Vegan?

lizaaitken

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So for the last seven months I’ve been a vegan, I’m very proud that I managed it, a decision I made on the spur of the moment.  I don’t want to eat animal products anymore, I enjoy being a vegan.  Initially I made the decision to go the whole hog (excuse the pun) as I didn’t want to be pumped full of antibiotics that I didn’t need.  I wanted them to work if ever I needed them and know they are in abundance in the meat and dairy food industry.

But I have to tell you I have never been as sick or prone to illness as I have these last seven months.  I have always been healthy, I’m good cook and understand nutrition and what I need to keep my body functioning but for some reason I just keep getting sick.  Now I’m beginning to question if I am constantly poorly because of the change in my diet?  Does the vegan diet suit everyone?

I hadn’t eaten meat or drunk milk in years, so I only really gave up fish, eggs, dairy such as cheese and butter.  I cook from scratch and get a plethora of plants, pulses, nuts, seeds and tofu etc.  I make green smoothies, add plant protein and sprinkle nutritional on my food.  My diet is diverse, okay I have the odd chip and eat more bread but not to excess and I take organic supplements and more recently a tonic.

What’s going on, I feel so poorly I couldn’t even look at WP this weekend, I missed it but didn’t have the energy!  So I’ve had tooth issues, gum boils, colds, coughs and constant tiredness.  I have put on weight and my cholesterol has gone back up since I became vegan resulting on me having to go back on statins, go figure!  Cholesterol is hereditary in the family, but prior to my becoming a vegan it was right down!

I’m going to the doctor’s to get my bloods tested but I also need the help of the blogging community to explore this, give me some ideas in the comments please, before I boil an egg!

Published by lizaaitken

Mother, daughter, sister, cat owner/slave. Thoughtful about life and trying to make it worthwhile.

88 thoughts on “Vegan?”

  1. yikes! i for one have no idea about vegan world. i was just going to ask you how you did it at the start. i guess since you already weren’t eating meat and milk it woud have been easier for you. does one do it gradually? see, this post didn’t stop me from wanting to try out vegan, just made me aware. maybe it isn’t for everyone!

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    1. oh . and i would also like to thank you for sharing this, i know it is not all, but vegans, or whtaever the diet may be, may abstain from releasing any negtive about the diet they are on. they can get a good sizable backlash as it is so perhaps keep quiet about the bad stuff in it. i donno. thats how it is in my head anyways. hhaah thanks again

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    2. Hi lovely, I just did it but as you say I had already given up the meat and milk. I think the recommendation is gradual usually, but others I know did it in a day. I did it for fun at first, January and I was giving up the booze for a month as I do and thought I would throw in vegan too! It was only initially for a month but I kept it up. Not the wine though I had a glass on February 1st 😉

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    3. It is for everyone because it what humans are biologically designed to eat. We are anatomically very similar to apes with long digestive tracts, similar teeth for biting and grinding (our canines are not omnivorous, like a bears for example). Omnivores have very short digestive tracts because the meat needs to get out of the body as quickly as possible. Because our gut is long then the meat sits there decomposing in our colon and increases our risk of many diseases like cancer. Look at all the latest scientific evidence. Eating animal products is killing the animals, the planet and us

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  2. And I thought I was the only one who doesn’t jump up and down because I am vegan now!
    The body takes up to six month to detox from animal products but I just had another thought:
    Maybe you should check whether you are allergic/sensitive to soy and wheat!
    I am gluten, lactose intolerant and allergic to soy and had similar symptoms, maybe you asked your doc regarding a test?

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  3. Hi hi hi hi hi … Wow.

    Okay so first, just in case the salutation was not clear .. “Hi”. I am so so so sorry! I first commend you for sharing all of that and yes , as a part of the vegan online community I will try to offer any help I can for your success as a vegan. I have only been vegan for the past three and a half years but I will quickly give you things that helped me. I’ll start with the getting sick matter.

    1. Yes , you may have an allergy, gluten, But also try different brands of vegan B-12 sublinguals. When we don’t have it in the house, we feel it. We like the brand “Solgar”. Just make sure youre getting it in.

