Heidi

> That first statement bugged me too and we're vegan. We
don't "always"
> eat super nutritiously -- though it's almost always yummy. LOL
The way
> that statement was worded sounded (to me) like anyone who isn't
> vegetarian is eating yucky tasting, items void of nutrients.
>
> TreeGoddess


Hey TreeGoddess, I'm curious

How have you found veganism? I've heard that it's difficult to get
some types of necessary fats without eating some animal protein (My
veggie sister eats eggs, cheese, and fish. No red meat nor chicken)

I did a vegan diet for a few months and my energy was amazing, but I
got to craving meat. Oh, that first cheeseburger after I'd not had
any animal ANYTHING (low fat, too. McDougall Plan).

Then was a (what? Mostly Veggie?) the rest of the year: eating all
plant foods every day except Sunday, which I called my Feast Day.
Then I would have some meat.

Anyway, I've heard that there are some nutritional deficits if you
never have animal protein and some saturated fat (i.e. what you'd get
from egg or cheese)

HeidiC

Heidi

--- In [email protected], "treegoddess@c..."
<treegoddess@c...> wrote:
> Heidi wrote:
>
> >[Hey TreeGoddess, I'm curious How have you found veganism? I've
heard that it's difficult to get some types of necessary fats without
eating some animal protein]
> >
> Well.... you get "fats" from fat and protein from "protein". It's
one
> or the other. :D

LOL Okay! L but animal protein is packaged with sat fat, innit? And I
thought there was some very current nutrition info about the
necessity of sat fats for optimum human health. Like, for the brain
cells or some such.

BTW, I love flax seed, too. It's really good on oatmeal. And I'm SURE
I've got nutrition deficits. I know it. But glad to hear about the
green leafies containing Omegas! never knew that. Okay, i've learned
my something new for the day. NO MORE LEARNING NEEDED TODAY. ;) Guess
I'd better stay away from the school books, eh? LOL

HeidiC

shantris2000

--- In [email protected], "treegoddess@c..."

> The one nutrient that is not found in many plant sources is
Vitamin B12.
> Most soy milks and many cereals are fortified with plenty of it
(from
> non-animal sources) so we get our supply from that mostly.
Another perk
> is that our bodies store up a pretty good supply so it's not like
you
> need to get it every day. Groovy, eh?


Just wanted to add that nutritional yeast is a great source of
B12...We use it to make macaroni and "cheese"...very yummy! We also
mix it with grinded almonds and sprinkle it on our popcorn...again,
very yummy!! :)

My kids are vegan, and I am endlessly TRYING!!! (Guess my daughter
gets traces of what little dairy I eat from breastmilk, but she
doesn't eat dairy herself) I was vegan for a few months before I
became prego again, but started craving dairy again. But it's
starting to taste gross to me again, so hopefully will go vegan for
good here soon!


Keara
Mama to Tristan (3yo), Isabel (1yo...my solo UC babe!), and babe-to-
be (due Dec. 03)!

Pandora's Box Magazine
http:/www.pandorasboxmagazine.com

Karen McLaughlin

Treegoddess wrote:
" Plenty of omnivores are deficient in things too so it's not only a veg*n
issue, but rather a nutrition issue. I think the fats that you're
thinking of are Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). Flax
seeds and oil are very high in Omega-3 EFAs. I occasionally put a bit
in fruit smoothies or sprinkle some seeds in a salad or mix in with soy
yogurts and stuff. Green, leafy veggies are high in Omega-3 EFAs as are
walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

Omega-6 is found in:

* Safflower oil - the richest natural source
* Sunflower oil
* Corn oil
* Sesame oil
* Hemp oil (best balance of omega 6:3)
* Pumpkin oil
* Soybean oil
* Walnut oil
* Wheatgerm oil
* Evening Primrose oil "

Being both a vegan and a dietitian, I feel compelled to add to this that
everyone in general, and vegans in particular, get far too many omega-6's
and not enough omega-3s for optimal health. To get a more optimal ratio,
it's best to limit omega-6s as much as possible (go easy on margarines and
oils high in omega-6), choose oils high in monounsaturates (e.g. olive and
canola) for the majority of your fats, and get a daily sources of omega-3's
(1 tsp of flax oil or 1 tbsp of flax seed meal is considered adequate -
these should not be cooked as the omega-3's will be destroyed).

Karen (who is hopelessly behind on reading posts but hopes to catch up
soon!)

Andrea

At 11:44 PM 6/12/03 -0400, Karen wrote:
><snip> get a daily sources of omega-3's
>(1 tsp of flax oil or 1 tbsp of flax seed meal is considered adequate -
>these should not be cooked as the omega-3's will be destroyed).

I buy the flax seeds whole and grind them in a coffee grinder, but I wonder
if the heat of the blades affects the quality of the final product. Any
ideas Karen?

For my boys, I add flax meal or oil to smoothies with berries. No one
notices the flax meal because of the berry seeds. We make milkshakes, too,
with ice cream, and you don't notice a bit of flax meal in those, either.

Donna Andrea

Karen McLaughlin

Donna wrote:
" I buy the flax seeds whole and grind them in a coffee grinder, but I
wonder
if the heat of the blades affects the quality of the final product. Any
ideas Karen?"

This is fine -the heat of the blade isn't enough to affect the omega-3s.
Just make sure to store the ground flax in the refrigerator or it will spoil
quickly. You can even add flax oil to already-heated food (just before
serving) and it will still be okay - it's longer, high-heat expose that
destroys the omega-3s.

" For my boys, I add flax meal or oil to smoothies with berries. No one
notices the flax meal because of the berry seeds. We make milkshakes, too,
with ice cream, and you don't notice a bit of flax meal in those, either."

Yes, this is a great way to use it! I also stir flax oil into hot cereal
just before serving and you can't tell it's in there. Flax meal is yummy
sprinkled on salads too.

Karen