Want to go vegan, looking for basic resources

[Letitia]

Hi mamas,

I have been advised by my doctor to limit my fat to <25% of my total calories by my oncologist, and I'm also seriously considering becoming a vegan.  The two things seem like they could go hand-in-hand if I do it right.

It's a not a huge jump for me because I grew up detesting red meat and over the years have been more and more turned off by poultry as well.  I haven't eaten dairy for 30 years because of an allergy. 

Cancer is a big motivator and I really want to do this.  I feel I can let go of eggs and poultry; the difficult one for me will be fish.  I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed by how to figure out how to balance my diet with no animal products at all.  Does anybody know of any good books?  I just need some kind of a starting place. 

Thanks.

[katroshka]

I don't know about books, really, but here's a good online resource for nutrition:

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/vegan-nutrition.html

There are so many good vegan cookbooks, but you really can find sooo many recipes online these days that you needn't buy anything if you don't want to.

These are my favorite places to go for recipes:

http://www.chefchloe.com/blog.html

http://www.veganchef.com/

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/

And if you have a recipe/ ingredient in mind already, just type it into Google with "vegan", e.g. "vegan mac and cheese recipe", you will get a ton of recipes.

Do you have a good health food store nearby? That can really make life easier.

If I were you I would not worry about being a stickler about your diet, just do what feels comfortable for you. If you can't quite imagine giving up fish, think about just cutting back on it for now. You have a lot on your plate right now, try not to add too much to it by stressing about following following a strict diet. That being said, I can't think of a better diet to fight cancer (or any disease) on than one full of fresh fruits and veggies. Joining a CSA is a great way to expand your veggie repertoire. Good luck!

[kismetbaby]

I'd invest in Veganomicon. . .a great vegan cookbook and just a great cookbook to have even if you don't go 100% vegan. But I know that's not exactly what you're asking for. . .

Here's a good book "Becoming Vegan"   http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Vegan-Complete-Adopting-Plant-Based/dp/1570671036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290464027&sr=8-1

I know it can fee like "what the heck will I even eat!", but just start where you are.  So if getting rid of all meat except fish seems more easy/natural just start there.  Let your palate and your cooking and your research catch up to that change and then you can decide about getting rid of the fish too.  I'd say if its the fat that is the worry, cutting out dairy products and red meat is certainly your first and obvious choice.  

Another good book, although more about the ethics of eating meat and not the practicalities, is "Eating Animals" http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Animals-Jonathan-Safran-Foer/dp/0316069884/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290464247&sr=1-1

You may find that your motivations for being vegan may start one place and end up another. . .but moving towards a plant based diet is only going to be healthier for you and for the environment.  Good luck!

[smallmama]

Lots of places have good "Vegetarian Starter Kits" (in this case, they're all actually vegan starter kits) that they'll send you or that you can download for free. They have a few recipes and tips for making the transition.

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/free-vegetarian-starter-kit.aspx - from PETA

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/ - from PCRM

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/vegan-starter-kit.aspx - from Mercy for Animals

http://www.tryveg.com/request/ - from Compassion Over Killing

PCRM also does a 21-day vegan kickstart, usually 2-3 times a year (I think the next one is in Jan), which is great because you get daily emails with recipes, reminder, motivational articles or videos... http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart

Another GREAT resource (that I learned about on this board) is the "Vegetarian Food for Thought" podcast by Colleen Patrick Goudreau. LOVE it! So inspirational! You can search for it on iTunes, or download it directly from her site, I think. http://www.compassionatecooks.com/blog/index.html (Oh, I just saw that the podcasts are here - http://feeds.feedburner.com/VegetarianFoodForThought)

As for cooking/recipes, there are a million great cookbooks and blogs out there. Check the cookbooks out at the library to see which ones appeal to you before buying. My faves are probably 1000 Vegan Recipes (Robin Robertson), Veganomicon (Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Romero), and Eat Drink and Be Vegan (Dreena Burton). For blogs, many right now are doing the "Vegan MoFo" (Month of Food),

so there's a helpful list of everyone participating at http://veganmofo.wordpress.com/blog-roll-2010/.

Hope this helps!

Adding to say that if you're looking for more theory/philosophy type books, I'd recommend The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, or Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. Oh, and since you're dealing with cancer issues (so sorry about that!) you MUST read everything by/about Kris Carr. Her website is http://crazysexylife.com/, her books are "Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips" and "Crazy Sexy Cancer Survivor" and "Crazy Sexy Cancer Diet." She is amazing.

[maciascl]

Originally Posted by katroshka 

If I were you I would not worry about being a stickler about your diet, just do what feels comfortable for you. If you can't quite imagine giving up fish, think about just cutting back on it for now. You have a lot on your plate right now, try not to add too much to it by stressing about following following a strict diet. That being said, I can't think of a better diet to fight cancer (or any disease) on than one full of fresh fruits and veggies. Joining a CSA is a great way to expand your veggie repertoire. Good luck!

Exactly that!