Health benefits?

[Guest guest]

Has anyone noticed a significant health benefit from eating a

vegetarian and/or vegan diet? I know studies show that it's much much

healthier, but I was wondering if anyone here had noticed a change in

their health.

 

I've only been eating vegan for three weeks, but in that short time, I

feel wonderful! I've given up, also, caffiene, sugar, white flour,

artificial sweeteners, etc. I made the switch due to high blood

pressure (was 150/100 when diagnosed, now down to 130/80). I

additionally wanted to decrease my chances of having diabetes, heart

disease and cancer, which all run in my family big-time.

 

Today, I had a recheck appt for my blood pressure, and it hasn't

changed. It was still 130/80 (same as in May, when I was eating fast

food, red meat, milkshakes, etc). I told my doctor I was surprised at

this, and she said that sometimes it takes as long as six weeks to see

a benefit...which sounded funny since I really do feel fantastic since

I changed my way of eating. She also told me that my bloodwork done

in May showed slightly high triglyceride levels, cholesterol levels

and glucose levels. ACK!

 

So here's her plan. She wants me to continue the vegan diet and

she'll see me the first week of January. By then, she feels I will

have lost some weight (I'm 130lbs overweight at 33yrs old) and she

will run complete bloodwork on me to see the change the vegan diet has

made. So now I'm motivated, excited, and oh so anxious to see what

changes will be made, by January, by my eating healthier.

 

What changes have you noticed in your health? :-D

 

Pat

[Guest guest]

Hi, Pat!! Have you added some exercise to your health-improvement

plan as well? I just saw in the news that regular exercise, for

example, walking 3 hours a week, was more important than the intensity

of exercise (ie weekend warrior) in terms of improving your odds in

the cardiac arena.

 

 

As for health - my DH has high blood pressure in his family; both his

dad & brother are on medication for it. DH is not vegetarian, but

since I do 99% of the cooking, he eats 99% vegetarian... over the

first year we were married he watched his blood pressure drop... he

was mid -to-high normal, but, given his extreme fitness (Navy dude who

works out 5 days a week, has a resting pulse of about 45), the docs

thought that was high and he should watch it. After the year of veg

eating, he is now low normal, more what it should be given his

exercise habits. Then, after dropping caffeine, it dropped to where

it is now. However, one Coke or cup of coffee, and he can watch it

jump 30 points!

 

Good luck!

[Guest guest]

Hi Amy! Thanks for responding. :-D I have just

started adding exercise to my plan. When my son was

younger (still small enough for the stroller), it was

easy for us to walk several miles a day. As he got

older, walks became more difficult because he always

wanted to stop and look at leaves, bugs, etc...typical

boy stuff. LOL! Last weekend, he finally got good at

riding his scooter, so I have been taking him to our

local park and having him scoot around for exercise,

while I walk beside him. I have to keep a pretty good

walking pace to keep up, so I'm sure I'm getting good

exercise. :-D

 

I hope I see the health benefits your husband did! I'm

so eager for January to get here so I can see just how

much weight I lose and how much better my blood

pressure and other readings get. :-D

 

Pat:-D

 

 

--- Amy <sandpiperhiker wrote:

 

> Hi, Pat!! Have you added some exercise to your

> health-improvement

> plan as well? I just saw in the news that regular

> exercise, for

> example, walking 3 hours a week, was more important

> than the intensity

> of exercise (ie weekend warrior) in terms of

> improving your odds in

> the cardiac arena.

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005

 

[Guest guest]

Good luck with it, Pat, and let me know how it goes in January!! For

a book you might be interesting in checking out (library or bookstore

or Overstock.com?)... my sister just attended a seminar/presentation

by the doc that wrote this book: Body For Life for Women, by Dr.

Pamela Peeke. I just went to the bookstore today to check it out, and

it looked so good I bought it too. It has a lot of great info... the

author is semi-vegetarian (is that a word?) in that she eats fish, but

I don't think she wrote the book with a slant either way.

 

Have fun scootering with the kiddo!! :-)

 

*hugs*

Amy

[Guest guest]

well... my hubby and I have been vegetarian for 12 years.. vegan now

for 3. His family all have kidney stones, high cholesterol, blood

pressure,... heart disease.. and they are overweight.

 

David had high cholesterol before we went veg, and even at the

beginning.. NOW his cholesterol is way below 100...

 

so, yup, we've had significant health benefits! =)

 

I think the desire to live a healthy life regardless of genetics is big

with us as well! I think it is wonderful that your doctor is with you

on your lifestyle change!

 

=)

best of luck Pat!

 

=)

jenni

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the book suggestion. I checked my library,

and they have a copy of it. It's checked out right

now, but I'm 2nd in line for it. :-D

 

Pat :-D

 

--- Amy <sandpiperhiker wrote:

 

> Good luck with it, Pat, and let me know how it goes

> in January!! For

> a book you might be interesting in checking out

> (library or bookstore

> or Overstock.com?)... my sister just attended a

> seminar/presentation

> by the doc that wrote this book: Body For Life for

> Women, by Dr.

> Pamela Peeke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005