Eating a plant-based diet.

Happyflowerlady

Happyflowerlady

Vagabond Flowerchild
Location
Northern Alabama
I have been an omnivore all of my life, although I have always enjoyed eating vegetables and salads. The idea of just eating a vegan diet never seemed like it could be a healthy one.
However, most of the inflammatory foods that we eat (inflammation=pain) are from animal foods or highly processed foods (think sugar, white flour, and grease).
Greens, fruits, and veggies are very anti-inflammatory foods, and most can be eaten raw to preserve all of the natural enzymes.

Earlier this month, I got to go with my daughter for a week when she had to work in Orlando, Florida. We had a great time, and she took me out to some new and awesome restaurants down there, plus lots of delicious seafood.
The result was that by the time we came back home that Sunday night, my arthritis and gout were so awful that I could barely hobble along, and they almost had to carry me into the house.
WAY too much inflammatory foods that week !
I went to the store, got fresh pineapple, papaya and mango, and that was all that I ate on Monday. While recuperating, I started reading Dr. Michael Gregor’s book, called “How Not to Die”, which is all about a plant-based diet.

I decided that it was worth giving this a try, and the last two weeks that is what I have been doing. In only a few days, the gout and arthritis pain had subsided, I felt better, and am now enjoying what I am eating.
While I am not totally 100% plant-based yet, I am at least 80-90%, and just having a little milk in my morning coffee, or a bit of yogurt, or some feta cheese in my salad.

Surprisingly, I don’t miss eating meat at all, and I am really enjoying the foods that I am eating.
Next week is my doctor visit for the 6-month blood tests, and I am anxious to see if it has made any difference in how my blood work looks.
It is probably too soon to show much of any improvement, but at least it will give me a base for how the next one turns out because by another 6 months, it should definitely be showing improvement, if it is going to do that.
 

​I agree with you. To be honest, DH and I will probably never entirely give up meat, but we are finding we do enjoy meatless meals several times a week. DH says he feels a whole lot better since we have changed our eating habits. Lots of fish and poultry. Whole-grain breads and pasta. And those vegies.
 
I am not a Vegan (which is the pinnacle of vegetarianism), just a lacto-ovo, although I never drink cow milk but use soy milk and the eggs I buy are from cage-free hens. I do eat too much cheese (love them) but am trying to cut down simply by not buying much of them. I have been a vegetarian since 1984, did it for the animals but also have the advantage of a healthier diet. You're on the right track and I hope you keep it up. If you crave meat, try the Morningstar brand which is made with soy. And eat tofu, but it's an acquired taste, I hated it at first. I usually drain it, rinse it, pat it dry and then freeze it. When you cut it and fry it after freezing it looks like chicken. I made a ''cheesecake'' with it, and my daughter who's a meat eater, just loved it. Good luck with your healthier lifestyle.
 

I have found that (so far) I don’t really miss eating meat. I had already cut way back on eating most meat anyway, so this was just another step in the same direction.
I do miss cheese also, but not as much as I thought I would, and since I can always choose to have a small amount now and then, I don’t feel like I have told myself “never again” about any kind of food.

I do like tofu, but the only way that I had eaten it before was fried, which I am trying not to do either, and in hot-and-sour soup at the Asian restaurant.
I have been sautéing the tofu along with my veggies when I make stir fry, and only using a little bit of oil, and I really like that, too.
Here is the website for Dr. Gregor for anyone who is interested in checking it out or in reading his books. He also has quite a few short tutorial videos on the website as well.

https://nutritionfacts.org/
 
Here is an interesting video about being able to unclog arteries by dietary changes . Basically , what the video says is that from a very young age, our spinal artery can start getting clogged up by us eating an unhealthy diet.
Once the spinal artery gets clogged, then our spine will start deteriorating, and then is when most people seem to start having pain in their lower back, which only gets worse as time goes on.
By changing your diet to a plant-based diet, you can sometimes stop and even reverse the clogged arteries, not only in your back, but also in all of your body, and this gives your body a chance to try and heal itself.

