Sorry it's been a while since I've updated. Life has just happened. I've had several more tests since my sleep study but don't have the results of those yet. I will keep everyone posted as to what the Dr says about those.
A few weeks ago we watched a documentary called "Forks over Knifes" which led us to watching "Food, Inc." and then we watched "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." All three of these were very interesting. What we took from these is that our eating habits are what cause us to be sick, fat, lethargic and so forth. So after watching these, Marty and I decided we were gonna change the way we ate. We cut out all meats, dairy, sugar and most caffeine. We have eaten meat twice since we stopped almost 4 weeks ago. It is amazing the way I feel after changing. We eat mostly vegan, but will occasionally stray to Vegetarian.
I have lost almost 15 lbs since doing this, and I think most of it is the the cokes I cut out. I plan to continue to eat this way even after I have my surgery. The whole point of my surgery is for me to be healthy, and this new way of healthy eating is only going to help me in the long run. I love that my husband is doing it with me because I know he is getting healthier too. He has lost almost 20 lbs since we started. I guess that's it for now.. I will update again soon. Thanks for reading!
Hey honey... as a former vegetarian I think I should tell you that it is actually not a healthy way to eat... it's depriving your body of some serious nutrients that you desperately need- vegan is very dangerous... you're basically starving yourself.... if you want more info I'm sure my hubby could get you some facts... he knows a lot about nutrition. If you want to continue being a vegan that's up to you, but I can't NOT say something.
ReplyDeleteHey Sarai! This isn't an attack on you or on any way of life, but I would like more information on what exactly is dangerous with a vegan diet, or vegetarian diet for that matter. I'm just curious, and would like to gain knowledge on the subject. It seems I keep reading exactly the opposite of what you are saying.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I'm not real sure that our diet would be considered as the classic "vegan" diet. It should really be described as a "Vegetable & whole foods diet". We're trying to eat foods that haven't been processed, or not processed as much. We eat whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, etc. I know I can go out into the world and find oats in their natural state. So we try to get food as close to its natural state as possible. Fresh (or frozen) veggies, fresh (or frozen) fruits, etc etc...
For a few millennium, humans have survived on raw and natural foods. They strived to find enough food to survive, and just trying to survive was considerably more exercise than most people get now days. Combine that with the fact that they were consuming far less calories than most of us do today, and you can see that humans didn't have an obesity problem until food became plentiful, mass produced and processed.
I agree, the vegan diet CAN be dangerous. I mean technically doughnuts, French fries, corn chips, and lollipops can be considered vegan if they contain vegetable oil instead of butter or lard. But I think we'd all agree that those foods aren't healthy. However, we choose plant foods... vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, etc.
People always ask "How are you getting your protein without eating meat?" Simple... beans and supplements. What these same people don't realize is that there are many chronic ailments associated with high consumption of meat. Heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes, etc. This is because meat, especially red meat, though high in protein, is also high in saturated fat. Saturated fat has been linked to higher cholesterol, including higher levels of LDLs (bad cholesterol). In fact, in 1996, the American Cancer Society recommended in their dietary guidelines that Americans should “choose beans as an alternative to meat.”
I'm not sure how eating a vegan-like diet with lots of fresh veggies, fruits, and stuff can be any more dangerous than being 28 years old, on oxygen at night, blood pressure meds, and a BMI that is almost off the end of the scale... Am I missing something obvious?