Dazed and Confused...

[majorbloodnok]

...
At the same time, trying hard to lose weight (not easy with carby beans, lentils etc).
...

Actually, I have to disagree a little here.

Whilst weight loss is far more than the simplistic calorie counting of old, the fundamental of any effective diet is that you consume less energy than you expend. In that basic context, there is no "good" or "bad" food group for promoting weight loss. What consistently manages to sabotage most people's efforts is their diet failing to satisfy their appetite whilst maintaining an energy deficit; constantly feeling hungry after you've eaten all you're supposed to be allowed is a demoralising nag.

Beans and lentils are well known to be good at satisfying the hunger pangs whilst also being complex enough carbs that the body has to work to extract the energy. Proteins also tend to be good satisifiers, hence the popularity of low carb/high protein diets, but that doesn't mean proteins are "better" for weight loss; just that those diets work to proteins' strengths.

My point is that it's just as practical to lose weight on a diet high in carbohydrates as it is on a protein-heavy diet. Neither is "easier" than the other since weight loss is difficult no matter what, but you can rest assured that eating a plant-based diet (naturally high in carbs) is not in and of itself standing in the way of your weight loss efforts.

 

[Sunny]

Actually, I have to disagree a little here.

Whilst weight loss is far more than the simplistic calorie counting of old, the fundamental of any effective diet is that you consume less energy than you expend. In that basic context, there is no "good" or "bad" food group for promoting weight loss. What consistently manages to sabotage most people's efforts is their diet failing to satisfy their appetite whilst maintaining an energy deficit; constantly feeling hungry after you've eaten all you're supposed to be allowed is a demoralising nag.

Beans and lentils are well known to be good at satisfying the hunger pangs whilst also being complex enough carbs that the body has to work to extract the energy. Proteins also tend to be good satisifiers, hence the popularity of low carb/high protein diets, but that doesn't mean proteins are "better" for weight loss; just that those diets work to proteins' strengths.

My point is that it's just as practical to lose weight on a diet high in carbohydrates as it is on a protein-heavy diet. Neither is "easier" than the other since weight loss is difficult no matter what, but you can rest assured that eating a plant-based diet (naturally high in carbs) is not in and of itself standing in the way of your weight loss efforts.

I could just cut back on everything but then worried (perhaps due to my recent excessive research ) that I would not get all the nutrients. So much of what I have read says I need to consume this enormous amount of protein in order to be healthy and yet the high protein foods have a lot of carbs...

 

[Lou]

Thank you for the links. I had considered following a meal plan, to give me a good clear idea of what I should be consuming. I will check them out I feel like I have been vegan long enough to have a clear idea of what I should be eating but it never hurts to have a freshers course, especially when you consider our entire "eating" lives up to this point have been a one way track to animal consumption and being taught all would be well as long as we carried on that way.

I think I have just got my knickers in a twist because I have been doing so much research into this health issue I am having (previously posted about Burning Mouth Syndrome) and feeling desperate about it. At the same time, trying hard to lose weight (not easy with carby beans, lentils etc). As far as I can tell, and based on the few blood tests I have had, I am deficient in nothing so I am going to stop "number crunching" as you very aptly called it .

I have of course read the anti-vegan information many, many times over the years and ignored anything that was clearly biased or had an agenda but this time I began to wonder - especially after the doctor told me how deficient I would be in so many nutrients. Looking back on that now I can see that really upset me- as stated previously, that would mean the collapse of my belief system really.
I began reading a book while waiting for hubby at an appt. It is called "The Joyful Vegan: How to Stay Vegan in a World That Wants You to Eat Meat, Dairy, and Egg". I am going to make time to carry on with that tonight. It is intelligent and wonderful - and I am sure it would have something to say about people such as the GP who told me how deficient I would be as a vegan.

but it never hurts to have a freshers course,

My vegan journey started off in a very non-deliberate way. When I turned the corner and make it more deliberate I also went for more methodical.

So I took the 21 day vegan kickstart, which was full of good info.

I think I have just got my knickers in a twist because I have been doing so much research into this health issue I am having (previously posted about Burning Mouth Syndrome)

Oh, that was you? I hadn't made that connection.

and feeling desperate about it. At the same time, trying hard to lose weight (not easy with carby beans, lentils etc).

