Vegan AMA

Aoife77

There are some weird threads on Boards about veganism, mostly by non vegans. It seems people have genuine questions about being vegan and are getting answers from people who also know nothing about it. Vegan 3 years, ask away. And don't be mean

davidjtaylor

Welcome to this section Aoife77. I hope you have bags of patience and tolerance.

Dawido

why you eat them anti-nutrients, eat raw meat to get all minerals and vitamins! Please watch sv3rige on YouTube and get help for your mental illness.

davidjtaylor

Off to a good start!

Sonny noggs

Have you ever had a conversation where you haven't mentioned that you are vegan?

Sonny noggs

Have you ever considered becoming a fruitarian?

Plumbthedepths

davidjtaylor wrote:

Welcome to this section Aoife77. I hope you have bags of patience and tolerance.

This comment sets the tone already.

davidjtaylor

Dawido wrote: »

why you eat them anti-nutrients, eat raw meat to get all minerals and vitamins! Please watch sv3rige on YouTube and get help for your mental illness.

And this doesn’t, of course.

ianob7

What meat dish do you miss most if any??

Mancomb Seepgood

Aoife77 wrote: »

There are some weird threads on Boards about veganism, mostly by non vegans. It seems people have genuine questions about being vegan and are getting answers from people who also know nothing about it. Vegan 3 years, ask away. And don't be mean

How do you handle travel, particularly in countries where vegetarianism,never mind veganism,is unheard of?I find so many of the vegetarian choices lean heavily on dairy.

Aoife77

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Welcome to this section Aoife77. I hope you have bags of patience and tolerance.

We shall see!!

Aoife77

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Have you ever had a conversation where you haven't mentioned that you are vegan?

No

Aoife77

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Have you ever considered becoming a fruitarian?

I haven't no, I think I'd get sick of it super fast. Not much of a salad person so doubt I'd last long on fruit! Also, I think it would be hard to get all the nutrients required for good health. Could definitely up my daily intake though

Aoife77

Dawido wrote: »

why you eat them anti-nutrients, eat raw meat to get all minerals and vitamins! Please watch sv3rige on YouTube and get help for your mental illness.

I wouldn't consider copious amounts of fruit and veg anti-nutrients personally

Aoife77

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Off to a good start!

The mind boggles lol

Bowlardo

Can you recommend a decent vegan receipe thats relatively easy to cook and source the ingredients that both vegan and non vegan(normal diet people would enjoy)

Aoife77

ianob7 wrote: »

What meat dish do you miss most if any??

I don't miss any! At the very beginning I missed the convenience of it but it's not really an issue anymore. I think my family miss my eating meat more than I do. I come from a very carnivorous home so I'm a bit out of place at the dinner table. But there's so many meat replacements available now, even if I did miss anything I could mimic it once or twice a week. I don't use them often but I'm glad they're there all the same. They certainly make a transition easier. It was all Quorn a few years ago and I did use them quite a bit

Aoife77

Mancomb Seepgood wrote: »

How do you handle travel, particularly in countries where vegetarianism,never mind veganism,is unheard of?I find so many of the vegetarian choices lean heavily on dairy.

It definitely varies a lot! Went to Kos 2 years ago. Veganism isn't big on Greek islands. At all! Involved a lot of cheeseless pizza and pasta and side salads. There was an Asian place we got a stir fry one night too. Bought cereal and rice/soya milk for breakfasts. After 2 weeks I was so ready for a spud!!

Last year we went to Rome and Naples and that was much better. Rome especially had lots of vegan options and a few great vegan restaurants so didn't find that hard at all. Naples was ok, there was one or 2 veggie places we could work with. And one vegan restaurant we went to 3 of 4 nights. There was dessert and all! Hotel breakfasts in Italy have lots of salad and breads. Filled up on toast and jam. Bit repetitive but ok.