 
For me I had a lot of joint pain but it all but faded completely away when I cut back sugar to nearly nothing. My left thumb was so bad it locked up on me and I had to grab it and move it with my right hand. I feared surgery on my left knee and both hips was in my future. I thought. "this is no way to live my retirement." It took a total of about five weeks to be pain free and I mean pain free. Sugar kills In many ways. Last week I watched n elderly man put five packs of sugar in his medium size coffee. That would have killed me!!
 
fmdog44 said:
For me I had a lot of joint pain but it all but faded completely away when I cut back sugar to nearly nothing. My left thumb was so bad it locked up on me and I had to grab it and move it with my right hand. I feared surgery on my left knee and both hips was in my future. I thought. "this is no way to live my retirement." It took a total of about five weeks to be pain free and I mean pain free. Sugar kills In many ways. Last week I watched n elderly man put five packs of sugar in his medium size coffee. That would have killed me!!
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I totally agree with you about the dangers of sugar ! I think that if a person just eliminates junk food like white sugar, white blouse, and processed oils from their diet, they will start to feel better because it will help stopp the inflammation and the clogging of one’s arteries.
If you then add more natural foods, like fruits, vegetables, and greens to your diet,you will get a lot more of the essential vitamins and minerals that are so important to a healthy body.
Whether a person eliminates meat and dairy from your diet or not, just getting rid of fast foods and junk foods like sugar will make a huge difference.
 
I've gained a lot of weight over the last 5 years. It's been a vicious circle. Started getting hip pain that the doctor said was "just" bursitis. It would come and go and I became less active. I sat a lot and "middle-age spread" set in along with lower back pain. I've never been heavy my whole life and this has been a real struggle. I don't think it's helped to eat the way we do. My husband is a meat guy and I've never been a meat person so I don't eat much of it, but we have pasta occasionally with meat sauce and steaks on the grill with baked potato, etc. We only eat once a day at noon and in the evening we usually have popcorn with butter or I make myself caramel corn. My problem is...I'm addicted to sweets. That's what's put on the pounds and I've tried The Dash Diet and Weight Watchers but my weight hasn't budged. My next step is the Mediterranean Diet.

As I mentioned in a different post, I've been taking a statin drug for years and I believe part of my joint and muscle pain is from that drug. I'm weening myself off and taking Lecithin and COQ10 Ubiquinol instead.

Is the Mediterranean Diet considered a plant-based diet?
 
I guess you could say I'm on a plant-based diet. It's actually more of a preference for me rather than a diet. I prefer it over the various meats, that we had at every meal when I was growing up. I eat a huge breakfast, including oaks, nuts, yogurt, chocolate, and blueberries. I lost 128 pounds many years ago and I have fortunately been able to keep it off, but that being said, I'm also very much a Gym Rat.
 
I have been reading more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and it looks like it can really help a person to stay healthy, or get healthy again if they are sick.
I still eat some meat as well as some eggs and dairy; but only as a side part of the meal, and my main foods are greens and veggies, grains and legumes.
Here is my veggie burger that I had for lunch today.
196D9782-85B3-4587-8598-9452E8500AB8.jpeg
 
Happyflowerlady said:
I have been reading more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and it looks like it can really help a person to stay healthy, or get healthy again if they are sick.
I still eat some meat as well as some eggs and dairy; but only as a side part of the meal, and my main foods are greens and veggies, grains and legumes.
Here is my veggie burger that I had for lunch today.
View attachment 52436
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That looks yummy! What is the "burger" made from ? I'm starting to eat healthier by using recipes from the Mediterranean Crete Diet. I'm also eliminating sugar and bread.
 
Happyflowerlady said:
I have been reading more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, and it looks like it can really help a person to stay healthy, or get healthy again if they are sick.
I still eat some meat as well as some eggs and dairy; but only as a side part of the meal, and my main foods are greens and veggies, grains and legumes.
Here is my veggie burger that I had for lunch today.
View attachment 52436
Click to expand...

Recipe, please? I use Morningstar brand and like it, but would prefer making it from scratch.
 
