Veg for 2 years, now I have health issues

[humblestumble]

I hope this is in the right forum.

So, I've been a strict vegetarian for almost two years. I'm not vegan, but I'm somewhere in between. There are certain things I avoid for ethical reasons (gelatin, fish, usually "natural flavors," I try to avoid stearates, etc.) I am lactose intolerant, so I don't do most dairy, but I do eat local eggs.

By habit, I am stressed, so I know this doesn't help my nutrient absorption. I've been seeing a homeopathic doctor/nutritionist/chiropractor every other week for about half a year. She tells me that I need more iron, protein, omega 3s & magnesium. She says that because a lot of tofu and soy products are manufactured on a mass scale, they are only okay in moderation. Also, she says soy contains a lot of estrogen, so I should not eat much of it.

So, my struggle has been that I go through spurts of wanting to cook and other times (often long periods of time), I just do not feel like making anything to eat. This leads me to skipping meals, & not eating too healthily when I do.

How do you cope with being vegetarian? I've done research, but I haven't been able to fully transition to the lifestyle, especially in a healthy way. I've included a lot more breads and carbs than I need in order to "fill" me up and it's not helping my health. The day I became a vegetarian was not a planned one. I just couldn't eat meat anymore after I saw how animals are treated. That night, I quit meat. Now my doctor says I have to quit all carbs and sugar, including beans and fruit. What a dilemma! (I haven't been able to pull this one off yet!)

I don't have a good staple of vegetarian recipes that aren't just meat replacers. I feel like life might be better if I had more vegetarian recipes that were always meant to be eaten as vegetarian. I'm feeling quite lost here.

I don't know how to get more iron, magnesium, omega 3 and protein in a tastey, healthy, long-lasting way. I've been doing rice protein shakes here and there, but I don't like that idea very much.

I've been considering going to a dietician because I feel so lost.

Most of my meals are either pasta, bean, bread or tofu based because they are quick, easy and filling. (I also have a sensitivity to gluten!)

Now, ESPECIALLY today, I have random muscle twitches. I've noticed them especially yesterday and today.

Anyone know of good,healthy other-worldly vegetarian dishes? I've noticed a lot of those are vegetarian, but I'm so scared (with my U.S. palette) to try them for fear that I would hate them.

Do you know of nutrient pairings to get more bang out of a meal? (Like Calcium w/ Vitamin D) And recipes to go along with it?

Please help if you can!

[Quinoa]

The book Becoming Vegan by Davis/Melina is often recommended on here.
VeganHealth (http://www.veganhealth.org) has some good answers to your questions too.

For omega-3, sprinkle (about a tablespoon per day) ground flaxseed (keep in the freezer) over your cereal, or add to other dishes.

Legumes are great sources of protein, iron and many other nutrients. They are also very filling. One could have beans and lentils in some form every day - in hummus, chilli, soups, stews, salads - etc., without ever getting bored or missing tofu at all (if you want to avoid it). Mix and match legumes with grains like rice, quinoa, or millet, and stir-fried or steamed veggies.

If you have phases of wanting to cook which alternate with times where you don’t, perhaps you could intentionally cook more servings than you need, and freeze meals for later every time you do enjoy to cook?

Even if you aren’t and don’t intend to go vegan, I’d suggest getting some vegan cookbooks, as they will give you a good overview of how versatile, interesting and easy to prepare plant-based meals can be. There are so many vegan cookbooks on the market now. I heard that in the US, you can actually get most of them at your local library too, which I think is awesome.

The most popular one seems to be Veganomicon by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero, and it is pretty good IMO – also has some basic chapters on cooking and stocking your pantry. I’d also recommend Get it Ripe by Jae Steele. If you prefer foods that are not too different from the standard American diet, Nava Atlas’ books, e. g. Vegan Express, might be interesting too.

I’d definitely encourage you to try ethnic cuisines though. Especially Indian food is very veg*n-friendly, and many dishes can be made at home without much hassle. Manjula’s Kitchen (http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/) is a site with veg*n Indian recipes and tutorials.

