Guest guest Posted February 17, 2006 Report Share Posted February 17, 2006 Dear Friends, I write seeking Gentle Advice. I have been plagued by degenerative health disorders my entire life. Many times I have made the switch to Vegetarianism, Vegan-ism and even Raw Vegan-ism for years at a time just to grow weaker and sicker. Every time I switch back to an Omnivorous holistic diet, I seem to feel stronger, healthier and more resilient... BUT emotionally and spiritually I always feel drawn to the Vegan Ideal. As a simple monk on a very limited budget on my last Vegan effort I relied primarily upon: Brown Rice w/ Keen-wah, Kasha, Almonds and Flax-seed, Numerous types of beans, slow cooked, Indian style, Fresh Raw Vegetables and Fresh Raw Fruit; yet still I was plagued by progressive physical weakness a progression that only seems to halt when I re-introduce Tuna into my diet. Guys, I don't want to contribute to the suffering and slaughter of beautiful animals. If you would be so kind, as to Gently share some very Specific advice with me, I would be most obliged. Thank you in advance for you kindness and concern. Om Mani Padme Hum, Lama Jigme Gyatso Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 17, 2006 Report Share Posted February 17, 2006 Lama Jigme Gyatso wrote that he eats what sounds like a well-balanced vegan diet but only feels healthy when he also eats tuna. -- You mentioned that you eat beans. Is it possible, though, that when you are eating vegan you are not eating enough protein, regardless of the kind? I know I feel healthier when I make sure I get enough protein early in the day, usually from eating a large portion of beans (as in a large cup of lentil or split pea soup, not just a few beans stirred into rice). Also, have you tried tofu, tempeh, and wheat gluten? What about trying a tuna substitute? Layonna makes an absolutely delicious, filling one. There's also "tuno" in a can. -- Good luck on your quest to find a cruelty-free diet that works for you. Thea Relax. Mail virus scanning helps detect nasty viruses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 I hear this about 2 or 3 times a year, from " lapsed " veggies, and I actually went through it myself. When I first went veg, in Alaska, and everyone was telling me how unhealthy it would be for me. You wrote such a sweet e-mail. I will share what happened to me, and maybe it will help. I strongly believe two things: 1, there is nothing animal foods provide that will make our bodies feel better and 2, are minds are convinced that animal foods will make us feel better. Makes for quite an internal struggle. Information is the best solution, in my opinion. The more I read about the negative health aspects of eating animals, and the positive strength of a vegan diet, the less I craved meat and the better I felt. I think it's very much a mental issue. And no, I'm not calling you crazy! If you read the facts about how humans are natural herbivores: http://goveg.com/naturalhumandiet.asp Your mind starts to shift. And then read up on meat and vegan health issues: http://www.veganhealth.org/ http://www.drmcdougall.com It has a powerful affect (or is that effect?) on your psyche. I chose websites that are well-researched and well-documented. I think that helps. It wasn't too long ago that doctors told their patients to smoke after eating to aid in digestion. And people didn't feel well if they didn't smoke. I know what I'm talking about--Grandpa Bury actually used to believe that! And people felt weak if they didn't take salt tablets in hot weather, or if they didn't eat red meat three times a day, or if they didn't sucked by leeches. We now know that was all nonsense, but it was accepted by society and believed...the bodies followed the mind's lead. Now, even though there is outstanding proof that a 100% vegan diet is the healthiest diet, period, we're still inundated every day with people telling us we have to eat some animals to feel healthy. That is changing and it will continue to change. But in the meantime we have our conscious minds choosing compassionate diets but our subconscious minds still buying into crazy nutritional advice from doctors who had 4 hours of nutritional training in med school, or better yet, from companies that make and sell the animals foods. We were raised thinking animal foods were healthy. That's hard to overcome. I think it's similar to racism and sexism. How many people have you known who claim to not be racist, but then a racist comment slips out that they're not even aware of? They don't want to be racist, and they're not conscious