As the Major already pointed out, beans are probably not the issue. When I was trying to lose weight, for me, it was the grains.

As far as I can tell, and based on the few blood tests I have had, I am deficient in nothing so I am going to stop "number crunching" as you very aptly called it .

yes. the blood tests are the most telling. ChronOmeter can only tell you the nutrients you have ingested - and as you pointed out earlier - has its. limitations. Blood tests can tell you what has been absorbed. However, they don't normally test for all those micronutrients - not unless there is some reason to.

In CronOmeter, I almost. always came out low on Magnesium and Potassium. So now I make a bigger effort to include potatoes I my diet. Its the little things like that - that make Cronometer useful

I have of course read the anti-vegan information many, many times over the years and ignored anything that was clearly biased or had an agenda but this time I began to wonder - especially after the doctor told me how deficient I would be in so many nutrients.

Well.... some doctors only have a little knowledge on nutrition. And some of them are clearly biased against veganism. It's funny, maybe cause I live in California but I have never had a medical profession be anything but supportive of my veganism. I don't make it a point to tell people that I'm vegan but on a couple of occasions I brought it up to Medical professionals. The first time the guy brightens right up and told me he was vegetarian because he was Hindu. When I brought it up to my RD, she went off about how she and all the other RDs in the area had taken a course on Plant Based as part of their continuing education. And was vegan for a week. We spent a half hour discussing Gregar.

I began reading a book while waiting for hubby at an appt. It is called "The Joyful Vegan: How to Stay Vegan in a World That Wants You to Eat Meat, Dairy, and Egg".

When I turned the corner and became deliberate and more methodical I made it a goal to read one vegan book a year. The Joyful Vegan was the first "vegan" book I read.

Colleen has been my tour kind on my Vegan journey. She lives just across the bay from me and I even took a one evening cooking class from her. She also regularly appears on both my local public radio station and the local morning news.

Back when Conspiracy first came out, Colleen had them put a link on their webpage. By following the link you could take her 30 day vegan challenge.

The vegan challenge costs money now and it's about the same as the kickstart which I'm pretty sure is still free. But the Vegan Challenge comes with a "text book". You can find it used at Amazon for about $10. Plus its all Colleen.

Oh! Another good Colleen thing is her podcasts. Right about when I got serious about veganism, iPods and podcasts were brand new. Colleen was one of the very first (and best) vegan podcasters. I had a 40 minute drive every week and every week I listened to another episode of Compassionate Cooks - Food For thought. She still makes them today.

She has a soothing voice and such a reasonable attitude. A real pleasure to listen to

 

[majorbloodnok]

I could just cut back on everything but then worried (perhaps due to my recent excessive research ) that I would not get all the nutrients. So much of what I have read says I need to consume this enormous amount of protein in order to be healthy and yet the high protein foods have a lot of carbs...

A nice broad variety is what'll maximise your chances of getting all the nutrients you need, so having a nice varied menu across the month combined with the couple of aforementioned vitamin supplements is about all that's necessary.

I don't know where you've read about enormous amounts of protein, but if your diet includes a range of peas, beans, pulses, tofu and/or cereals then it's REALLY hard not to be consuming enough protein to meet your body's needs. If you top that off with more protein, all your body will do is convert the excess protein so it can store it for later. Sure, a Beyond sausage is a more visible source of protein, but there's actually still loads in a portion of chickpeas even if you can't see it.

As for losing weight on a diet like this, I'd suggest you look up a table of foods and their satiety index. This is the index of how full a given food will make you feel (that's satisfyingly full, not bloated as if you've just eaten a whole cauliflower) for the amount of energy it contains. The biggest hitters are potatoes (particularly boiled or steamed) and beans/pulses in some sort of sauce. That information should help you put together meals that make you feel comfortably full on a modest amount of energy intake, and you can then supplement the foundations with your salad stuff, veg and so forth for the extra vitamins and micronutrients.

 

[Sunny]

My vegan journey started off in a very non-deliberate way. When I turned the corner and make it more deliberate I also went for more methodical.

