vegetarian low carb?

[chewy]

Hi,Im interested in finding out if any other s have been vegetarians/vegans only to become carb addicts like me!Is it possible to do the low carb plan using soy products(tofu etc)as the main source of protein?I realize that I may need to branch out and eat eggs too.Any feedback would be great!:)

[tamarian]

I found this link for vegetarian low-carb recipes, I never tried the recipes since I'm a cave man :)

http://www.immuneweb.org/lowcarb/

[doreen T]

hi chewy, welcome aboard.

To answer your first question, I will tell you that I followed a strict vegan program for health reasons some years ago. Within 6 months, I developed Irritable Bowel, my skin was horrid with acne-like lesions and my hair was falling out. The holistic practitioner kept pushing me to continue, assuring me this was a sign that my body was "cleansing all the toxins". I gained weight like crazy. I was always hungry, and never felt filled with all the grains. I thought I would KILL for a piece of cheese. Finally found out that I'm allergic/sensitive to most grains, especially barley. And definitely addicted to starchy carbs, especially white rice and wheat.

If you wish to nip the carb addiction, a lowcarb, moderate protein program will really be helpful. The key concept here is the moderate PROTEIN. A small, sedentary woman requires a minimum of 60 gm protein per day. (The pro-vegetarian claims that you only need 10 gm are false. 10 gm will keep you from developing severe deficiency symptoms - period). Protein is needed not just for muscle building, but for repair and regeneration of all organs and tissues in the body, also the production of hormones, enzymes and neural proteins, such as serotonin and dopamine - every single day. ..:)

Limiting your protein choice to only soy will be very boring for starters, plus difficult to obtain the daily requirement on an ongoing basis. Also, constant, repeated consumption of the same food day in and day out can lead to sensitivity and possibly allergy. Eggs would be a good choice. One large egg provides 7 gms complete protein. Another suitable protein would be seitan, or "wheat meat", made from gluten. 4 oz. of seitan has about 15 gm protein, and 2 carbs. Nuts, seeds and their butters provide some protein, but you have to watch the carbs. Consider having fish once or twice a week. Excellent protein, and fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel provide the beneficial Omega-6 oils.

If you've been strict vegan for some time, I'm not sure that cow milk dairy products would be a good choice. Only because you may have lost the ability to digest the casein protein, and possibly lactose problems. An alternative could be goat milk products, such as cheeses and yogurt. I'm finding I'm having less digestive trouble with goat and sheep milk products than with cow's milk (and I'm not lactose intolerant)

There are quite a few soy- and wheat-based meat analogs out there -- Boca burgers, Yves burgers and ersatz wieners, etc........ Just watch for added cereals, rice, barley malt syrup and other carbs.

Carbohydrate Addicts Lifeplan has vegetarian menus, but I know they include eggs and dairy.

It can be done, but it will be a challenge. Good luck, and keep us posted how you're doing .. :)

Doreen

[chewy]

Thank you very much for your helpful information.I've heard that whey protein is a good source of protein too.However,I don't know if it would be a total shock to my system-I haven't had dairy in over 10 years!

[doreen T]

hi chewy,

The better quality isolated whey proteins are easily digestible, and excellent protein source. I like the Interactive Whey, it's made in Canada too ..;) .. and is micro-cold filtered, and guaranteed non-BHT treated dairy source. I know DynaWhey is cheaper, but I had some digestive trouble with it, possibly it's less filtered and purified?? not sure.

Doreen