of it, but if they were raised in a racist home then their subconscious mind is still full of that nastiness. It's hard to root it out. The more you read up on vegan health and nutrition, the more your subconscious mind will soak up and you'll find yourself feeling better and better. I don't know you at all, so this may not a factor, but for me there was an extra problem--besides believing, deep down, that I needed meat I was also struggling with a career in meat. I was a chef, a meat chef. So I think my " not feeling good " was one more way for my subconscious to try and get me to avoid the changes, stay a part of the status quo, etc. Again, the more I read, the easier that became. When I learned that our best athletes are vegan, and that eating animal proteins is so hard on our bodies, I began to realize there was no physical way I could feel better by eating it. If I was feeling unwell, it was either my subconscious and/or my vegan diet wasn't healthy enough. I also think we get too strict with ourselves on vegan diets. If you're feeling tired, I believe you should have some fun with your food--eat a veggie burger, a tofu hot dog, some soy ice cream. It's not the healthiest stuff but it's waaaay better than any sort of decomposing animal flesh, mammal or fowl or fish. And even though we now know that humans eat too much protein, and it's making us sick, if you're feeling a craving then go ahead and eat tofu and tempeh and nuts for a day. OD on protein. Veg protein. There's nothing in meat foods you can't get in veg foods, and meat foods put your body into a digestive shock. It takes a lot of energy for us to digest dead bodies. Eating a ton of veg protein isn't the best, either, but it's not going to give you heart disease, cancer, or kidney problems and if it makes you feel better emotionally, go for it. That's what I did when I made the connection. Educating myself took care of most of the problem, and vegan comfort foods did the rest. Now I eat mostly McDougall, I've been vegan for 10 years, and I have more energy than almost anyone I know. I'm a spaz, actually, and I love it. I catch a cold about once every two years, I'm thin without trying to be, I need about 6 hours of sleep for most of the week (but boy do I love my weekend sleep-ins), and I have a ton of energy for exercising. Ten years ago I felt weak and unwell and I was sure it was my vegan diet and I tried adding eggs and/or fish back into my diet. Once I started consuming research, however, the animal foods were no longer necessary! I think that website on " Natural Diet " (the first one) is the best. I hope this helps, at least a little bit, and I'm really sorry if I came across as preachy...I really don't mean to be, because as I said, I've been there and I know how frustrating it is. Alex On Behalf Of lama_jigme_gyatso Friday, February 17, 2006 1:12 PM Seeking Gentle Advice Dear Friends, I write seeking Gentle Advice. I have been plagued by degenerative health disorders my entire life. Many times I have made the switch to Vegetarianism, Vegan-ism and even Raw Vegan-ism for years at a time just to grow weaker and sicker. Every time I switch back to an Omnivorous holistic diet, I seem to feel stronger, healthier and more resilient... BUT emotionally and spiritually I always feel drawn to the Vegan Ideal. As a simple monk on a very limited budget on my last Vegan effort I relied primarily upon: Brown Rice w/ Keen-wah, Kasha, Almonds and Flax-seed, Numerous types of beans, slow cooked, Indian style, Fresh Raw Vegetables and Fresh Raw Fruit; yet still I was plagued by progressive physical weakness a progression that only seems to halt when I re-introduce Tuna into my diet. Guys, I don't want to contribute to the suffering and slaughter of beautiful animals. If you would be so kind, as to Gently share some very Specific advice with me, I would be most obliged. Thank you in advance for you kindness and concern. Om Mani Padme Hum, Lama Jigme Gyatso ____ BAY AREA VEGETARIANS (BAV) is a non-profit 501 ©(3) community organization for veggies to network, find support and promote veg*nism. Events Calendar - http://bayareaveg.org/events Newsletter - http://bayareaveg.org/news Veg Mentor Program - http://bayareaveg.org/mentor Ultimate Guide - http://bayareaveg.org/ug Veg Food Finder - http://bayareaveg.org/finder Charter & Post Guidelines - http://bayareaveg.org/charter Compassionate Living Program - http://bayareaveg.org/cl Map It Veg - http://www.frappr.com/baveg ____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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