There also is a book The Gluten-Free Vegan by Susan O’Brien, which I can definitely recommend (I eat wheat-free, and generally try to avoid gluten too). It even has some baking recipes (the carrot cake is delish). Don’t worry, there still is plenty to eat, not only without choosing meat, but even if you’re also dairy- and gluten-free.

Last not least there are veg*n blogs, a good starting point to browse them is VegBlogs (http://www.vegblogs.com).

Good luck! :)

[broccolichick]

What 'doctor' would tell you that you have to quit ALL carbohydrates and ALL beans??? Firstly, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to quit all carbs.

Sounds like a quack, I'd seek another physicial.

[Quinoa]

Wow, sorry - didn't even notice that "recommendation", though I must say it sounds dubious to me too. Not to mention that tofu is made from soybeans.

[Indian Summer]

What 'doctor' would tell you that you have to quit ALL carbohydrates and ALL beans??? Firstly, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to quit all carbs.

Sounds like a quack, I'd seek another physicial.
You speak the truth! Sounds like he's one of those doctors who purchased their diploma on the Internet.

[Kiz]

Now my doctor says I have to quit all carbs and sugar, including beans and fruit. What a dilemma! (I haven't been able to pull this one off yet!)


Go to someone else. This is very bad advice. Carbohydrates are an essential macronutrient. You need carbohydrates, fats and protein. Not even the most way out Atkins fanatics try and cut out all carbs. Unless you live off eggs, meat and milk only you will be eating at least some carbohydrates.

Nix that, there are even carbohydrates in milk and eggs. Most meats will contain no carbs, it seems, but since you have gone vegetarian that leaves you exactly... nothing to eat.

Tofu contains carbs and beans... both of which you have to give up... quack, quack, quack indeed. :D

ETA: Oh... I just thought, oils are 100% fat, no carbohydrates. Guess you could scull glasses of olive oil...

Browse the recipe forum here, there are a tonne of good, tasty, easy recipes.

[humblestumble]

I absolutely love my doctor, but I know what you all are saying. She has been very helpful to me for the times that I have gone to see her (I was afraid I'd have to go to the ER a few times before & when I first started seeing her - I was so messed up.)

There may have been some mis-communication somewhere whether it was between myself and the doctor or here.

I know there are different kinds of carbs. What she told me is to follow what my mother is doing. So I sort of have this advice mostly second hand and I didn't take notes - that's my fault.

She may have said to cut out simple carbohydrates and cut back on complex ones. I think the issue here is that I'm just eating too much of the "bad" kind. I need to eat other things... like actual vegetables besides them being in "sandwiches" and eating a lot of sugar and white potato products. This makes more sense to me. I know too much of anything is a bad thing.

Thanks for the recommendations. I think I've heard of Manjula before. I get so scared of trying new food! There've been some recipes out there I've tried that were horrendous.

Veganomicon is at the library as well as the other cookbook they have, Vegan with a Vengeance. I own The Joy of Vegan Baking, but it doesn't have healthy baking stuff in it for actual meals, unfortunately. I've never heard of the first book Quinoa recommended, but I shall see if I can find it.

[VeganTigress]

I hope this is in the right forum.

So, I've been a strict vegetarian for almost two years. I'm not vegan, but I'm somewhere in between. There are certain things I avoid for ethical reasons (gelatin, fish, usually "natural flavors," I try to avoid stearates, etc.) I am lactose intolerant, so I don't do most dairy, but I do eat local eggs.

By habit, I am stressed, so I know this doesn't help my nutrient absorption. I've been seeing a homeopathic doctor/nutritionist/chiropractor every other week for about half a year. She tells me that I need more iron, protein, omega 3s & magnesium. She says that because a lot of tofu and soy products are manufactured on a mass scale, they are only okay in moderation. Also, she says soy contains a lot of estrogen, so I should not eat much of it.

