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Pandora_Box
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 13, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 1273
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 Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:50 pm Post subject: Staying Vegan |
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Hey guys I need some help and maybe some advice. I have been vegan for about two years now and recently tried going to go vegetarian. But every time I eat animal products I break out into psoriasis and eczema. I am allergic to a protein in animal enzyme. But being vegan is becoming extremely lonely. None of my family members I am living with are vegan. They always eat different meals from me and I'm becoming very diet chaotic right now. I don't want the pain of eczema and the pain of psoriasis, but I want to be able to share the experience with my family. My dad doesn't like veganism and will not compromise to eat one vegan meal at least. My little brother is fine and happy, he likes some of the vegan meals I make. And the middle child is a vulture and eats whatever is made.
I have tried to go to Vegan support meetings, but I am not an ethical vegan. That's the issue a lot of the Vegans around here are ethical vegans. They believe in the notion that no animal should be harmed and that everyone should go vegan. I have nothing in common to share with them because I am a medical vegan. And I believe we can farm animals just not in the unhealthy way we are doing it now.
I just am no longer sure what to do. I feel healthier as a vegan, in body and mind. But I feel socially better non vegan because that's what everyone is eating.
Any advice? |
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TheDarkMage
Velociraptor
Joined: Feb 21, 2012
Posts: 418
Location: united kingdom
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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i know this isnt really any help but i wish i was like you in a way. if i was a vegan or could live off a vegan diet then i wouldnt be the pig-at-a-trough that i am.
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Pandora_Box
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 13, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 1273
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| TheDarkMage wrote: | | i know this isnt really any help but i wish i was like you in a way. if i was a vegan or could live off a vegan diet then i wouldnt be the pig-at-a-trough that i am. |
Being vegan has allowed me to explore and come out of my comfort zone trying things I would have never tried before. I realize how limited my omnivore diet was when I was a kid. I only ever ate the same things. When I went vegan I have tried Indian food, I have made my own Asain equivalent meals. I stopped wanting to go out because I knew how to make what was made at the resteraunts and make it much healthier too. It's just the social isolation that's killing me.
For twenty years of my life, even as I kid I suffered with the painfulness of psoraisis and eczema. When I was twenty it was so bad the psoriasis growing on my eyelids was scratching the surface of my eyeballs. It was so cake, sore and painful. And all the doctors ever wanted to do was perscribe me more ointment. My skin is super sensitive and it just made things worse. I went vegan as a last resort and everything cleared up.
I tried going back omnivore, but it just doesn't work. |
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Ria1989
Deinonychus
Joined: Feb 19, 2011
Posts: 336
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Pandora_Box wrote: | | TheDarkMage wrote: | | i know this isnt really any help but i wish i was like you in a way. if i was a vegan or could live off a vegan diet then i wouldnt be the pig-at-a-trough that i am. |
Being vegan has allowed me to explore and come out of my comfort zone trying things I would have never tried before. I realize how limited my omnivore diet was when I was a kid. I only ever ate the same things. When I went vegan I have tried Indian food, I have made my own Asain equivalent meals. I stopped wanting to go out because I knew how to make what was made at the resteraunts and make it much healthier too. It's just the social isolation that's killing me.
For twenty years of my life, even as I kid I suffered with the painfulness of psoraisis and eczema. When I was twenty it was so bad the psoriasis growing on my eyelids was scratching the surface of my eyeballs. It was so cake, sore and painful. And all the doctors ever wanted to do was perscribe me more ointment. My skin is super sensitive and it just made things worse. I went vegan as a last resort and everything cleared up.
I tried going back omnivore, but it just doesn't work. |
Try to weigh what's more important. If food is more important to you than skin, start eating meat products again. I think whatever you feel is more important to lead a satisfying life, pick that choice. |
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ouinon
chemical reaction
Joined: Jul 11, 2007
Posts: 6395
Location: Europe
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:43 pm Post subject: Re: Staying Vegan |
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| Pandora_Box wrote: | | Hey guys I need some help and maybe some advice. I have been vegan for about two years now and recently tried going to go vegetarian. But every time I eat animal products I break out into psoriasis and eczema. I am allergic to a protein in animal enzyme. |
That's interesting. Which enzyme is that?
Some people are hypersensitive to histamine in some meats and fish, and I've heard of other proteins causing reactions too but apparently one really important factor with histamine and another protein/enzyme ( whose name I can't remember ) is how FRESH the meat or fish is. Apparently tinned and prepackaged meat and fish will trigger the reaction where fresh meat or fish won't, so maybe that would be worth trying, IF you can get and/or afford really fresh meat/fish that is.
And some meat and fish is not so high in the offending proteins either ( I seem to remember that sardines are very high in histamine ).
Another animal protein problem I can't remember in detail ( diet/nutrition used to be my top special interest for years and then a year ago it just disappeared, and I've been forgetting so much of what I used to know!  ) is related to cooking meat as opposed to eating it raw or air-dried or roasted at very very low temps, because certain proteins are more digestible, less allergenic when raw.
Another factor can be different animal "families". Some people are much more sensitive to bovine/beef animal products than porcine/pork and vice versa. Others react to chicken and eggs and so on. Have you experimented to see if some animal "families" are less of a problem?
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ouinon
chemical reaction
Joined: Jul 11, 2007
Posts: 6395
Location: Europe
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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PS. Important additional remark! 
