Not All Vegan Diets Are The Same
People who say they tried going vegan and they felt terrible (or even almost died from it) didn't do a version of the vegan diet that worked for their bodies.
For example, if I ate a can of black beans per day with rice (dividing this into a few meals of beans and rice), I would be in a world of hurt. First, I can't tolerate rice. While so many people are saying "bread is a health destroyer," I'm saying "rice is a health destroyer." I can get stomach cramps from rice, and it spikes my blood sugar super high, while bread does not. (The bread should not be whole wheat; I stated in a previous post that whole wheat bread is full of roundup, with it being absorbed into the bran.) Second, I can't handle the amount of fiber in a can of beans per day. I would need to divide 1 can of beans into 3 days, assuming I can even handle that. (The freezer works really well to keep food fresh. Just thaw out what's needed overnight before the next day.)
I would also be in a world of hurt if I ate large quantities of nuts/seeds and/or nut/seed butters every day. These can be really hard on my gut.
What about tofu? I'm not completely sure yet, but this guy eats quite a bit of tofu every day, and he's very healthy without having 'man boobs' from so much soy:
Even with some tofu though, there's probably no way for me to get enough protein per day without vegan protein powders, since I can't eat massive amounts of beans/legumes and nuts/seeds per day. (The guy in the above video does some vegan protein powder too every day in the form of powdered BCAAs.) It just needs to be made sure that the powders don't have toxic metals in them, as some vegan protein powders test high in this.
What about coconut oil? There are studies saying coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol (the alleged "bad cholesterol"), but these studies were giving subjects 2-4 tablespoons per day. Other studies show minimal to no increase in LDL cholesterol when it's less than 2 tablespoons per day. (There are many people who say high cholesterol isn't even the issue. These would be the 'carnivore folks.' I'm still undecided.) I was doing just 1 tablespoon per day (not all at once but 1/2 tsp with meals), but maybe I don't really need to add it at all.
Vegetables like boiled or steamed broccoli and fruits like olives don't give me issues. So basically, it's a matter of narrowing down what foods do and don't work. This can take a long time to figure out, as there are many variables that can lead to false conclusions, but it's well worth the effort because the result is having a much higher quality of life from being very physically healthy.
Some people can eat 2 cans of beans per day and feel great. It's like these people were literally created to be vegans (lucky bastards). Other people like myself can only do a vegan diet if it's a very specific version that suits my exact needs.
Anyway, anyone who says "vegan diets don't work" are just being lazy and not thinking for themselves. The reality is:
Yes vegan diets do work, but you have to tailor the vegan diet to your body's unique needs.
Is the vegan diet boring though? I see food less as a source of pleasure, and more as a tool for success. (Well, I like to have treats every now and then, but I've finally developed a high degree of discipline, at least when it comes to food.)
Update: I can't make beans work, even in small amounts. This happened last time I went vegan. No problem; macros are fine without beans.
ReplyDelete