    2. Calories along with the B-12 help.

    3 . Also to combat the sick times, herbs help me and my family so much. Just don’t take with medicine as sometimes they can clash. My favorite herbs /herbal remedies are Golden Seal root( in powdered form), Peppermint tea, Horehound (careful tho if you have respiratory or asthma trouble), Dandelion, Burdock, Aloe Vera Juice ( tastes horrible , but its helped in times of need) , Aloe vera herb tea( the dry form, a former roomate had in a jar on her table , prior to my vegan days, saved me from a terrible scare after eating undercooked fish…) .

    4. For the teeth , try OIL PULLING with virgin Coconut Oil. I know it sounds crazy but it really really really helps. Just try it, if anything. It has helped me, my mom, a lot of people. For a wound on the gum or if I really want to get rid of a pain or cut, I oil pull with coconut oil for the full 20 minutes and then spit out the oil and brush my teeth with cold water, toothpaste and a bit of powdered golden seal. I hope it helps you. People claim it gets rid of cavities and I was like ” .. No way :/” and then I tried it and I was like “…. Wayyy”.

    Keep Going. Veganism when done right, with the b 12, avoiding allergens , drinking enough water, and eating not till you are stuffed but making sure you’re eating enough , really really works.

    Much love and Keep Going! We are here for you!!!

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    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to give me all those tips. I have tried oil pulling and some of the other suggestions but maybe not as regularly as I could. I have been using the oral spray B12 but could look at others. Was wondering if I overload the soya too. I’m going to focus a little and see if I can get this right. Thanks again 😊

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    2. Thanks for sharing. I have been doing oil pulling, using organic coconut oil and it has done so amazing works in my daily lifestyle. First I tried it for ten days.. consecutively then I do it now at least once a week.

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  5. I’m vegan and I have never been in such good health so here’s the advice i have:

    – Make sure you’re actually eating enough. This is a very common mistake because you need to eat a lot more of plant foods and if you don’t, lack of energy will make you ill.
    – Take a B12 supplement everyday (the only nutrient not in plants.) I also take a high quality multivitamin, iodine, calcium and D3.
    – Make sure you’re using fresh, good quality fruit and vegetables.
    – Try tracking your nutrient intake for a few weeks to see if you’re getting everything.

    This is what has worked for me 🙂

    http://www.rosieleizrowice.com

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  9. Hi, first time reader and so sorry to hear you’ve been sick!

    Right now veganism is not a mainstream diet. Vitamins that are missing in mainstream diets because of our lifestyle or farming methods are supplemented for the public in food sources (Vitamin D added to cow’s milk, livestock animals fed Vitamin B12, etc).

    But we vegans miss out on some of these supplements.

    So we have to do more work to make sure we’re getting everything, and folks who are sick may not have as good a chance to make it happen. Don’t beat yourself up, but try your best! As veganism becomes mainstream, this will change!

    I would talk to your doctor and if you haven’t, I definitely recommend reading the book Vegan for Life by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina. It is a really thorough handbook on vegan nutrition. This way you know everything you need, you can figure out if there’s something you might be missing, and can advocate for yourself to your doctor.

    Good luck and good health!!

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  10. Recently I started tracking my food (I’m vegetarian not vegan) and discovered I wasn’t getting enough protein. I was feeling really sluggish. Are you making certain that you’re eating enough protein? Just a thought. 🙂

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    1. I think I’m getting enough protein and understand if I don’t it does cause problems. I’m a bit better now and have to acknowledge it could be other life influences. An iron tonic seams to have made a difference. Thanks for taking the time to comment here 🙂

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  12. So strange how you cholesterol went up since becoming vegan! Especially since plant based foods don’t contain cholesterol, that stuff only comes from animal based foods. The cause of that might be that you are actually eating too much fat! Like you said, high cholesterol runs in your family. So there’s a good chance that your liver is taking the fat you are eating and producing more cholesterol than it should. Oil is the primary source of fat in a vegan diet so maybe try to eat less oil and see how that works! (:

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      1. Also, cholestorol is good and healthy for your body, and there’s two types of it, a good and bad, which get lumped together in doctors diagnostic tests. Ask your doctor if he can measure the LDL:HDL ratio in your body, because even though you have high cholestorol it might be all the good kind!