We rely on the Happy Cow app. Sooo handy

Aoife77

Bowlardo wrote: »

Can you recommend a decent vegan receipe thats relatively easy to cook and source the ingredients that both vegan and non vegan(normal diet people would enjoy)

Now that's a question! Really depends on your own preferences and the people you're feeding. If you're not into fake meat, I make this one pot mushroom pasta strogonoff with cashew butter that's beautiful and super easy. Can't go wrong with a sweet potato and chickpea curry with plenty veg, whatever you have in the fridge/freezer. I don't make my own curry paste, many are accidentally vegan. I do mine with tofu but it's perfect without it or with fake chicken pieces. I really Tesco own soya chunks for that. If you want to go all out, do a roast! A lovely mushroom Wellington or a fake meat roast with all the trimmings-roasties, gratin, mash,veg and gravy. It's 'normal' but you might need a few different pots! Bosh do amazing cauliflower wings if you want a starter or something to pick at. A little time consuming but worth it.

None of the above have weird ingredients. Bosh do great recipes on their insta. Hope that answers your question!

davidjtaylor

Sonny noggs wrote: »

Have you ever had a conversation where you haven't mentioned that you are vegan?

Aoife77 wrote: »

No

Aoife, surely you must have?

Personally, I never ever mention veganism in any conversation unless someone else brings it up.

This myth about vegans always being first to bring up the subject has possibly come about because so many social situations involve food and drink.

Aoife77

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Aoife, surely you must have?

Personally, I never ever mention veganism in any conversation unless someone else brings it up.

This myth about vegans always being first to bring up the subject has possibly come about because so many social situations involve food and drink.

Only messing, the majority of conversations I have rarely include veganism. But if someone in the office asks I want a slice of cake, it must definitely comes up. People chat about special offers in Tesco and about the horse racing in Cheltanham or wherever all the time...of course it comes up all the time. Having said that, if does come up, I'm fine with talking about it. It effects many parts of my life, it's a given that I'll need to speak about it, ya know?

auspicious

Hello Aoife.
Do you take vegan omega3 supplement?
If no, what food do you concentrate on to address it?
Are you consistent with your greens? What greens do you mostly eat and how much per week?
How many blood tests have you had , if any, over the 3 years, and each time were there any deficiencies and how did you address them?

Thanks.

Atlantic Dawn

Outside of food how do you react to say travelling in a car with leather seats, wearing leather shoes etc? Is it just on consumption of meat you have abstained or all use of products derived from animals?

Aoife77

auspicious wrote: »

Hello Aoife.
Do you take vegan omega3 supplement?
If no, what food do you concentrate on to address it?
Are you consistent with your greens? What greens do you mostly eat and how much per week?
How many blood tests have you had , if any, over the 3 years, and each time were there any deficiencies and how did you address them?



Thanks.

Hello! Yes I do but not every day. Omega 3 can also be found in flaxseeds, chia seeds and some nuts and beans etc. I take the supplement maybe once a fortnight if my food hasn't been on point. Pretty sure it's recommended that everyone take an omega and vit D, not just vegans. I used to take the omega every day but I found my hair was actually getting quite oily and I waa washing it a lot. Overdosing on omegas! I Also take b12 because it's recommended.

I love greens. I put peas into anything I can, like curries, soups and stews. Big fan of the broccoli. Some weeks I have it everyday others just twice or 3 times. I'll add spinach where I can. Sometimes baby kale, don't like the regular kale personally. Peas, brocolli and spinach mainly.

Had bloods done after being vegan for about a year, everything within normal ranges. I'm a due another go of it but my supplementing and diet is actually much better now than when I first got them done so I don't predict any issues. My doc is happy with me generally.

frag420

Aoife77 wrote: »

Only messing, the majority of conversations I have rarely include veganism. But if someone in the office asks I want a slice of cake, it must definitely comes up. People chat about special offers in Tesco and about the horse racing in Cheltanham or wherever all the time...of course it comes up all the time. Having said that, if does come up, I'm fine with talking about it. It effects many parts of my life, it's a given that I'll need to speak about it, ya know?

Surely if someone asks if you want a slice of cake you can refuse without saying you’re a vegan, no thanks I’m not hungry would work?

Again why would a special offer in Tesco make you tell everyone you’re a vegan? 2 for 1 on nappies and you tell them you’re a vegan?

