
Ask HN: How to become a vegan? - feider
I live in a modern western culture and my diet contains typical western foods. After being diagnosed with a mild hypertension with family history of hypertension, I&#x27;ve become interested in more healthy diets.<p>After reading MD Greger&#x27;s nutritionfacts.org I&#x27;m willing to start decreasing animal protein intake with a hope of becoming a vegan one day.<p>Any advice&#x2F;stories from people with similar background?
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pvaldes
In a totally neuter tone. Why do you identify vegan + pills with "healthy
diet" and omnivorous with "unhealthy diet"? A diet that leads to nerve damage
unless you add suplements to avoid it, do not sounds to me as "healthy" by
definition.

Lets say that "vegans live longer". This is our null hypothesis. Is the
percentage of pure vegans among the longest living people in the world
significatively higher?

Jeanne Calment: Smoker. Some alcohol. Active. Diet rich in olive oil and lots
of chocolate. 122 Yo.

Susannah Mushatt Jones. Sleeping a lot and eating bacon each day. 116 Yo

Jiroemon Kimura. Favourite food, pickled mackerels. 116 Yo

Christian Mortensen. Moderated smoker, not alcohol, active, diet with a lot of
potatoes and vegetables. Some meat. 115 Yo.

Emiliano Mercado: Eating corn and codfish each day. 115 Yo.

...

As a footnote, I'll only buy a book titled "I will show you how to live
forever" or so, if it was written by an author 100 years old at least.

~~~
PerfectElement
I think you are trying to draw a scientific conclusion from extremely rare
anecdotes.

I would look at the adventists health[1] studies or the Blue Zones[2] for
longevity data associated to diet and lifestyle.

[1] -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventist_Health_Studies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventist_Health_Studies)
[2]-
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone)

~~~
pvaldes
Not, In fact I'm trying to start some critic discussion.

If somebody claims that a vegan diet is healthier and better, I would expect
some facts that support that claim at least. Do you know somebody that became
centenary following a strict vegan diet? I think that we can discard directly
all historical data of "vegan" people living before 1945 or so, because some
vitamins weren't still industrially synthesized. This people either faked
their veganism or were really very ill. History after 1945 is relatively well
documented; thus should be possible to find inspiring stories about actual
vegan people living until 100 Yo.

On the other hand, reaching 100 years with a mediterranean diet or a Japanese
diet based in marine food has been proved as uncommon, but perfectly possible,
with dozens of cases reported at least.

~~~
feider
I'm genuinely interested in this topic. I'm not saying that vegan diet is the
best diet out there, but what I've read so far it really seems to be a much
healthier alternative than the "western default".

Some interesting studies about vegan diet and it's impact on health:

[http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1627S.full](http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/5/1627S.full)
[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2007.270/full](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2007.270/full)
[http://www.bmj.com/content/293/6560/1468](http://www.bmj.com/content/293/6560/1468)
[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1097-0142(1989080...](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1097-0142\(19890801\)64:3%3C598::AID-
CNCR2820640306%3E3.0.CO;2-6/abstract)

All these studies contain findings that support the idea of vegan diet being
one of the healthiest option: vegans tend to have lower BMI, blood pressure
and reduced (prostate) cancer rate.

~~~
pvaldes
I'll take a look later...

------
PerfectElement
The /vegan sub reddit is pretty active and supportive. You will find plenty of
folks willing to help there.

Dr. Greger's book How Not To Die is a good source of nutritional information.

My 2 cents as someone who's been vegan for almost 15 years:

\- Don't be too hard on yourself. Being vegan is not about being perfect.

\- When eating out, explore ethnic foods. You will find that it's easier to
find dishes that are vegan by default or almost vegan on non-western
restaurants.

\- Try to find the macro distribution that works best for you and work with it
within a vegan framework. I thrive on high carb, but you will find all sorts
of vegan diets out there, including keto.

\- Avoid drama. Just by saying you are vegan, you may get negative emotional
reactions from people. When confronted, just say it's a personal choice and
move on. Too much time can be spent arguing with people who are ignorant on
this topic.

------
quintes
Take your b12 vitamins too.

