sorta OT - anyone interested in trying a vegan diet for a couple weeks?

I've been seriously considering trying a vegan diet for quite a while now, and I keep coming up with good reasons not to do it.  So what I was thinking was, I would commit to trying it for a short period of time, maybe two weeks or so.  I can do anything for two weeks, right?  I mean, if so many of us can live through a two week liquid diet, I can live through two weeks without animal products, right?  And I already don't eat meat and I rarely eat eggs, so for me it would mostly just be giving up dairy.  How hard can that be?

Yeah.  Well, I was thinking of trying it for two weeks.  I think I'm going to be a little relaxed about it, though - like, the protein powder I like, and have a lot of, contains whey isolate, which of course in an animal product, and I think I may continue using it, just with soy  milk or almond milk.  But I'll give up cheese and yogurt and whatever else I typically eat that contains animal products.

Anybody interested in trying it out with me?

I soooo want to say yes, and yet the part of me that shops and looks in the fridge for something high protein to eat is wondering how the heck I'm going to do it.  Taking yogurt, eggs, cheese and milk off my option list would leave me with coffee protein all day long and some beans with veggies for my meals.  

I know you are already a vegetarian, so you rely heavily on beans and soy proteins.   What are you going to do to replace the protein you get from the yogurt and cheese?

Well, first I am going to make a real effort to like some soy yogurt and soy cheese.  I have tried them before and did not care for them, but it's been quite a while and maybe I will like them now.  Or maybe I'll like a different brand - I don't even remember what brand or brands I tried before.  Or maybe I will like the cheese if I use it in something.  Maybe just a plain old slice of soy cheese doesn't taste too good to me, but maybe on a pizza with some good sauce, some soy pepperoni, and some onions and peppers, it might taste better.  So I'm going to make a real effort to try to like those things.

I'm going to eat more beans.  I already like beans.  I can eat, and enjoy, more of them.

I'm going to buy some almond butter (I don't like peanut butter), which I like but don't buy often because it's kinda expensive.  And I think I'll snack on some nuts and some sunflower seeds, which I like.

I'm going to eat some of the meat substitute products, like the stuff from Morningstar Farms, which I already eat sometimes.  I'll just eat more of it.  Like veggie burgers, and soy crumbles (it's like ground beef only made from soy - I've made chili with it and served it to people without telling them it wasn't real ground beef and they didn't even realize it).

I'm also going to trust Dr. Garth Davis, who says we probably do not need as much protein as we get.  I've chatted with him a bit via Facebook regarding the amount of protein I eat and my labs (total protein and albumin levels) and he has pretty much guaranteed me that if I cut back my protein a bit (I currently get about 90 grams a day), my levels should not drop.  I asked him enough questions and got good enough answers that I feel reasonably satisfied he knows what he's talking about.  I would not suggest anyone drastically cut back on their protein, at least not withou****ching their labs really closely, but I feel OK cutting back to maybe 70 grams or so a day.

And it's a two week trial.  I'm not gonna develop a serious nutritional deficiency in two weeks.

Sounds like you have a good plan.  I would agree about dropping the protein a bit.  70 is still in the range I was told to hit.  

Personally,  I'm not sure I'm okay with adding all that soy to my diet....both for taste and because of things I've read about soy.   I eat nuts and seeds usually once every couple of days, but they don't always sit well with me.    I will check some things out tomorrow at the grocery store and get back to you.   I've seen several posts from wannabe vegans, so hopefully you'll find some takers.

I am VERY, VERY anti-soy. I don't even buy soy ink for my printer. The role Monsanto has played in engineering the soybean and all the changes it can cause to the human body is not anything I'd want to encourage through an increase in use of soy.

Have you done research on soy?

If you do choose a vegan lifestyle, even as a trial, you may want to reach out to Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary in CA. They have a great, informative program about becoming vegan and food choices to try.

Eh, you bring up a good point.  I am not anti-soy, but I am anti-GMO, anti-Monsanto.

You realize that beef cattle, dairy cattle, and many other animals raised from food are fed both corn and soy that contains GMO's, right?

Yes, we are basically screwed no matter what we do.   I try to buy organic grass fed beef and plan to buy half a cow from a local organic farm to avoid this issue.   Its all really unfair how industry has ruined our food sources.

Oh yes, well aware. I buy grass fed beef that is certified GMO free. I buy the whole cow and divide it up with other families to make it not be crazy expensive. Same with my pastured pork. The chickens I buy are scratch and peck birds and fed certified GMO free feed. More expensive, yes, but my health is worth the cost.

Monsanto is the devil.

You have nothing to worry about when it comes to soy.

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/02/21/confused-about-soy-soy-dangers-summarized/#_

You make such a blanket, inaccurate statement, it is stunning.

There are MANY documented issues with soy, especially GMO soy. The link above is to one of many, many articles. Try and become a bit more informed before making such appalling statements.