Struggling to be a healthy vegan

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Permalink Reply by Brad M on February 16, 2011 at 9:51am

I am unsure about the actual health... but what I can tell you is that the acne passes. I experienced it for a week or two when I first started. I don't know why it is... maybe an increase in natural sugars... I don't know. But that aspect does pass.

 

Sorry I can't be of more assistance.

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Permalink Reply by Chelsey on February 16, 2011 at 10:19am

I appreciate it Brad. I guess I'm being a little overly dramatic about it, but I'm just sick of not being able to convince people that veganism is healthy. I'm also sick of being sick.

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Permalink Reply by Chelsey on February 16, 2011 at 11:45am

Thank you so much Pam, that is great advice. I'm definitely going to try to make a food diary so that I can evaluate my diet and see how it can be improved. It's a slow process, but I've been trying to improve my eating habits within the past year. Only recently have I been feeling so dissatisfied with my vegan diet. I thought it would be the opposite! I'm a member of a CSA program so I get lots of seasonal organic veggies. I also recently cut out all white grains and pasta. Maybe I just need to give it some time but it seems like I looked better and felt better when I was vegetarian (and ate junk food). But I really appreciate the advice, thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Chelsey on February 17, 2011 at 10:39am

Thank you Pam! I know I was being overly dramatic about the whole thing and I'm actually starting to feel better! I think my problem is that I'm just too stressed out all the time... Juggling work and school and having to cook every meal is a lot to handle. Thanks for all you guys' advice! I've never heard of a naturopath (I'm not sure if there's one here in Mobile) but I will definitely look into it.

Thanks again,

Chelsey

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Permalink Reply by Lilah on February 18, 2011 at 8:59pm

If you're stressed out, that can be a factor too.  Stress causes physical damage, not only psychological.  So find ways to ease your mind and it may help to ease your body too :)

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Permalink Reply by Frances Worster on February 20, 2011 at 3:41pm

I'm an Occupational Therapist, and some things stand out to me here:

Yes, stress can be a BIG factor in feeling well or not. Also, consider your environments. I used to work with a woman who couldn't work in our office building as she was having a reaction to the building itself. All of us in the office would get affected (headaches, lethargy, cold symptoms), but her reactions were quite extreme. Could there be a mold issue or something? If you are drinking water, exercising, actively pursuing stress relief (something I struggle to do), eating "purely", getting enough sleep, and pursuing a balanced lifestyle, you may want to consider an environmental factor. Alternately, maybe your illness is your body trying to tell you that something is out of balance in your life. This is what commonly happens to me.
I know you are making levity, but framing yourself as unhealthy, fat, (is it? the diary will help you assess this), OR ugly is not true in the least, and could be a sign of underlying emotional issues. I would recommend you try to find a trainer/nutritionist/mentor/friend/(or hey, an OT!), someone who can help you identify your goals and find the activities or information to help you attain those goals. Without being able to speak to you in person, it's hard to give more advice than that, (ie. what is sick? what are your symptoms? Do they hit peaks and valleys during the day/week/month/year? What are the thoughts you regularly think about yourself?)
A BIG question: what do you do throughout the day and week that you truly LOVE? What do you do for you that makes you feel good? Just like a % of a person's paycheck should go to a future (retirement, house, etc.), a % of your time should be an investment in your happiness and well-being.
Make a list, what are the areas in your life that you are not happy about? For each item, what are three manageable steps you can make? Sometimes we avoid issues that seem overwhelming, but they remain in our minds, stressing us out. If you need to reach out for help to address these issues, who can you contact? Six degrees of separation, even if you don't know someone personally, someone you know will know someone who can help you. Of course, the internet is also great if you are feeling isolated in Alabama.
Additionally, While Thrive was one of the first books I bought when I became vegan and gluten-free, I don't follow the Thrive diet. I use a lot of the fundamentals of the Thrive diet, but do not eat so much in the way of fats for example. Brendan created the Thrive diet by experimenting with his own body, and discovering what worked best for his chemistry and lifestyle. You have your very own experiment!! Try simplifying your foods and seeing how they make you feel.
Much love!!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Woodruff on February 24, 2011 at 1:12pm

There are a few vegan's I know who have similar problems and I always wondered why this was because when I switched my diet I never had any problems whatsoever.  Two of the reasons I believe they had problems were; carrying on eating rubbish and other stress inducing foods/drinks; and not doing any exercise whatsoever. This was to varying degrees in the people I know.