Do not eat poorly, take the time to make food lists and get what you need so
you don't end up eating less nutritious food. Try tofu. initially eating at
bbq may be tough but your friends and family will support you.

~~~
fred_is_fred
Lack of B12 is no joke. You can have permanent damage or die from this.

------
acrynx
My girlfriend and I have been vegan for about 3,5 years now and are not
planning to go back. For me the transition was really easy and I feel it can
definitely be so for everyone. It's really all about your standards and
perception.

If you want everything to taste exactly the way that non-vegan food does,
that's not gonna work out. If you're ready to substitute the dishes you eat
now with ones that taste different but just as good or even better though,
then you're already all set.

You just have to be open minded about the change and it will come naturally,
really. Also you really don't have to substitute meat with soy and other
replacement products at all. They often taste bad or are unhealthy and
replacing them with something more natural (like lentils, beans, potatoes
etc.) is almost always better, across the board.

Really, just buy a vegan cookbook or gather recipes from blogs, try them and
discover your favourites. Checking the ingredients of all the stuff you buy is
the only thing you have to do.

One thing that could bother you though would be limited options when eating in
restaurants. There is almost always at least one vegan option available, but
you just won't have as much choice as before, which could be a dealbreaker for
you.

You'll have to decide that for yourself. Though there are also many great
vegan-only restaurants that serve really great stuff that you might not have
discovered until now :)

Good luck on your journey, feel free to ask questions!

------
jzd131
I became vegan for heath reasons at the same time I started my company (around
5 years ago). I believe it has allowed my body to stay young and my alertness
to go up.

Starting out you just think of it as one meal at a time... this meal I won't
eat anything with animal protein. Then one week at a time and before you know
it you will pass the 90-day mark which is when you stop being hungry all the
time and/or craving meat at all.

Another thing to note is I never really think of myself as a "vegan", just
someone that is extremely picky and won't eat anything with animal protein :)

Do take b12 supplements, though- I found my eye to be drooping when I became
tired because I was deficient. After taking the b12 I was back to normal.

~~~
rhinoceraptor
Don't forget vitamin K2, it's important for regulating calcium. The most
common sources are dairy and eggs. There are non-animal sources (natto,
sauerkraut), but they're not exactly typical foods for most people.

------
Broken_Hippo
I've been mostly vegetarian for over 3 years now. I eat fish once every week
or two and that is becoming less and less. (I rarely ate fish before that). I
had been cutting down on meat previously, then got married to someone that
doesn't eat it.

First off, realize that it may or may not ease your hypertension. After all,
part of that is simple genetics. For me, the main health benefit is digestive
- I don't have a gall bladder and meat doesn't bode well with my system. I do,
overall, feel better - which Im sure is part diet and part "exercise" (I walk
for transportation most times). In other words, have realistic expectations.

Part of the reason I've not considered being vegan is because 1) Too much work
for my lifestyle, and severely limits food options that I really like. 2) It
seems to me it takes a good deal of knowledge about health 3) I don't like
taking vitamin supplements (B12 being one of those that is difficult). So long
as none of this bothers you you'll be fine.

But I do recommend keeping dairy, eggs, and cheese upfront. It will help the
transition. I didn't think mine was that bad as I had just moved countries -
but still missed a few foods, especially at holidays.

You might find it takes a bit of getting used to the different tastes and
textures. It is actually easier to keep up once you get adjusted to the
diet.Consider fake meats for texture variance, but be forewarned that they
don't really taste like meat. Yet, I'd not suggest eating them daily. For
"burgers" and "meatballs", I suggest learning to make your own.

If you don't cook much now, learn to do so. Invest in different spices and
explore foods from different cultures. You might have to teach yourself to
like different foods - so if you don't like legumes and lentils and the like,
you'll need to adjust. It is possible with many things given some time.

I fully suggest buying some varied cookbooks instead of relying solely on the
internet for recipies. If anything, there is usually good information in some
of them and they make your searches better.

And that's all I can think of now.

------
dn2k
I'm vegetarian but I've spent a couple years as vegan when I was in my 20.

One day (I was 18, now I'm 40) I've decided to start choosing the vegetarian
option whenever its available, after few days I realized that I was already
vegetarian.

