Hello world! =) So I recently went completely Vegan, mind you I just jumped into it about a week or two ago and I've been feeling pretty off lately. I'm thinking it is because of the rapid change of diet but I just want to know what you think before I consult a doctor for a blood test. Two days ago I woke up with a fever of 100.3 F, but I don't have a cold. Normally when I have a cold I feel weak and I have little energy, and can't even get out of bed but I'm full of energy. Along with these symptoms comes with diarrhea, aches and pains in my back and neck, headaches, loss of apatite, sometimes feeling week (usually after I wake up) and bags under my eyes (I get enough sleep every night, about 7 - 8). Positive things that have happened to me is that my skin is very clear (no acne) and I've gained some colour in my cheeks (I'm usually quite pale). I have lost weight but I'm thinking it's because I'm eating a healthier diet. I eat the same thing pretty much every day: Breakfast: Smoothie with 2 bananas, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and a natural peach juice. I also add flax seed oil. Natural peanut butter with twelve grain toast. I take 2 vitamin supplements which are calcium, magnesium and vitamin D and the other is a Hi Potency B complex Lunch: Sandwich of pumpernickel toast with romaine lettuce and tomatoes. As a side I eat cucumbers and carrots. Fruit salad consisting of honey dew melon, cantolope, pineapple, strawberries and blue berries If I'm not at work I usually have a spinach leaf salad consisting of a wide variety of nuts, dried cranberries, carrots, broccoli, cucumber and as a dressing red vine vinegar and olive oil Dinner: If I am at work I eat the salad above. If not I get a little more creative. I usually eat a pasta with some green peppers and mushrooms thrown in. Or I eat a sandwich. To me it sounds like a balanced diet, but I'm pretty new to this so I don't know. I read up a lot on veganism before I launched myself in but I'm still concerned because I've gotten so bad I have to take off work because I feel really off. I'd appreciate the help.
I know very little about vegan diets, and even less about diet-related illness, but it looks like you are hardly getting any protein at all. The only reasonable source is the peanut butter (and possibly the nuts in the salad, depending on how many you have), but I'd be surprised if you were getting more than 15g total a day from what you've put here. We are generally recommended to consume about 40-50g a day. I doubt that this is solely responsible for you not feeling well, but it is something to be aware of. Some good vegan sources of protein are tofu, beans and chickpeas, so I'd suggest adding these or finding another alternative.
Weird symptoms, I also think they may be due to the drastic change in diet. For the fever part you might wanna see a GP, though. Vegan diet is fine but there are some supplements you need to take, as far as I know there's some important chemicals found only in animal protein.
I think you're right about the protein, I'm not getting nearly enough i think I'll start working on that. Should I take whey protein? It kind of bothers me that I'm taking a supplement for everything now... will that actually make me less healthy? Is my diet even worth it? I'm doing it for more than the reason that I want to be healthy, but when I'm feeling like this I'm just wondering if I should change back or power through. About the fever, I only had it once 2 days ago and It broke on it's own within a hour. I haven't had a fever since and I'm constantly checking my temperature. My temperature is staying at 97 - 98 F
Quorn is a pretty good protein to get in there, and you can do all sorts with it nowadays and they come in burgers and mince and all that so you can get creative with curries and what have you. Chances are with the change in diet, your body's immune system could well have had a bit of a shock and with that a few bugs got in. But I know a vegan who's been that way pretty much since 12 and he's now 21 and he's very fit and healthy. Your body will adjust in time to it. But I'd see you get a larger source of protein in there, we are omnivores after all.
It's not very balanced. There's no meat or dairy... My view, although I don't really know if there's any science to back it up, is that the human body was made, as was mentioned, to be an omnivore. Just like dogs were evolved to eat meat and probably would not be healthy on a vegetarian diet, humans were evolved to eat both meat and plant matter. Our bodies have evolved to need to live off nutrients from both. As others have said you're getting almost no protein, and peanut butter is a low quality protein... doesn't supply all the amino acids. Anyways, I don't know if the sicknesses are from that or not.
@Rosina: Great idea in theory, but unfortunately for the OP, Quorn isn't vegan, only veggie. // I'm only a veggie, so I'm not an expert on veganism, but I'd say that supplements can't replace a healthy diet. It is possible to be healthy as a vegan (I know people that do it! And people are always surprised that I'm vegetarian and not, you know, dead.) I did start logging what I was eating with myfitnesspal.com recently. I found, even as someone who eats eggs and dairy, that I wasn't consuming enough protien. MFP, as well as telling you your calorie counts, gives you how much of the RDA amounts you're getting. It's really helped me make a few changes in my diet and now I get enough protein. If you're concerned about what you are and are not getting enough of then this may be a good way to get a gauge on how much you're eating of what, even if it is traditionally used by weight losers.