 

For me I believe the transition was so easy because at the same time I started doing a lot more exercise and ate the right food at the right times of day that complemented how I exercised and lived my life.

 

But as one of the above posts states...it is all about what works best for you... I say this to everyone who asks me how to lose weight or how to get fit. Some people will have supreme success off the Atkins diet, although that is still debatable, but it is definitely what works best for you. Fortunately for me I struck lucky first time round and haven't had to go back to the drawing board yet. Plus I follow the 5 habits quite strictly that Brendan posted in thrive in 30 and that made a huge difference for me even though it is quite simple.

 

I don't know if that helps, and just to add my health comes above all else...above any belief or ideology i have, above work, above relationships etc etc. Two things you can always keep to yourself and be selfish about are your mind and your health...always invest heavily in them.

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Permalink Reply by Maria Rippo on February 24, 2011 at 4:39pm

Erin, you are brilliant. Yes, we all need to get blood work done so we can KNOW what is going on instead of guessing. I did raw/vegan for a few years and I did really well for a while and then my health began to suffer, gaining weight, acne, fatigue, ridged nails, tooth ache. My body was not absorbing all that good nutrition. I fought it, but then found that good animal fats did the trick. I know you don't want to hear that, but raw butter, cod liver oil and bone broth changed everything. I so did not want to go that route. After hearing THe Great Health Debate, every vegan on there said that it is very difficult to be a healthy vegan and that you have to be super vigilant. So, yes, get that blood work and see where your deficiencies are, especially VIt. D3 and B12. Are you eating enough fat and not too much fruit? Finding out your metabolic type is a good thing to do too. Gabriel Cousens goes into great detail about that in Conscious Eating. Even he says it's hard work to be a healthy vegan. Are you eating fermented foods? You can make vegan kefirs. I found that raw milk kefir is an amazingly healing food.
Erin Gionet said:

Hi Chelsey,

 

I am coming up on my one-year anniveresary of switching to this diet (from a clean, omivorous one) at the end of March.  I have definitely done some fine-tuning during that time to see what combination of nutrients works best for my body.  One thing that has been really helpful for me is seeing a naturopathic doctor.  She has been able to look at my health in the big picture, and identify where I was experiencing some imbalances that we were able to address through diet, supplements and homeopathic remedies.

 

Good luck and keep us posted :)

Erin   

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Permalink Reply by L.J. on February 26, 2011 at 4:05pm

Hi Chelsey,

Your situation is not caused by the vegan diet. Don't worry, once you address this problem you will be able to be very healthy as a vegan provided you eat a nutritious diet (if you've read Thrive, you're well on your way). Secondly, I've experienced something similar to your condition. I'm not a doctor but I did learn a few things along the way that may help you address your situation:

a) A vegan diet, especially when 100% or mostly raw, will not result in the symptoms you are experiencing. A proper vegan diet, especially a 100% raw vegan diet, will result in extreme vitality and health. I have first hand experience with both extremes - being an unhealthy vegetarian for many years and having optimal health that enables me to perform athletically under a 100% raw vegan diet.

b) I don't believe you can have a "bad immune system". Maybe it's weak as a result of some previous habits but it can be restored, if that is in fact your condition. Getting sick regularly doesn't mean you have a bad or weak immune system either. It means your body has a high level of toxicity that may be impacting your immune system in a negative way and it's manifesting in frequent disease. I would suggest that toxins are the root problem, not your immune system and that you getting sick is your body's way of wanting to clear out those toxins.