So nice to see that so many of you are making headway using a plant based diet. I already have to be on a gluten free diet which after so many years really isn't a problem. I'm not a big meat eater but noticed sugar actually makes me feel sick . I have eliminated it by not eating desserts with sugar, cakes and cookies. To expensive to make or buy gluten free anyway. My problem is my morning coffee and ice tea. I love both very sweet. I tried to eliminate it very slowly but I get to a certain point where I just don't enjoy drinking it at all. I use artificial sweetener instead of sugar and I'm happy with that but I'm sure all those chemicals aren't good either. I don't like the taste of honey in coffee and I think Stevia has a weird taste. Any ideas?
 
How about maple syrup!
Stevia takes adjusting to. It’s best to wean yourself off sugar gradually.
Make whatever you are eating or drinking less & less sweet then add a tiny amount of stevia.
If you really can’t handle it then use a better form of sugar like honey or maple syrup. The flavour of honey can be a bit strong but maple syrup is a subtle sweetness
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
So nice to see that so many of you are making headway using a plant based diet. I already have to be on a gluten free diet which after so many years really isn't a problem. I'm not a big meat eater but noticed sugar actually makes me feel sick . I have eliminated it by not eating desserts with sugar, cakes and cookies. To expensive to make or buy gluten free anyway. My problem is my morning coffee and ice tea. I love both very sweet. I tried to eliminate it very slowly but I get to a certain point where I just don't enjoy drinking it at all. I use artificial sweetener instead of sugar and I'm happy with that but I'm sure all those chemicals aren't good either. I don't like the taste of honey in coffee and I think Stevia has a weird taste. Any ideas?
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My parents, old world Italians, used to offer liquour with esspresso, made it sweeter. Don't know if that would be a solution for you. I was going to suggest raw honey, but just read you don't like it. I do NOT trust artificial sweeteners and avoid them like the plague.
 
This morning, I watched a documentary on Netflix that explains a whole lot about the relationship between big pharma, and big industries like the cattle ranchers, hog, chicken, and even fish farmers, and how we are influenced about what foods are healthy for people to eat, and which foods damage our bodies and cause diseases of various kinds.
It is called “What the Health”.
If you have netflix, it is free to watch, but can probably be watched from other video outlets as well. Here is the trailer, and I definitely recommend taking the time to watch this video and see what it is telling us about how our health is being manipulated for large industries to make money, and at the expense of our longevity and health.
Here is the trailer for the documentary.

 
Ruth n Jersey said:
So nice to see that so many of you are making headway using a plant based diet. I already have to be on a gluten free diet which after so many years really isn't a problem. I'm not a big meat eater but noticed sugar actually makes me feel sick . I have eliminated it by not eating desserts with sugar, cakes and cookies. To expensive to make or buy gluten free anyway. My problem is my morning coffee and ice tea. I love both very sweet. I tried to eliminate it very slowly but I get to a certain point where I just don't enjoy drinking it at all. I use artificial sweetener instead of sugar and I'm happy with that but I'm sure all those chemicals aren't good either. I don't like the taste of honey in coffee and I think Stevia has a weird taste. Any ideas?
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I agree with you about the stevia. I've tried it and it leaves a VERY unpleasant taste in my mouth. In the morning with my tea, I use some sucralose sweetener (like Splenda, but the Wal-Mart clone which is about half the price of Splenda). Sugar makes me feel loggy and sort of unwell, too. I figure a little bit of splenda stuff isn't going to kill me and is probably better for me than sugar and I simply cannot abide stevia. I find its taste so repulsive that I am unwilling to try to get used to it. I'm already watching sugar, fats, carbs, etc., and if I can't have a little sweetness in my tea, I just give up.
 
I use half stevia, half flavored sugar syrup in my coffee. Stevia is too bitter on its own, but its bitterness gets masked by the sugar.

I've been eating plant based for 4-1/2 years and don't miss meat at all. Dairy is another matter altogether. As a friend remarked recently, I try to be a practical vegan. I still eat cheese or egg whites now and then. When traveling in a foreign country I customize or suspend my veganism for a few meals to taste the local specialties. As a guest in someone's home I can always figure something out amongst the food offerings, and do so without sermonizing, creating drama, or being a total pain in the a$$ to my hosts.