So, my struggle has been that I go through spurts of wanting to cook and other times (often long periods of time), I just do not feel like making anything to eat. This leads me to skipping meals, & not eating too healthily when I do.

How do you cope with being vegetarian? I've done research, but I haven't been able to fully transition to the lifestyle, especially in a healthy way. I've included a lot more breads and carbs than I need in order to "fill" me up and it's not helping my health. The day I became a vegetarian was not a planned one. I just couldn't eat meat anymore after I saw how animals are treated. That night, I quit meat. Now my doctor says I have to quit all carbs and sugar, including beans and fruit. What a dilemma! (I haven't been able to pull this one off yet!)

I don't have a good staple of vegetarian recipes that aren't just meat replacers. I feel like life might be better if I had more vegetarian recipes that were always meant to be eaten as vegetarian. I'm feeling quite lost here.

I don't know how to get more iron, magnesium, omega 3 and protein in a tastey, healthy, long-lasting way. I've been doing rice protein shakes here and there, but I don't like that idea very much.

I've been considering going to a dietician because I feel so lost.

Most of my meals are either pasta, bean, bread or tofu based because they are quick, easy and filling. (I also have a sensitivity to gluten!)

Now, ESPECIALLY today, I have random muscle twitches. I've noticed them especially yesterday and today.

Anyone know of good,healthy other-worldly vegetarian dishes? I've noticed a lot of those are vegetarian, but I'm so scared (with my U.S. palette) to try them for fear that I would hate them.

Do you know of nutrient pairings to get more bang out of a meal? (Like Calcium w/ Vitamin D) And recipes to go along with it?

Please help if you can!

Hey Humble :)

From what I am reading is that it's not the veg*an diet that is making you feel ill, it is the lack of a balanced one. I completely understand the helplessness feeling when it comes to cooking veg*an meals since i grew up eating meat as the main dish and the veggies were the side.

I am currently vegan but was a vegetarian for 5 years prior. I will admit I was a horrible Vegetarian. I loved my fries, icecream, cheese and other junk as opposed to eating healthy. I could burn water if I tried cooking then..LOL!

Since being vegan I have began to love cooking as a hobby. I bake and cook from vegan cookbooks and it opens my tastebuds up to something other than sugar and carbs.

Right now I am cooking through veganiconom and mmmm!!!

Are you taking a multivitaimin?

The other lovely people here have made some great suggestions for varieties of foods and cooking, make good use of them :)

Kindest Regards,

VeganTigress

[humblestumble]

Occasionally I take my multi-vitamin, but I don't always remember to :|

I have a dropper full of B-12 that I try to remember to take also, and I have a bottle of Flax seed oil, but I have no idea what to put that in. Once, I tried to put flax in my mac and cheese, but that was so disgusting...

I guess I'll be making a trip to the library soon to get some recipes... My life is about to get so hectic I don't know how I'll even make time to eat, let alone cook, but I shall try!

Anyone have ideas for quick, easy, healthy meals (quick as in 15 minutes to make) or know of a great cookbook with these kinds of recipes??? I'm going to have a part time job soon along with full time college and massage school every night... so I'm probably going to have VERY little time to come up with anything to eat.

[hoodedclawjen]

i understand that you feel like this homeopathic doctor/nutritionist/chiropractor has helped you a lot, but i think maybe talking to a real licenced dietican who understands veganism might help much much more.

manufacturing food on a mass scale does not make it inherantly unhealthy. i cook huge batches of food sometimes, and freeze some- if the ingredients are good, the prep and method are good, and the results are good, doesn't matter if i use 1 bag of beans or 2000.

you need to find or make time to cook quick easy and nutricious stuff. lentil, bean and veggie soups kinda look after themselves for an hour if left to simmer on low, as do baked potatoes, things like stirfries with noodles and a peanut sauce or baked beans on toast take 5 minutes to put together. make a whole bunch of soups and stews and freeze them- i do. do it on the weekend if needs be.

if you're worried about trying new things, maybe half or quarter the recipe to make a little portion, and cut down the spices by half first time around. if you hate it, no big loss- move right along to the next thing. if you love it- great!

