Veganism: healthy or not?

[Bardockey]

I personally believe that it depends on the particular diet of such vegan. However, I would claim that many vegans, and vegetarians do not eat a healthy diet.

I'm open for discussion of this or related topics. Perhaps we may learn something from each other.

[Revolutionary Rhapsody]

I think Vegan is an extreme diet and individuals should consult their doctor and/or a professional nutritionist to first make sure their body can survive at full capacity on such a diet, work out a transition plan, and then a full diet plan that covers how to get all the proper nutrients and vitamins and junk necessary.

But I would never do that s**t unless it was literally a life or death situation, I like McDonald's Chicken Nuggets too much, I'll never quite them.

[MiameMiame]

Unhealthy. Though it is possible to get enough calcium and vitamin B12 in a veganist diet, people would usually have to turn to vitamin pills. Veganism is nothing for me.

[Maxxxipad]

It wasn't healthy for me because I'm anemic. I've tried with and without vitamins to be both vegan and vegetarian, but ended up too weak to leave my bed both times. It was not fun… And to think all I wanted was to help animals and clear my skin in the process. I must be doomed…

I know healthy vegetarians though who've been vegetarian for years without issues. Wish I was them!

IMO the only time a vegetarian/vegan is unhealthy besides what happened to me is the pushy mindset. I know that very few are this way but it's like how certain religious types force their beliefs on you, trying to make you feel guilty. Like, seriously, it's not my fault that I could die if I stop eating meat. Wtf.

[Halseleh]

As long as people are open to a wide variety of fruit and veggies, veganism can be healthy. Vitamins are essential, too.

[Bardockey]

Milady Alluca

I think Vegan is an extreme diet and individuals should consult their doctor and/or a professional nutritionist to first make sure their body can survive at full capacity on such a diet, work out a transition plan, and then a full diet plan that covers how to get all the proper nutrients and vitamins and junk necessary.

But I would never do that s**t unless it was literally a life or death situation, I like McDonald's Chicken Nuggets too much, I'll never quite them.

I agree, one should consult professional opinion on if a diet is safe in relation to their own physiology, and see a dietitian to set up a meal plan to maintain as close to optimal nutrition as possible on any unusual diet. Particularly if such individual is not confident in his/her knowledge about nutrition and biology. This would insure that the mass majority of people who drastically want to change their diet would not end up in failure. In fact, I would claim that most, if not, all people who fail on a vegan diet due to adverse health effects was due to lack of structure and lack of knowledge.

There are even physicians with an N.D. degree and most dietitians who are more open to the idea and actually more educated on the matter.

I don't eat McDonald's anymore but when I did man, the chicken nuggets and the egg Mc muffin was the s**t. lol

But anyway, my second claim is that not only would people not fail on a well structured vegan plan, but would be providing their body with an optimal dietary regimen in respect to their general and specific human adapted biology.

[Bardockey]

Maxxxipad

It wasn't healthy for me because I'm anemic. I've tried with and without vitamins to be both vegan and vegetarian, but ended up too weak to leave my bed both times. It was not fun… And to think all I wanted was to help animals and clear my skin in the process. I must be doomed…

I know healthy vegetarians though who've been vegetarian for years without issues. Wish I was them!

IMO the only time a vegetarian/vegan is unhealthy besides what happened to me is the pushy mindset. I know that very few are this way but it's like how certain religious types force their beliefs on you, trying to make you feel guilty. Like, seriously, it's not my fault that I could die if I stop eating meat. Wtf.

I agree with your last statement. It's quite annoying when one pushes a belief on someone else. I believe in education and then allowing a person to make their own choice. However, I was not always like this. There was a time not too far in the past (5 years ago. Damn, has it been that long already? I'm getting old. sad ) that I was like the people we speak of. I did not so much want to make people feel guilty, but I desperately wanted them to see the way I did. I thought that if they knew what I knew and if they cared about themselves that they would implement it into their lives. So it frustrated me. But now I Just want people to know the truth and choose for themselves.

That's unfortunate that you live with anemia. If you don't mind elaborating more about your condition, I would very much enjoy to hear about it. As I am anemic as well.
Maybe we can talk about our conditions like old war buddies or some such thing. lol

[Bardockey]

MiameMiame

Unhealthy. Though it is possible to get enough calcium and vitamin B12 in a veganist diet, people would usually have to turn to vitamin pills. Veganism is nothing for me.

Care to elaborate on, "Veganism is nothing for me"?
I'm not sure what you mean exactly.

