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Vegan health emergency, I don't care about spirituality right now, Help.

Please help. I have been a vegan for a little over year since 2013, I really think It's not bad but after time I've been worried about my health.

I'm 19 this year, I am beginning to realize why Buddhists eat vegan diets and It's not only due to the desire to not cause pain... Vegan diets high in vegetable and low in calories lower your metabolism making you feel "dead", more easy to meditate but less energy, similar to a tortoise. It also lowers your sex drive, I've noticed it in me.

Where can I start complaining? A lowered sex drive and low metabolism may seem optimal for Buddhism, it makes it easier but the point is not to be easy. I am afraid I've done studying on vegans and don't think I'm going to last long eating like this. I've got no muscle, no drive and I am finding it harder play sports. At first I felt better but now I'm realizing it was only because I went from eating complete terrible food to eating less dense real good. I don't know if I've been getting better at meditating or I'm just getting more dead eating low calories.

How do you make it work without compromising your health? Especially I want your reply if you're an athlete or at least try to exercise while eating vegan.

Comments

  • I don't think Buddhists are dieticians. I have never heard of low sex drive and metabolism from going vegan.

    It's not good to be 'dead' in meditation. That is actually the opposite of what we try to set up meditation.

    Ok how about eat meat? Are you vegan for the animals?

    BuddhadragonKundoZenni
  • 77887788 Explorer

    At first I was vegan for my health but now I care about animals a lot. I don't want to eat meat, I don't care about pleasure from my diet I just want feel lively.

    dantepw
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    @Jeffrey said: I don't think Buddhists are dieticians. I have never heard of low sex drive and metabolism from going vegan.
    It's not good to be 'dead' in meditation. That is actually the opposite of what we try to set up meditation.

    Extremely good points from @Jeffrey on all counts.
    You need to consult a doctor experienced in dietary matters, or see a dietician.

    I have a very good couple of friends who are married, both vegan, and who both insist their diet has had extremely positive effects in all areas of their lives, but whether their active libidos can be credited to their vegan lifestyle is not certain. However your assertion that your vegan diet has affected your libido negatively is also an assumption.
    You make it work by eating the right things, in the right quantities.
    Consult a professional.
    And as Jeffrey points out, a 'dead' feeling is neither good, nor the point....

    dantepwKundoZenni
  • Personally as a lobster I eat a lot of fish. Occasional meat and dairy. I don't have time to deal with balancing nutritional requirements. The Buddha ate what was placed in his bowl, once a day. Hardly balanced or nutritionally expert for eternity.

    The most I have been vegan for was about three months. That was because one of the community household was vegan. We went running. She was too feeble to keep up with us ex vegetarians. Maybe she needed to consider nutritional requirements more:
    http://www.vegkitchen.com/nutrition/vegan-athlete/

    Personally during that period I noticed no adverse reaction, however if I had would have been back on a more comprehensive diet. Look after your health, listless Buddhists we have enough of thank you. B)

    Rowan1980Zenni
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran

    @7788 said:> Please help. I have been a vegan for a little over year since 2013, I really think It's not bad but after time I've been worried about my health.

    Are you getting enough protein, eg nuts, pulses, TVP? I have a vegan friend who is one of the fittest people I know, so I think it might be a case of reviewing your diet.

    lobsterKundoZenniInvincible_summer
  • Rowan1980Rowan1980 Keeper of the Zoo Asheville, NC Veteran
    edited April 2015
    It might also be worth tracking your intake of food to see where you could potentially be deficient. If you have a smartphone or tablet, there are many apps out there. I use MyFitnessPal, which is an app and a website. (This is handy if you don't have a smartphone.) Physicians, nurse practitioners, and dietitians seem to be fans of tracking your eating patterns to see what can be changed if necessary.
    Zenni
  • @7788 said:
    At first I was vegan for my health but now I care about animals a lot. I don't want to eat meat, I don't care about pleasure from my diet I just want feel lively.

    Well done on caring about our (delicious) friends, the animals. <3 A vegan diet if suitable can be very energising.

    @karasti has given good advice. Vegan food is delicious. Bean and nut loaf, with onion gravy. Yum. Rice and veg curry. Double yum. Peanut butter and banana flan. NOM, NOM, nom ...

    Earthninja
  • http://www.veghealthguide.com/vitamins-minerals/

    You can use harvesting brewers yeast (for vitamins) as an excuse to brew your own beer :)

    ZenniZenshin
  • DakiniDakini Veteran

    @Rowan1980 said:

    B12, iodine, and iron deficiencies could very well be culprits, which is why it's absolutely vital to either eat foods fortified with these or take supplements. (I do both myself).

    This. Also, you need to get enough solid protein to maintain and/or build muscle mass. Whenever you start a new diet, you should research it first, to find out in advance if you'll need to make up for any deficiencies, like B12 and iron, in veggie diets.

    Also OP, I don't know where you got the idea that Buddhists are vegans. Most Buddhists are not. Some are vegetarians, but many aren't. Tibetans and Mongols eat meat, and don't think twice about it.

    I would recommend you add dairy to your diet, for extra protein, get a B12 supplement, research veggie sources of iron (spinach, for one), and see if that helps. Re: libido--yoga can boost that. Or you can try taking the ayurvedic herb, Ashwaganda, for a few weeks, and see if that helps. Some doctors say it helps build testosterone in the body.

