How To Survive And Even Thrive On A Vegan Diet?

Maybe your a long term Vegan or Vegetarian and you were just curious about this topic. Maybe want to know how to eat vegan but you’ve tried it and you’re feeling hungry all the time.

Regardless of how you got here, I’m going to set the record straight for you and help you to Eat Vegan Style.

First of all I want to point out that JUST Being Vegan is not necessarily healthy, as JUST Eating anything is probably not going to make you feel or look to good.

If you want to do it right, CENTER your vegan diet around a large variety of nutritionally dense whole foods.

Now we’ll get into the MEAT of being Vegan.  Meat, Dairy and Eggs have a very high percentage of calories from fat (35 – 90% of their Calories on average).  You may know that every gram of Fat has 9 calories and Carbohydrates and Proteins only have 4 calories for every gram.

This means you’re going to have to increase your portion sizes to make up for all the calories you won’t be getting from fat.  (I’m assuming you want to be healthy and you won’t be eating a lot of Vegan Junk food, which may contain a large amount of vegetable oil, which isn’t generally good for you.)

Don’t be afraid to fill your plate up with food.  If you’re eating potatoes, rice beans, corn, quinoa or other HIGH carbohydrate foods, you’ll want to eat very BIG portions to keep yourself from going hungry.  Don’t worry.  Carbohydrates don’t make you fat.  (There’s plenty of evidence to support this, and I will address this further in future articles and videos.)

Many people believe that High Carb Low Fat Vegan Foods are the best.  Most people consider all grains, legumes, potatoes and other root vegetables, and fruits high carbohydrate foods, which is true.  What’s also true is all of these foods include protein and fat as well; and enough protein and fat to meet your needs as long as your getting enough calories from a variety of them.

An average adult can easily eat a FULL plate of most of the foods mentioned here, and that’s a good thing to do if you’ve been feeling undernourished and you want to STAY STRONG.

When it comes to eating fruits I think bananas are one that’s always worth mentioning.  Bananas can be a meal that will satiate you for hours, but don’t think Eating 1 or 2 will cut it; Eat 5-10.

My favorite way to eat bananas is blended with water.  They are a pleasure to consume as a smoothie.  Try them with Greens, Dates, Strawberries or Raisins as well, but however you do it consume a lot of them.

Some people who follow the high carb low fat vegan way use barely any overt fat to get extra calories.  Overt fats are things like vegetable oils, avocados, nuts and seeds; I used to consume a lot more of these foods and I’ve cut back on them and increased my general Food Consumption to make up for the lost calories from the overtly fatty foods.

Generally I do believe it’s a very good thing to avoid almost all vegetable oils.  As far as nuts, seeds, and avocados are concerned I wouldn’t be worried about having some, but it’s important to realize small portions increase your overall caloric intake pretty rapidly.

I suppose consuming the fattier foods is a great way to keep yourself from going hungry on a vegan diet, but moderation may be best for a number of reasons when it comes to these overt fats. (I’ll cover that more in other articles as well.)

So…  Eat Big as a Vegan or Vegetarian, and I promise….. You WON’T starve.

30 Days Vegan And Ready For More

I’ve got the report for you. It’s been thirty days, one full month being vegan, and I want you to know that I am still feeling good, WITHOUT the dairy.

I’m going to continue on Being Vegan now because I am enjoying it, and Overall, I’m feeling better.

I haven’t lost any weight, which is good as I was a little concerned I was gonna lose too much weight. Sure… I still could lose a little bit of weight around my midsection, but the good thing is, since I started this 30 Day Vegan Challenge I have kept ALL my Lean Muscle Mass, and I may have even gained some.

So… I haven’t lost any of my lean muscle mass, But….. I have LOST some Body FAT! Not bad huh?

In addition to being vegan, I’ve cut back, even MORE than before, on my overall caffeine consumption, which may also be contributing to feeling generally better.

As you may know, I completely gave up the Coffee, but I’ve still been having some Yerba Mate, and Homemade Cacao Drink; just less than before. If you’ve been thinking about cutting back on Caffeine or Giving it up completely, you should give it a try. I think you’ll feel better.

To make sure I still have all the energy I need, and I don’t lose too much weight Being Vegan, I’ve been replacing a lot of the dairy calories I was getting before with Carbohydrates from whole foods; including Green Smoothies with a lot of Bananas.