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  13. Congrats on going vegan! Your ill health might be caused by a number of factors.
    I’ve been vegan for nearly three years, but I went through a similar period of chronic fatigue.
    It could be due to anything from not getting enough B12 (you can buy supplements for this), not getting enough iron, eating too little or just your body balancing itself out after not eating meat. I’d definitely go and get bloods taken, just to double check that you’re not anaemic or chronically deficient in any particular nutrients.
    If I were you, I’d stock up on leafy greens like spinach to pack in that iron and calcium, take a vegan multi-vitamin and get enough exercise.
    Good luck on your vegan journey! 🙂 x

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  14. lizalizaskysaregrey, Since becoming Vegan, have you perhaps been loosing weight too? I am a research nut and found some information of Fat storing toxins. So as we loose fat, the toxins are released – therefore making us feel bad. Franky mentions above that it can take up to 6 months to detox, however I think that could depend on how much toxins are in our bodies. Just think about it though, if you are going to be getting rid of toxins in your body, what better way than to be scrubbing it clean with good vegetables, with all the minerals, vitamins an good stuff instead of leaving it there in your body to become a chronic health condition? As long as you are getting a balanced diet you are on the right track and extending your life. Well done on making 7 months, you are an inspiration to me.

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  16. Hi there! I know this post is about a month old, but I’ve been where you are so I thought I’d share my experience with Veganism. Hope it helps! 🙂

    My husband and I went vegan at the same time 6 years ago. He lost weight, gained energy and mental clarity and was all-around a superhero on this diet. I, on the other hand, became tired, sluggish and gained and gained and gained no matter how much exercise I forced myself into.

    Now, years later, I’m a nutritionist who can look back and see what went wrong. My body chemistry was totally wrong for the vegan diet (at last the way I was doing it), and my husbands was totally on board. As it turns out, everyone has different nutritional needs based on their genetic makeup, nutritional upbringing, toxic load, etc. I could probably handle a vegan diet once I got my body completely healthy, but I thought that’s what the vegan diet was for! It turns out it’s more for the health of the animals than the humans. 😉

    My body has a really hard time digesting grains and legumes as well as managing blood sugar so, of course, when I gave up meat and introduced all the lovely vegan protein substitutes my body rebelled.

    I don’t say this to label you as being just like me, but I would say that you might find the answer to your question if you started to keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat, drink, do and feel. Over time you will start to see patterns and perhaps a food intolerance or two will emerge.

    You should also be careful to track your macronutrient intake and eat as many clean, whole, unprocessed foods as possible (but from your post it looks like you already know that part 😉

    I am no longer vegan, but I do still strive to eat consciously by only choosing animal products that are humanely raised and harvested. If I can ever get my body to tolerate alternative proteins well (tempeh, beans, nuts, etc.), I would love to go back to Veganism. But in the mean time, I need to put myself ahead of the animals.

    Good luck on your journey, and I hope you’re feeling better! ❤

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    1. That’s really interesting information Jamianne, as I say I’m keeping at it but still struggling. I think the worst is catching every bug around when I have always been so healthy. I haven’t eaten meet in years or drunk cows milk, although I did eat organic free range eggs regularly. I have found all the advice on this post very helpful and thank you and everyone else for taking the time to comment.

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  17. I don’t pronounce myself as vegan, but my natural diet falls into the vegan list, except I don’t limit myself to the vegan diet. I consume a few oz. of fish daily and a couple bites of red meat weekly. The protein supplement works well for both myself and my husband. My daughter and son-in-law are vegetarians for 10 years. They try to eat some fish now and then. They are energetic, doing all kinds of outdoor activities. Thank you for liking my post. Also check out my Summer in My Garden. I grow fruits and herbs. So far I have mint, basil, and rosemary.

    https://theshowersofblessing.wordpress.com/2016/08/30/in-my-garden/

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  18. Seem’s like a lot of people on here have a lot of great advice. I for one, have managed to do the opposite effect since becoming a vegan. I have a post I wrote on my blog about transitioning, and honestly, I think the main thing is trying to stay as plant based and clean 80% of the time. Also, try keeping a food diary for a few days, so you can look over everything and identify what food is giving you these negative effects. But hold in there! The benefits greatly outweigh the cons.

