Are There Any Vegans On This Site?

[Owl]

I've been a Vegan for about 5 years now and I have yet to meet another JW who was aslo a Vegan. Are any you Vegans?

[Alphaeus]

Welcome Andre!

[LeslieDean]

I eat very little meat just because that's my choice. I throughly enjoy it when I do though. I don't think I would miss it terribly. If I think about the whole process of how it gets to the table I would go without. It probably seems hypocritical but I have just not taken a solid stand. Are you vegan due to health issues or by love for animals?

[Owl]

I'm a Vegan primarily for health reasons and I never felt better. I lost 30 pounds, I stop having stomach pains, my acne cleared up, and my immune system has become much stronger. Since Adam and Eve were I was thinking there would be more Vegans in the JW community, but I guess I'll just have to wait until the new system for everyone else to see the light.

[Greenfield]

Welcome Andre!

I'm the one who started the thread on 'your favorite burger', nuff said. I'm sure there are health benefits for some who choose to do without, who knows what they do with animals and meat these days.

[ReadYourBible]

So just to clarify, you being a vegan, also choose not to wear wool, or leather either correct? Because vegan and vegetarians differ on this aspect, and I know that there are different classifications of vegetarians too...

I personally would never discredit the many benefits of following a vegan diet, as there has been some research that shows statistically that those who follow these dietary restrictions suffer from less instances of particular cancers. However, it is also important to note that unless you are well versed in the nutrition aspect, these ones might fail to supplement areas like iron, B12, and Vitamin D. This can lead to issues potentially with anemia.

Additionally, there is a requirement of omega-3-fatty acids, which will aid in reducing triglyceride levels and slow the progression of atherosclerosis. They are also shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and help with some depressive states. Granted you can get omega-3's from hemp seeds, you have to know enough about the lifestyle in order to supplement properly. (Hemp seeds are super yummy by the way, for those of you who may not have tried them)

Other issues include bone breakage, most likely due to the lack of Vitamin D (as Vitamin D & Calcium work in tandem to produce strong bones) some research from Oxford which followed 35,000 vegan individuals over a 5 year period found they were 30% more likely to break bones than those who professed to follow a vegetarian or a meat inclusive diet. Additionally they found that there were bone density issues (%5 less dense) likely due to a lack of calcium (which is kind of odd, considering broccoli has calcium in it..)

I know quite a bit about nutrition, and health, but I still maintain that I'd need someone to help me devise a dietary plan if I ever decided to become a vegetarian.

I will concede though, when I limit the amount of red meat in my diet, and stick strictly to fish & chicken, and eat loads of fruits and veggies - I have much more energy.

[Astrid]

vegan means no eggs and milk either? I was a vegetarian for nine years, but started to eat meat again, but not very much. I'm don't think I could live without eggs and milk, I just love cheese.

But I only buy eggs laid by "happy" chickens (free-range) and milk from "happy" cows, and organic meat, which isn't hard to do in Austria, as there are many organic farmers. (Austria is Europe's organic country number 1)

[surfergirl]

Hi Andre nice to meet you. I like mostly vegetarian foods, you do feel better for eating healthier.

I'm allergic to eggs so i have no problems with that. now I'm having to research alternative cooking

for my Hubby we just found out that his Iron is too high and so lacks energy and his condition is hereditary

does anyone have suggestions on how to manage this condition from a guys point of view please Gabe.

[Joey]

just saw this.... Hi Andre...we are vegans here....my husband lost 51 pounds since May 2010.

We started with the Dr Esselstyns diet from the Cleveland Clinic....How To Reverse and Cure Heart Disease

my husband had had a heart attack.

Great diet.... I use animal fur and leather...don't consume anything with a mother or a face.

[trottigy]

vegan means no eggs and milk either? I was a vegetarian for nine years' date=' but started to eat meat again, but not very much. I'm don't think I could live without eggs and milk, I just love cheese. But I only buy eggs laid by "happy" chickens (free-range) and milk from "happy" cows, and organic meat, which isn't hard to do in Austria, as there are many organic farmers. (Austria is Europe's organic country number 1)[/quote'] Cheese - I love CHEESE! What a great snack. Slice a hunk off and just eat it. "Happy" cows

[Joey]

Hey whats that cow doing on this vegan thread!!!