It’s not a given that you need to talk about it, like most vegans I know it’s a given that you want to talk about it...usually as I’m enjoying some delicious meat!

stefanovich

Aoife77 wrote: »

There are some weird threads on Boards about veganism, mostly by non vegans. It seems people have genuine questions about being vegan and are getting answers from people who also know nothing about it. Vegan 3 years, ask away. And don't be mean

Calcium. Where to get it. I hear supplements increase heart attack risk and best is to get it from food. Without milk or fish how does one adequately get calcium without supplementation?

Aoife77

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Outside of food how do you react to say travelling in a car with leather seats, wearing leather shoes etc? Is it just on consumption of meat you have abstained or all use of products derived from animals?

Hello! No I am vegan af wherever possible! But I am also a vegan in non vegan world so I can only do my best. I wouldn't not get into a car with leather seats and if I went to someone's house and they had a leather couch I wouldn't stand for the duration of the visit. But would I buy a car with leather seats or a leather couch? Not if I could avoid it, which I can. I don't buy leather products but if i owned them prior to going vegan, I would wear them until I needed to replace them and then chose a vegan alternative. I buy vegan cosmetics and cleaning products etc. It's not difficult anymore. Loads of cosmetics are vegan, accidentally and on purpose. And even Tesco sell eco cleaning products that are labelled vegan.

I guess the only pit fall is medication. I'm on the pill and when on holiday I need to take anti histamines. Both of which have lactose in them as far as I'm aware. And were almost definitely tested on animals. I don't like that but it would be worse to pregnant every year and having allergic reactions on holiday. Population control and all that jazz. I have to look after my health and I do my absolute best everywhere else. This would be the stance of most vegans. But on the flip side, since going vegan my sinus infections have all but disappeared so I'm actually taking less medication! Think of it that way and I'm doing pretty well! :L

Aoife77

stefanovich wrote: »

Calcium. Where to get it. I hear supplements increase heart attack risk and best is to get it from food. Without milk or fish how does one adequately get calcium without supplementation?

Countries with the highest intake of dairy also have the highest rates of osteoparosis. Fun fact I did not know, while guzzling milk for 23 years! Cruciferous veg and beans are high in calcium. Tofu and plant milks (or juices if that's what we're calling them now lol) are also fortified if you want to be sure to be sure! Plant based calcium is also better absorbed by the body.Vit D, some weighted exercise and avoiding smoking are also great for your bone health. I presume it's bone health we're talking about but calcium is also important for muscle, blood and tooth health and general cell function.

In short, all about the beans and greens, hope that answers your question!

Unearthly

frag420 wrote: »

Surely if someone asks if you want a slice of cake you can refuse without saying you’re a vegan, no thanks I’m not hungry would work?

Again why would a special offer in Tesco make you tell everyone you’re a vegan? 2 for 1 on nappies and you tell them you’re a vegan?

It’s not a given that you need to talk about it, like most vegans I know it’s a given that you want to talk about it...usually as I’m enjoying some delicious meat!

Why should she lie? Especially when the question is put to her.

A good question to ask you is, why does veganism need to be hidden from you? Does it make you uncomfortable? Why is that?

davidjtaylor

frag420 wrote: »

Surely if someone asks if you want a slice of cake you can refuse without saying you’re a vegan, no thanks I’m not hungry would work?

Again why would a special offer in Tesco make you tell everyone you’re a vegan? 2 for 1 on nappies and you tell them you’re a vegan?

It’s not a given that you need to talk about it, like most vegans I know it’s a given that you want to talk about it...usually as I’m enjoying some delicious meat!

It’s all about context, not absolutes. Just saying, “No thanks” to a non-vegan item usually suffices, no need to lie.

As for Tesco, it’s a place I don’t visit so wouldn’t be interested anyway.

I personally don’t want to talk about veganism unless someone else does. Life’s too short.

Aoife77

frag420 wrote: »

Surely if someone asks if you want a slice of cake you can refuse without saying you’re a vegan, no thanks I’m not hungry would work?

Again why would a special offer in Tesco make you tell everyone you’re a vegan? 2 for 1 on nappies and you tell them you’re a vegan?

It’s not a given that you need to talk about it, like most vegans I know it’s a given that you want to talk about it...usually as I’m enjoying some delicious meat!