[Bardockey]

Halseleh

As long as people are open to a wide variety of fruit and veggies, veganism can be healthy. Vitamins are essential, too.

100% agree. However I'm a little unsure what you mean by, "Vitamins are essential, too." Are you referring to supplements or just vitamins in general?

[Maxxxipad]

Bardockey

Maxxxipad

It wasn't healthy for me because I'm anemic. I've tried with and without vitamins to be both vegan and vegetarian, but ended up too weak to leave my bed both times. It was not fun… And to think all I wanted was to help animals and clear my skin in the process. I must be doomed…

I know healthy vegetarians though who've been vegetarian for years without issues. Wish I was them!

IMO the only time a vegetarian/vegan is unhealthy besides what happened to me is the pushy mindset. I know that very few are this way but it's like how certain religious types force their beliefs on you, trying to make you feel guilty. Like, seriously, it's not my fault that I could die if I stop eating meat. Wtf.

I agree with your last statement. It's quite annoying when one pushes a belief on someone else. I believe in education and then allowing a person to make their own choice. However, I was not always like this. There was a time not too far in the past (5 years ago. Damn, has it been that long already? I'm getting old. sad ) that I was like the people we speak of. I did not so much want to make people feel guilty, but I desperately wanted them to see the way I did. I thought that if they knew what I knew and if they cared about themselves that they would implement it into their lives. So it frustrated me. But now I Just want people to know the truth and choose for themselves.

That's unfortunate that you live with anemia. If you don't mind elaborating more about your condition, I would very much enjoy to hear about it. As I am anemic as well.
Maybe we can talk about our conditions like old war buddies or some such thing. lol

Haha, the war on anemia!

My Dad had anemia and was always super mega skinny as am I. Every time I go in for blood tests my doctor tells me I have anemia because I lack red blood cells (iron deficiency). I have been prescribed medical-grade iron supplements and changed my diet to have more iron, but even with all this I've never cured my anemia. Many people tell me that you can cure anemia but my father could never cure his and took iron supplements and ate LOTS of food with iron.

The reason I became vegetarian the first time was b/c my bffs were and I spent all my time with them and lived with them for a while. I didn't eat meat for a week and felt weaker each day. One day I woke up for school and still felt tired. I tried to push myself up in bed but I couldn't even do that let alone stand. I yelled "Mommmmm" and it was like a faint whisper I felt so weak. I ate meat, peanut butter, and spinach for 3 days and basically went back to normal.

Also I felt like throwing up constantly and my stomach hurt very badly when I was on both the vegetarian and vegan diet.

This part is very personal and trigger about ED so read at own risk…

I was very self conscious a year ago and depressed. I developed an ED and the feeling of weakness I got from that felt the same as when I attempted to go vegetarian. I couldn't get out of bed and everything was kinda dreamy/blurring when I was awake.

I'm sure it's an amazing diet for some but for me my body just can't handle it cry
Anemia sucks man.

[MiameMiame]

Bardockey

MiameMiame

Unhealthy. Though it is possible to get enough calcium and vitamin B12 in a veganist diet, people would usually have to turn to vitamin pills. Veganism is nothing for me.

Care to elaborate on, "Veganism is nothing for me"?
I'm not sure what you mean exactly.

Well I like meat, I like dairy (yoghurt, cheese, butter for example) and I regularly eat food with eggs in it. I can't picture not eating this stuff so veganism is not for me.

I was raised vegetarian and stayed vegetarian until I was 14. I tried it out, found out about meat and now my mom and me (my mom was a religious vegetarian) changed our ways and we both eat meat regularly. I love chicken heart

EDIT: A diet that involves me having to take extra vitamin supplements isn't for me. I rather eat the real deal.

[Toxilicks]

It can be somewhat safe if managed properly so the person won't suffer malnutrition.

[Nurse Kipsie]

I was anemic, too, before and after vegetarianism.
I began to eat a lot of leafy greens (I could eat half of a 1 pound bag per day) and I felt better.

[Pikkewyn]

I think it depends as well. It can be healthy, and it can be unhealthy. It is easy to get too little nutrients from such a diet.
Some people also claim that a vegan diet is healthier than a diet with meat, or even vegetarian diet. I disagree with this as well. It can be healthier, but as with vegan, there are healthy and unhealthy diets with meat/animal derived products.
I know vegan or vegetarian didn't work for me. It might work in the future, but I cannot handle that diet right now due to health reasons.