- If so, what was the reason for it? And if no, why not?
No. My transition did not occur in any kind of planned or purposeful way. I'm going to say it took about 10 years. but I think technically I'm still transitioning. Anyway I never had any issues so never felt the need
- If you had enough money or time, would you go and see someone for advice?
No. I'm not against other people going. And in some cases, it might even be a good idea. but I think the difficulty of transitioning is way overrated by most people. Nutrition is not rocket science. It's not really all that hard. I would compare it to a 3 unit class. Oh, wait! It is a 3 unit class. Many High School students get a good basic introduction in about 4 weeks.
If there is a tricky part is in separating the myths from the facts. There IS a lot of BS out there. And some of it is in books written by Doctors. So it isn't that hard to be misled. But most of the BS is just trying to get your money and not actually dangerous to your health.
The other thing is that unless you are already sick, you can start a vegan diet tomorrow without ANY knowledge. But start learning a little bit each day. It is totally unlikely that you can damage yourself in less time that it takes to learn how to do it right. And being vegan is a great incentive for learning about nutrition.
There ARE people who do it wrong. but its usually not ignorance but apathy that is the issue. Everyone knows that chips and soda are bad for you and that green veggies are good for you. but not everyone eats healthy.
- What has been your inspiration/trusted information source that helped you educate yourself about potential health and life challenges when you went vegan?
I've had quite a few. I have been "transitioning" for over 10 years and I put myself into the category of a lifelong learner. I do get a lot of good info right here. Plus books, movies, and online newsletters.
My very first source was Colleen Patrick Goudreau's podcast. Back then I drove an hour to visit my mom every week. and I listened to her podcasts on my first iPod Nano. You can find all her podcasts in iTunes. they are called
Food For Thought. Start with the oldest and listen to them in order. Even if you don't spend a lot of time in the car, podcasts can be listened to when exercising or doing chores.
Colleen has a really pleasant speaking voice and she is so reasonable and well balanced. Since then I also bought her book
The Vegan's Daily Companion. Which has hundreds of short essays? You can read one a day. I mostly read them in the bathroom (its a guy thing, I think).
She also has an online class. I took it back when it was free. It now costs $40. But compared to some other things - that's cheap. It's a 30-day course and each day you get in your inbox an essay or a video or an audio file. The videos are great for those with anxiety about veganism. For instance, in one of the first videos, she takes you thru a tour of her kitchen. In another, you go grocery shopping with her. and in another, you go out to eat with her. I've never actually seen it but she has a book called the
30-day Challenge. It's $10 on Amazon
There is a very similar course that is free. Its called the
21 Day Vegan Kickstart. I haven't taken it but looked it over and it seems pretty cool. I especially like the fact that if you start it on the first day of the month they have a chat room where you and your classmates can compare notes.
There are also some great books out there. Lately, I read Dr. Fuhrman's
Eat To Live. It's a Whole Foods Plant Based diet which is totally compatible with veganism. I've have heard it described as "better than vegan". Now I'm reading Dr. Gregar's
How Not To Die. It's more or less the same thing. I've heard it described as better than Fuhrman.
Oh, and the first book I read was the Idiot's guide or was it the Dummy's guide. It was surprisingly good.
Its also not a bad idea to subscribe to some newsletters. Nutrition Action is great. I used to pay money for it.
There are other people here who can tell you about YouTube videos. I like them for recipes but that is about it. But I know there are some good informative ones out there.
- What makes you trust one source of information more than the other?
That is the million dollar question. A while back I got interested in learning more about gut bacteria and i ended up watching an infomercial about a book and some products. During the infomercial, the narrator said some stuff that didn't ring true. So I stopped the video and googled the author. Turns out the guy is a quack. There was a bunch of other Doctor's poking holes in his stuff. One of the doctors was Dr. Gregar who is totally respectable. So there is that.
Also back in the beginning of my journey, I found that I was consuming a lot of soy and people kept telling me that it was dangerous. So I started off by doing my own research and got mixed results. Some of the most negative stuff came from the Weston A Price foundation. Their articles have some good stuff. But also some stuff that seemed wrong. So I googled Weston A Price and found out that his foundation is full of myths and .... well ... lies.
So it sort of is a dog chasing a tail. You have to know a little to recognize when something is suspicious. The bad news is that even reputable publications sometimes repeat lies, or sensationalize headlines, or are just lazy and don't do all their own research. The good news is that almost always they are called on it.
Final note. There are all kinds of Nutrition Professionals. And how they are regulated and governed varies from State to state. For instance, here in California, anyone can call themselves a "nutritionist" and hang a sign-up. Some of them might be good. But there is no guarantee.
A Registered Dietician (RD) is licensed by the state. There are course requirements, tests, there is work required to keep up to date, reoccurring tests, and a governing board. In some cases a physician can refer you to an RD and your health insurance will pay for some of it. Kaiser does this with its obese patients and they throw in a physical therapist, too. They figured out its cheaper to pay to cure obesity now than to pay for insulin for the rest of your life.
Oh, Oh, one more thing. You don't have to become completely vegan all right away. In fact, its not really ideal. That's why it's called a transition. So take your time, one day at a time. And don't forget to enjoy the ride.
