Has anyone felt any real health differences after going vegan?

[VjohnV]

I have been vegan for a few years now, not because of health reasons, but because of ethical reason, but i am wondering if anyone has felt any change in their day to day health or health in general.

Do you feel any difference in health compared to before you were vegan?

 

[animallover]

sadly no. my health is ****

 

[poivron]

It's not a matter of "feeling". Just look at your blood cholesterol numbers before and after going vegan. High cholesterol has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer's.

 

[Sam]

Its harder to be healthy as a vegan for me because there's so much less enjoyable food, so I tend to compensate by eating more of the junk, and more fattening carbs, on the other hand I do eat more fruit and veg. AND pulses

Much better that than some poor animal soul having his or her brains blown by a bolt gun, just so I can enjoy my food more. Worse than slavery imo, or at least equally bad. Morally and in terms of real suffering caused.

 

[poivron]

Its harder to be healthy as a vegan for me because there's so much less enjoyable food, so I tend to compensate by eating more of the junk, and more fattening carbs, on the other hand I do eat more fruit and veg. AND pulses

Much better that than some poor animal soul having his or her brains blown by a bolt gun, just so I can enjoy my food more. Worse than slavery imo, or at least equally bad. Morally and in terms of real suffering caused.

How long have you been vegan? If you still see animals' bodies and bodily secretions as "food" -- indeed, as "enjoyable food" -- then you must not have been vegan for very long at all. Or you're trying to be vegan simply by removing animal products from your plate, without exploring all the wonderful international foods (from the Mediterranean, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and India) that meat-eaters never get to experience.

As for my response to your comments about slavery, see: https://veganforum.org/threads/usin...avery-analogy-to-help-animals.2245/#post-9317

 

[VjohnV]

Its harder to be healthy as a vegan for me because there's so much less enjoyable food, so I tend to compensate by eating more of the junk, and more fattening carbs, on the other hand I do eat more fruit and veg. AND pulses

Much better that than some poor animal soul having his or her brains blown by a bolt gun, just so I can enjoy my food more. Worse than slavery imo, or at least equally bad. Morally and in terms of real suffering caused.

"Its harder to be healthy as a vegan for me because there's so much less enjoyable food"

Really? what foods do you like? Do you like sushi, cheese, burgers, etc?
Just in New York there are tons and tons of 100% vegan restaurants.

There is vegan steak, pastrami, cheese cakes, "sea" food, sushi, and so much more, have you tried any of the meat and dairy replacements?

I personally find it so easy to be vegan because there are so many options, tons of restaurants, cafes have vegan options and vegan menus, supermarkets have vegan options, there really are a lot of options.

 

[Sam]

"Its harder to be healthy as a vegan for me because there's so much less enjoyable food"

Really? what foods do you like? Do you like sushi, cheese, burgers, etc?
Just in New York there are tons and tons of 100% vegan restaurants.

There is vegan steak, pastrami, cheese cakes, "sea" food, sushi, and so much more, have you tried any of the meat and dairy replacements?

I personally find it so easy to be vegan because there are so many options, tons of restaurants, cafes have vegan options and vegan menus, supermarkets have vegan options, there really are a lot of options.

I live in England and im doing off my own back as a previously indoctrinated meat eater, so beans on toast and pizza with beans, and stir fry with beans and tofu, soups etc are the types of things im going on, sushi is nice!! Yes love the veggie burgers n hot dogs etc

Theres obviously much less option as a vegan but still lots of variety I just havnt got the skill together quite yet, so probably in time I will find a wider selection to choose from and more healthy options among them.

 

[Sam]

How long have you been vegan? If you still see animals' bodies and bodily secretions as "food" -- indeed, as "enjoyable food" -- then you must not have been vegan for very long at all. Or you're trying to be vegan simply by removing animal products from your plate, without exploring all the wonderful international foods (from the Mediterranean, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and India) that meat-eaters never get to experience.

As for my response to your comments about slavery, see: https://veganforum.org/threads/usin...avery-analogy-to-help-animals.2245/#post-9317

I find it annoying that you guys delude yourselves, and try to con meat eaters, it IS harder to go vegan, theres LESS variety, the food is LESS enjoyable, people know this is true, why do you think lying to people is helping and not hurting our cause?