Absolutely, I don't think anyone at work knew I was vegan for ages. It was just an example. It naturally has come up on conversation over time. I think it first came up when one lady said her daughter was veggie and wanted to go vegan and had a lot of questions. So obviously I helped answer her questions. Just like i would if it was a work related question. I didn't prepare a power point presentation and project it onto the wall. It's a small section and people overhear. Plus they talk about each other like it's a soap opera. Very rural. Tell one person and the whole floor knows in an hour. Veggies are strange to them, never mind vegans. I'm a peculiarity, they will latch onto that peculiarity.

I work with a lot of people older than me and believe it or not, the special offer fish cakes in Supervalu comes up a whole more than you might think! They're very rural, fish cakes are fierce exotic. They're a chatty bunch, we get to know a lot about each other. Veganism is a big part of my life, it would be strange if they didn't know about it after 18 months. It's not like I'm hiding it? They introduce me to new staff as the vegan.

I literally know zero vegans who have ever given a lecture during a steak dinner. It's unhelpful

frag420

Unearthly wrote: »

Why should she lie? Especially when the question is put to her.

A good question to ask you is, why does veganism need to be hidden from you? Does it make you uncomfortable? Why is that?

Who said it needs to be hidden from me? A certain sport is a big part of my life but I don’t bring it up at every opportunity, I just get on with it.

A question for you, why did you ask me if veganism makes me uncomfortable and follow with a question that assumes you know the answer I was going to give? Why do you assume Veganism makes me uncomfortable, it doesn’t by the way!

Aoife77

frag420 wrote: »

Who said it needs to be hidden from me? A certain sport is a big part of my life but I don’t bring it up at every opportunity, I just get on with it.

A question for you, why did you ask me if veganism makes me uncomfortable and follow with a question that assumes you know the answer I was going to give? Why do you assume Veganism makes me uncomfortable, it doesn’t by the way!

That's what I'm saying, it's not brought up at every opportunity. Not when we talk about the weather. Not when the post comes in. They know I'm vegan. It rarely comes up. Sometimes people ask a question. I answer said question if I know the answer

Unearthly

frag420 wrote: »

Who said it needs to be hidden from me? A certain sport is a big part of my life but I don’t bring it up at every opportunity, I just get on with it.

A question for you, why did you ask me if veganism makes me uncomfortable and follow with a question that assumes you know the answer I was going to give? Why do you assume Veganism makes me uncomfortable, it doesn’t by the way!

You revealed your cards when you wanted her to lie about not being hungry. Therefore your position was that you prefer to hear a lie, than the truth (veganism)

That means your position is that of someone who has an issue against veganism and want to avoid it.

As for your sport, if someone had a match at 8pm and was asked by someone do they fancy a pint, should they respond by saying 'sorry no I have work later'

Also have you even thought of the practicalities of it? In a work environment, my colleagues know I'm vegan so they don't offer me cake etc. It isn't an everyday discussion that I'm vegan and it avoids the awkwardness of me having to say no thanks several times a week.

davidjtaylor

Aoife77, what part of Ireland are you in? Roughly, that’s all. I’m in Clare.

Aoife77

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Aoife77, what part of Ireland are you in? Roughly, that’s all. I’m in Clare.

From county Limerick, live in Kerry for work

Johnnyhpipe

I’m trying to understand veganism to see if there’s anything worth considering. I just spent the last 10 minutes watching a youtube video where an incredibly annoying vegan argues with 2 PhD biologists.. Getting up now for some turkey bacon bagels.

Aoife77

Unearthly wrote: »

You revealed your cards when you wanted her to lie about not being hungry. Therefore your position was that you prefer to hear a lie, than the truth (veganism)

That means your position is that of someone who has an issue against veganism and want to avoid it.

As for your sport, if someone had a match at 8pm and was asked by someone do they fancy a pint, should they respond by saying 'sorry no I have work later'

Also have you even thought of the practicalities of it? In a work environment, my colleagues know I'm vegan so they don't offer me cake etc. It isn't an everyday discussion that I'm vegan and it avoids the awkwardness of me having to say no thanks several times a week.