[Alphaeus]

Cheese - I love CHEESE! What a great snack. Slice a hunk off and just eat it. "Happy" cows

Is this the brand of cheese you like?

[ReadYourBible]

If it weren't for cheese and bacon, I could be a vegan. I don't wear leather (can't afford it), I don't care if I ever eat eggs, and I don't particularly like milk.

But the cheese.....the cheese would get me every time. I grew up on Bashaw cheese, a large rectangular brick of it. It's the perfect size to fit on to a slice of bread, and goes great with bacon and lettuce!

[Greenfield]

Hey whats that cow doing on this vegan thread!!!

At least it's a cow and not a cheeseburger or something.

[Joey]

well...I have a meat eating son...so daily I make burgers...pizza...spaghetti....but when I can I slip

in soy meat...he likes veggie patch meatballs.

and my favorite food of all time is french onion soup and I cave in and have it baked with shredded jarlsburg cheese on the top

of sourdough bread.....ever so often....my one big cheat...

[surfergirl]

vegan means no eggs and milk either? I was a vegetarian for nine years' date=' but started to eat meat again, but not very much. I'm don't think I could live without eggs and milk, I just love cheese. But I only buy eggs laid by "happy" chickens (free-range) and milk from "happy" cows, and organic meat, which isn't hard to do in Austria, as there are many organic farmers. (Austria is Europe's organic country number 1)[/quote'] Cheese - I love CHEESE! What a great snack. Slice a hunk off and just eat it. "Happy" cows

my kids thought this was outrageous. me too, I love cheese, we have this awesome Italian market.. so good.. with some quisine from every corner of the globe. and the cheeses they are great I recently tried a goats cheese with the light dust of ash great with vino. they have french and greek hard to keep shopping simple and the coffees. ><

[surfergirl]

well...I have a meat eating son...so daily I make burgers...pizza...spaghetti....but when I can I slip

in soy meat...he likes veggie patch meatballs.

and my favorite food of all time is french onion soup and I cave in and have it baked with shredded jarlsburg cheese on the top

of sourdough bread.....ever so often....my one big cheat...

Hi Nancy I like mostly vegeterian dishes can't handle to much meat myself

recently just found out my hubby has too much Iron so trying to mix up the diet between chicken and vegetarian style

how do you make your veggie meatballs i'm for all of that and I like tofu chinese style. love any other Ideas on that too

if this ok please Gabe.

[Joey]

The way I make veggie meat balls is I go to Walmart and in the freezer is a box that

says Veggie Patch meatballs...lol....they are very good.

I've never made them from scratch but I just found a new market where I can buy all vegan

incredients so I can try.

Dr.Esselstyns book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease has recipes....great book.

[MlleJulie]

I am vegan and have been so for 5 years, I was vegetarian for 5 years before that. I know that the original poster is no longer on the forum but, if any others were wondering, there are many vegetarian brothers and sisters. One’s eating habits are not a usual topic of conversation therefore these vegetarians usually go undetected, haha...gatherings usually discover them though.

When serving and providing meals for pioneer, elder, etc. schools I usually speak with the coordinating elder and ask if they have considered vegetarian options, and if not, I ask if I could help by preparing something for those brothers and sisters. The last pioneer school our congregation served had 10 vegetarians attending. These brothers and sisters were so shocked and happy that we had a meal for them apart from salad and bread that they were used to having to settle for. They were so grateful and delighted to meet other witness vegetarians.They were also protective of the veg. food seeing as the meat-eaters were wanting some, .

Just ask around, you will undoubtedly find at least one vegetarian somewhere.

[inkartinc]

I have been vegetarian for 25 years. Started as health issues, my kidneys don't function well and it was recommended I go vegetarian. But the best I ever felt was the 2 years I ate 95% RAW. That wasn't vegan tho because I would eat Raw Cheese. I love Cheese. But the last 2 years we have lived in Baja California, serving english speaking cong. It is harder for me to follow that diet. Now I don't feel so great. I want to get back on the Raw diet again. I am working on it.

Last year my husband and I was invited to go to Pioneer School together. We had both gone before but a year apart. I had started first and then the next year he and our daughter got to go together. But last year, we got to go again, but together. That was so nice. Wonderful school. But the brothers worked so hard to accommedate me and 2 other vegetarian sisters. It was very nice how hard they worked, sometimes running out to the store to make us a salad when the pickens were slim.