[humblestumble]

Thanks for your reply, hoodedclawjen.

As soon as I can afford it, I may do just that - see a dietician (which may be a few months from now). I hope that I can find a good one here. There aren't many and I think there's only one or two that can cater to vegetarians.

While I do know that not all manufactured goods are unhealthy, there are many which say they are, but are not really due to all the preservatives and the way that they farm the veggies. My family is growing vegetables in the yard here and I'm hoping to utilize some of them as soon as they are fully grown. Soon, I hope to see if our farmer's market is still available on the weekends so I can get some fresh food.

I have ethical issues with the way our mass agriculture is run (pesticides, hormones, etc) as well as manufactured, but I think that issue could be discussed on another forum.

I agree that I should make time to create meals... all this talk makes me really wish I had my own place already. My boyfriend and I already do cook at home on a semi-regular basis, and when we do, my mom complains about there being too much food in the fridge (because it's my parent's food and our food) The freezer isn't very big, but I am hoping I can find a way to make this all work. My health is important, and I really need to get on the ball here.

I've never heard of baked beans on toast, but it sounds interesting.

I really like your idea of making something in small portions at first. I've had to throw out a bit of food before because it was just horrendous.

You know, I've even looked up personal chefs in the area... but I think that's going to have to really wait until a year or so from now if I decide to take that route.

I'm thinking of going to the library today to pick up veganomicon. Maybe I can convince my boyfriend to buy it with this week's paycheck instead of eating out at Quizno's or Jason's Deli. I do remember making some stuff out of there that was quite tasty.

[desert-dweller]

Here is a link to the book Quinoa mentioned:

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Vegan-Complete-Adopting-Plant-Based/dp/1570671036

I read it before becoming veg*n and learned a lot....

[humblestumble]

I have a book called "Becoming Vegetarian" but I don't know how different or similar they are.

I think my biggest issue is that I don't have any vegetarian or vegan friends. You know, a support group to share and bounce ideas around. I've done a lot of research, but some important things just don't seem to stick and I think it's because I just don't know how to implement them.

My boyfriend is very supportive and he will eat whatever I eat as long as it tastes good. He eats no meat at home. When it comes to cooking things, however, he expects me to just do all the research and just pick stuff which is sometimes disastrous, like I said before.

I guess it's a bit like needing a mentor for guidance on how to do it. It's like learning a new painting technique. All the info in the world can be written about it, but it's not until you are shown how to do it or actually do it that you know how it's done.

My city isn't very vegetarian friendly and I have no idea how to go about getting healthy vegetarian friends here.

Note: All the faux corn dogs at the grocery store have been sold out for months. Maybe more people are turning veg?? (There's a sticky in the isle that says the last time they were restocked)

[das_nut]

Another vote for finding a better doctor.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about the phytoestrogens present in plant sources. There are a few studies that indicate that they may cause harm, and a few studies showing health benefits, but the effects of phytoestrogens is still up for debate, while the health benefits of a varied, healthy vegan diet are well founded.

[arcoftime]

For quick meals theres this book, which I have found invaluable, as I don't have an awful lot of time to cook. Scratch that, I have loads of time to cook; except by the time I get home from work, I'm so ravenous I'll pig out on bread and butter, which is my major downfall. Anyway, sorry, digressing: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pretty-Darn-Quick-Vegetarian-Cookbook/dp/1557884382/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2F0QEZVE7BU0&colid=1865ZI1ZG4TGX

There are loads of books out there for busy chefs, a simple amazon search will pick loads up.

I'm in exactly the same position as you, where I'm eating the wrong foods and not getting a balanced diet, so if you need to chat you can message me =)

[yally]

I'll put in another voice for seeing a proper doctor. What are the health issues you're having? Are they definitely diet related?

