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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Lifestyle > Vegetarian & Vegan

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  #1  
Old 19-01-2017, 01:57 AM
missmetal missmetal is offline
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Cat Give me your vegetarian ideas and opinions!

2 years ago, I became a vegetarian, mainly because at the time I was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes, and I wanted to start eating healthier to maintain my weight and blood sugars. During this time, I always was freaked out by meat, I would have thoughts like:
"gross, I can't believe I was eating muscle fibres.... this looks like it could be flesh from my own body" or just the fact I hated looking at it, it would make me feel sick, or the smell of it cooking... ugh.

Anyway, I went to the doctors for a general check up and they told me my B12 levels were so low, I needed weekly injections.
I stupidly and gradually started introducing meat back into my diet and was eating meat again for about a year.

Now comes a few days after xmas 2016, my body and mind was telling me I need to stop eating meat again, but this time it was for different reasons.
I felt like a hypocrite being such a "huge animal lover" with 3 cats of my own, or leaving water and food out for stray animals who have no home, and yet there I was being a hypocrite with meat on my fork.
I now can't look at meat without thinking "when I look at my cats and then look at a burger, I see no difference, it's still an animal".

Anyway, thats just a bit of back history for my storytime...
I am here to ask advice on making sure I get all of the correct vitamins and minerals this time round, I did purchase 1000 mcg B12 supplements and take 1 every fortnight to help my B12 levels so it won't get as low as last time. Is there anything else I should take into consideration? Any foods I should try or awesome recipes?
I do still eat cheese (cheddar, halloumi, camembert, parmesan...ect), I don't eat eggs as that freaks me out now too, and I drink soy milk in tea or coffee once or twice a week.
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  #2  
Old 19-01-2017, 02:11 AM
Tobi Tobi is offline
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Hi missmetal,
Will any of this info. help you?

Vegan sources of vitamin B12:
https://www.healthaliciousness.com/a...tamin-b-12.php

Cheeses high in vitamin B12:
https://www.healthaliciousness.com/a...itamin-b12.php

Also, vitamin B complex (including B12) taken every day may help you.

I am mostly vegan (but sometimes lapse and eat local free-range eggs occasionally, and ate cheese a couple of times) but when I had a blood test, there was no B12 deficiency at all. I take a B complex daily and have done for years.

However, sometimes there are deeper issues with a B12 deficiency. Do make sure your doctor checks you for those.
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  #3  
Old 19-01-2017, 03:02 AM
missmetal missmetal is offline
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Thank you so much for the reply Tobi, I will definitely look at the links :)
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Old 19-01-2017, 02:15 PM
Baile Baile is online now
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Hi missmetal. I've been on a whole foods only diet for five years now, just vegetables and fruit, in as raw a form as possible. Example, I put spinach and an apple in the blender, add 100% fruit juice, and that's my breakfast, lasts me til noon. I don't take supplements, but I understand why people might need to. I've been thinking about B vitamins lately so I may do that.
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Old 19-01-2017, 03:04 PM
Baile Baile is online now
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Something else I do: I make up a pot of vegetable soup to last 2-3 days. I blend it into liquid and put a couple of containers of it in the freezer. I leave out one container for that day. When I'm hungry, I pour a cup into a pot, then add raw broccoli, mushrooms, etc. with a few spices. Heat and eat. I used to add brown rice, black beans, different grains as well but I'm only doing vegetables now.
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  #6  
Old 20-01-2017, 12:38 AM
missmetal missmetal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baile
Something else I do: I make up a pot of vegetable soup to last 2-3 days. I blend it into liquid and put a couple of containers of it in the freezer. I leave out one container for that day. When I'm hungry, I pour a cup into a pot, then add raw broccoli, mushrooms, etc. with a few spices. Heat and eat. I used to add brown rice, black beans, different grains as well but I'm only doing vegetables now.