Treat meat eaters with respect, be scrupulously honest, it will go alot further than crappy sales level selling and persuasion.

Come from the honest and persuasive slant of look its yea its less enjoyable, there are less options, its hard, but at least I dont have to go to bed at night knowing a baby calf is going to spend his whole life cramped up in a cage only to die so I can eat him. Thats the truth, it hits at the heart strings, its respectable and persuasive.

 

[Forest Nymph]

Yes I remember when I finally went vegan (as opposed to being vegetarian) I had a lot more energy in the morning - I became more of a morning person in that regard. I also lost weight without even trying.

My blood work is fine and so is every other physical health aspect, but being in my 30s and being lucky, I didn't have any serious health problems to begin with other than being a little chubby before I was vegan.

I think my sex drive is the strongest its been in my life, my PMS symptoms are less severe (though I still have heavy periods) and I no longer have mind-bending pain from menstrual cramps.

I think my thought processes have been affected in a really amazing regard after being vegan for a while, I had a series of epiphanies or perception shifts philosophically AFTER being vegan for a while, though obviously there had to be a little change before.

The only thing I've noticed that is worse is that I cannot drink as much alcohol. I don't know if that's because I was heavier before, or because fatty animal products soak up alcohol content better, but hang overs if I drink too much are pretty ******* terrible. I have also seen other vegans self-report this.

 

[Forest Nymph]

I find it annoying that you guys delude yourselves, and try to con meat eaters, it IS harder to go vegan, theres LESS variety, the food is LESS enjoyable, people know this is true, why do you think lying to people is helping and not hurting our cause?

Treat meat eaters with respect, be scrupulously honest, it will go alot further than crappy sales level selling and persuasion.

Come from the honest and persuasive slant of look its yea its less enjoyable, there are less options, its hard, but at least I dont have to go to bed at night knowing a baby calf is going to spend his whole life cramped up in a cage only to die so I can eat him. Thats the truth, it hits at the heart strings, its respectable and persuasive.

No one is trying to con anyone, Sam. I think vegan food is delicious and I don't feel that there are "less choices." If anything I expanded my food choices, tried new recipes etc.

The fact that you think people are "lying" is weird. Are you trying to live just off of beans and rice or what?

 

[Sam]

No one is trying to con anyone, Sam. I think vegan food is delicious and I don't feel that there are "less choices." If anything I expanded my food choices, tried new recipes etc.

The fact that you think people are "lying" is weird. Are you trying to live just off of beans and rice or what?

just super market stuff

I dont think they are lying I KNOW they are.

If you take away a food group you have LESS variety not more, I dont care how many more vegan recipes there are or meals (if there are more which also sounds dubious), theres still less variety if theres less ingredients to begin with. Super simple math.

Basically im not a dumbass and the persuasive tosh hes trying to spin wont work on me, and most people are not dense and it

Im living off the super market and my own skill as a cook , its fine ive got it handled just a learning process, the the meat time ill eat more veggie -burgers-sausages,-nuggets and pizza.

 

[Forest Nymph]

I dont think they are lying I KNOW they are.

You sound crazy. Best of luck to you Sam.

 

[Sam]

You sound crazy. Best of luck to you Sam.

If you dont understand it, it doesnt mean im crazy. Im sure you can understand it, if you re read it.

 

[Forest Nymph]

If you dont understand it, it doesnt mean im crazy. Im sure you can understand it, if you re read it.

The person lacking understanding here is YOU not me...your logic is terrible. You think removing meat and dairy is "easy peasy math" for less choices but that's a load of garbage, Sam.

People who are omnis in Western societies tend to over-rely on animal products, which is why so many vegetarians who don't go completely vegan end up eating too much cheese.

When you take away meat and dairy, you ADD tofu, tempeh, seitan, hemp and nutritional yeast. In today's society, not only do you have these basics, but you also have a vast array of vegan cheeses, vegan sausages and burger patties, fishless sticks and chkn tenders. So what are you missing?

Nothing. You're not missing anything Sam, in fact you tend to add Mediterranean and more Asian foods to your diet (with Indian, Thai, Japanese etc dishes) instead of always eating Western-style meals. There's also Ethiopian food, and veganized Soul Food - I don't know where you live but in any large city the choices are dizzying, and if you learn to cook you simply trade out old recipes for new ones.