c) When you replace processed and toxic foods with natural foods, your body can often go through a detox phase. Sometimes this can last a few days, sometimes a few weeks. Sometimes toxins are released into your body and if not properly addressed, they could result in ongoing symptoms such as the ones you're experiencing.

d) IMO, your acne is the telltale of the points I made above. When your elimination organs (colon, kidneys and liver primarily) are clogged up and overburdened with toxins as a result of prolonged periods of poor diet or improper management of detoxification, your body uses your skin to eliminate toxins. Your dermatologist won't tell you this because he wants to sell you antibiotic creams but whenever your skin looks less than healthy and especially when it's breaking out, it's because your organs cannot function properly and your body then uses your skin to eliminate toxins.

In my experience, the single most effective way to deal with this situation is to go on a cleanse. When I was experiencing similar symptoms to yours, I tried many different cleanses. The herbal ones sold at natural stores proved to be a complete waste of time. Maybe they work for regular maintenance but when you get to your stage, the way to properly address your condition is through deep cleansing. I highly recommend you look into doing the Master Cleanse for no less than three weeks. Should you chose to do it, please research it extensively (buy book(s), don't rely on info on the web) to make sure you do it properly as using the wrong ingredients, omitting steps or not mixing it properly will not produce the desired results. Finishing with probiotics is an extremely important part of the process, especially for someone in your situation. Going through this process will enable your body to rid itself of all the toxins that are triggering disease and allow your organs the opportunity to restore themselves. You will lose excess weight (lots and rapidly) and within about a week or two after the cleanse, your skin will look clear and radiant. I've done this several times so I'm speaking from experience. And BTW, these are only some of the benefits you will experience...there are many more. :)

Best of luck and let me know if I can be of further help.

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Permalink Reply by L.J. on February 26, 2011 at 4:19pm

With all due respect, as someone who has been veg for 32 years, the statements you made are ill informed. You do not, in any way whatsoever, need animal products to thrive. Animal products are by and large a hindrance to good health. Anyone who is not experiencing optimal health under a vegan diet simply hasn't done their homework. Please don't take this as a judgement...it's not. I was unhealthy for some time under veg diet and it's taken me time to educate myself about proper nutrition. But let's be clear, poor health has to do with lack of understanding/knowledge about nutrition not veg vs. meat diet. Your post is filled with misinformation, the myth about B12 deficiency being a clear example. And let me save you some time, it's not because our bodies are different. We're all fundamentally the same and good/bad nutrition impacts everyone the same. If you had a poor experience under a vegan diet, it's simply because you didn't address your nutrition properly. Lastly, it is not difficult in any way whatsoever. Quite the opposite. My diet is much simpler than any meat eater would hope to achieve. I don't have the need for blood tests nor do I have any health issues to be concerned about. Information is key.

Maria Rippo said:

Erin, you are brilliant. Yes, we all need to get blood work done so we can KNOW what is going on instead of guessing. I did raw/vegan for a few years and I did really well for a while and then my health began to suffer, gaining weight, acne, fatigue, ridged nails, tooth ache. My body was not absorbing all that good nutrition. I fought it, but then found that good animal fats did the trick. I know you don't want to hear that, but raw butter, cod liver oil and bone broth changed everything. I so did not want to go that route. After hearing THe Great Health Debate, every vegan on there said that it is very difficult to be a healthy vegan and that you have to be super vigilant. So, yes, get that blood work and see where your deficiencies are, especially VIt. D3 and B12. Are you eating enough fat and not too much fruit? Finding out your metabolic type is a good thing to do too. Gabriel Cousens goes into great detail about that in Conscious Eating. Even he says it's hard work to be a healthy vegan. Are you eating fermented foods? You can make vegan kefirs. I found that raw milk kefir is an amazingly healing food.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Woodruff on February 27, 2011 at 2:49pm

Just to add to LJ's post... I used to suffer from migraine and always without fail get sick through the winter with a cold or sore throat and contract some sort of stomach bug a couple of times a year. Since I eliminated all animal products from my food 6 months ago I haven't been ill at all not even one headache, no dry skin, no spots, no fatigue, nothing! I live off 6 hours sleep a night and do not need any sort of stimulants to keep me going through  the day.