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    1. Thank you, I’ll check out your post on transitioning. Yes there is some great advice here, not only for me but anyone on the journey! I do now think age might be a factor, my son and his girlfriend and others I know made the change without issue, who knows. thanks for dropping by and I look forward to reading your blog 🙂

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  20. Love this! i’ve been vegan since the beginning of this year and have decided to go back to eating fish and eggs after christmas seeing as I’m deficient in a few important nutrients. I think it’s so good not to beat ourselves up though, like we’ve tried it and learnt a lot about health in the process 🙂

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    1. Thank Becky, I agree we shouldn’t beat ourselves up. That you have managed a year and learnt so much is fantastic. I’m still considering my options but if I did give up I wouldn’t go back to meat and dairy as haven’t eaten them in years. But I do wonder about the benefits of occasional organic fish and eggs.

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      1. Yes I’m not going to go back to meat either (except fish) I’m not sure I could stomach eating things like chicken and pork because it’s been so long! I guess it’s all about doing what works for you isn’t it? everything in moderation 🙂 thanks for such a great article!

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  21. That’s so bizarre!! I was born and brought up vegetarian and don’t eat any animals or products much except eggs occasionally and lactose free milk due to an intolerance. I’m surprised to hear you’ve been so unwell and had these things happen. Are you eating the right foods for sure? Enough protein and iron etc? I know that sounds so basic and I’m probably being one of those people who asks the obvious!

    It could also be a complete coincidence, or maybe has brought out an illness that is underlying? I don’t know… these are all guesses as I’m not a doctor! X

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    1. I don’t know, your guess is as good as mine. I have good days but catch everything! My diet is good, I do get the right mix of proteins, vitamins etc. I’m inclined to think it might be age related, who knows. As a vegetarian I was fine, occasionally ate fish but not often, never milk, cream etc so the change is not that drastic. Still playing around with it at the moment so here’s hoping ; )

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      1. Good luck and I look forward to hearing about your recovery / finding out what it could be! I catch a lot of colds and have a pretty shocking immune system, but otherwise I’m usually at tip top health! X

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  23. It’s been nearly two years since I went cold turkey vegan. One day I was stuffing my face with animals limbs and breast milk, and the next, I was completely vegan. I haven’t looked back since. That isn’t to say I haven’t had my off days. I think it’s most important to realize that so many people have lived long, healthy lives completely vegan, and there is no reason why you can’t either. Try to observe daily what you eat and slowly cut out foods you know are making you feel worse. As unoriginal as it is, gluten has been making me feel like crud, and I’ve noticed I feel 100x better without it. You can do it! Thank you for taking part in saving animal lives and our planet earth.

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  25. Hi liza, lots of good suggestions above, and will just add one more here (as a vegan of the last 5 years, vegetarian for 28 before that), about soy products. I had a stage of being very prone to head colds and flu, then came across an article about how the phytites in soy are taken up by the same receptors in the body as zinc, and can block the uptake of zinc. You probably know zinc is important for the immune system, skin, mucous membranes etc. I realized how much soy was in my diet in multiple forms (such as tofu, tempeh, tamari, soy milk, soy yoghurt), so started ‘mixing my milks’ instead – using coconut yoghurt, and different milks, including almond, oat, rice, macadamia etc, and also making sure that I ate zinc-rich foods (such as pecan nuts and other nuts or legumes) in different meals than tofu or other soy products. I still use soy milk and products, but following the above ‘method’, have not had a cold/flu for 4 years. 🙂
    All the best, Joanna.

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    1. Wow thank you I didn’t know this!! I usually am quite good at mixing my milks up but sometimes I get a bit complacent and just use soya milk; but now I’ll know!