My husband is not vegetarian, but, he is in the house because I don't cook my "friends" either. He has been wonderful in this regard. Has never demanded his "right" to eat meat. He will eat meat out of the home but has supported me wonderfully in this. That makes it so much easier for me not to have to cook for him and then for me. That is just one of his good qualities!

[Joey]

I have been vegetarian for 25 years. Started as health issues, my kidneys don't function well and it was recommended I go vegetarian. But the best I ever felt was the 2 years I ate 95% RAW. That wasn't vegan tho because I would eat Raw Cheese. I love Cheese. But the last 2 years we have lived in Baja California, serving english speaking cong. It is harder for me to follow that diet. Now I don't feel so great. I want to get back on the Raw diet again. I am working on it.

Last year my husband and I was invited to go to Pioneer School together. We had both gone before but a year apart. I had started first and then the next year he and our daughter got to go together. But last year, we got to go again, but together. That was so nice. Wonderful school. But the brothers worked so hard to accommedate me and 2 other vegetarian sisters. It was very nice how hard they worked, sometimes running out to the store to make us a salad when the pickens were slim.

My husband is not vegetarian, but, he is in the house because I don't cook my "friends" either. He has been wonderful in this regard. Has never demanded his "right" to eat meat. He will eat meat out of the home but has supported me wonderfully in this. That makes it so much easier for me not to have to cook for him and then for me. That is just one of his good qualities!

What do you eat on Raw...someone suggested that to me...I may try that....I could google it I guess.

[inkartinc]

You can get very creative actually. I still follow it somewhat, like right now I have some "bread" and "cookies" in my dehyrator. Because I was on antibiotics all my growing years for infections it has ruined my colon/intestines so I can't eat "real" bread. Learning some of the things on the raw diet has opened up things. I have several cook books and going on line you can google many sites that offer raw receipes. Some of the, a lot of them, are really nasty tasting stuff. You have to get creative. That is part of my problem is I am a Reg. Pioneer and don't have a lot of free time to try things. I do have some "tried and true" things. They say if you can get 7-10 meals that are easy and you like, that is really what people eat anyway, on a reg. basis. Then you arent trying so many things. I thought about putting together a "Jesse Tested" cookbook of my own. If Jess likes it, then anyone would like it. I also have a lot of smoothies. That was a life saver for me when I had Chemically Induced Renal Failure in 2005. No dialisis, 20 grams of protien a day and smoothies. I put fruit and "greens" like spinach, Kale, and the special greens/green powders. I use stevia for sweetening, I grew my own stevia plants for a while and you dry the leaves, very sweet. I like to use coconut milk in my smoothies. I love my Vitamix, couldn't live without it, definately makes "smoothies" and not "chunkies".

[inkartinc]

When you first go Raw, you will feel bad for about a week. A raw diet causes a natural detox. It was the only time I could loose weight. My thyroid is "clogged" so thyroid medicine only made it worse. I had gained 60 pounds when that hit me and tried every diet imaginable. I was vegetarian, couldn't eat breads or anything with yeast or baking soda, leaving, I jogged 3 times a week and excercised almost everyday. I started gaining weight and in 6 months had gained 60 pounds. Nothing touched that for 10 years. Then on the raw diet I lost 30 pounds within three months. It stopped, but having that 30 pounds off was really nice. Now, after 2 years off, I have gained 20 back. I really need to get back on it but it is hard to find all the little things I would do to stay on it. I had lots of energy and never needed a nap. But that first week is the hardest. You always feel bad when you detox. Then learning new habits the first month is hard, but you are already feeling and seeing results. Great diet.

[Joey]

Do you use the Raw organic mix? I drink some shakes....just lowfat soymilk,bananas,flaxseed,and oatbran ,my friend said no soy

products it's been cooked.I am allergic to many foods,strawberries,nuts,and {greenpeppers make me very ill to my stomach.}

Plus seafood.I have liver disease ,but my last doc visit my liver enzymes were less last month so he says that indicates an improvement.I exercise

alot so I feel pretty good.

Well...I am starting this today.I'd appreciate any recipes.

[Joey]

I have another question Cindy...do yo heat your water for tea or just make suntea?

I have mine sitting in the window right now...steeping.