply not designed for vegan or even vegeterian diets.

 

Tell your kids to put down the xbox controllers and get outside. A little exercise can go a long way, and God forbid they won't get skin cancer. Think about when you were a child, were you ever indoors duing the summer? I know I wasn't and I'm part of the Nintendo generation. My mom simply said, in a loving motherly tone, "Go outside and play!! You two are driving me nuts!!!!" She, wait for shocking gasp, actually played the role of a parent and not a buddy.

 

Maybe cut back on the red meat and cook more poultry and fish. For sure, cut out any and all fast food. I never ate fast food growing up, only on special occasions. Before you say it, my mom was a single mom raising my brother and I. She worked full time as a teacher and eventually a principal, got her master's degree and eventually her phd degree all while raising us. Yet, we still had time for a family meal everything at 6pm. So it's not impossible. She simply cooked one meal, if we were picky eaters we went to bed hungry. We got the classic, "I'm not running a darn restaurant here! Now eat or go to bed hungry!" Again, parent not a buddy.

 

 

Whoa Nellie!! First (because you had no way of knowing this), my kids don't even own a gaming system and are constantly outside. As far as our eating habits, we eat mainly chicken and fish, plus veggies at nearly every meal. I was simply looking for a healthier lifestyle for us to live. I am overweight not due to bad food choices in the present, but avoidance issues from the past and I am dealing with those currently. Again though, I thank you for the advice and the responses!! Have a great day!

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ime, people who are vegans or choose to become vegans do so more so because of their ethics/values than their health.

 

this doesn't mean that they are "hippies," but rather that many of them consider animal life to be as sacred as human life, therefore chose to not eat it; out of respect and spirituality.

 

i think that if you think this way, and i mean really think this way, then yes, you should be a vegan.

 

however, please note that being vegan does not equal being healthy. in fact, being vegan deprives you of a lot of proteins/nutrients that are plentifully found in animal meat/products.

 

while it's true that with the rise of vegeterianis/veganism, it is easier to find more veg-friendly substites, they are still substitutes that require you to consume more of X veggie-friendly beans as opposed to a normal serving of red meat.

 

also important, please consider the transition into this lifestyle, as it is very difficult. most people are accustomed to their red meats, cheese, and whole milk (though hopefully not in the same meal), and going vegan means cutting them off cold-turkey. additionally, while nowadays it is easier to find grocery stores like Trader Joe's/Mother's to do you veggie shopping in, it is still nowhere as easy as going to dinner to any place and eating anything you want.

 

thus, if you are looking to improve your health, i'd suggest not becoming a vegan. you could try vegeterianism out first, but, in all honesty, a balanced meal of "good" (think red) meat, with potatos, veggies, water, combined with exercise is the much better route.

 

and this is coming from yours truly, LS vegetarian. wah wah wah.

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It won't be better for your children unless you 100% know what you are getting them into. Brittle bones and slow mental development are just a few of the side effects in un-regulated vegan diets in children. Not to mention un-relenting ridicule at school. Also the fact that vegan diets are murder on the female body as well, even more so if you want to have more kids in the future.

 

Please, do some research outside of the PETA website before you screw up your children's health and do permanent damage.

 

Also, tofu isn't really that healthy. It's still a processed food. Soy is also one of the top 8 allergenic foods out there. As well as over consumption of soy products, yes tofu is soy based, can lead to dementia or Alzheimer's later in life. That study was done by the Pacific Health Research Institute. I'm sure it's a stupid high amount of tofu or soy intake, but people don't research things these days.

 

You can still be completely unhealthy and not eat meat. Eating vegan or vegetarian just simply isn't enough. In fact, some of the most sickly humans I know are vegans. They look like walking corpses and are calling off work sick at least once a week. They have no immune system becuase they are not getting the vital nutrients we get from animal based food and they are not properly supplementing those. As Thaddeus pointed out, our bodies are simply not designed for vegan or even vegeterian diets.

 

Tell your kids to put down the xbox controllers and get outside. A little exercise can go a long way, and God forbid they won't get skin cancer. Think about when you were a child, were you ever indoors duing the summer? I know I wasn't and I'm part of the Nintendo generation. My mom simply said, in a loving motherly tone, "Go outside and play!! You two are driving me nuts!!!!" She, wait for shocking gasp, actually played the role of a parent and not a buddy.