So I took the 21 day vegan kickstart, which was full of good info.




Oh, that was you? I hadn't made that connection.

As the Major already pointed out, beans are probably not the issue. When I was trying to lose weight, for me, it was the grains.



yes. the blood tests are the most telling. ChronOmeter can only tell you the nutrients you have ingested - and as you pointed out earlier - has its. limitations. Blood tests can tell you what has been absorbed. However, they don't normally test for all those micronutrients - not unless there is some reason to.

In CronOmeter, I almost. always came out low on Magnesium and Potassium. So now I make a bigger effort to include potatoes I my diet. Its the little things like that - that make Cronometer useful


Well.... some doctors only have a little knowledge on nutrition. And some of them are clearly biased against veganism. It's funny, maybe cause I live in California but I have never had a medical profession be anything but supportive of my veganism. I don't make it a point to tell people that I'm vegan but on a couple of occasions I brought it up to Medical professionals. The first time the guy brightens right up and told me he was vegetarian because he was Hindu. When I brought it up to my RD, she went off about how she and all the other RDs in the area had taken a course on Plant Based as part of their continuing education. And was vegan for a week. We spent a half hour discussing Gregar.



When I turned the corner and became deliberate and more methodical I made it a goal to read one vegan book a year. The Joyful Vegan was the first "vegan" book I read.

Colleen has been my tour kind on my Vegan journey. She lives just across the bay from me and I even took a one evening cooking class from her. She also regularly appears on both my local public radio station and the local morning news.

Back when Conspiracy first came out, Colleen had them put a link on their webpage. By following the link you could take her 30 day vegan challenge.

The vegan challenge costs money now and it's about the same as the kickstart which I'm pretty sure is still free. But the Vegan Challenge comes with a "text book". You can find it used at Amazon for about $10. Plus its all Colleen.

Oh! Another good Colleen thing is her podcasts. Right about when I got serious about veganism, iPods and podcasts were brand new. Colleen was one of the very first (and best) vegan podcasters. I had a 40 minute drive every week and every week I listened to another episode of Compassionate Cooks - Food For thought. She still makes them today.

She has a soothing voice and such a reasonable attitude. A real pleasure to listen to

I have a little love affair with California despite any negs.
How wonderful about Colleen- what a coincidence! I didn't realise how publicly active she was/is. ♥

 

[Lou]

I don't know where you've read about enormous amounts of protein, but if your diet includes a range of peas, beans, pulses, tofu and/or cereals then it's REALLY hard not to be consuming enough protein to meet your body's needs.

Yes. I totally agree.

If you top that off with more protein, all your body will do is convert the excess protein so it can store it for later.

I might be nitpicking (again) but as far as I know and understand, our bodies do a very bad job of storing protein for very long. The protein we don't need today is broken down and used for calories or stored as fat.

Beside the fact that the extra calories is not good for weight loss, when protein is broken down a by product is ammonia, which is toxic and must be removed. This can be hard on one's liver and kidneys

Are you getting too much protein? - Mayo Clinic Health System

www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org

Protein toxicity - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Sunny]

A nice broad variety is what'll maximise your chances of getting all the nutrients you need, so having a nice varied menu across the month combined with the couple of aforementioned vitamin supplements is about all that's necessary.

I don't know where you've read about enormous amounts of protein, but if your diet includes a range of peas, beans, pulses, tofu and/or cereals then it's REALLY hard not to be consuming enough protein to meet your body's needs. If you top that off with more protein, all your body will do is convert the excess protein so it can store it for later. Sure, a Beyond sausage is a more visible source of protein, but there's actually still loads in a portion of chickpeas even if you can't see it.

As for losing weight on a diet like this, I'd suggest you look up a table of foods and their satiety index. This is the index of how full a given food will make you feel (that's satisfyingly full, not bloated as if you've just eaten a whole cauliflower) for the amount of energy it contains. The biggest hitters are potatoes (particularly boiled or steamed) and beans/pulses in some sort of sauce. That information should help you put together meals that make you feel comfortably full on a modest amount of energy intake, and you can then supplement the foundations with your salad stuff, veg and so forth for the extra vitamins and micronutrients.