Bingo. Has to come a few times to stop the constant barrage of offers etc regardless of kind intentions. I think a mountain is being made out of mole hill by the other person, soz can't remember the name. It's not an issue

Aoife77

Johnnyhpipe wrote: »

I’m trying to understand veganism to see if there’s anything worth considering. I just spent the last 10 minutes watching a youtube video where an incredibly annoying vegan argues with 2 PhD biologists.. Getting up now for some turkey bacon bagels.

You might like Mic The Vegan on YouTube. Funny but informative and myth dispelling. A lot of rubbish on the YouTube machine too for sure.

And Earthling Ed to understand the ethics. Plant Based News and Dr Garth Davis too. Shout if you have a question

stefanovich

Just compare heart disease rates between meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans... Vegans are by far the lowest risk.

jh79

stefanovich wrote: »

Just compare heart disease rates between meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans... Vegans are by far the lowest risk.

What study are you basing that claim on?

As far as i am aware veganism offers no benefits over a balanced diet with meat and dairy included.

kerplun k

Fair play Aoife. I tried a couple of times to go vegetarian. The longest I lasted was 2 years. I have some questions if you don’t mind

Do you “look down” on the rest of us, The way we mass produce, slaughter and consume meat is quite sickening. I’m asking this as a person who eats a lot of meat but I’m also disgusted at the way we produce and consume it.

Are you concerned at how meat is marketed? I took my niece to McDonalds yesterday. She has no idea that the chicken nuggets she was eating were slaughtered for her enjoyment, the meat is sold by a cartoon clown and sold as an innocent product rather than the actual living animal it once was. Do you think governments should introduce policies that make meat products more honest with branding and marketing? I.e restrict a happy cartoon chicken on a box of chicken nuggets.

Do you think if people had to catch, kill, prepare and cook their own food, at some stage of their life, there would be more vegans and vegetarians?

I struggle with the idea of eating meat, I mean if a superior and more intelligent species came to this planet and replicated the process of the way we eat animals, and did that to us, we wouldn’t be happy, do you think it’s fundamentally wrong to eat meat?

Do you think people have issues with vegans and vegetarians because we carry a sense of guilt?

Aoife77

jh79 wrote: »

What study are you basing that claim on?

As far as i am aware veganism offers no benefits over a balanced diet with meat and dairy included.

Hi! You might like to take a look at The China Study and How Not To Die 😊 studies can be so dense to read though. I like Dr Michael Gregor' s website nutritionfacts.org. He looks at the studies and condenses them into legible and understandable info

Pkiernan

kerplun k wrote: »

I struggle with the idea of eating meat, I mean if a superior and more intelligent spices came to this planet and replicated the process of the way we eat animals, and did that to us, we wouldn’t be happy, do you think it’s fundamentally wrong to eat meat?

Do you think people have issues with vegans and vegetarians because we carry a sense of guilt?

Then you should stop eating commercially produced meat.
And never go to fast food outlets.

It's never been easier to be vegetarian.

You may also wish to consider hunting. The deer I shoot have never seen a farm or a cage or any antibiotics or any form of confinement or cruelty.

stefanovich

jh79 wrote: »

What study are you basing that claim on?

As far as i am aware veganism offers no benefits over a balanced diet with meat and dairy included.

Not one in particular but there have been countless that conclude that the less meat and dairy you eat the less your cardiovascular risk. Now of course a vegan junk food diet is unhealthy.

kerplun k

Pkiernan wrote: »

Then you should stop eating commercially produced meat.
And never go to fast food outlets.

It's never been easier to be vegetarian.

You may also wish to consider hunting. The deer I shoot have never seen a farm or a cage or any antibiotics or any form of confinement or cruelty.

I couldn’t pull the trigger, which is why I think it’s hypocritical of me eating meat. Your right tho, I should make a bigger effort when selecting what I choose to eat.

jh79

stefanovich wrote: »

Not one in particular but there have been countless that conclude that the less meat and dairy you eat the less your cardiovascular risk. Now of course a vegan junk food diet is unhealthy.

Sorry for being pedantic but saying the "less meat you eat...." suggests that no meat or dairy is best which isn't true. Saying excessive meat consumption increases risk would be more correct.

khaldrogo

Unearthly wrote:

A good question to ask you is, why does veganism need to be hidden from you? Does it make you uncomfortable? Why is that?