All told, over the course of a year my food intake is probably 95% WFPB vegan. That's close enough without punishing myself or those around me.
 
StarSong said:
I use half stevia, half flavored sugar syrup in my coffee. Stevia is too bitter on its own, but its bitterness gets masked by the sugar.
I've been eating plant based for 4-1/2 years and don't miss meat at all. Dairy is another matter altogether. As a friend remarked recently, I try to be a practical vegan. I still eat cheese or egg whites now and then. When traveling in a foreign country I customize or suspend my veganism for a few meals to taste the local specialties. As a guest in someone's home I can always figure something out amongst the food offerings, and do so without sermonizing, creating drama, or being a total pain in the a$$ to my hosts.
All told, over the course of a year my food intake is probably 95% WFPB vegan. That's close enough without punishing myself or those around me.
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This is about what I am now doing , too, StarSong. My belief is that it is what we do/eat most of the time that matters (health wise), and not what we do in special circumstances. I try for 80-90% of my food to be plant-based foods, and most of that to be either greens or veggies.
I am fine with almond milk in smoothies, and even in cereal, but it just does not work in my morning coffee, so I still use either milk or whey-milk (Morning Moos) in my coffee, and some yogurt in my salad dressings. I put a little cheese on my salads, just not a lot.
Dr. Gregor says that if you won’t eat something that is good for you unless you add milk/butter/sugar, etc, then it is better to add a bit and eat the food that is healthy then to not eat it at all.
If we go out to dinner, which is rarely, then I just enjoy the meal and have whatever I want for that be meal.
 
What can/do you eat on a plant-based diet?? Just fruit and veggies? Have you lost weight doing this? Don't you get hungry? What about proteins? Do you take supplements/vitamins to give you other nutrients your body needs?
 
Colleen said:
What can/do you eat on a plant-based diet?? Just fruit and veggies? Have you lost weight doing this? Don't you get hungry? What about proteins? Do you take supplements/vitamins to give you other nutrients your body needs?
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I'm always curious about that too.

What peoples eating routine consists of on an everyday basis without a lot of expensive, exotic ingredients or lengthy preparations.

I have cut my meat consumption drastically and my meals are pretty basic. Usually a bowl of cereal, soup, vegetables or salad, a glass of tomato juice, a slice of toast, a handful of pistachios or a small dish of fruit. If I crave a burger or a piece of chicken I have it.

I will never be a vegan or a vegetarian.

I might get as far as some friends that are omnivores when they come home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and the 4th of July but vegetarians as soon as they get back to the big city!!!

Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks, B
 
I have been a lacto-ovo since 1984, but I only use cage free eggs and use soy milk for cooking and cereal. I eat too much cheese but am trying to curtail my use of them (love them), no good for your veins. I do it for the animals, don't want them to suffer and be slaughtered for my use, but if I were doing it mainly for health I would eat a little meat once in a while.

The BASIC rule about a healthy diet is to use moderation and variety. It's the constant and daily use of junk food that is detrimental to your health. I eat lots of beans and rice (eaten together they are the perfect protein). I eat tofu, soups, green salads with lots of stuff and bits of cheese as a main meal, I eat fake meat made with soy such as the Morningstar brand, make my own salad dressing rather than buy them. I try to avoid processed foods because they have lots of preservatives to keep them from spoiling. I was 42 when I started and am now 75, I'm still alive and healthier than most people my age.

I also drink one cup of red wine a day with my main meal for the sake of cleaner veins and also one cup of cranberry juice to keep my bladder healthier (my doctor recommended after I had a hysterectomy and developed a bladder infection). Being a vegetarian is not the disaster most people envision, but being a vegan takes a lot of planning and avoiding. I had planned on graduating myself to that higher lifestyle, but can do it only once in a while, easier done at home than in a restaurant. Do you know that the highest form of vegetarianism is fruit eater? Very few people can go that high, it's the idea that you eat only what does not kill the mother plant.
 


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