I’ve been eating as many as 12 bananas in my smoothies some days with 1/4 to 1/2 pound of greens. Greens give you a lot of calcium along with a broad range of other good minerals, so they’re great for replacing the Dairy.

So…. Now that my 30 Day Vegan Challenge is up, I’m going to continue Being Vegan. I’ll keep you posted as I progress in this Vegan Adventure, and I’ll definitely let you know if I Quit Being Vegan.

What about you?  Are you willing to go VEGAN for 30 days?  Please share your comments and criticisms below.

Other Posts Related To This Vegan Experiment:

No Milk Or Other Dairy For 30 Days.

A Vegan Experiment.

Day 18 Of Being Vegan.

76 Days Of Being Vegan.

The Drama Of Being Vegan Continues

This is Sye of The Organic Adventure Show reporting further to you on my Being Vegan Experience.  It’s the 21st of October today, and I started my Vegan Experiment on the 4th, Making this day 18 of Being Vegan.

No milk and feeling good.  I have been having some caffeine, as you may know, from Yerba Mate and also from a Cacao Drink I make sometimes.

You might NOT know how I feel about Caffeine if you haven’t been watching me, but just to let you know, Me having Caffeine, doesn’t mean I think it’s good for a person; It’s kind of a weakness for me to have it.  I’m only telling you this so YOU know more about what I’m doing.

But….. I already said NEVER again, Like EVER, to coffee, and I’m happy about that, and feeling really good NOT having it.

I can also say that the NO milk experience is going really good and I’m feeling more and more like I’m going to go beyond the original 30 days I committed to go without it.  Maybe I will Never go back to Dairy products.

I will be looking more into the research about milk and health, even though it’s really difficult to decipher what’s True about milk and what’s Extremely Biased.  It’s a hot topic and depending on which side of that argument the information is coming from Milk is either really bad or really good.

I can honestly report that Milk does NOT seem to help people in preventing bone fractures.  One of the original studies that brought the claims that milk was necessary for strong bones under scrutiny was led by Kendrin R. Sonneville.  The study is called Vitamin D, Calcium and Dairy Intakes and Stress Fractures Among Female Adolescents.  The researchers found that Vitamin D and high impact physical activity WERE associated with lower fracture risk, but Calcium supplementation and Dairy consumption were NOT.

There’s more research since that concludes Dairy is not associated with stronger bones, so let me know if you are interested and I’ll post more research.

So Again…, Day 17, No milk and I am feeling really happy and good so far; Feeling strong and generally better on a number of levels, except for 1, which I’m going to share with you now.

The last time that I was anything I would relate to being sick at all, although I don’t think of it as being sick as much as I think of it as form of self compromise, was last summer, in July of 2012.  I lost my voice and was feeling very congested, but I DIDN’T feel physically bad.

Now, for the first time in 2013, I’ve got something similar going on, although I haven’t completely lost my voice this time.  I do feel like it’s clearing up now, but I have some suspicion that what’s going on is related to the changes taking place as a result of stopping dairy intake; and maybe congestion created from it’s consumption is being purged by my body.

So that’s my experience Being Vegan so far.  Sign up for my Free Email Series called The Raw Food Afterthought and I’ll keep you updated on my Vegan Experiment, and More.

You’re Reading Part 3 Of Being Vegan.  Read the previous related posts at the links below.

Part 1 Of Being Vegan Here.

Part 2 Of Being Vegan Here.

Part 4 Of Being Vegan Here.

Part 5 Of Being Vegan Here.

Vegetarian Goes No Milk For Vegan Experiment

Hey Everybody.  It’s Sye Rodrigues, the Fit Vegetarian from the Organic Adventure Show, reporting back to you about the Vegan Experience I’m having.  It’s been about 10 days since I stopped having Dairy Products.  The 4th of November 2013 will be a full month of being Vegan.

You may know from following me, I have been eating Vegetarian for a long time, and I recently decided I was going to eliminate milk from my diet for now; And see if I wanna keep it that way.  Maybe I’ll keep being Vegan after the 30 days are up, if I’m liking how it’s going; And so far, I am.…..

My sinuses are definitely feeling a lot more clear, and I can say I’m feeling generally better.  My senses all feel a little bit more awake.  I have probably lost a little bit of weight and I’m still feeling real strong.  Time will tell if these benefits continue, so let’s see how it goes.

I’ll keep you updated Here at Fit Vegetarian and Youtube.  Sign up on Fit Vegetarian to follow my Being Vegan Story and stay in touch with Other Good Stuff.