 

I lost 5 stone in those 6 months, now I'm at my ideal weight. I don't know of any other way of eating that will make you lose weight as quickly, efficiently, effectively and as healthy as this. I've heard so many stories about weight loss programs and they sound so hard to stick to with all that calorie counting! My sister is obsessed with calories! Its hard to get started, I understand that, but now it is my life and I find it real easy now, its just an every day thing.

 

I know L.J. said that it doesn't depend on the person because as humans we are all made up of the same biological content, and whether or not I disagree with that (which I do a little!) is irrelevant I suppose because it comes down to a persons mental capacity to change their habits and will power to carry on going through with that change. That is were the true difference lies within people!

L.J. said:

With all due respect, as someone who has been veg for 32 years, the statements you made are ill informed. You do not, in any way whatsoever, need animal products to thrive. Animal products are by and large a hindrance to good health. Anyone who is not experiencing optimal health under a vegan diet simply hasn't done their homework. Please don't take this as a judgement...it's not. I was unhealthy for some time under veg diet and it's taken me time to educate myself about proper nutrition. But let's be clear, poor health has to do with lack of understanding/knowledge about nutrition not veg vs. meat diet. Your post is filled with misinformation, the myth about B12 deficiency being a clear example. And let me save you some time, it's not because our bodies are different. We're all fundamentally the same and good/bad nutrition impacts everyone the same. If you had a poor experience under a vegan diet, it's simply because you didn't address your nutrition properly. Lastly, it is not difficult in any way whatsoever. Quite the opposite. My diet is much simpler than any meat eater would hope to achieve. I don't have the need for blood tests nor do I have any health issues to be concerned about. Information is key.

Maria Rippo said:

Erin, you are brilliant. Yes, we all need to get blood work done so we can KNOW what is going on instead of guessing. I did raw/vegan for a few years and I did really well for a while and then my health began to suffer, gaining weight, acne, fatigue, ridged nails, tooth ache. My body was not absorbing all that good nutrition. I fought it, but then found that good animal fats did the trick. I know you don't want to hear that, but raw butter, cod liver oil and bone broth changed everything. I so did not want to go that route. After hearing THe Great Health Debate, every vegan on there said that it is very difficult to be a healthy vegan and that you have to be super vigilant. So, yes, get that blood work and see where your deficiencies are, especially VIt. D3 and B12. Are you eating enough fat and not too much fruit? Finding out your metabolic type is a good thing to do too. Gabriel Cousens goes into great detail about that in Conscious Eating. Even he says it's hard work to be a healthy vegan. Are you eating fermented foods? You can make vegan kefirs. I found that raw milk kefir is an amazingly healing food.

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Permalink Reply by Chelsey on February 27, 2011 at 3:29pm

Well like I said I haven't eaten ANY animal products for a year (no meat for six years). I don't do it for health reasons (although I recognize the fact that a vegan diet can be the healthiest way of life), I do it for moral and ethical reasons. And while I try to eat as healthy as I can, there is absolutely no way that I can focus on my diet all the time. I go to school full time and that takes up all of my time and energy. I work on campus, and I'm doing an internship plus a senior thesis. There is absolutely no way I would even consider doing a cleanse diet or anything like that, because I have so many other things occupying my life right now. You all said that it took time to find the right balance for you, and I believe that with time, I too will find the right balance. I think I'm on the right track, especially now that I've got the vega community to turn to whenever I need some help. :)

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