Shannonrwb

I began a vegan way of eating at the beginning of the year. I did it primarilly for health reasons but in doing research found many many other reasons to eat/live this way. One thing that concerns me is the topic of oil. I notice that most of the recipies I make use oil and I am not completely sold on the healthiness of certain oils... Seems to me they are still highly processed and still 100 percent fat. What have people tried successfully that they can share with me about alternatives to oils in vegan cooking(not just baking). Also I am sad to say that I have had a lot of stress lately and my diet has faltered at least fifty percent of the time...Any inspirational motivating reasons why people out there are vegan would be great too. Thanks!

Todaylour

I dabble in veganism, and I can understand about the oil. Not all oils may be healthy but don't think of just the oil itself think about the balance of your day. True nutrition is not just about what you eat, it is about how you eat it. Veganism is great because you may be cooking with oil but turn around and look at all of the healthy choices you are making. With animal products out of your diet, I can only assume your fat intake has been decreased dramatically. Besides not all fat is bad. If you are truly cooking with a concerning amount of oil. I would instead look at what you are cooking. If you are frying a lot, maybe try broiling.

On this thread I have seen a lot of reponses about veganism not being healthy. If you are eating only carbs, sugars and crap, yeah that's not going to work. What I suggest is get a vegan cookbook that would fit best for your life. There are tons of options. My personal fav is the Veganomicon. The key to Veganism, as in all nutrition is protein. Build your plate around your protein of choice, fill at least half the plate with fruits and veggies, and then if you want grains, do it. Remember that Veganism is actually the recommended diet by the UN. The only real struggle is b12. Take a supplement.

That may not have answered your question, but I really don't think you should sweat it. Being Vegan is hard enough. Make healthy choices about what you are putting into your body, portion control, read the labels, you will be fine.

Baby vegans, it is hard, don't beat yourself up if you accidentally eat something, just keep on going. It gets easier with time.

Shannonrwb

Thanks so much for the advice. I really do see your point. Sometimes I feel that I have so much weight to lose that I have to be perfect. And when I am struggling with my way of eating ( as I am now) it is hard to not beat myself up when I make bad choices...Thanks

Todaylour

No problem. Don't beat yourself up, nobody is perfect. You were born a beautiful, remarkable imperfect being. If not for imperfections, we would all be single cells floating around in ooze. We all want to loose the weight to feel better about ourselves. We recieve back the energy we put out into the universe. Keep positive, and remember your goals, and most of all don't forget to live each day to its fullest.