 

Maybe cut back on the red meat and cook more poultry and fish. For sure, cut out any and all fast food. I never ate fast food growing up, only on special occasions. Before you say it, my mom was a single mom raising my brother and I. She worked full time as a teacher and eventually a principal, got her master's degree and eventually her phd degree all while raising us. Yet, we still had time for a family meal everything at 6pm. So it's not impossible. She simply cooked one meal, if we were picky eaters we went to bed hungry. We got the classic, "I'm not running a God-damned restaurant here! Now eat or go to bed hungry!" Again, parent not a buddy.

 

i find these posts to be entirely offensive to the OP.

 

she strictly asked whether or not becoming vegan was the healthiest alternative for her and her children, not for you to bring up your mother. your mother and masters degree have absolutely nothing to do with this discussion, especially considering bringing up these facts is based on a purely judgmental and ignorant basis.

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xpaperxcutx

Don't ever go vegan unless you're a vegetarian, because you'll be going cold turkey on meat if you've been a meat eater. It'll just make you binge eat and crave meat if your body haven't adapted already to a vegetable diet.

 

Vegetarian/vegan diets are a way to keep a cleaner system because all you will be eating is fresh fruits and veggies, but you'll become deprived of certain vitamins and minerals from the food you'll taken out of your food. Most kids can eat healthy if you follow a sensitive diet. Just load their dinner plates with various vegetables, be it broccoli or spinach. If they eat veggies from a younger age, they'll learn to love them when they get older.

 

I'm a semi-vegetarian in that I've completely cut out red meat but I still eat fish or eggs to get my protein needs. I also up my vitamin intake so my body gets enough nutrients.

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I was vegeterian for 7 years and vegan for the 8th. I now scarf down steak and chicken like it is going out of style.

 

I think my girls were doing ok on the diet....they never got sick, they were very healthy, etc. They took vitamins daily and I obsessed over food combining to the point it drove me insane.

 

Now fast forward to the Tyra Banks show..... I am watching her interview a girl that had been vegan for years. This girl keeps picking at her head....Tyra asks her why....girl responds she has scabs on her head. I think omg....I have that on the back of my head. I run and check my kids heads.....sure enough my oldest had these little bump things going on. I freaked out and ran to the store to buy chicken. Stupid reason for eating meat again maybe....but it was one of those crazy moments of holy crap...connection here?

 

I felt somewhat tired as a vegetarian and even more so as a vegan. I craved huge steaks out of the blue for weeks at a time, then as a vegan I craved milk constantly. I kept telling myself I was doing the healthy thing etc. I wasn't one of those idiot vegans that ate ketchup and bread and thought it was ok. I studied nutrition for years to make sure I was doing things right (probably wouldn't have done that if I wasn't worried about the kids getting the right nutrients).

 

We started eating meat 6 months ago. My kids love it, school lunches could be bought at school instead of packed daily, I am actually losing weight again (vegetarian does NOT equal skinny let me tell you!), and it is SO much easier to cook now....not to mention we are spending about $400 LESS a month on groceries and eating just as well, and I no longer have to freak out if I realize someone missed their sublingual b-12 dot that day.

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Been a vegetarian for over 20 years.. no scabs on my head.... nice boobs and I don't think I am a retard.

 

If you take meat out of your diet there are many other things you can indeed eat to replace protein and iron.

 

Doritos and Pepsi are not considered a Vegan or Vegetarian Diet. Nor Twinkies.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Vegan diets can be extemely healthy if they are done right. This means combining things like beans and whole grain rices to get a complete protien. It means researching which fruits and vegetables contain the nutrients your body needs. Many people get on these diets and just eat junk. This is why they end up unhealthy.

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Whim - I'm glad you've seen the light, and will continue to enjoy animal protein. Our bodies really are wired to thrive on meat.

 

Nothing wrong with adding more fruits and veggies.

 

I eat mainly protein and fruits/veggies, unless I'm getting into junk food. lol. Not a big carb eater. And I feel most healthy when I eat like this (minus the junk - lol).

 

If you are concerned about the quality of the meat, which is fair, then consider organic meats. The flavor is pretty bland, IMO, and the cost is higher, but you won't be filling your kids with all kinds of hormones.

 

I wonder if it is the hormones in our meat that makes 10 year old girls like 19 and get their periods earlier...

 

Anyhoo - everything in moderation.

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Trialbyfire
I am currently trying to decide if switching to a vegan lifestyle would be better for me and my children.