And something else, allergy/intolerance of certain foods can be deceptive. I used to think that I was allergic to tea, to citrus fruits, to pickles, and certain other foods in my teens and twenties; they used to apparently trigger the most awful headaches, agonising bloating, and odd other things ... so I avoided them ... only to gradually find other more serious health issues bothering me ( like mood-disorder ! ) and on trying a gluten-free diet which I had read might help ( and it did ) I suddenly found that my other problems stopped, no more headaches, no more bloating, better sleep, etc.
What hapens is that there is one ( or a couple of ) underlying or "invisible" food intolerances/allergies, in which one major/daily food source partly/largely "fills up" the "bucket" of how much stress our bodies can cope with, and then other foods, to which we are slightly sensitive cause that "bucket" to overflow.
Have you tried giving up gluten, or perhaps casein/dairy?
Good luck anyway.
.
Last edited by ouinon on Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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TheDarkMage
Velociraptor
Joined: Feb 21, 2012
Posts: 418
Location: united kingdom
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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does the condition flare up immediately or do you have to regularly eat non-vegan food for it to come back?
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Pandora_Box
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 13, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 1273
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 5:05 pm Post subject: |
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| ouinon wrote: |
Have you tried giving up gluten, or perhaps casein/dairy?
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A vegan diet is a vegan diet. No milk. I am also lactose intolerant as well.
| TheDarkMage wrote: | | does the condition flare up immediately or do you have to regularly eat non-vegan food for it to come back? |
A week usually it begins to appear through the week. It's slow and not immediate, but it doesn't take months just a few days.
edit-
I probably should make it clear Ou, I have not been officially screened by a doctor. For my allergies. They have always just given me cream to cure it. I would love to know, but fear they will not accept my own personal experience. |
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Gita
Blue Jay
Joined: May 19, 2011
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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If you are allergic to the many things you state you are, then keep eating vegan-wise.
Does it matter that you are lonely? You are not feeling sick to your stomach. Vegan food is fine. If you were to ask me how to become re-interested in vegan food, I'd say to buy a new vegan cookbook, or maybe a vegan chat site. Do something vegenish like helping out at a farm sanctuary (or just walk dogs at a rescue or the shelter (realizing I know dogs eat meat) but you know, helping animals.
I am not a vegan. I am an omnivore who eats a lot of vegetarian and vegan dishes. I have never seen anything odd about going meatless and have done for years at a time. I keep falling off the wagon due to my carnivorous nature, and weak will. If I were actually allergic-- why there would be no more question. It would be a health issue. pasta with only tomato sauce here I come!
Katy |
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Pandora_Box
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 13, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 1273
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| Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Gita wrote: | If you are allergic to the many things you state you are, then keep eating vegan-wise.
Does it matter that you are lonely? You are not feeling sick to your stomach. Vegan food is fine. If you were to ask me how to become re-interested in vegan food, I'd say to buy a new vegan cookbook, or maybe a vegan chat site. Do something vegenish like helping out at a farm sanctuary (or just walk dogs at a rescue or the shelter (realizing I know dogs eat meat) but you know, helping animals.
I am not a vegan. I am an omnivore who eats a lot of vegetarian and vegan dishes. I have never seen anything odd about going meatless and have done for years at a time. I keep falling off the wagon due to my carnivorous nature, and weak will. If I were actually allergic-- why there would be no more question. It would be a health issue. pasta with only tomato sauce here I come!
Katy |
Because...I use to eat omnivore, since I was a kid. For 20 years. So I too have a weak will despite my psoriasis and eczema. Bacon, I love bacon. I cannot have it.
I keep fighting myself. It was easier when there was another vegan in the household, but now that there isn't...no one cares about my cooking. No one cares when I cook.
I love cooking for the family. |
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heatherbk
Velociraptor
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 433
Location: New York
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| I was vegetarian for about three months and it wasn't easy but just like you mentioned I felt so much better on so many different aspects. If it's difficult for you to keep your vegan diet, how about vegetarian? You dont necessarily have to go all the way if you know what I mean. Trader Joes and Whole Foods are a godsend where I live so I shop there frequently although I'm no longer vegetarian. Online shopping can be useful to buy ingredients that suit your dietary needs. I do eat meat now but I try to cut out dairy products as much as I can except for occasional indulgences such as milk tea, cheese and ice cream. |
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Pandora_Box
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 13, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 1273
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I think if I want to stay vegan I need to explore more. That's the issue. I'm the best when I can experiment and explore. I'm the best vegan when I have enough to expand my horizones. I'm not so good fo a vegan when things begin to dwindle. |
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Ria1989
Deinonychus
Joined: Feb 19, 2011
Posts: 336
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Pandora_Box wrote: | | I think if I want to stay vegan I need to explore more. That's the issue. I'm the best when I can experiment and explore. I'm the best vegan when I have enough to expand my horizones. I'm not so good fo a vegan when things begin to dwindle. |
Good luck with everything!! |
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Pandora_Box
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 13, 2010
Age: 25
Posts: 1273
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks Ria. |
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ValentineWiggin
Yup.
Joined: May 16, 2011
Posts: 4879
Location: Beneath my cat's paw
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| Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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I'm a vegan of 5.5 years-
while I'm of the ethical variety,
I can empathize with the feelings of isolation it causes.
I get so very tired of going out with people and finding the only option is a salad (often not even that, unaltered)
or a plate of sad-looking cooked vegetables,
while everyone else eats something delicious.
Could you incorporate faux animal products into any of the meals your family eats?
Ex- they have pasta with chicken, and you have pasta with some meatless "chkn" from MorningStar or Boca?
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They talk and vote as they are directed by Some Man of Property, who has attached their Minds
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