Hello! I have just recently made the final transition to Vegan. My journey started late last spring when I came down with "fifth disease" (Parvo B-19. There was an outbreak at my kid's school and, clearly, I hadn't had it as a kid). My symptoms were basically identical to an acute case of Rheumatoid Arthritis that lasted about 8 weeks in all, and the only thing that helped at the worst time was eating a completely plant-based diet. After several back and forths, I realized that I just simply feel better when I'm not eating meat or dairy products, and the rest, as they say, is history.
So, here I am. I'm 45 years old, have two young children and a hubby who are all omnivorous. I'm OK with that, since they do eat whatever I cook, and since I like to cook, the meals I provide are usually quite tasty. I have a whole book-case full of cook-books. I'm not one to prosyletize, but when people ask me, I will tell them I'm happier not eating any animal products. When we go visiting, I will usually bring a dish or two and a dessert that are all outa this world, and folks are surprised at the lack of the expected ingredients.
My transition became complete when I got a Vitamix for my birthday this year, and also when I found a brand of soy milk that I really like. The final hump for me was the milk in the morning coffee issue. I am a true coffee afficionado, and have always loved it with a splash of whole milk. But I'm good without it now. I really like Vitasoy unsweetened, and when that's not available, Trader Joe's unsweetened (even though there's a disclaimer on the carton stating that it's made on machinery that might also process milk, nuts, etc, etc...). I also really like So Delicious plain coconut yogurt, and
"Original" coconut kefir. The kefir is profoundly delish in smoothies, and the probiotics can't be beat.
The thing I still haven't figured out is the whole B-12 issue. I am sure there are countless threads and will browse them shortly. But my questions are:
1) Is a supplement necessary? If so, which ones to folks recommend?
2) Are there any plant-based sources for it.
3) What other supplements are others recommending?
Looking forward to sharing info and insights with you all!
So, here I am. I'm 45 years old, have two young children and a hubby who are all omnivorous. I'm OK with that, since they do eat whatever I cook, and since I like to cook, the meals I provide are usually quite tasty. I have a whole book-case full of cook-books. I'm not one to prosyletize, but when people ask me, I will tell them I'm happier not eating any animal products. When we go visiting, I will usually bring a dish or two and a dessert that are all outa this world, and folks are surprised at the lack of the expected ingredients.
My transition became complete when I got a Vitamix for my birthday this year, and also when I found a brand of soy milk that I really like. The final hump for me was the milk in the morning coffee issue. I am a true coffee afficionado, and have always loved it with a splash of whole milk. But I'm good without it now. I really like Vitasoy unsweetened, and when that's not available, Trader Joe's unsweetened (even though there's a disclaimer on the carton stating that it's made on machinery that might also process milk, nuts, etc, etc...). I also really like So Delicious plain coconut yogurt, and
"Original" coconut kefir. The kefir is profoundly delish in smoothies, and the probiotics can't be beat.
The thing I still haven't figured out is the whole B-12 issue. I am sure there are countless threads and will browse them shortly. But my questions are:
1) Is a supplement necessary? If so, which ones to folks recommend?
2) Are there any plant-based sources for it.
3) What other supplements are others recommending?
Looking forward to sharing info and insights with you all!