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  26. Good for you for choosing the vegan lifestyle. In my opinion it’s how us as humans are built for optimal performance is al areas of our life. I would love to hear how the blood test comes back

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  27. Are you eating many raw whole foods? I’ve been vegan only for a couple months now but I know I always feel my best when I eat mostly raw if not fully raw. The cooking of foods actually breaks down the nutritional value of them.

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  28. Wow, I see there is a lot of advice on here and I just glanced through it, so forgive me if I am repeating anything here. As a vegan, I take a bunch of vitamins every day (B12, Iron, D, and Omega-3 are key). You have actually inspired me to write a post about it, so check out my blog if you like for more on that in the next couple days. Another thing is exercise really helps the body in terms of energy levels and immunity. There are lots of herbal remedies out their to help immunity and overall health. Have you ever tried something called golden milk? Again, a post I will have to do soon. In the meantime I’m sure you can google a recipe for this anti-inflammatory drink.

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  30. Congrats on 7 months vegan! I’ve been a vegan for over 20 years, feel free to reach out if you have any questions 🙂 I don’t take any vitamins or supplements regularly – sometimes I get on a health kick and buy a bottle but then I always forget to bother to take them! A well balanced diet is the most important things. It doesn’t need to be complicated, I just started a blog about eating healthily on a fixed budget for anyone looking for info in that area. If you’re concerned you might be deficient in something you could keep a meal diary for a few weeks and then see your doctor or a nutritionist. Good luck!

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  31. Hi! I am willing to bet that it’s related to your increased intake in bread. A lot of people may not be celiac or gluten intolerant, but react poorly to the Amylase Trypsin Inhibitors in bread and end up with inflammation. You immune system is definitely preoccupied fighting every day and can’t spare the soldiers for you when you need it most! I was in the same boat. Always run down, but I took gluten out of my diet and went vegan, and I’ve overall been feeling quite well! It’s worth cutting wheat out of the equation for a few weeks to see. I’m sorry you’re not fully enjoying your 7 months of veganism! What a feat though – congratulations 🙂

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      1. Cool! I’ve got recipes on my blog, but if you need advice, let me know! 🙂 hope you figure it out soon!

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  32. Wow this blog post has certainly inspired some amazingly helpful comments! I’ve done a lot of research into the diet and have been 100% vegan for the last 3 months, but the comments have taught me a couple of things, so thank you! Good luck with finding out what’s going on, and I hope you’ve been feeling better since you published this post! I have a bit of chronic fatigue occasionally and it’s usually when I forget to take my supplements for a week or so! You don’t realise how important they are until you stop taking them!

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  33. Hi Liza, we created our blog for helping people like you. We are 3 girls, one vegan, one vegetarian and one normal*yes we always tell her she is the normal one. Vegan> it happen to me the first 3 months but because i had a diet full of excess so the change was awful for my body, i tryed a detox diet and then started all over just reducing the animal proteins little by little and also i have a nutricionist that is expert in vegan and vegetarians she gave me a guide and thats how i got better and after 2 years i dont regreted. The lack of energie could be anemia but is easy to fixed, dont let yourself down, you are on the right way and soon you will feel better we are sure about that is a great choice !!!! we are loving your blog so keep in touch for future updates and also dont eat just tofu and plants, try to find online a vegan supermarket close to your house and go there we have tons of porducts that are great and have enough protein to survive a marathon! also we recomeded you Mercy For animals they have a website for helping vegans. We hope you get better soon!!!!

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  34. Keep up the good work. It’s good that we discuss this, because there’s always complications when transitioning into a vegan. For me, it was extreme tiredness and constant hunger. I think it was because my body was missing the cholesterol. Now one year in I feel great ^-^

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  36. I would guess it’s an allergy or sensitivity to a food you are eating more of! Gluten or soy could be the reason. ALSO, iron deficiency or B12. Check those out and make sure to incorporate foods that are high in both or just take a supplement! Changing diet means trial and error. The weight gain might be from eating too little protein so make sure to incorporate those high protein foods too. 🙂

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