Vegan AMA

Sonny noggs wrote: »

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

No

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

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!