[Toast]

I would agree with the others that the advice you are getting from your current doctor is very odd. If you could see a dietician that would be great but you could also research online and get books free from your local library on nutrition which would be easier maybe. There is a lot of misinformation about diets based on vegetarianism and veganism and I don't think that you should have to worry about nutritional deficiencies as long as you are eating plenty of fruit and veg, wholegrains and beans/ legumes.

I read a book by Neal Barnard which I found helpful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neal_D._Barnard

[chris1970]

about a year ago I start feeling spaced out and 'floaty' and my legs hurt. I was very worried that my vege diet was missing something - it turned out to be b12.
Several weeks of eating Marmite and flax seeds while taking a multi-vitamin sorted that out and now I'm careful to include a wide range of foods in my diet.

[penny79]

I would suggest less grain and legumes and more vegetables and fruit (raw).

[Indian Summer]

about a year ago I start feeling spaced out and 'floaty' and my legs hurt. I was very worried that my vege diet was missing something - it turned out to be b12.
Several weeks of eating Marmite and flax seeds while taking a multi-vitamin sorted that out and now I'm careful to include a wide range of foods in my diet.
Flax seeds? I'm not aware that there is any B12 in them? Not that they're bad for you or anything. Also, there is a little, but not a whole lot of it in marmite.

If you have a B12 deficiency, it can be quite serious if not treated properly. Check out the info here if in doubt:
http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/

[IamJen]

Can you explain more about what sort of "health issues" you mean? You mention twitches, but is there something else bothering you? When did your symptoms start?

[Myca]

Maybe you misunderstood your Doctor about 'all carbs'. Ask the Doctor to repeat her reccomendations, better yet, put them in writing. Maybe she wants you to limit your carb intake. Even Dr. Atkins wanted people to take in at least 20gms of carb per day. She is right on the money about the soy and hormones.

[4EverGrounded]

She is right on the money about the soy and hormones. Only if sounding like a quack is the goal she's going for. :stinkeye:

Think about it: if soy were really harmful then the Chinese... along with other soy-eating cultures would no longer exist.

Article about soy from a real doctor (http://www.ultrawellness.com/blog/how-soy-can-kill-you-and-save-your-life).

[4EverGrounded]

I hope this is in the right forum. Couldn't pick a better one if you tried. ;)


By habit, I am stressed, so I know this doesn't help my nutrient absorption. I've been seeing a homeopathic doctor/nutritionist/chiropractor every other week for about half a year. Being stressed, I believe will interfere with nutrient absorption. So will having a food sensitivity/allergy or some other sort of internal inflammation.


She tells me that I need more iron, protein, omega 3s & magnesium. What is she basing this on? Laboratory tests or "educated" guesses because "that's what all vegetarians are low in". If it's the latter, finding another doctor is in order because her methods of diagnosis are shady at best (not to mention damaging and probably potentially unethical).


She says that because a lot of tofu and soy products are manufactured on a mass scale, they are only okay in moderation. Gonna call crap on her "advice" here. Tofu can be made at home too so I don't see the "harm because of mass scale" conclusion. What is she calling soy products? Is it things like tofu and tempeh or is it things like veggie burgers and soy dogs? Clarification is needed.


Also, she says soy contains a lot of estrogen, so I should not eat much of it. Again, calling crap here. Yes, soy has phytoestrogen in it but it's proving (so far) to be a benefit, not a determent. It's when it's processed, refined, and isolated into bits and pieces that will run you into problems - just like any other food.