Yes, Sam, saying you "KNOW" large numbers people are lying sounds crazy. It sounds paranoid, or like you lack healthy boundaries, or are a narcissist.

 

[Sam]

The person lacking understanding here is YOU not me...your logic is terrible. You think removing meat and dairy is "easy peasy math" for less choices but that's a load of garbage, Sam.

People who are omnis in Western societies tend to over-rely on animal products, which is why so many vegetarians who don't go completely vegan end up eating too much cheese.

When you take away meat and dairy, you ADD tofu, tempeh, seitan, hemp and nutritional yeast. In today's society, not only do you have these basics, but you also have a vast array of vegan cheeses, vegan sausages and burger patties, fishless sticks and chkn tenders. So what are you missing?

Nothing. You're not missing anything Sam, in fact you tend to add Mediterranean and more Asian foods to your diet (with Indian, Thai, Japanese etc dishes) instead of always eating Western-style meals. There's also Ethiopian food, and veganized Soul Food - I don't know where you live but in any large city the choices are dizzying, and if you learn to cook you simply trade out old recipes for new ones.

Yes, Sam, saying you "KNOW" large numbers people are lying sounds crazy. It sounds paranoid, or like you lack healthy boundaries, or are a narcissist.

Are you serious?

If you have 1000 foods and you remove 100 do you have more or less food combinations?

A meat eater can eat anything a vegan does and more I used to eat vegan stuff before I went fully vegan. Anyone can eat tofu, hemp or veggie burgers.

So you still think im the dense one?

 

[Forest Nymph]

Are you serious?

If you have 1000 foods and you remove 100 do you have more or less food combinations?

A meat eater can eat anything a vegan does and more I used to eat vegan stuff before I went fully vegan. Anyone can eat tofu, hemp or veggie burgers.

So you still think im the dense one?

Yes I do. Omnis in the West tend to have the most limited diets I've ever seen. Cultures like South Korea or Thailand or Lebanon tend to be less so, because they are pretty much "flexitarians" who eat very small portions of meat. Some Chinese people only eat meat once a month and have never had dairy in their lives.

And again, you saying you know other people are lying is ******* crazy, Sam. I won't stop saying it because you need to get it through your head that just because you disagree with someone, doesn't mean they're lying, and you can't read the minds of people you don't even know as if they were your friend or spouse.

You disagree. That doesn't make you objectively correct or mean that other people are lying. You might need to vary your diet a bit more, that's on you.

 

[Sam]

Yes I do. Omnis in the West tend to have the most limited diets I've ever seen. Cultures like South Korea or Thailand or Lebanon tend to be less so, because they are pretty much "flexitarians" who eat very small portions of meat. Some Chinese people only eat meat once a month and have never had dairy in their lives.

And again, you saying you know other people are lying is ******* crazy, Sam. I won't stop saying it because you need to get it through your head that just because you disagree with someone, doesn't mean they're lying, and you can't read the minds of people you don't even know as if they were your friend or spouse.

You disagree. That doesn't make you objectively correct or mean that other people are lying. You might need to vary your diet a bit more, that's on you.

They are not telling the truth. I concede that they may not realize it its untruthful so in that case it would not be a lie, but it is still untrue and it could also still be a lie if they know its untrue and keep saying it.

The truth is less ingredients = less possibilities for variety. Thats a hard fact. You cant argue with that. Its a fact. I am objectively correct.

Sure some cultures have more or less variety in their diet that doesn't mean you can have more variety with less ingredients.

You are getting mixed up. You think less meat = more variety just because some cultures have more variety in their food than the west does. Also many of those cultures would like more meat because its tasty but they are too poor. Also many of the meals that are so high in variety have a little meat with them too.

So the argument is untruthful, objectively wrong, and a very poor persuader since these poor people would often love to have more meat in their diet/meals, but cant afford it.

 

[Forest Nymph]

They are not telling the truth. I admit they may not realize it its untruthful so in that case it would not be a lie, but it is still untrue and it could also still be a lie if they know its untrue and keep saying it.

The truth is less ingredients = less possibilities for variety. Thats a hard fact. You cant argue with that. Its a fact. I am objectively correct.

Sure some cultures have more or less variety in their diet that doesn't mean you can have more variety with less ingredients.