Hi, I probably didn't explain that properly- I don't mean that I need a huge amount of protein in general but to lose weight I was told I needed to really up it. I def. do eat a wide variety of vegan friendly foods but this protein boost came in whilst trying to lose weight. I guess the thought is that it helps you feel satiated and repairs muscles after a work out (I don't work out but I do a lot of walking). I was told to stay away from the carbs for weight loss but as a vegan, the carbs are usually the protein so I can tell you I have done my head in trying to find a way to manage it all Thanks so much for the advice- it is appreciated.

 

[Sunny]

Yes. I totally agree.

I might be nitpicking (again) but as far as I know and understand, our bodies do a very bad job of storing protein for very long. The protein we don't need today is broken down and used for calories or stored as fat.

Beside the fact that the extra calories is not good for weight loss, when protein is broken down a by product is ammonia, which is toxic and must be removed. This can be hard on one's liver and kidneys

Are you getting too much protein? - Mayo Clinic Health System

www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org

Protein toxicity - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Can I ask, on cronometer macro ratios, what do you have set there? I wonder if I have it set incorrectly....

 

[majorbloodnok]

....
I might be nitpicking (again) but as far as I know and understand, our bodies do a very bad job of storing protein for very long. The protein we don't need today is broken down and used for calories or stored as fat.
....

If you delve into the detail, protein when digested is broken down into amino acids. These amino acids are reconstituted again to create proteins when needed - for repairing or building muscle, for instance - but what isn't needed immediately to do this is denatured (i.e. the nitrogen removed and excreted as you mention) and then converted into carbohydrates and stored as glycogen. Either way, you're right; protein isn't stored as protein for very long.

 

[majorbloodnok]

Hi, I probably didn't explain that properly- I don't mean that I need a huge amount of protein in general but to lose weight I was told I needed to really up it. I def. do eat a wide variety of vegan friendly foods but this protein boost came in whilst trying to lose weight. I guess the thought is that it helps you feel satiated and repairs muscles after a work out (I don't work out but I do a lot of walking). I was told to stay away from the carbs for weight loss but as a vegan, the carbs are usually the protein so I can tell you I have done my head in trying to find a way to manage it all Thanks so much for the advice- it is appreciated.

That theory is what gave rise to the Atkins diet. The idea is that to lose weight you need to lose stored fat and your body will use readily available carbohydrates in preference to laid-down fat. The train of thought extrapolates to suggest that if you keep away from carbs your body will be retrained to use its fat reserves more readily.

In fact, the theory is an over-simplification since the body is a good enough self-regulator that its ideal is a balance of all the food groups. Leaning heavily to one or another only introduces unnecessary problems. The recommendation keeps returning again and again to the idea that a balanced diet is better than any current trend.

 

[Lou]

Can I ask, on cronometer macro ratios, what do you have set there? I wonder if I have it set incorrectly....

I don't think you Have to set macro ratios. but mine is set 60/20/20.

I rarely get less than 20% fat in my diet. And I rarely get as much as 20% protein in my diet. But those are my goals. And it's good to have goals.

 

[Lou]

Atkins, keto and other low carb diets are pretty much the same theory. Less carbs / more protein. The problem is that when a body is forced to use protein for energy the protein is being broken down and those nasty toxins are the byproduct. Even the doctors that promote those diets don't recommend them as long term solutions. A common complaint is when you go off a low carb diet you tend to gain the weight right back.
its also been shown that people on low carb diets aren't as healthy as people on high carb diets

All those diets appear to be effective - but only short term. for people wanting to look good in their swimsuit when they go to Cabo or fit into their wedding dress - that's all they need or want.

but if long lasting health is the goal - a diet of at least 50% carbs is better.

Are you getting too much protein? - Mayo Clinic Health System

www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org

 

[Lou]

If you delve into the detail, protein when digested is broken down into amino acids. These amino acids are reconstituted again to create proteins when needed - for repairing or building muscle, for instance - but what isn't needed immediately to do this is denatured (i.e. the nitrogen removed and excreted as you mention) and then converted into carbohydrates and stored as glycogen. Either way, you're right; protein isn't stored as protein for very long.