As Leora said it is definitely possible to be healthy on a vegetarian and vegan diet, but it is much harder and requires far more effort than if you included animal products in your diet. As far as I'm concerned the only reason someone should vegetarian/vegan is for ethical reasons regarding animals. These diets aren't healthier - it is always going to be more difficult to be healthy if you restrict what is available for you to eat.
Not only is there not science to back that up, but basic anatomy works against your point. This little web side does a great job of explaining that: Carnivore, Omnivore, or Herbivore? | Powered By Produce Here are a few excerpts: The teeth of a carnivore are long and pointed, for tearing raw flesh. Herbivores have flat teeth and flat back molars to grind their food. Carnivores do not have flat back molars at all. Some herbivores do have small, what we call “canine” teeth for biting into tough plants (like apples) but these are nothing compared to the size and shape of a carnivore’s teeth. True omnivores’ teeth are most similar to carnivore teeth. (Bears and dogs are examples of true omnivores.) “Cats are obligate carnivores – they must live on a diet primarily of meat – and their taste buds reflect this by having abandoned the tongue sensors that respond to sweet-tasting carbohydrates. Dogs are omnivores – they have retained both kinds of taste buds – those enjoying carbohydrates and amino acids. Humans tongues respond pleasurably to sweet (carbohydrates), but have lost the taste for amino acids, placing us undeniably in the category of herbivores (plant eaters).” -John A. McDougall, M.D. Additionally, no animals are designed to drink milk into adulthood. Recent studies have even shown that cow milk actually strips our bodies of calcium. People who drink milk are more likely to have osteoporosis than people who do not. Check out the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine for more information if you're interested. ~*~ OP, one of your big problems is that you are eating the exact same things for each meal every day. That means that you are not getting the variety of nutrients you need. Additionally, you're not eating legumes (beans and lentils) and that's a big no-no for a vegan (unless you're going raw but I advise against that strongly until you have a better idea of what you need to eat). You do not need to supplement protein. It would take a concerted effort on your part to wind up protein deficient. People in the United States tend to eat way more protein than they actually need. What you do likely need is iron. Broccoli is a good source but you should also add leafy greens (kale, collard greens, mustard greens) and legumes, as I mentioned earlier. Try to eat a variety of colors. For example, red peppers contain nutrients that aren't found in broccoli and broccoli contains nutrients that are not found in blueberries. Branch out. Try new things. Most of your favorite recipes from your pre-vegan days can likely be converted easily by just leaving out the meat and using a banana or a flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water) in place of eggs. Almond milk or coconut milk can replace cow milk and there are plenty of vegan butter substitutes. Also, check out a website called Self Nutrition Data. It has great food specific information. Good luck!
i thrive on a vegan diet. i don't eat enough nutrients in a day and i'm still a very healthy person. i take a multivitamin and a b-12 randomly, maybe like once every couple of months. everything has protein in it, especially leafy greens. vegetable protein is just as proteiny as animal protein, and it's easier to digest (which is why you need to eat SO MUCH MORE VEGGIES than meat to consume the same amount of protein. you eat as much veggies as you can, digest it within a few hours, then eat some more. like a grazer. you'll consume enough protein, don't worry). the minerals found in animal meat comes from their own plant-based diet, so YES anything in animal flesh can be found in veggies. people who mention that are talking about b-12 which is naturally found in soil. animals eat their veggies dirty. people wash them. that's why our veggies aren't rich with b-12. not because there is no b-12 in veggies, but because our soil contains other things that could harm us so we have to wash away all the delicious valuable minerals. if you really think you need more protein, the most protein-rich anything imaginable is quinoa. it is also extremely high in fiber so start small (or you'll have a huge tummy ache). oatmeal is also an excellent protein source. it's true that you should eat what makes your body feel best. i truly believe that certain people do need animal stuff. but it drives me up a wall when people say there is no way that a vegan diet can be healthy. your fever & symptoms could be your body detoxifying itself. it could be a coincidental virus of some kind. it could be lyme disease. it's worth keeping an eye on, because if it persists for more than like 4 days you should go to the doctor.
im vegan, and the first few days i felt like i was starving which is normal. but i think you might just be sick. your diet sounds pretty balanced just maybe add soy milk or other soy products. that will give you protein and calcium. and yes vitamin b12 is very important. good luck on being vegan
b12 is found in marmite/vegemite...... so i was once told. (might want to research it tho) soy milk is good fro you aparently and you can get rice soy milk aswell. certain own brand supermarket meat free alternatives are vegan, just not quorn.
