Mental as well as physical adjustments

[chewy]

Hi,I have recently moved to a low carb,higher protein lifestyle.It has been quite a mental as well as physical adjustment .I was a strict vegan for over 10 years following Dr. John Mcdougall's Plan.(Has anyone else been a follower in the past?)My reason for changing :Iwas sick of always being hungry for more and more carbs-I really became a carb addict.-especially sugar!.Now I am eating lots of tofu and acclimating my taste buds to egg whites.I really think I'll feel more peaceful and satisfied.If anyone has had the same experience,I'd love to hear it!Thanks.

[doreen T]

hi chewy,

I followed a strict vegan program some years ago, for health reasons. I did use oils, and ate nuts and seeds so it wasn't as low in fat as the McDougall plan (<10%) --- I did buy the book though .. :D .. I eventually added some fish as well, and an occasional egg (but no dairy). I believe that I became allergic-addicted to most of the grains (definitely allergic to barley) and intense cravings for brown rice, wheat berries, quinoa and kasha. I'd eat huge portions, then find myself reheating more only a couple hours later. Ended up with terrible skin problems and irritable bowel .. and terrible fatigue, weakness, mental fog, likely due to protein deficiency (I had been omnivorous before then). The funny thing too is that I ate tons of grains, whole-grain breads and beans, but didn't eat very many vegetables. Did eat a lot of fruit though.

I'm glad you're feeling some satisfaction with this new way of eating. 11 yrs is a long time to just change overnight, you're really doing well .. :) .. Have you tried the isolated whey protein shakes yet? They could help fill a void too, maybe add a small portion of lowcarb fruit to it, such as berries or cantaloupe chunks. Cooked egg whites do come pretty close to the texture and bland taste of tofu, so not too, too much of a stretch. I'm just curious why you're not also consuming the yolks? Are you nervous about the fat and cholesterol? You needn't be -- the cholesterol you eat has little to do with the levels of cholesterol in your blood. And egg yolks are rich in natural lecithin and choline. Also, diets that are severely restricted in fat (less than 15-20%) are linked to increased incidence of gallstones and gallbladder disease, also too low fat intake can lead to deficiencies in essential fatty acids and the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K. Cold-press olive and flax oil are good choices.

I do encourage you to continue to broaden your protein sources beyond tofu and soy. Wonderful as they are, repeated daily consumption over the longterm can lead to allergy-addiction problems just as with grains. There are some tasty tofu cheeses, NuTofu is one brand .... comes in cheddar, swiss and jalepeno flavours (1 carb per 30 gm serving) ... maybe having these once in a while might acclimatize your tastes buds to an eventual graduation to dairy cheese. Uncreamed cottage cheese and ricotta are bland and somewhat "tofu-like" also, so they might also be another "stepping stone" for you to try, when you feel ready.

Take care, and continued success to you with your higher protein-lowcarb efforts.

Doreen

[chewy]

Hi Doreen,Thank you for your helpful suggestions and encouraging words.I know that this new food plan will help me greatly.I think I will try eating the egg yolks as well-Thanks again,Chewy