Just to take it one step further... we don't store much amino acids either.

Amino acids are not stored in the body. The individual amino acids are broken down into pyruvate, acetyl CoA, or intermediates of the Krebs cycle, and used for energy or for lipogenesis reactions to be stored as fats.​

​

24.4 Protein Metabolism – Anatomy & Physiologyhttps://open.oregonstate.education › aandp › chapter​

 

[LoreD]

This is difficult to talk about - I have been anxious and confused on and off for some time and trying to really put my finger on the problem so that I can hopefully put it to rest if you know what I mean. I have been vegan for about 5-6 years, for the animals.

When I first became vegan I didn't worry about nutrition. I never really gave it thought but upon looking into it further I discovered that I needed to take a B12 supplement. I think that led me to look further into other supplements I might need. The Vegan society supplement is made up of numerous vitamins and minerals so I began to wonder about the quality and efficacy of a diet that required me to take supplements.
The deeper I delved the more I considered that many of these supplements (B12 aside) were perhaps for people who ate crisps for their meals (chips for US peeps) and would not be needed by those who ate a varied and healthy vegan diet. I hoped that was the case and I am an advocate of getting my vitamins and minerals through food sources as much as possible. But even saying "as much as possible" causes me concern because any way of eating has to provide all we need without supplementing (again, aside from B12) right? Yet every time I turn around I am reading something about a nutrient we may be missing if we are vegan.
I know Big Ag and the money making machine will have us eating the animals and their products so there is a lot of propaganda out there to support that but I do feel anxiety and worry that I'm not eating correctly to meet my needs when I read things, for example, about non heme iron not being as well absorbed by the body. So that I didn't have to type lots of info, I have copied and pasted the following statements from a website:

• "Vitamin A – It is approximately 20 times more bioavailableanimal-based food than plant-based foods.
  
  • In fact, plant foods don’t actually have vitamin A. They have carotenoids which have to be converted to Vitamin A.
• Vitamin B – Animal-based foods are the best source of B Vitamins. Especially B12.
• Vitamin C – Plant-based foods are a better source of vitamin C. Does it matter? (Hint: Yes and No.)
• Vitamin D – Plants don’t contain Vitamin D3 (the form our body needs). Sun and meat is our answer here.
  
  • Plants have Vitamin D2, and our body can convert some D2 to D3
  • Fungi are also a source of vitamin D
• Vitamin E – Plant-based foods have higher concentrations of vitamin E. And for good reason. A plant-based diet requires additional protection from oxidation of PUFA which Vitamin E helps provide through its antioxidant properties. It’s still found in adequate supply in meat.
• Vitamin K – Both plant and animal foods have the K1 version; however, plants don’t have K2 which is vital for human life.
  
  • K2 also has numerous forms. The essential kind we need is MK-4, which is only in animal food. We can convert some K1 to MK-4 but generally not enough to meet our needs.
    
    While all essential minerals can be found in both plant and animal foods, there is a stark difference in absorption of these micronutrients. Animal-based nutrients have higher bioavailability as well as less hindrance from antinutrients that come “pre-packaged” with plant-based food.
  • Plant-based foods aren’t just harder to absorb, but they tend to have smaller quantities of the “big hitters.”
    
    For example, many plant-based foods are lower in iodine and zinc compared to animal foods.
    
    Most plant-based foods are incomplete proteins. This means various plant-based foods have to be combined to get all the amino acids needed. Exacerbating the situation, these proteins are mostly found in plant seeds which often contain the highest concentrations of antinutrients and phytochemicals that can impair human health.
• Plant-based foods do not supply dietary cholesterol. Only animal-based foods do. Evidence suggest this has significant health implications. Especially for the brain that hogs 25% of all bodily cholesterol. "
  