So, my struggle has been that I go through spurts of wanting to cook and other times (often long periods of time), I just do not feel like making anything to eat. This leads me to skipping meals, & not eating too healthily when I do.How do you cope with being vegetarian? I've done research, but I haven't been able to fully transition to the lifestyle, especially in a healthy way. I've included a lot more breads and carbs than I need in order to "fill" me up and it's not helping my health. The day I became a vegetarian was not a planned one. I just couldn't eat meat anymore after I saw how animals are treated. That night, I quit meat. I keep frozen veggies on hand - either veg blends or single type veggies and I keep a can of beans that I've opened and put into a storage tub (1-2 types, generally). Sometimes, I'll even have a bowl of grains in the freezer that I've cooked before hand, too. That way, when I get into those "don't wanna cook" moods, I can at least have a quick meal of a few beans in a bowl, some veggies over top, a bit of those frozen grains on as well, quick zap for a few minutes, stir, zap again until heated through. It's not the fanciest type of meals ever, but it is nutrition enough until I find my inspiration again. I've also gotten into finding a few raw recipes so if mood really doesn't strike, I can at least chuck a few things into a processor, whirr until well-blitzed and eat it like a dip with veggies (or spoon into a hollowed out tomato and eat like a stuffed salad. Yummy).

I've found that if I don't eat then my blood sugar gets to the point to where I'll eat the world once I do feel like eating. IMO, it sounds like you have the same problem, too. :(


Now my doctor says I have to quit all carbs and sugar, including beans and fruit. What a dilemma! (I haven't been able to pull this one off yet!) Again, what is she using as a basis for this "diagnosis" of hers? You NEED carbs... the good kind such as what's found in beans and you NEED sugars...the good kind such as what's found in fruit. Seriously, between this wonk advice and the no-soy thing it sounds like she's cutting your diet down to... meat? (that's the only thing she hasn't given the kibash to yet :stinkeye: ). The only thing I do agree with is cutting down simple sugars but that's the ONLY point we see eye to eye on.


I don't have a good staple of vegetarian recipes that aren't just meat replacers. I feel like life might be better if I had more vegetarian recipes that were always meant to be eaten as vegetarian. I'm feeling quite lost here. This site, along with vegweb (www.vegweb.com) have a ton of good vegan and vegetarian recipes. GoneRaw (www.goneraw.com) is another favorite of mine that I like to read for ideas and inspiration.


I don't know how to get more iron, magnesium, omega 3 and protein in a tastey, healthy, long-lasting way. I've been doing rice protein shakes here and there, but I don't like that idea very much. I don't blame you. The idea of protein shakes is making my teeth water and not in a good way, either. :no: I think you should check out the nutrient search tool at nutritiondata (www.nutritiondata.com) to find good sources of the nutrients you mentioned. Tracking your eating there might not be a bad idea either.


Most of my meals are either pasta, bean, bread or tofu based because they are quick, easy and filling. (I also have a sensitivity to gluten!) If you have a gluten sensitivity, you'll certainly want to stay away from the bread and pasta. There might be some other things you need to avoid, too (because of cross-contamination) but I don't have that list anymore. Hopefully, someone else will.


Now, ESPECIALLY today, I have random muscle twitches. I've noticed them especially yesterday and today. Those twitches might be a reaction to stress or they might be signaling that there's deficiency going on. Based on what you've posted, I'd be willing to say that I'm thinking a deficiency of some sort is at play, but without knowing what you eat (or, better yet seeing the nutritiondata link of your food tracking), it's hard to tell.


Anyone know of good,healthy other-worldly vegetarian dishes? I've noticed a lot of those are vegetarian, but I'm so scared (with my U.S. palette) to try them for fear that I would hate them. You might hate them or you might find you love them. You just never know. Are there any recipes that have caught your eye? Any methods you want to explore or any foods you're eating now that you want to change up a bit? Since I don't know your food experience or even your adventure level, it's hard to recommend "other-worldly" things. I do think, however, you should read the food section to see what catches your eye. And definitely read the threads that have asked for quick and easy veg*n meals.


Do you know of nutrient pairings to get more bang out of a meal? (Like Calcium w/ Vitamin D) And recipes to go along with it? The only food rule I have is this: keep your variety wide and your food as whole as possible (while staying away from your problem foods like gluten). Your body will figure out the rest.


Please help if you can! There were a lot of questions and concerns you aired, so apologies for breaking your post down to bits but I wanted to address everything as completely as I could. I hope it has helped, though.