    Zenni
  • ZenniZenni Veteran

    Group 1 - carbohydrates : rice, noodles, pasta, bread, potatoes etc
    Group 2 - proteins : legumes ie lentils, beans (green, red, black, soy etc), nuts, peas, seeds...
    Group 3 - fats : margarine, fats in food eg vegetable used in cooking your food.
    Group 4 - vitamins and minerals : fruits and vegetables. Think RAINBOW. Eat a colourful variety of them eg broccoli, tomatoes, purple cabbage, yellow capsicum... Apples, oranges, watermelon, black grapes, cantaloupe...

    Consume a good portion, of each of the above groups. For every meal.
    Say yes to green leafy vegetables.
    Also, bananas - for sports' sake and for lifting your moods.

    You'll be up and about in no time at all! Speedy recovery :)

    Namaste
    Zenni

    Rowan1980dantepwBuddhadragonZenshin
  • ZenniZenni Veteran

    Lol
    @SpinyNorman - thanks!

  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    margarine and other vegetable oil products are HORRIBLE for a person. You are better off with normal healthy fats like butter or coconut or good quality olive oil. If a doctor has told you only to have margarine products that is one thing, but most people do not need that kind of risk mitigation. Margarine and vegetable oil spreads are far worse for the average person than alternatives.

    federicaZenniZenshin
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    I agree @karasti, I never have anything like that. Butter, ghee, coconut oil, and olive oil only.

    ZenniZenshin
  • seeker242seeker242 Zen Florida, USA Veteran
    edited April 2015

    Dr. John McDougall is a good source of info for a veg/vegan diet, especially with regards to fats and oils. He heavily criticizes some fats and oils, especially trans-fats. He does a pretty good explanation of the healthy and unhealthy fats and oils. :)

    Zenni
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran

    @karasti said:
    margarine and other vegetable oil products are HORRIBLE for a person. You are better off with normal healthy fats like butter or coconut or good quality olive oil. If a doctor has told you only to have margarine products that is one thing, but most people do not need that kind of risk mitigation. Margarine and vegetable oil spreads are far worse for the average person than alternatives.

    An exception appears to be Smart Balance products. My doctor has instructed me not to just substitute Smart Balance for margarine, but to be sure to have at least some every day.

    Zenni
  • thug4lyfethug4lyfe Explorer
    edited May 2015

    Low sex drive ain't a bad thing OP. Bustin a gut too often from being celibate causes more harm whether it's flipping or actually inside some cosy little pied-á-terre So yeah, keep on keepin dat tarmac drive low!
    Edited by Moderator. No, I don't understand it either, now.

  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran

    Moderators are like policemen. There's never one around when you really need one.

    ZenniZenshin
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran

    A nice portion of fish and chips might help.

    ZenniInvincible_summer
  • MimichiMimichi New
    edited May 2015
    To give an answer to your question: "how do you make it work without compromising your health?": Let the forced vegan diet go for a while. To change the eating pattern because the mind wants to change it, has a low chance of actually succeeding. Life moves the body and mind to focus on and eat a certain kind of foods. It is something that happens because it happens, not because you want it. When a peaceful spirituality integrates deeper, by itself a different, calmer eating pattern will emerge. And this calmer eating pattern still doesn't mean that you are deciding what you are taking, it means that you eat what comes naturally. And also how much you eat. To want to eat vegan is just a thing of the mind, relax more into what life brings and be surprised by what your eating pattern wil look like in a while :D

    (I know you said you didn't ask for a spiritual answer, but taking food and being healthy is not as simple as 'when A is taken into the body, good will become and when B is taken into the body, bad will become', there are many more aspects to food intake and health. As someone said before me: your idea that certain effects are caused by a diet is just an opinion of the mind. Therefor an answer that simply focuses on food when you are in a health-crisis is not sufficient..)

    Best of luck! :)
    lobster
  • This sounds unrelated to diet. This sounds like a classic description of hypothyroidism. A simple blood test, quantitative TSH, is diagnostic. Pursue that first.

  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran

    Maybe I'm just taking my universal health care for granted, but why dont' you just see a doctor??

  • Hello 7788.
    I think that by this time, you should have gotten the memo:
    1. You don't need to be a vegan to be Buddhist.
    2. If, for some reason you haven't yet, see a doctor!
    3. Vegan, Vegetarian or Omnivore, you need a healthy diet - DO YOUR HOMEWORK
    [Proper exercise also helps]

    I have been a practicing Buddhist since..., well, for a long time. I know many fellow Buddhists who enjoy a good steak. I also know Buddhists who are dedicated vegans.
    One of my sons is an "Ethical Vegan". He started cold turkey - It took him a couple of years to get it right. [And he is quite energetic. =)>:)B)]

    Best of luck to you!

    Vegan cookies - num num!
    Did somebody say "Ice Ceram"? <3<3

    @Invincible_summer said:
    Maybe I'm just taking my universal health care for granted, but why dont' you just see a doctor??

    We have expanded coverage here in the USA, but don't take your universal health care for granted - we still don't have anything close.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Given that @7788 has not seen fit to come back and comment on all helpful and constructive comments, I'm closing the thread until such a time as he sees necessary to request re-opening it.
    A PM to me will do it.

    Thank you all for your thoughtful contributions.

This discussion has been closed.