Being vegan is a completely different thing though, it require time, planning,
knowledge and partecipation by the people around you. It can easily become a
problem for everybody (not just you) and if you want your decision to be
sustainable you don't want it. So my suggestion is to be smart, don't overdo,
eventually start choosing the vegan option whenever is available or you have
control on the meal preparation.

------
iMarv
My girlfriend is vegan and I am vegetarian. I am vegetarian for 3/4 of a year
now and slowly start to replace all animal based products. The best help for
me is to have someone I can rely on (like my girlfriend). Sharing food with
someone who already is vegan helped me to get the right feeling for it and
made me experience a lot of options food wise. Ultimatively I am vegetarian
because living with my girlfriend showed me that I can eat tasty stuff without
having to kill or abuse animals

------
beerbajay
I've been vegan for over 15 years. While a vegan diet is generally more
healthy than the standard American diet, there are many healthy (easier) diets
than veganism. Basically (imho), veganism is only compelling for ethical
reasons.

Eating a vegan diet has however never been easier, especially if you live in a
major American city; there is wide availability of reasonable replacement
products, vegan options at restaurants, plus a general awareness of what
veganism is with less of the reactionary responses that you might have gotten
years ago.

How to become vegan? Just start slow; you don't have to do everything at once,
learn to replace your standard dishes and ingredients one at a time.

Harder: how to stay vegan? Recognize that you can never be completely sure
about ingredients and that trace amounts of animal products don't present any
ethical issues. Be willing to eat out and chance some milk or eggs a dish,
especially when dining with others. Veganism shouldn't be about making your
own life an unlivable burden but about reducing harm.

------
Mz
Start by just eating less meat and more "sides," like vegetables, at meals. If
you eat a lot of overcooked ("Southern style") veggies as sides, expose
yourself to stirfries, shishkebab, lightly grilled and other preparations that
help preserve the nutrient value. Raw is also good. Learn to eat more fresh
produce.

As you improve the nutrional value of the non meat items in your diet, meat
will matter less to you.

Diet for a Small Planet is a good source of info. Protein complementarity can
help satisfy your hunger. On the upside, most traditional vegetarian diets
already practice that. She eventually concluded it isn't hard as her first
edition made it sound. But it was useful to me to know some of the nutritional
science behind it.

You do not necessarily need to go vegan. Cutting back on meat and eating
cleaner meats (Kosher, grass fed, organic, etc) may resolve your health issue
with less of a burden in terms of making extreme changes, trying to maintain
it, etc.

Best.

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ciconia
I switched to a vegan diet out of ideology, not health issues, so I didn't
really plan how to do it. I just eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, and all
kinds of beans or lentils. I think cooking fresh meals (instead of eating out
or eating pre-cooked food) has a lot to do with it.

Basically, just listen to your body. I don't take any vitamins and I'm
reasonably fit.

~~~
fahrradflucht
So where does your B12 come from?

