Vegan for a month

[cookie1]

Thanks from me too. I love some of their raw sweet things.

[Emily Mum of 4]

Hi everyone,
Just letting you know how it's all going....
We have been completely vegan for 2 weeks now and I'm really encouraged to continue. We have far more energy and my husband who is a house restumper and trains in brazillian jiu jitsu twice a week (ie very physical)  feels great and has energy he needs. The big thing was that I had to give him carbs for energy needs. He has also lost 5kgs. He still craves junk but I bought some vegan chocolate and have been making heaps of stuff. I couldn't do it without thermie.
For breakfasts we are having baked beans on toast with avocado instead of butter, or porridge, which I do by grating an Apple in thermie before adding 100gms oats and 400gms water and cooking 10 mins reverse speed 1 on 100 degrees. We have this with brown sugar and coconut cream (definately not counting calories!). I also have been finely grating different veggies like carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, capsicum and spinach, slicing some mushrooms and cooking that in olive oil and serving it on toast with avocado and tomato.
Teas have been veggie burgers, the pumpkin curry in vegetarian tmx cookbook, orange and lentil soup in the same, vegetable curries and I found some evaporated soy in a tin so I combined that with a tomato soup, grated veggies and macaroni and baked that in the oven with sliced tomato and yeast flakes sprinkled on top.
It was really easy to make my own coconut yoghurt and I'm finding that I have pretty much all of the ingredients on hand to make a meal, which is fantastic.
Lunches have been leftovers and salads.
Sometimes it's hard, like when I'm tired and don't want to think, but in all I'm really glad to be doing it, we feel terrific. I'll continue to update but just wanted to now while I'm sitting down.

[ElleG]

Emily, your food sounds great. I am going to try some of your menu  ideas.

I was very interested in your comment that you found it very easy to make coconut yoghurt. Could you please share your recipe? I have tried to make it quite a few times, and never get the 'mouth feel' right.

Thanks

[cookie1]

I'm glad it is going well for you Emily Mum of 4.

[mrsb]

Sounds like you're doing really well. Well done.

[Cuilidh]

Once you settle in to it, a vegan diet is not really any harder than a "normal" diet ... you just have to take time to figure out and learn your nutritional requirements etc. and it's pretty straightforward.

[Wonder]

We'll done Emily sounds like you are going really well.

[meganjane]

Sounds great Emily! I adore Wholefood Simply and have made a few of her recipes. Janella Purcell is another one I follow on FB. I have her book and there's some good recipes. I also love Good Chef, Bad Chef on Foxtel.
Just Eat Real Food is another FB page I enjoy following. Once you start, there's so many out there!

[Emily Mum of 4]

Hi, well we successfully ate vegan for a month and my hubby was alcohol free as well. A few things happened:
Hubby went from 101kgs to 94 kgs without counting any calories. He was eating lots of coconut cream, avocados and vegan chocolate on weekends.
I went from 71kgs to 66.5kgs.
My daughter's eczema really settled down, even though I haven't been forcing vegan on the kids they have been eating the same evening meal as us.
I have a lot less bloating.
Hubby who is a tradesman (house restumper - hard work) and martial artist has actually had more energy and has not felt lethargic at all, which was my worry. He has been performing better in grappling - even more so than the guy who is on a high protein diet to lose weight.
I'm finding it harder now because I'm running out of meal ideas, so I think we'll go through a soup, bread and salad phase for a while.
Our weekly shop has been reduced from $170 to around $100 - $120 for our family of six (with two teenage boys).
Here's my coconut yoghurt recipe:
1 litre coconut milk (I use the ayam brand and use more coconut cream than milk)
Heat in tmx to 80degrees and add 2 tab tapioca flour and 1.5 tab maple syrup and stir. Cool to 37 degrees. Remove 1/2 cup and add 2 teaspoons probiotic powder. Sir then mix back in.
Pour into warmed thermoserver and ferment 7 - 9 hours. Will thicken in refrigerator.
It's not cheap, but a 400ML Coyo (my favourite brand) sets me back $10.50 so making it is definitely cheaper.

[Emily Mum of 4]

Oh and something else I learned: our protein need is highly overrated. The effect of too much protein in our diet means that acidity levels are raised and the body must then raise alkaline levels to compensate and maintain equilibrium - it does this by breaking down calcium in the bones.
Studies have shown that the Inuit people consume the highest protein and calcium diet (through consumption of fish bones), yet they have the highest percentage of osteoporosis. Animal protein is only 50 percent processed by the body with the remainder creating by product in the body, whereas plant protein and breastmilk protein is 100 percent processed.
Given that cow's milk is technically a protein food also, the bad may outweigh the good.
Anyway, I'm only posting this because there were people interested in the nutrition aspect, I certainly think each to their own with dietary choices - the last thing I ever want to do is pass judgement on people because they choose to eat meat or dairy - hubby wants to stay vegan but who knows, we may have meat again.

[ElleG]

Emily, sounds like a very successful trial month! We are currently eating more vegetarian meals, some are vegan and enjoying them. Don't think I have your will power to continue only on them, however I admire you for planning to do so.

 Thanks for sharing your coconut yogurt recipe. On the to do list.

This thread has helped with some good recipe and websites. 

[mrsb]

Oh and something else I learned: our protein need is highly overrated. The effect of too much protein in our diet means that acidity levels are raised and the body must then raise alkaline levels to compensate and maintain equilibrium - it does this by breaking down calcium in the bones.
Studies have shown that the Inuit people consume the highest protein and calcium diet (through consumption of fish bones), yet they have the highest percentage of osteoporosis. Animal protein is only 50 percent processed by the body with the remainder creating by product in the body, whereas plant protein and breastmilk protein is 100 percent processed.
Given that cow's milk is technically a protein food also, the bad may outweigh the good.
Anyway, I'm only posting this because there were people interested in the nutrition aspect, I certainly think each to their own with dietary choices - the last thing I ever want to do is pass judgement on people because they choose to eat meat or dairy - hubby wants to stay vegan but who knows, we may have meat again.

Completely agree with this.

Sounds like you have done so well. Congrats!

[Emily Mum of 4]

Thanks mrsb! I'm currently making salads to keep in the fridge to make assorted salad boxes for our lunch. I've found some great recipes for salads that I'll have to share. I've liked some vegan Facebook pages and I love getting their daily recipes. Really helps.

[cookie1]

I'm glad your month has been successful for you. You are all to be congratulated.

[Cuilidh]

Well done with the experiment.  Sounds like you have had a really positive experience.

Just as a matter of interest.  My husband suddenly developed excema some years ago - it was driving him crazy and he was on all sorts of medications / creams to treat it when, quite by chance, he discovered that it was dairy causing the problem.  He is now completely off dairy products and his excema has cleared up completely.  He is so happy!!