Please leave your thoughts about this Vegan Experiment in the comments section and give me a thumbs up on Youtube and subscribe, if you’re enjoying this story.

Part 1 Of Vegan Experiment: No Milk Or Other Dairy For 30 Days.

Are Fruits And Other Carbohydrate Rich Foods Destroying Your Health?

To answer this question, I went and got my blood tested to check my cholesterol, blood sugar and triglyceride levels.

You may be aware of the Low Carbohydrate Craze that’s been hitting the main stream media pretty hard.  Robert Atkins was the first person I learned about, that supported this way of eating.  More recently the Paleo Diet Authors have been spreading their Low Carb Propaganda.

Here’s a good question to ask anyone who claims they eat LOW Carb:

What did you eat today?

From my own observations there aren’t really too many people who truly eat Low Carbohydrate.  Supporters of these types of diets usually eat plenty of carbs, but have some idea about how they are going to lower their carbohydrate intake.

Carbohydrates are the fuel are bodies burn most easily, so it’s a long jump to think you can limit your carbohydrates for the long term and be truly healthy.

So Why Am I Going On About Low Carbohydrate Diet Promoters When This Article Is About Whether Or Not High Carbohydrate Diets Cause High Blood Sugar Levels?

Okay…  Fair enough.  I’ll answer that and get to the point.

Many of the Low Carb Dogma producers say vegetarian diets are unhealthy and high carbohydrate diets cause everything from elevated triglycerides, to high blood sugar, brain rotting and more.

I can say from my own experience eating a high carbohydrate, plant based diet for many years, I am healthy; And the people speaking about high carb diets being bad for your health, are speaking from a place of ignorance.

To be clear, if a person eats a high carbohydrate diet that consists of lots of flours, refined sugars, and oil, I’m sure it’s real UNHEALTHY for them.  Eating that way will have negative health consequences no matter what else you are eating.  But… Eating very high amounts of Carbohydrates from Fruits, Grains, Starchy Vegetables and Beans is not the same thing at all.

My blood test proves you can eat high carb and be extremely healthy.  My wife’s blood test was even better than mine.  That may be because I have had more dairy products than her, which is about to change.  You can learn about what I’m doing with Milk HERE.

For anyone who wants to know the actual results you can see them below or in the video on this page.

My Wife’s and My Blood Test Results For Cholesterol, Triglycerides and Blood Sugar:

Total Cholesterol

169 Me

144 Wife

HDL – Good Cholesterol

49 Me

68 Wife

LDL – Bad Cholesterol

106 Me

To Low To Measure Because Of Low Triglycerides Wife

Triglycerides

68 Me

Less Than 45 Wife

Total Cholesterol Ratio

3.5 Me

2.1 Wife

Fasting Blood Sugar

83 Me

77 Wife

If you know your numbers, you’ll be able to tell we are both in great health according to these measures of our cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar.

My wife’s scores are so good the testers wrote A+ on her report and called her a Rock Star.  Results beat theory when it comes to Reality.

I think it’s fair to say a high carbohydrate diet does not cause high blood sugar.  Do beware of eating lots of carbohydrates if you’re also consuming large amounts of fat in any form.  Dr. Doug Graham, who wrote the 80-10-10 Book says it’s the fat in the diet that keeps the sugar in your blood for too long, leading to high blood sugar levels and diabetes.

So…. Eat high carb and cut out most of the fat from your diet, and you’ll never have to worry about high blood sugar.

Please leave your comments for or against eating high Carb; or in any way related to this information below.

Get The Raw Food Afterthought Free.

No Milk… No Problem.

Is life without Milk BETTER?  I’m about to find out.  I’ve been completely vegan before, but it’s been a few years since I started consuming Dairy again.

You might know that I recently Quit Coffee, and I’m done with it forever.  You can read about that HERE if you want.  Well now, I’m going Without Milk for 30 days to see if I like life better without it.

Milk may have some benefits, but I’m not sure the good about Milk outweighs the bad.

Is Drinking Milk Good For You?

It’s not easy to determine whether or not milk is good for you if you look for the science that supports whether it’s good or not.  Actual studies seem very contradictory to each other.

If you look at websites for and against milk, you’ll read that Milk is either really bad for you or really good for you depending on where you are reading.