~~~
iMarv
Either you get it from pills yourself, or (if not vegan) the animals will be
injected with it. Either way, there is no perfect solution to fill up your B12
needs

~~~
m_mueller
That's only true for anti biotics infested farm animals though. Either way if
you go for a vegan diet you have to keep up with B12. Don't fall for the
naturalistic fallacy ("if I eat fresh and 'natural' it will all be fine").

------
zer00eyz
Your going to have to learn how to cook, and cook well. There is no way around
it.

Cooking is a lot like programing, there are general concepts and techniques
(functions, algorithms) that translate across all (most) cuisines (that are
akin to languages)

Things that will make your life better:

A good set of knives (paring and chefs), learn to sharpen them, and hone them.

A decent set of non stick pans (large and small) these are disposable, the
coating always comes off, buy cheep ones (not too cheep) and replace often.

A few pots, and some pans for the oven, a large one for the stove top
(stainless for easy cleaning).

Good cutting boards- plastic, flat ones -- to extend the life of your knives.

With tools in hand you need to get some skills, and the best way to do this at
home is to master a single dish. Read every recipe you can find, take note of
the differences, pay attention to how your cooking it, don't be afraid to turn
the heat up or down as you prepare things. The one sin that most people commit
is only using the high setting on the microwave and the stove top!

Take copious notes every time you make the dish, what did you change,
time/heat/fat/ingredients -- at some point your going to have a perfect
version. Only then should you branch out and master another dish. Make sure it
is the same style of cooking (Italian, Chinese, Mexican etc...)

Being vegan is hard, but if your willing to eat from every culture you can get
by, and almost every culture has things that are accidentally vegan, falafel
being a great example!

I can't recommend enough the site
[http://www.seriouseats.com](http://www.seriouseats.com) as they feature quite
a few tasty vegan and vegetarian recipes. Since I already brought up falafel,
you should read their breakdown on it, and try the recipe:
[http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/03/the-food-lab-vegan-
experi...](http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/03/the-food-lab-vegan-experience-
best-homemade-falafel.html)

Your also going to want to learn about Seitan, aka wheat gluten. As far as
meat replacements go, it is tops, but making it is an exercise in endurance.
Real food daily has the best recipe for someone who is going to attempt to do
this at home, they have a cookbook that you can get the recipe from, and is a
worth while investment.

------
paulcole
The great thing about nutrition is that no matter what diet you want to try,
you can find a quack willing to endorse it as a healthy option.

The truth about nutrition is that it's incredibly complex, difficult to study,
and there are virtually no reliable sources who aren't pushing their own
agenda.

If you want to eat vegan, by all means go for it (I'm vegan myself), but
you're deluding yourself to think that there's something magical about a
"vegan diet"\-- which by the way can contain oreos, cracker jacks, hershey's
syrup, and any number of other healthy foods.

------
joeclark77
I just have to recommend this (humor) video by JP Sears:
[https://youtu.be/Kvdf6e8birI](https://youtu.be/Kvdf6e8birI)

He's got a whole series like this. Hope it entertains.

------
westvaflamer
I was a vegan for five years. I was also into bodybuilding for a couple of
years. For unrelated reasons(?), I have leaky gut now.

What I've learned is: fasting is good for you. Fatty meat and seafood is good
for you. Mushrooms are good for you.

Root type veggies are the best, except for potatoes. Fuck you potatoes I miss
you. Avoid juice and sofa, just eat fruit.

Dairy, eggs, and grains can be a grey area. They are likely best in moderation
even if you seem to tolerate them well.

Put a shot of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water erreyday

Most importantly listen to your body

~~~
debacle
What's the cider vinegar for?

~~~
westvaflamer
It kills (in small dosages) bacteria/fungus/viruses and is well tolerated. Try
some in a glass of water next time you get sick.

~~~
debacle
I have actually been drinking it for a while to help with a GI issue, was
wondering why you drink it. Thanks for the input!

------
thorin
This book may be of interest although not 100% vegan, the introduction in
particular is quite inspiring

[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Pear-Healthy-Delicious-
Change...](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Pear-Healthy-Delicious-
Change/dp/1844883523)

------
andymoe
Go buy the "eat to live cookbook" and eat the stuff in there. Eat as much as
you want as long as it's in the book. The extreme is not for me right now
(mostly have to prioritize shopping and cooking time) and it takes a few weeks
to get used to but the food is good and healthy.

~~~
feider
Thanks for the tip! Looks just like a thing I need atm.

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atomical
Why can't you become a vegan now by not consuming animal products?

~~~
scaryspooky
Because it's easy to substitute carbs for animal products and you wind up
incredibly unhealthy but "vegan." Big diet changes do take some planning and
effort in order to ensure you are eating in a physically sustainable manner.

~~~
atomical
That's a two second google search though. It can start with legumes, beans,
rice, fruit, and vegetables.

~~~
scaryspooky
You can down vote me if you want, but I'm telling you why most people should
ask and map out a real strategy. Not just rely on a "2 second Google search"
\-- most people have a poor understanding of a good diet and health education
is rarely offered as a mandatory class. A "2 second Google search" will lead
people down a very bad road.

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arvind1508
Find Indian or Jain food! It's generally pretty tasty and not all that
difficult to find.

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feverzsj
if west foods do no good to you, try east foods. East Asia diet, especially
China/Japan, is considered most healthful.

------
werber
foodgawker.com and filter by vegan, that helped me a lot