  
  So I read this kind of thing and I become very concerned. I end up looking into how much calcium is in Kale and try to work out how much I would need to consume to meet my daily requirements and I often end up doing this for lots of things and end up thinking I will not be able to consume all that in one day or I won't have enough calcium or folate etc so I must be deficient.
  I had a phone appt with a GP the other day. He was one I have not spoken to before. When I told him I was vegan he said that it was a very high probability that no matter how well, varied and healthy I eat, I would be deficient in many nutrients. I was shocked by his words. Since then my worry has increased and not only for my health but the implications if that were correct. Someone else on this site shared a blog post in which the author said my feelings exactly and that was if I can not get what I need from my diet to be healthy then that means that to harm animals is not morally wrong and my whole way of life , avoiding harming them, is not sustainable or correct.
  Sometimes I wonder if all this worry is just because it is so different from the way of life I was raised with, the world was raised with really. Before i was vegan I didn't worry about my vitamins and nutrients but was that because I didn't need to, as they were more abundant and complete or was it just that a confidence was there because it is what we knew so well?
  
  Sorry for the long post.

If you are concerned, you should look at the data on the Blue Zones, especially Loma Linda. They are Adventists, who consume a very limited amount of animal products or are completely vegan. They are some of the longest lifers in the world.

What 'Blue Zone' city Loma Linda, California can teach us about living longer​

What's the secret behind Lomo Linda's healthy population? A "Garden of Eden" diet, no drinking, no caffeine — and no outside pressure to ‘cheat’.

What 'Blue Zone' city Loma Linda, California can teach us about living longer

www.nbcnews.com

Determined to find an American region that met the Blue Zones criteria, Buettner and a team of demographers dug deep into data on Loma Linda, a city in San Bernardino County, California, with a population of roughly 24,000 people.

“I found that Seventh-day Adventists lived between seven and 11 years longer than people in its Northern American counterparts,” Buettner tells NBC News BETTER. “The highest concentration of them is in or around Southern California, specifically Loma Linda. I [qualified] it as a Blue Zone namely because these were verifiably the longest lived Americans, given available data in 2005.”

The religion promotes what he refers to as a “Garden of Eden” diet.

“In Genesis 129, [it reads] ‘And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.’”

“Seventh-day Adventists take the position that this [plant-based diet] is the original diet of man that we were designed to eat,” says Westerdahl. “It also ties into the concept of heaven — that in God’s new kingdom, we will go back to this Garden of Eden diet. There will be only peace and no killing or animal slaughter. There’s a strong association of compassion and being kind to animals.”

 

[silva]

Thank you for this thread as I seem to have many of the symptoms of DHA deficiency. I will be heading to the pharmacy for it tomorrow. I have already been covering the D and B12. I realize now that when I used to eat walnuts and chia seeds it was not like this; I did not stop eating them for any particular reason, other than it seems I did not fully understand their importance.

As Lou points out we have to make the conversion to DHA from proper ratios of omega 3 & 6 and I believe some 9
The only foods that have bioavailable DHA/EPA are found in sea foods--both plant and animal. The sea animals make it from the sea plants-algae- so just get some algae DHA supplements
I was never a fish eater of any kind. I first heard of algae DHA after being vegan, and after taking them a few weeks I could really feel an improvement in my focus and attention. I'm pretty typical ADD-scatterbrained, can put tremendous focus on one thing but any little outside input and I'm totally distracted, and that was noticeably reduced.
Since then I've found even Dr Greger recommends these, 250 mg of either just DHA or combined DHA/EPA. He says all algae is from the same source so doesn't matter which one you pick

 

[LoreD]

Atkins, keto and other low carb diets are pretty much the same theory. Less carbs / more protein. The problem is that when a body is forced to use protein for energy the protein is being broken down and those nasty toxins are the byproduct. Even the doctors that promote those diets don't recommend them as long term solutions. A common complaint is when you go off a low carb diet you tend to gain the weight right back.
its also been shown that people on low carb diets aren't as healthy as people on high carb diets

All those diets appear to be effective - but only short term. for people wanting to look good in their swimsuit when they go to Cabo or fit into their wedding dress - that's all they need or want.

but if long lasting health is the goal - a diet of at least 50% carbs is better.

Are you getting too much protein? - Mayo Clinic Health System

www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org

I remember someone saying that the "Keto diet was great if you didn't want to live past 40 years old".

 

[silva]

I could just cut back on everything but then worried (perhaps due to my recent excessive research ) that I would not get all the nutrients. So much of what I have read says I need to consume this enormous amount of protein in order to be healthy and yet the high protein foods have a lot of carbs...