 

Are any of you on here vegan? If so, what recipes do you use? I would like to try using tofu once, but seriously? I am afraid that I'll screw it up.

While I'm not vegan and can't imagine not being a carnivore, I adore tofu. Why not include tofu in your omnivorous diet, thus not only reducing your meat intake but also, increasing your ability to process estrogen.

 

It's pretty difficult to screw up tofu. It takes on the flavour of whatever you cook it with, so don't be afraid! The only downside to tofu is that it's fragile to handle. This might be considered an upside, in that if it's broken down into small pieces, your kids will learn to eat it. :)

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While I'm not vegan and can't imagine not being a carnivore, I adore tofu. Why not include tofu in your omnivorous diet, thus not only reducing your meat intake but also, increasing your ability to process estrogen.
Be careful with tofu. Much of it is loaded with toxins. Remember, "natural" is not a synonym for "better" or "healthier."

 

See WebMD: Food Poisoning

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Trialbyfire
Be careful with tofu. Much of it is loaded with toxins. Remember, "natural" is not a synonym for "better" or "healthier."

 

See WebMD: Food Poisoning

Thanks for the heads up. Like any other food, there are risks inherent.

 

For example, did you know that if you don't peel produce like carrots, that you're potentially consuming carcinogens? The crazy part of it, is that close to the peel and in the peel, are the healthiest parts of the carrot.

 

It's dangerous to eat, based on so many conflicting studies. Crazy times!

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For example, did you know that if you don't peel produce like carrots, that you're potentially consuming carcinogens? The crazy part of it, is that close to the peel and in the peel, are the healthiest parts of the carrot.

 

It's dangerous to eat, based on so many conflicting studies. Crazy times!

Yea, I know, it's bizarre. Even going all-organic isn't a guarantee of anything anymore (well, it never was, apparently).

 

Maybe I'll stick to Pepsi and Doritos. *urp*

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I wonder if it is the hormones in our meat that makes 10 year old girls like 19 and get their periods earlier...

 

.

 

Most likely no. This is most likely a factor of weight gain. Americans eat more and exercise less than they did in the past. Children are having more weight issues. It requires a certain ammount of body fat for a girl to start her period. Girls are simply acquiring that weight earlier now than they did in the past.

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My mom and two of my sisters have been eating vegan for about 20 years, and they know how. Lots of lentils, beans and rice, brewer's yeast, and yes - tofu. One thing my mom does for b'fast is to scramble tofu as if they were eggs along with onion, celery, green pepper. She says it takes on the taste of whatever you cook it with. I've eaten tofu in things. It doesn't really have a flavor. Some people can't handle the texture.

 

My mom is a little dynamo at the age of 80, so she is VERY healthy!

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broken_promises

I am vegan. I have been vegan for almost three years. It has helped immensely with my health. It is easy and, yes, healthy as long as you eat well. (There is plenty of vegan junk food, so it is just as easy to eat poorly as a vegan as those who eat meat.)

 

Basically, because human beings are omnivores, we can exist easily and healthily on a vegan diet. More specifically, we are primates and our living cousins (chimpanzees, apes, etc.) in the wild exist on an almost exclusively frugivorous diet (fruit) supplemented by pith (tree, leaves) and, very rarely, insect or meat bits. The only thing that we evolved to have is are extra copies of the salivary amylase gene that allows us to also eat things like tubers and potatoes (which chimpanzees do not have.)

 

As long as your vegan diet is well-planned, you and your children can enjoy a MUCH healthier lifestyle than those who choose to include meat and dairy in their diet. Whether for health, the animals, or the environment, going vegan is the best thing you can do for you and your family.

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As long as your vegan diet is well-planned, you and your children can enjoy a MUCH healthier lifestyle than those who choose to include meat and dairy in their diet. Whether for health, the animals, or the environment, going vegan is the best thing you can do for you and your family.

 

Why/how is it MUCH healthier?

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canigetanswers

hey OP, whats the reason for wanting to go vegan?

 

if its animal cruelty or religious beliefs, go ahead.

 

if its for health matters, i'd say No. Just like what the doctors have been preaching. Eat in moderation. You need nt have meat every day/meal. Just alternate your diet. Ensure you have a large variety of foods in your diet and exercise and you'll be okay.

 

for all foods there are good and bad if there's too much/too little of eat. hence, Moderation is key.

 

good luck.

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