You are getting mixed up. You think less meat = more variety just because some cultures have more variety in their food than the west does. Also many of those cultures would like more meat because its tasty but they are too poor. Also many of the meals that are so high in variety have a little meat with them too.

So the argument is untruthful, objectively wrong, and a very poor persuader since these poor people would often love to have more meat in their diet/meals, but cant afford it

SAM - you are really forcing your own mindset and emotions on to other people. You are making ASSUMPTIONS about total strangers' motivations, psychology and experiences. This is a really immature thing to do at best, at worst it's something a person does when drunk or who has emotional problems.

I'm guessing you must crave meat, that's the only explanation I can see for this entire diatribe you're on, but of course I could be wrong.

When I went vegan I was overwhelmed by all of the new possibilities, recipes and products. There are still vegan products I've never tried, or ones I can't get on a regular basis because I moved to a smaller town. However, I still eat at the local hot dog stand, the local Mexican restaurant, the Vietnamese place, the pizza place and of course the local vegetarian restaurant.

I am not lying. My diet is interesting, varied and satisfying. The complaints you are making tend to be that of newbies just starting to go vegan who have no idea what to eat (I remember a problem I had in the beginning was eating too many potato chips, for about a month) ...none of what you are saying is "factual" it is your perception and you need to accept that.

 

[Sam]

SAM - you are really forcing your own mindset and emotions on to other people. You are making ASSUMPTIONS about total strangers' motivations, psychology and experiences. This is a really immature thing to do at best, at worst it's something a person does when drunk or who has emotional problems.

I'm guessing you must crave meat, that's the only explanation I can see for this entire diatribe you're on, but of course I could be wrong.

When I went vegan I was overwhelmed by all of the new possibilities, recipes and products. There are still vegan products I've never tried, or ones I can't get on a regular basis because I moved to a smaller town. However, I still eat at the local hot dog stand, the local Mexican restaurant, the Vietnamese place, the pizza place and of course the local vegetarian restaurant.

I am not lying. My diet is interesting, varied and satisfying. The complaints you are making tend to be that of newbies just starting to go vegan who have no idea what to eat (I remember a problem I had in the beginning was eating too many potato chips, for about a month) ...none of what you are saying is "factual" it is your perception and you need to accept that.

So do you admit now that there is less possibility for variety if there are less combinations of food to choose from? Do you agree thats an objective fact or do you want to avoid admitting it by changing the subject ?

OMG you still think less ingredients = more possibility for variety dont you? WOW are you serious? You cant understand that? Or you dont want to?

Whats 6 minus 1? Is it 5? Or is it 10?

 

[Forest Nymph]

So do you admit now that there is less possibility for variety if there are less combinations of food to choose from? Do you agree thats an objective fact or do you want to avoid admitting it by changing the subject ?

OMG you still think less ingredients = more possibility variety dont you? WOW are you serious? You cant understand that? Or you dont want to?

Sam you've become hysterical. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall.

I have an acquaintance who is an omni. Her diet primarily consists of macaroni and cheese, sugary cereals, pizza, and chicken strips. I'm sure she's much more nutrient deficient than myself and appears to not have much of an imagination.

I used to a date a man who had a lot of **** to talk about vegans and vegetarians - but he tended to always eat the same damn things: canned raviolis, packaged sweetened yogurts, milk and cereal, ham sandwiches and eggs. He had the most boring basic working class diet I can possibly imagine.

Of course there are vegans who don't know how to eat. I've seen the beans and rice eaters, the ones who try to live on Gardein products, and those who have very boring diets in general.

It has nothing to do with being vegan. Some people don't know how to feed themselves. It tends to be more common though in new vegans who are so used to eating xyz foods they don't know how to replace those old meals with new meals.

It's very troubling you struggle this much not to eat meat that you project your own motives on to others. I suggest you get some new recipes from Pinterest or eat more ethnic cuisine from take-out.

I am fortunate that I don't have this issue. I couldn't eat meat under any circumstance, it's just not food to me. About a month after going vegan I had a nightmare where there were humans hanging from meat hooks and a side of a pig (pork) was thrown on this really cold, concrete floor. It was very jarring but I can't see meat as "food" since then.

Maybe you can get therapy. Best of luck, Sam.