Beans and the Second-Meal Effect

nutritionfacts.org

I kinda hesitate to recommend this book for anyone who may obsess about things, but Dr Gregers "How Not to Diet" is just stuffed with documented research on everything having to do with the diets of human beings. Our evolution, history, culture, genetics, environment, and the foods themselves. It also talks a lot about our psychological relationship with food

 

[LoreD]

This is difficult to talk about - I have been anxious and confused on and off for some time and trying to really put my finger on the problem so that I can hopefully put it to rest if you know what I mean. I have been vegan for about 5-6 years, for the animals.

• Plant-based foods do not supply dietary cholesterol. Only animal-based foods do. Evidence suggest this has significant health implications. Especially for the brain that hogs 25% of all bodily cholesterol. "
  
  
  So I read this kind of thing and I become very concerned. I end up looking into how much calcium is in Kale and try to work out how much I would need to consume to meet my daily requirements and I often end up doing this for lots of things and end up thinking I will not be able to consume all that in one day or I won't have enough calcium or folate etc so I must be deficient.
  I had a phone appt with a GP the other day. He was one I have not spoken to before. When I told him I was vegan he said that it was a very high probability that no matter how well, varied and healthy I eat, I would be deficient in many nutrients. I was shocked by his words. Since then my worry has increased and not only for my health but the implications if that were correct. Someone else on this site shared a blog post in which the author said my feelings exactly and that was if I can not get what I need from my diet to be healthy then that means that to harm animals is not morally wrong and my whole way of life , avoiding harming them, is not sustainable or correct.
  Sometimes I wonder ferent from the way of life I was raised with, the world was raised with really. Before i was vegan I didn't worry about my vitamins and nutrients but was that because I didn't need to, as they were more abundant and complete or was it just that a confidence was there because it is what we knew so well?
  
  Sorry for the long post.

Where Is Cholesterol Found?

www.healthline.com

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that travels through your blood. Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs, but you can also take in cholesterol through the foods you eat.

Where does cholesterol come from?​

Cholesterol in your body comes from two main sources: your liver and your diet.

Your liver, other organs, and other cells in your body produce about 80 percent of the cholesterol in your blood.

The other 20 percent of cholesterol in your body is affected by the foods you eat. Foods high in trans and saturated fats can contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.

 

[Sunny]

I don't think you Have to set macro ratios. but mine is set 60/20/20.

I rarely get less than 20% fat in my diet. And I rarely get as much as 20% protein in my diet. But those are my goals. And it's good to have goals.

60 is your carbs? The "layout" of mine is Protein, Carbs and Fats

 

[Sunny]

If you are concerned, you should look at the data on the Blue Zones, especially Loma Linda. They are Adventists, who consume a very limited amount of animal products or are completely vegan. They are some of the longest lifers in the world.

What 'Blue Zone' city Loma Linda, California can teach us about living longer​

What's the secret behind Lomo Linda's healthy population? A "Garden of Eden" diet, no drinking, no caffeine — and no outside pressure to ‘cheat’.

What 'Blue Zone' city Loma Linda, California can teach us about living longer

www.nbcnews.com

Determined to find an American region that met the Blue Zones criteria, Buettner and a team of demographers dug deep into data on Loma Linda, a city in San Bernardino County, California, with a population of roughly 24,000 people.

“I found that Seventh-day Adventists lived between seven and 11 years longer than people in its Northern American counterparts,” Buettner tells NBC News BETTER. “The highest concentration of them is in or around Southern California, specifically Loma Linda. I [qualified] it as a Blue Zone namely because these were verifiably the longest lived Americans, given available data in 2005.”

The religion promotes what he refers to as a “Garden of Eden” diet.

“In Genesis 129, [it reads] ‘And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.’”

“Seventh-day Adventists take the position that this [plant-based diet] is the original diet of man that we were designed to eat,” says Westerdahl. “It also ties into the concept of heaven — that in God’s new kingdom, we will go back to this Garden of Eden diet. There will be only peace and no killing or animal slaughter. There’s a strong association of compassion and being kind to animals.”

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