I view it the same as religion and politics.......I don't need to hear about your beliefs/views on any of them.

Why is that? Does it make me uncomfortable? Not in the slightest. It makes me yawn tbh.

jh79

Aoife77 wrote: »

Hi! You might like to take a look at The China Study and How Not To Die 😊 studies can be so dense to read though. I like Dr Michael Gregor' s website nutritionfacts.org. He looks at the studies and condenses them into legible and understandable info

Familiar with the 2 of them. Their interpretations of the research is flawed. Veganism does not offer any benefits over a balanced diet that includes meat and dairy.

Science Based Medicine is a good resource for debunking the false claims of Campbell and Gregor.

Aoife77

kerplun k wrote: »

Fair play Aoife. I tried a couple of times to go vegetarian. The longest I lasted was 2 years. I have some questions if you don’t.

Do you “look down” on the rest of us, The way we mass produce, slaughter and consume meat is quite sickening. I’m asking this as a person who eats a lot of meat but I’m also disgusted at the way we produce and consume it.

Are you concerned at how meat is marketed? I took my niece to McDonalds yesterday. She has no idea that the chicken nuggets she was eating were slaughtered for her enjoyment, the meat is sold by a cartoon clown and sold as an innocent product rather than the actual living animal it once was. Do you think governments should introduce policies that make meat products more honest with branding and marketing? I.e restrict a happy cartoon chicken on a box of chicken nuggets.

Do you think if people had to catch, kill, prepare and cook their own food, at some stage of their life, there would be more vegans and vegetarians?

I struggle with the idea of eating meat, I mean if a superior and more intelligent spices came to this planet and replicated the process of the way we eat animals, and did that to us, we wouldn’t be happy, do you think it’s fundamentally wrong to eat meat?

Do you think people have issues with vegans and vegetarians because we carry a sense of guilt?

I do not look down on anyone. Again for the people in the back, I do not look down on anyone! But I do find the mass production of animal products sickening. Don't blame abetoir workers-they need a wage to look after their families. I don't blame Joe Soap for going to the shop and buying the same things his parents bought him. It's what is familiar, convenient and marketed to us. There is a much larger profit margin to be made off of beef than apples. Also it's hugely inconvenient to entirety change your diet. It's easier for people to ignore it and continue as they are. I get that. But all the evidence shows it is unnecessary. There are alternatives available. You can do amazingly well on a whole food plant based diet and you will reduce animal suffering in the process. And your environmental impact will lessen. I can't see a negative.

Yes meat is marketed horribly. Laughing Cow cheese for example! Most people appear fairly sickened after watching slaughter house footage. I think there is often a dissociation between the footage of animal being killed and a chicken nugget. If people had to get a calf, rare it and cut its throat and slice it up, I think must of us would be up for trying something else. Not to mention the huge amount of resources that have to go into each animal before being slaughtered. There are a huge number of farmers in Ireland and the government likes to keep them on side where possible. But it's just not sustainable and so unnecessary. Again, don't blame farmers for trying to earn a living etc. It's supply and demand. Profit driven. Sentient beings are suffering because of it though. And climate change is frightening. When our alien overlords arrive we are finished lol!!

I do think if a healthy diet with lesser environmental impact exists that also lessens suffering, it's a no brainer.


I think people dislike vegans because they assume we think we are superior. There aren't many vegans from birth. We all have blood on our hands one way or another. I think people used to assume the same of devoutly religious people too. I guess it's similar to that but veganism isn't a cult by any means. And yes I do think some vegans are awful. Loeding their ethics over others helps no one and turns people away from considering dropping animal products. Not cool, not helpful.

My/your/our taste buds are not important when the results are so extreme. Hope that all all made sense!

Aoife77

jh79 wrote: »

Familiar with the 2 of them. Their interpretations of the research is flawed. Veganism does not offer any benefits over a balanced diet that includes meat and dairy.

Science Based Medicine is a good resource for debunking the false claims of Campbell and Gregor.

Science based? They are doctors? No one is saying you can't live a long life with animal products. It's possible for sure. You could put any group of scientists in front of any study and tell them to debunk it. There will always be something to pick at