Guest guest Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 Mary Hammond wrote: > > Hi, > > I've toyed off and on with veganism for a few years now. It's such a > battle of the conscience. Spiritually and emotionally it just gets > harder and harder to eat meat/dairy. I have a couple fears which > inevitably force me back into eating meat. I wonder if any of you > more experienced vegans can assuage my concerns: > > 1) The whole B-12 issue. I've read a few articles (maybe too > many??), and I'm scared I won't get enough B-12 b/c it has to come > from an animal; and therefore I could end up with brain damage or > some other neurological problem. B12 doesn't have to come from an animal. (Where did you get this idea?) You can get it from tablets and fortified foods fine - these have been shown to allievate deficiency syptoms and lower homocysteine levels (an indicator of symptomless deficienciy), proving that the supplemental B12 gets in and does the job. > 2) Weakness and lethargy. Even though I am careful to get enough > protein, I still at times found myself weak and not feeling as > satiated as I did when eating meat. I am hypoglycemic so this scares > me as I sometimes would get the shakes. Does anyone else have > expereience with this? Meat might sate your appetite more because it's got more fat and protein - neither of these are particularly good for you at the levels of your usual western diet. (Although protein, of course, is badly needed in its own right, most people eat far more than they need.) The nutritional advice on the Vegan society website is now really good and not at all rose tinted. I can't speak to hypoglycaemia, but you could ask the Vegan Society themselves, they'd probably be glad to help. Is hypoglycaemia a form of diabetes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 Hi, Thanks for the info and the reference to the Vegan Society website. It's very thorough and specific as to the exact amounts one needs in the form of B-12 supplements. I think I should be more discerning about what articles I read. The B-12 article that alarmed me was written by a doctor who wanted to alert (scare?) vegans about this health issue. I wonder now if there wasn't some other motivation involved . . . Hypoglycemia isn't a form of diabetes. I think I'll just have to watch it and make sure I always have snacks handy - I just get scared I'll gain weight if I'm eating more often and not feeling " full " . vegan-network , Ian McDonald <ian@m...> wrote: > > > Mary Hammond wrote: > > > > Hi, > > > > I've toyed off and on with veganism for a few years now. It's such a > > battle of the conscience. Spiritually and emotionally it just gets > > harder and harder to eat meat/dairy. I have a couple fears which > > inevitably force me back into eating meat. I wonder if any of you > > more experienced vegans can assuage my concerns: > > > > 1) The whole B-12 issue. I've read a few articles (maybe too > > many??), and I'm scared I won't get enough B-12 b/c it has to come > > from an animal; and therefore I could end up with brain damage or > > some other neurological problem. > > B12 doesn't have to come from an animal. (Where did you get this idea?) > You can get it from tablets and fortified foods fine - these have been > shown to allievate deficiency syptoms and lower homocysteine levels (an > indicator of symptomless deficienciy), proving that the supplemental B12 > gets in and does the job. > > > 2) Weakness and lethargy. Even though I am careful to get enough > > protein, I still at times found myself weak and not feeling as > > satiated as I did when eating meat. I am hypoglycemic so this scares > > me as I sometimes would get the shakes. Does anyone else have > > expereience with this? > > Meat might sate your appetite more because it's got more fat and protein > - neither of these are particularly good for you at the levels of your > usual western diet. (Although protein, of course, is badly needed in its > own right, most people eat far more than they need.) > > The nutritional advice on the Vegan society website is now really good > and not at all rose tinted. I can't speak to hypoglycaemia, but you > could ask the Vegan Society themselves, they'd probably be glad to help. > Is hypoglycaemia a form of diabetes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 Mary Hammond wrote: > > Hi, > > Thanks for the info and the reference to the Vegan Society website. > It's very thorough and specific as to the exact amounts one needs in > the form of B-12 supplements. I think I should be more discerning > about what articles I read. The B-12 article that alarmed me was > written by a doctor who wanted to alert (scare?) vegans about this > health issue. I wonder now if there wasn't some other motivation > involved . . . Medics aren't necessarily trained in science, and are as likely to confuse anecdotes (particularly their own) with data as anyone else. Perhaps s/he treated a genuine case of B12 deficiency, was shocked to find it, and got onto a hobby horse about it. > Hypoglycemia isn't a form of diabetes. I think I'll just have to > watch it and make sure I always have snacks handy - I just get scared > I'll gain weight if I'm eating more often and not feeling " full " . > This is why I eat wholemeal bread and other wholefoods - partly because they're a bit better for me, partly because they taste a bit better, but mainly because they actually fill me up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 Hi, Mary OK, on the B-12 issue, the idea is to get your B-12, also known as (cyana)cobalomin, from a variety of sources. This is true of all nutrients. I've started taking 2000 mcg daily, which I will taper off to once a week. From what I've heard, the only nutritional yeast that is a reliable source of B-12 is the Red Star. I guess it's one item you do NOT buy in bulk. The fershtinkiner protein myth: unless you are extremely active, you need perhaps .5 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Too much protein (especially of the animal variety), and you lose calcium. I don't know what to say in your case, as you have a metabolic disorder. I understand that some people do well when they eat five or six small meals a day. I should stress emphatically that I'm not an expert, but I've done a hell of a lot of reading in the 2 1/2-plus years since I stopped eating meat (I went vegan a few months later), and I would recommend the same. " Being Vegetarian for Dummies " by Suzanne Havala-Hobbs is an excellent book, and Vegetarian Resource Group has some good books for simple vegan cooking, vegan nutrition, and other information about being an herbivore. Not to mention the site is pretty good. Danielle ----Original Message Follows---- " Mary Hammond " <mhammond vegan-network vegan-network [100% veg*n ] New to Group & Veganism Mon, 13 Sep 2004 20:37:54 -0000 Hi, I've toyed off and on with veganism for a few years now. It's such a battle of the conscience. Spiritually and emotionally it just gets harder and harder to eat meat/dairy. I have a couple fears which inevitably force me back into eating meat. I wonder if any of you more experienced vegans can assuage my concerns: 1) The whole B-12 issue. I've read a few articles (maybe too many??), and I'm scared I won't get enough B-12 b/c it has to come from an animal; and therefore I could end up with brain damage or some other neurological problem. 2) Weakness and lethargy. Even though I am careful to get enough protein, I still at times found myself weak and not feeling as satiated as I did when eating meat. I am hypoglycemic so this scares me as I sometimes would get the shakes. Does anyone else have expereience with this? I so don't want to eat meat, but these physical fears really scare me. Thanks for any and all help! Mary _______________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! hthttp://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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