There’s no doubt in my mind that organic milk is better for you than commercial milk, and milk from grass fed cows is better for you than corn fed cows.

When it comes to commercial milk, you can be sure, the cows that produce it are mostly cows that receive rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone).  This hormone does affect the health of the cow, but most studies show rBGH specifically, does not seem to affect the health of humans, although more research is needed.

In cows rBGH causes their breast tissue to become engorged, it reduces their fertility and “increases their risk for clinical signs of lameness.”

The rBGH given to cows does increase the level of (IGF-1) Insulin Like Growth Hormone present in the milk they produce, which is a concern.

According to American Cancer Society there is a relationship between  IGF-1 and the growth of some tumors.  It’s also true that IGF-1 is still active after milk has been pasteurized, and it is absorbed, at least to some degree in our digestive tracts.  Be aware that IGF1 is also present in Organic Milk, but in smaller amounts.

Does Milk Create Stronger Bones?

One of the main reasons people think milk is good, is because it contains calcium, and calcium accounts for a good percentage of bone mass.

The interesting thing is, some studies show an increased risk of bone fractures in people who consume MORE milk; And people in countries where no milk is consumed do not have an increased risk of bone fractures.

What About Vitamin D Though; Doesn’t Milk Provide A Healthy Dose Of It?

Vitamin D is naturally present in Milk in very small amounts, but it’s not Vitamin D Rich in the least.  Most milks are fortified with Vitamin D, and that’s the reason you hear you need milk to get Vitamin D.

Vitamin A is also added to most store bought milk, and in the form of Vitamin A Palmitate or Retinol.  Too much Vitamin A in this form is linked to Osteoporosis and bone fractures.  You can get plenty of Vitamin A in a way that’s safe from eating Fruits and Vegetables.

What To Do About Milk?

Look for Raw and/or Organic Milk that’s not fortified if you’re going to drink it.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do long term about Milk.  I’m taking a break from it for now, and I may never drink milk again, or decide I’m alright with it.  I’ll let you know.

I do tend to agree with the people who say Milk from Cows is for baby Cows, and even the cows stop drinking it when they no longer need it.

My personal experience with Milk is that I don’t feel as good in general when I’m drinking it, but I’m not quite sure if it’s all bad for us.  I’ll keep you posted as my journey with or without milk continues.

Be sure to leave any comments, including criticisms you have about what’s written here, and Milk in general, below.

Learn About The Raw Food Afterthought Here.

Day 10 Of No Milk Here!

Are you a Coffee Drinker?  Ever wondered if Coffee was good for you or if you should quit drinking it?

As of September 23, 2013 I Quit Drinking Coffee, and will never drink it again.  I know some people say you should NEVER say Never, but I’ve decided it IS okay to Say NEVER!

I will Never Ever, Ever Drink Coffee Again!  But Why Quit Coffee?

Life is short and I have a very addictive nature.  I have abused myself with Coffee; and the way I’ve used it has definitely hurt my health.

The bottom line is, I want to TRADE my use of Coffee for something better; A Better Life, with better health.  I believe when you let go of something, you make room for something else in your life.

Coffee is something I’ve Loved for a long time, but no matter what the quality of Organic Coffee or Espresso I’ve drank, it always leads to me wanting MORE and feeling STRUNG Out!  I think Coffee is a Major Drug, and I’m all for people drinking it, if that’s what you choose to do, but don’t be Fooled.

Coffee is not All Good.  I know the usual stories about it….

• It’s full of Anti Oxidants!
• It Keeps Me Regular!
• I Love How It Makes Me Feel!

And the list goes on, but…..  There is a Dark side to Coffee, and I’m NOT referring to it’s color?

It causes you to feel good for a time, at the cost of feeling irritable later?  It makes a lot of people less patient.  It can cost you a lot of money.

There are a lot of other things that could be said about the negative effects of Coffee, but that’s not what this article is about, and I am NOT telling YOU to Quit Coffee.

I’m here to let you know, I Have Quit It, and I hope it’s motivating to you on some level.  I hope me Quitting Coffee will Inspire you to step out of your own comfort zone and do something Courageous.

Life is short, and all habits take your precious time.  Are there things you’d like to do that you are NOT Doing?

Maybe you can Create a habit in your life that will bring you more Joy.  Maybe you can stop doing something that’s causing you pain.

Coffee has caused me way too much Pain, and it’s time for it to go.  What’s even better than losing the pain coffee caused me is….