This sounds wonderful, thanks so much for your ideas :)
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  #7  
Old 23-01-2017, 12:26 AM
Debrah Debrah is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baile
Hi missmetal. I've been on a whole foods only diet for five years now, just vegetables and fruit, in as raw a form as possible. Example, I put spinach and an apple in the blender, add 100% fruit juice, and that's my breakfast, lasts me til noon. I don't take supplements, but I understand why people might need to. I've been thinking about B vitamins lately so I may do that.


Hi Baile, You have to start supplementing your B12 if you want to be healthy. That vitamin is critical to practically every function of your body and brain and you're approaching the point where you're starting to draw down on the stored stuff in your liver with deficiency on it's way!

We have a 6-20 year supply stored there (if you used to be a meat eater) but by the time you get to year 20, you're deep in the throes of deficiency with a very poor prognosis as far as dementia goes plus other symptoms. A couple months ago, I made a point of reading everything I could find on B12, from medical journals and doctors websites and studies and after all of that, I'd be willing to say that unless a persons health is perfect and they are in the prime of life, the majority of people should be supplementing even those who are meat eaters.

Digestive issues, medications, disease processes can all play havoc with your ability to process B12 or absorb it and if you're a vegan or vegetarian it is even more of an issue simply because our diets don't naturally provide it. Please Baile, please, next time you're at the supermarket, pick up a bottle.
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  #8  
Old 23-01-2017, 01:57 AM
missmetal missmetal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Debrah

We have a 6-20 year supply stored there (if you used to be a meat eater)

Digestive issues, medications, disease processes can all play havoc with your ability to process B12 or absorb it and if you're a vegan or vegetarian

Just a quick little storytime from me :)

I was a meat eater for 25 years of my life, I was diganosed with T2 Diabetes when I was 25 and decided to eat vegetarian / vegan meals.

However, in saying that, I actually had no B12 stored in my system at all due to the diabetes and medication affecting my B12 levels. I had to go on weekly injections to get my B12 up and running again. (only within a matter of weeks from stopping meat, my b12 levels went critical).

DEBRAH: to answer your question on other post you commented on - At the time I was diagnosed I was a meat eater and constantly getting blood tests done. When I started eating vegetarian foods I had to go back for check ups and at this stage my b12 was so low I needed to go into my GP doctors office for weekly injections for a couple of months.
I haven't had my bloods done in a while, my new doctor really wants me to get it checked out again, but I haven't found the time.

I have since bought 1000 mcg B12 tablets and take 1 each fortnight... Speaking of which, I'm due to take one wednesday Not really sure if they are helping or not, as I need my bloods done again.
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  #9  
Old 25-01-2017, 11:04 PM
Debrah Debrah is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by missmetal
Just a quick little storytime from me :)

I was a meat eater for 25 years of my life, I was diganosed with T2 Diabetes when I was 25 and decided to eat vegetarian / vegan meals.

However, in saying that, I actually had no B12 stored in my system at all due to the diabetes and medication affecting my B12 levels. I had to go on weekly injections to get my B12 up and running again. (only within a matter of weeks from stopping meat, my b12 levels went critical).

DEBRAH: to answer your question on other post you commented on - At the time I was diagnosed I was a meat eater and constantly getting blood tests done. When I started eating vegetarian foods I had to go back for check ups and at this stage my b12 was so low I needed to go into my GP doctors office for weekly injections for a couple of months.
I haven't had my bloods done in a while, my new doctor really wants me to get it checked out again, but I haven't found the time.

I have since bought 1000 mcg B12 tablets and take 1 each fortnight... Speaking of which, I'm due to take one wednesday Not really sure if they are helping or not, as I need my bloods done again.

Excellent that you got on track with that. I was quite surprised in my reading, to discover that there are so many issues that can affect ones B12 status and how important it is for so many functions in our bodies.

Do you feel better now that you got that straightened out? Hope so and just out of curiosity, how is your diabetes doing with the vegetarian foods?
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  #10  
Old 20-01-2017, 12:35 PM
Baile Baile is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by missmetal
I drink soy milk in tea or coffee once or twice a week.
My last vice: every morning, one cup of strong dark-roasted coffee with molasses and soy. At least it's not M&Ms!
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