Thinking of becoming a vegan

[Anonymous]

I’m finally trying to make this change late in life. What are some good resources and tips for making the switch?

[Anonymous]

I wont say this is a good resource, but netflix has a ton of vegan documentaries. They are not usually framed in a vegan way (to start), but it's pretty clearly vegan propaganda. That said, it's super interesting! Great way to learn about the diet, pitfalls to avoid, benefits, recipes, etc.

[Anonymous]

You are certainly on the right track! You're already talking to strangers about being vegan, which is the first rule of being vegan.

[Anonymous]

We are not vegan but we are trying to eat more plants. I really like Rainbow Plant Life’s recipes.

[Anonymous]

Have you thought about joining Crossfit or being a Mormon or something? Still plenty to talk about with strangers but not so bad for your health.

[Anonymous]

Are you already vegetarian? If not, start with that first.

[Anonymous]

I’d cut dairy 1st.
See how that feels
Then beef and pork.
See how that feels
Then chicken/poultry
See how that feels
And if you must fish but I’m not sure why

If you can get past any stage gate try to cut for all but 1 meal a day.

Even the Dalia lama eats meat

If dairy seems possible move it to the bottom.

[Anonymous]

I have been vegan for 25 years. Its easier now than ever to be vegan. Make sure to take a vitamin b12 supplement - that's the only vitamin that you can't get from a vegan diet.

[Anonymous]

Be prepared to lose a lot of muscle

[Anonymous]

Star with a good recipe book, like Mark Bittman's Vegan Before Six. Well-rounded, relatively healthy meals and good inspiration.

Once you get settled there, try something like Veganomicon if you enjoy cooking. These recipes are more detailed and intensive, but so good.

Johns Hopkins has some good advice and reminders: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/how-to-maintain-a-balanced-diet-as-a-vegetarian-or-vegan

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been vegan for 25 years. Its easier now than ever to be vegan. Make sure to take a vitamin b12 supplement - that's the only vitamin that you can't get from a vegan diet.

B12 only comes from animals, at least the kind that is readily absorbed by humans. There is. I such thing as being a healthy vegan. Animal products are essential for human life. You can survive without them, but you cannot thrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been vegan for 25 years. Its easier now than ever to be vegan. Make sure to take a vitamin b12 supplement - that's the only vitamin that you can't get from a vegan diet.

B12 only comes from animals, at least the kind that is readily absorbed by humans. There is. I such thing as being a healthy vegan. Animal products are essential for human life. You can survive without them, but you cannot thrive.

Simply not true. Cyanocobalamin is just about as absorbable and bioavailable as Methylcobalamin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be prepared to lose a lot of muscle

False.

There is a huge contingent of vegan bodybuilders.

You just need to be smart and balance your meals.

[Anonymous]

Once you start cooking most of your food, it’s very easy to be a vegan. I eat mostly Indian food (healthy, not restaurant stuff) and most of it is naturally vegan. Obviously lots of non Indian vegan recipes too.

[Anonymous]

The NY Times cooking section has a lot of good plant-based recipes - and you'll find vegan versions of nearly everything you want to cook online. I do a lot of googling stuff like "black bean soup vegan" and checking out what comes up.

My main advice - don''t get discouraged if you aren't 100% right away (or even ever). You don't need to be all or nothing. You won't get excommunicated if you decide to eat a hamburger at a bbq, or if you eat regular ice cream one night. You are making a kind decision by cutting back on animal based foods - if you go totally vegan, that's wonderful; if you do it on Mondays and Thursdays, that's wonderful, too.