I’ve gained Personal POWER through making the NOT So Easy Decision to Quit Drinking Coffee Forever!

I still allow myself to have other More Healthful Caffeinated Beverages, Like Yerba Mate.  I may stop doing that at some point as well, but for now I’m fine with allowing myself that.  Although it has Caffeine, it doesn’t leave me feeling the way Coffee does, and it has a lot of beneficial nutrients.

So now you know why I quit coffee.  What will YOU Do?

Please leave your comments about Coffee; or ANYTHING related to this article below.

9/27/2013 Break Out Of Your Mold

Make 9/27/13 The Day You Became Free Of Your Own Self Limitations. 

Watch the video below to see how to make the MAGICAL transformation now.

Please Leave Your Comments Criticisms And Questions About This 9/27/13 Transformation Below.

Is it better to be vegan or vegetarian?  Can a person really be healthy as a vegetarian? Who should you listen to?

I’m glad you want to make the best choices for your own health, and I’m going to help you with those choices by sharing honestly with you.  I’m Sye Rodriguez and I’ve been a Vegetarian/Vegan for the last 17 years.

The main reason you’ll benefit from hearing what I have to say is…. I share the truth.  It’s taken me a long time to learn what I have about the plant based life style and even longer to learn how to share authentically.

At this point in my life one of the things that matters most is Being TRUE.  I have come to realize that most of the people out there only share what they want you to see.  I am also guilty of that to some degree and I’m here to remedy that.

If you know who I REALLY am, and what I do as a vegetarian, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions for yourself.

Should I Be Vegetarian Or Vegan?  Is Being Vegetarian Healthy?

First of all, you can be extremely healthy as a vegetarian, and my health has definitely improved over the years of being vegetarian and vegan.

But what’s better?  Being vegetarian or vegan.  I think the term vegetarian has gotten a bad rap over time, as many vegetarians are not healthy; And JUST being Vegetarian is not going to make you healthy.  Following certain practices as a vegetarian or vegan WILL make you more healthy.

I was vegan for many years, except that I ate Honey, and still do.  Now I also consume Dairy products from Cows and Goats, including Milk, Cream, Cheese and Yogurt.

I want this to be clear.  First I’m rethinking my Dairy consumption and considering going back to a Vegan diet.  Second..  Certain aspects of my health MAY have improved as a result of adding Dairy into my diet, but I may have gone backwards in other ways.

I was always pretty Lean as a VEGAN and I wanted to put on a little more muscle mass. Using Dairy has helped me to put on more muscle mass, but I’ve also gained a little fat.

I can also say, I’m not sure if Dairy is really responsible for any improvements in my health, as I also started to consume Vitamin D, and also Vitamin B12 as Methylcobalamin, around the same time as I started using Dairy.

Going from Vegan to Vegetarian was more about being free from the label of Vegan and wondering if my first child might benefit in any way from having Milk.  I also heard a kind of Famous Vegan say he had started using goats yogurt and his hormone levels changed for the better.  Since then he doesn’t use Goats yogurt regularly and follows a Vegan diet.

Now that I’ve stated there might be some benefits to using a little Dairy, I also want you to know it might be responsible for some negative health consequences as well.  I know it creates more mucus in the body at the very least.

I’ll keep you posted about where I go from here, but I want to make sure you know…. Going Vegetarian might be the very best choice you’ll ever make for your health.  I definitely don’t plan on eating meat again for a number of reasons.

Beyond your own health, being vegetarian is way better for the environment and health of the whole planet than a diet consisting of meat.

Another fact people often miss is this; Eating local, but still eating meat, is far worse for the environment than being vegetarian, and STILL eating food shipped from all over the world.

I know for a fact I’m healthier as a vegetarian than I was before becoming one.  I know there are better and worse ways of eating, whether or not you consume animals, and I can’t say that the very best vegetarian diet is better for your health than the very best diet which also has a small amount of animal consumption included.

I DO know you DON’T need to eat animals to be EXTREMELY healthy, and Heart Disease for one, is associated with animal consumption.

In conclusion I want to state, the main reason I made this article was to get more honest with you about who I am, and help you make better choices as a result.  You can be healthy as a Vegan or a Vegetarian, and doing it the right way is what’s going to help you get more healthy.

I’ll continue to share with you and help you along the way, whether you are vegetarian or not.  Please post your comments, criticisms and questions, even if think I’m an idiot and you hate me.