Hello, all!
Hailing from the Northeast here - smack dab in the middle of all the awesomeness.
I have been a pesco-pollo vegetarian for many years. I know, I know - that is a little... well, conflicting. I have mainly eaten a vegan-based diet, no dairy, no fried foods, and as many whole foods as possible. My main source of protein, however, has been chicken and egg whites for as long as I can remember. Let's call it the 'bodybuilder' kind of diet. I was very active in the gym, lifting weights, etc. This diet always worked well for me, even though I had a plethora of digestive issues. (Duh. Light bulb.) I also have a pretty romantic history with anorexia and EDNOS, so restricting my food was also a mental thing, and eating anything with too much fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugar, or anything threw me into full blown panic mode.
In the very recent past, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that is affecting my digestion and nerves. I also found that I have venous reflux disease, which affects my legs and causes pain all the time. Like, all the damn time. I have been in pain for as long as I can remember and truly thought it was a way of life, so I dealt with it by eating non-inflammatory foods . Additionally, I've gained an incredible amount of weight, which has left me feeling less-than-stellar about myself and the way I have been doing things. I also don't sleep very well. That's become problematic.
I stumbled upon the WFPB diet and have recently transitioned to vegan (while attempting to use up the rest
of the "non vegan" items in the house first). I have also been on an emergency vitamin D dosage as my levels were dangerously low. My metabolism is pretty much non-existent, and my energy level had totally zapped. I went from walking 3 miles and then running 3 miles a day to barely able to walk down three stairs. Talk. About. Bummer.
Fortunately for me (!!!) I am feeling quite a bit better, actually. Two months in - I haven't had one of my flare-ups since transitioning into the vegan, WFPB lifestyle, even with some small slips here and there. I am finding that I have zero cravings for anything chicken related, so that's pretty cool, too. Tempeh has become a new staple for protein and I don't mind it one bit!
Just wanted to introduce myself and reach out to new people. I enjoy music, Broadway, being outside, staying active, and baseball - GO RED SOX!
Looking forward to hearing from some of you
Hailing from the Northeast here - smack dab in the middle of all the awesomeness.
I have been a pesco-pollo vegetarian for many years. I know, I know - that is a little... well, conflicting. I have mainly eaten a vegan-based diet, no dairy, no fried foods, and as many whole foods as possible. My main source of protein, however, has been chicken and egg whites for as long as I can remember. Let's call it the 'bodybuilder' kind of diet. I was very active in the gym, lifting weights, etc. This diet always worked well for me, even though I had a plethora of digestive issues. (Duh. Light bulb.) I also have a pretty romantic history with anorexia and EDNOS, so restricting my food was also a mental thing, and eating anything with too much fat, sodium, cholesterol, sugar, or anything threw me into full blown panic mode.
In the very recent past, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that is affecting my digestion and nerves. I also found that I have venous reflux disease, which affects my legs and causes pain all the time. Like, all the damn time. I have been in pain for as long as I can remember and truly thought it was a way of life, so I dealt with it by eating non-inflammatory foods . Additionally, I've gained an incredible amount of weight, which has left me feeling less-than-stellar about myself and the way I have been doing things. I also don't sleep very well. That's become problematic.
I stumbled upon the WFPB diet and have recently transitioned to vegan (while attempting to use up the rest
of the "non vegan" items in the house first). I have also been on an emergency vitamin D dosage as my levels were dangerously low. My metabolism is pretty much non-existent, and my energy level had totally zapped. I went from walking 3 miles and then running 3 miles a day to barely able to walk down three stairs. Talk. About. Bummer.
Fortunately for me (!!!) I am feeling quite a bit better, actually. Two months in - I haven't had one of my flare-ups since transitioning into the vegan, WFPB lifestyle, even with some small slips here and there. I am finding that I have zero cravings for anything chicken related, so that's pretty cool, too. Tempeh has become a new staple for protein and I don't mind it one bit!
Just wanted to introduce myself and reach out to new people. I enjoy music, Broadway, being outside, staying active, and baseball - GO RED SOX!
Looking forward to hearing from some of you
