Reply To This Post         Return to Posts Index           VegSource Home

From:	miffy (cpe-66-65-62-16.nyc.res.rr.com)
Subject:	Re: Vegan since August
Date:	March 21, 2008 at 8:40 am PST

In Reply to: Vegan since August posted by Joan on March 19, 2008 at 4:31 pm:

Hi Joan. Without seeing a detailed listing of the foods you're consuming, my guess is that you're eating some or all of the following: packaged snack foods (cookies, crackers, chips, popcorn, pretzels, etc.); foods made of refined white flour (pasta, bread, other baked goods); oil (any kind of oil, even the supposedly "healthy" ones--used in salad dressing or as an ingredient in cooking); anything fried; more than 1 or 2 oz of nuts/seeds per day; nut butters; refined-flour and/or sugary cereals (even if the sugar is cane juice, fruit juice, or something similar); restaurant food. I could go on and on (well, I kind of did, anyway!), but I think you're getting the picture.

You made a terrific choice by going vegan. Just eliminating dairy from your diet is an incredibly positive thing to do for your health. Now it's time to learn some more about nutrition.

Here are a few books that are extremely helpful:
"The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell
"Eat to Live," by Joel Fuhrman, m.d.
"Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease," by Caldwell Esselstyn, m.d.

I know that a couple of those titles sound like dry, dull stuff you'd never look at, but all 3 of the above books are fascinating, engrossing reads. The Esselstyn book contains excellent recipes.

Also, check out Dr. McDougall's forums--especially the one hosted by Jeff Novick, a tremendously knowledgeable dietitian. Novick also has his own website. Dr. Fuhrman's site requires a fee, which is a shame, since there's a lot of valuable info there that a person might like to look at for a couple of days without paying, however, you can download one issue of his newsletter for free if you go there for a visit, so find one on a topic you're really interested in and get it.

Basically, if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables (the veggies can be raw or steamed), beans and legumes, a maximum of 1 oz/day of raw nuts/seeds, a daily maximum of 1 cup of whole grains and/or starchy veggies, and eliminate all oils and added salt (I mention these 2 things because they're something people automatically add to their food), you will definitely lose weight.

There are many detailed descriptions of Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live program in many places on the web--just do a quick search. I have personally found this style of eating to be most effective in losing and maintaining weight loss. Other people prefer the Dr. McDougall approach, which incorporates more starchy vegetables and whole grains and less fruit and nuts. You may want to try out both plans and see what best suits you.

If you have any questions, ask away. I'll make sure to check back.

--miffy--

Reply To This Post         Return to Posts Index           VegSource Home