Vegan Forum

I would like to learn more about a vegan diet. Is there a really good website that you know of?
I have many questions!

Is is safe? What studies show that it is, or is not?
What vitamins do you take on a vegan diet?
and what do you do if you are going to eat at a restaurant!? (red lobster!)
Do vegans eat any fish?
or do vegans eat only "raw" foods?

thanks everyone!

It is safe as long as you take vitamin B12, you can find more about it on http://veganhealth.org

When I eat at restaurant I usually ask for foods without animal ingridients, fortunatelly I live in a country where majority are Orthodox Christians and Orthodox Lent is almost vegan (with exception of honey) and most restaurants at least during Lent will offer vegan foods.
No, vegan don't eat fish or any other animal products, and try exclude from use any other animal products, like leather.

Vegans eat also cooked foods, there is raw food-ism, but I think it's a little bit extreme

It's not only safe...it is better for your health. But yes, you do need to make sure you are getting B12 and a few other vitamins and minerals. As it turns out, if you add nutritional yeast and sea vegetables to your vegan diet, then chances are you will be pretty well covered for everything.

Restaurants are an interesting opportunity/delimna, depending on how you look at it. My wife and I are vegan, so we do look for restaurants that will accommodate. However, there are times we want to be with family or we want to eat at specific restaurants who are not as accommodating. In that case, we do the best that we can. I doubt is perfect and lives a completely vegan lifestyle, but the point is not purity...the point is to make an impact and to encourage others to do the same...for the sake of the animals, the environment, and health.

So I recommend you don't get caught up in perfection, especially if it means putting out a waiter or a restaurant. Instead, be nice, order the best you can, and don't get upset if things go wrong. If a little cheese gets in your salad, don't worry about it. Send the message that you are vegan (if/when you choose to be) and that you are not so strict to make people uncomfortable.

As far as raw foods are concerned, there is a lot of benefit to them, and some even taste great...but then you really can't go to restaurants (unless you are fortunate enough to live in an area that has restaurants serving raw foods). At that point, you aren't saving anymore animals, but maybe you will impact saving the earth, and your health will be a little better...but only minimally in both cases.

Maybe not the answers you were looking for...but something to think about.

Yes! It is very safe. I would recommend the book The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.

VeganMainstream wrote:Yes! It is very safe. I would recommend the book The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.

My wife has read that book...she has quoted it or referred to it often. It's awesome! I still need to dive in.

I think one of the best websites for people considering a vegan diet is http://www.goveg.com/ It has a lot of great information and advice.

Yes, a vegan diet is safe.

As mentioned it's important to make sure you're getting enough Vitamin B12. Most vegan products are fortified with vitamins and minerals, so if you're eating a healthy well balanced diet you may not even need to take supplements. I never take supplements and my doctor says I'm in perfect health.

When I eat out, I do a lot of research. I look at menus online and go to websites like http://www.happycow.net and http://www.vegdining.com to find vegan and vegan friendly restaurants in certain areas.

No, vegans do not eat fish.

Many vegans have adopted a raw lifestyle, but it is not necessary to be raw if you're vegan.

Hope that helps

Very helpful topic. Thanks for sharing.

A vegan diet is safe once you understand the basic parameters of the essential components and then apply them regularly. This is actually quite easy once you really get into it. I have been vegan for 6 years now and it is extremely enjoyable. My health has increased dramatically due to this change.

Dr. Gabriel Cousens has done extensive research on thousands of successful vegans at the Tree of Life Rejuventation Center.

Websites like vegansociety(dot)com give great information on the holistic nature of veganism and detailed advice on how to get started.

Vegan vitamin and mineral powders such as Vitamineral Green from Health Force Nutritionals are a nice thing to take occasionally, and when you are starting a vegan diet. That being said, a balanced and varied vegan diet is extremely high in vitamins and minerals, so you really should not need to supplement very often.

Yeah, red lobster would not be my first choice for vegan foods. Even though you may not always want one, vegan salads are actually pretty easy to come by at a restaurant. This is often what I do when I am out with friends. I have learned over the years that I need to let go of my shyness and just let the waiter/waitress know that I don't eat any animal products and then modify any meals to make them vegan.

Vegans eat a wide variety of plant based foods such as nuts, seeds, vegetables, greens, fruits, seaweeds, herbs, legumes, grains, and sprouts. These can be cooked or raw. I personally eat a mixture of raw and cooked foods. By the way, there are some good vegan mock tuna recipes out there.

Eating in restaurants maybe so tempting but as you undergo being vegan, you will not notice those resto anymore... This isn't about eating raw food only, but not eating meat or anything that comes from animals, fish is one of them... Just be sure to take supplements especially for vitamin b12...