Posts by gpat919

It would be helpful to know if you're vegan or not.  Or perhaps you're not quite there, but try not to use animal products as much as possible.

If you don't have issues with bee pollen, it is believed consuming bee pollen (especially from a local source) is very affective agaist allergies.

Some people don't like the taste of bee pollen.  I think it tastes like honey, but slightly gritty.  I like the taste, but can tolerate the texture.

You can sprinkle it on cereal, yogurt and such.  I like to add it into chocolate smoothies, banana-chocolate smoothies, and chocolate avocado smoothies.  See a pattern?

If you'd like some recipes, let me know.  I have some uber-healthy and incredibly delicious concoctions which I've proudly created myself.  =]

I'm not sure it is wise to avoid all vitamins at all costs.  Certainly you can get most of your vitamins and minerals from whole foods.  But, I've read that strict vegans are likely to be deficient in Vitamin B-12. According to wiki (and other places I've read), B-12 must be obtained through animal sources (milk, eggs, shellfish and meat.  It references that the UK Vegan association believes that humans are unable to process B-12 from vegetable sources.

B-12 deficiencies can lead to all sorts of ailments- including depression, amenia, various mental conditions and poor memory.  According to Wiki, some of these may be irreversilbe.  Here's a reference specific to B-12 deficiency:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12#Symp toms_and_damage_from_deficiency

Disclaimer:  I'm just stating what I've read.  My intention is solely to advise of the controversy and possible consequences of this decision, not to argue moral beliefs.  Peace.

Original Post by hgharmon:

That's the one downside to vegan supplements they can often cost 2 to 3 times more than their conventional counterparts.

Great point, HG.  You would think that the companies producing these (if their motivation is animal rights) they would price these similar to non-vegan products. 

My guess is they don't care about animals at all, and simply see a market full of suckers who are willing to pay 300% more than the competition. 

I don't mean that as an insult to Veg*ns, I mean this is probably the corporations' view. $$Cha-Ching$$

Are you opposed to cooking meat because you're vegan?  If so, this will be a tough situation.  I would suggest you gradually try to make meat portions smaller and increase fruits and vegetables.  An overnight change is likely to be rejected.

Whole Foods has a Vegan Chicken Salad which is awesome.  They also sell the "Mock Chicken Filets" they use to make the Mock Salad.  These (IMHO) taste just like chicken and are a little juicier.

Textured veg protien (TVP) can be cooked similar to cooked/crumbled ground beef (can't make a burger).  I buy it from the bulk section of WF.

TVP Lettuce Wraps
1 cup TVP rehydrated in 1 cup hot water, then drained
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1-3 serano (or other hot) pepper chopped
1/2 red onion, slice thin (half rings)
1 bunch of red leaf or romaine lettuce leaves

Dressing:
1/4 c Soy Sauce
Juice of 2 limes
1-2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 Tblsp Peanut Oil (do not use olive oil, the flavor is too strong )

Wisk or shake together all ingredients of dressing.
Mix together other ingredients (except lettuce), then add dressing
Chill 1-2 hours
Serve lettuce with salad on the side, scoop, roll, and enjoy.

Anyhooo....  For those who are actually interested in learning about juice fasting and not blindly making accusations of lying at other members can pick up "The Raw Food Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose (ISBN-13: 9780060834371) or "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko (ISBN-13: 9780970481962).

Both books discuss studies done in juice fasting and raw foods.  The latter third of "Green for Life" is comprised of the actual results.  You all can read that and make up your own minds.


Cheers!  

Here's one:  www.google.com

haha

Seriously, I've read much information on juice fasting (and water fasting) on the web, and in books such as "The Raw Food Detox Diet" and "Green for Life" 

Sometimes I throw a bit of cinnemon on my cereal, but not regularly.  I should probably start.  Thanks for the tip.

Oh, I forgot one key point...  When I went back to a normal diet, I regained all the weight I had lost. (I am not an overweight person to begin with.)

It's really hard to snack on nuts and not overdo it.  But, you should try to keep it down to a small handful per day.  It might be easier to add nuts to smoothies (if you drink them).  You would get all the benefits, but it's much easier to control the portion without adding temptation.

Raw and unsalted nuts (or seeds) are better for you than roasted/salted, but they don't taste quite as good when it comes to snacking.  Raw/Unsalted nuts might be easier to resist if you're like me and tend to eat 5-10 handfuls at a sitting.  =]

You might also try avocado, either in a smoothie or as a side.

I can eat anything Korean.  Shortly before I became vegan, a Korean restaurant opened near me.  It is THE BEST Korean food I've had since I visited Korea... meaning even better than any of the Korean restaurants in Hawaii, which are plentiful and very, very good.

The bul go gi and kal bi is to die for... especially from the cow's perspective   I know, I don't sound very vegan right now.  My apologies to all.

Original Post by thhq:

slide on slick...easy greasy....I remember this one night driving up towards Eureka on 101 in the old bug, steady drizzle, log trucks whizzing by....it's a wonder we weren't all killed.....and watching the fog roll up the hill towards Berkeley, just like a Ferlinghetti poem.....watching Escape from Alcatraz a few months ago brought it all back.

 Having left the Bay Area three years ago, I'm nostalgic enough, and often find myself regretting the move (especially when ski season rolls around...  God!  I miss Tahoe!!) But, then I get homesick for Hawaii, and I left there 11 years ago.  That tug on my heart just won't go away.  (sigh).

Anyways...  Do you honestly not see a difference in using fecal matter as fertilizer as opposed to the direct consumption by fish?

Some vegans might take issue with the fact you sell chicken eggs.  I've never heard of a vegan working at a leather store.  haha.

But, however you classify want to yourself is up to you.  I call myself "dietary vegan" because I am not a vegan for the ethics part as most are.  Feel free to join me in this classification.  I get a little lonely being the only one.  :)

Can I ask are you an adult?  The answer here would be vastly different if you are an adolescent because you might have a little less control over the situation.  And the others who posted to show them you're eating right, yadda yadda.

Where-as if you are an adult, I'd simply say your family is who they are.  Just tell them your veg and that's that.  You're not going to change them, and it's just too much fun to take cheap shots at your core beliefs and values,  They'll probably never let up on it, so don't give them the ability to control your moods.  Just laugh it off with them.

Original Post by alibsam:

Well I consider myself a vegetarian, regardless.

That doesn't mean it's true.

 I consider myself Brad Pitt.  But, Angelina disagrees. 

Original Post by pen_coed:

aaaahhhh. duh, i thought it was censorship...

 A little paranoid, are we?  Just kidding!

I don't think the people here are personally offended by someone calling themselves veg when, by definition, he or she is not.  I think it just doesn't make a lot of sense to the rest of us.

I did a brief lookup of anemia on WebMD.  They say the most common form of anemia is due to a lack of iron, which is easily remedied through dietary changes and iron supplements.  I trust this does not apply to you.

Shrimp, lobster, crabs and the like are clearly invertebrates.  Invertebrate applies to any animal which does not have a backbone.  All insects are invertebrates. 

I've kept saltwater aquariums for decades, and have kept all sorts of inverts.  They clearly look and behave very similar to the land dwelling insects we are accustomed to seeing.  I say shrimp, crab, lobster, and others absolutely are insects.

That said, to many cultures, eating insects is taboo.  In addition to my personal issue with seafood (noted above), I have this thing about organ meat.  So I wouldn't eat insects by choice.  But, to other cultures, insects are a main staple in the diet, and a great source of protein.  Yum yum!