lakeheron Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 One of my new year's goals is to stop eating animals. I am not uneducated about vegetarianism but think it would be nice to form a group of vegetarians, perhaps on yahoo, to talk about recipes, finding ingredients, and more. Anybody out there interested? Please pm if so. I know that technically this goes under "La Cocina" but since this forum gets more traffic I hope it can stay here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBearII Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 You will find many vegetarians if you go to the Organic Market at the Mall on Tue 10-1. Lots of people to talk to, plus you can get on a couple of email lists for tips and recipes and such from, for example, Kalina. It might be easier if you give up one animal/bird at a time, and/or if you reduce how often you eat birds and animals, while your skills with veggie recipes at the same time. Just a thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeheron Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Jay, good thoughts. I have been more or less in the process of giving up meat for awhile now. It started happening spontaneously. I quit eating breakfast meats and then I didn't want beef or pork anymore. So now I am down to a bit of chicken and fish. I more or less have a plan in mind as to where I want to go and I am willing to be somewhat flexible. I've been cooking and eating some vegetarian meals for several years. I have to admit that I have become much lazier in terms of how much time I spend cooking and am finding I am back to cooking more and eating more at home these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrunner Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm like you, lakeheron, I've dabbled in veg most of my life and was strict for several years. Recently I became 90% vegan. It's been 3 months and lots of good changes. As JB said, tons of amazing veg/organic/gluten-free foods at the Tues Mkt. Every time I go I discover another product! Last week it was ceviche made with cauliflower instead of fish. It was delicious! I buy most produce at the Chapala mercado and fill in with SL, GF foods all from SL, and occasional fish from Pacifico. Restaurants: Tabarka, Ricky's, Lake Taco, Number 4 (wonderfully accommodating and had the Vegetable Risotto, lots of delish veg sides there too if you just want to graze). There is good veg eating around here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeheron Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I just finished reading "Eat to Live" on my Kindle. It is full of good advice on how to be a healthy vegan. Today I fixed tabouli (my own take on it) and hummus. Berries for dessert. Yummy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virgogirl Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 iF YOU GET TO THE CITY THERE'S A FABULOUS VEG RESTAURANT ON LA PAZ CALLED EL JARDIN. It's between Federalismo and Enrique Diaz de Leon. They have nice grocery items like chipoltle tofu and a good buffet. Worth a stop if you are in that area. Three years ago my health crashed. Heavy cholesterol.triglyceride and weight problems. Blood pressure over the top. Being and ex cheesehead from Wisconsin, meat and cheese were the staple even tho I always loved vegetarian dishes as well. When I needed to correct these problems in my older age, I decided to do it with diet, excercise and weight loss. I leaned toward veg, lost 40 pounds,did alot of walking. Went to Overeaters Anonymous while still in the states. Never did meds. Only remedies. However, not recommending this. Everyone is different. The vegetarian diet, if balanced adequately can really heal health. It takes a long time to get committed to giving up animal products. I'm not there yet, but poco a poco..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrunner Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Thanks for that, Virgogirl, will make a point of going to that restaurant. I agree. If you want to lose weight, stop eating animal meat and dairy products. Esp. dairy. Nothing that ever had a face or a mother. The extra weight will simply disappear. Plant-based diets are beneficial for the environment as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm far from vegetarianism but have you tried the Egyptian restaurant in Riberas on the mountain side of the Carretera a little west of Magana's? Good stuff there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeheron Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I went once, Ginger, and didn't care for most of the food though some dishes were great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkveton Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 One of the challenges, once you give up eating all meats including fish and all dairy products and eggs as well, is getting enough protein. So TVP or textured vegetable protein, which is 50% protein by dry weight, to the rescue. Its in the bulk food section at SuperLake labeled as Soya Seca and Abarrotes del Pilar also has it but not labeled, so ask. Flor de Mayo beans are also an excellent source supposedly providing twice the protein content of pintos or black beans, at least according to what I've read. Probably a good idea to also take a B12 supplement and a calcuim supplement as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrunner Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 Agree, everything I've read advises monitoring your B12. That's what makes me think tho, that maybe we were meant to eat occasional animal protein. . . I'm still waiting for Warden to divulge which doctor recommended a plant-based diet to him. Warden??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virgogirl Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Thanks for that tip on Flor de Mayo beans. Good tip. My policy on flesh eating is that when I feel the body screaming for a protien hit, that's when i eat it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchintime6 Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 i'm vegan over 40 years. ..pesca-vegan about 10 years now... I added fish [the pesca piece] 1-2 times a week after graduating from bastyr college of naturopathic medicine [holistic nutrition] and learning that the processes necessary to make dha [brain food] do NOT complete from vegetable sources... only fish or neuro-mins [what fish eat--plankton] make dha.. we have about 20 years of vitamin stores--so especially when you're older and need all your brain cells snappin--> i'd say pesca- vegan diet is a good way to go..also practice as much no gluten intake as wheat is such a trigger for joint inflammation and diabetes. also..no need to worry about vit deficiences ie b-12... the problem is more about we are what we absorb! so cultured foods, probiotics and digestive enzymes often beneficial.. but then i get too technical! i also do not wear any leather at all.. my couple of conditions from over-working this lifetime are surely lessened by eating low on the food chain.. it's an amazing journey--> eating more alive foods. luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajlybbert Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I am another vegan in the area (nearly 4 years now), being good 99% of the time. I fudge a little here and there while eating out, but really prefer the vegan diet for taste as well as health. Pranzo in La Floresta has some of the best salads in Mexico and a wonderful Veggie Panini that I crave. I know that's not what this forum question is about...but I know how difficult it can be to find a veggie/vegan meal around here...so I thought I would add that in! A great website for cooking ideas is findingvegan.com (it's like window shopping for vegan recipes...yum!), and there is a WONDERFUL Latin American Vegan cooking book called "Viva Vegan". Vegan tamales, anyone?!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieSunshine Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 As if I need another book to buy! Thanks! I am heading out for Viva Vegan! Thanks for the tip on the Flor de Mayo beans, too! I make a big crockpot full of beans each week for protein and, lately, for warmth! Funny that the fish was mentioned. I am somewhat strict on myself (no leather unless I get it used and even then very little and I check ingredients for hidden animal products...I used to be downright anal) but for some reason, every now and then my body craves fish or shrimp...I thought it was protein, but now I am wondering because it was worse in college. I gave in because I think if your body craves something, there is a reason, but def cause for investigation/thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeheron Posted January 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Would any of you vegans or vegetarians be interested in joining the new yahoo group, http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/lakesidevegetarians/ ? I hope we can share all kinds of information like you have been here. Just go to that site and sign up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
virgogirl Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 I think many people avoid beans because they don't prepare them properly. An under-cooked bean is indigestible, leading to gas, and then people get turned off and dismiss the bean world completely. My solution is to use a crockpot. Any kind of bean comes out very soft and delicious. Another tip is try to ensure that the beans you buy are "new crop". They need to be fresh. Beans that have been sitting on the shelf for years are notorious for , well, you know the expression, "tough beans". I will buy beans in bulk, but I look them over very carefully and never buy them if I can't examine them first. You don't want to get them home and find them affected by insects. Because of this I usually stock up on sealed bags of beans, but sometimes I still buy bulk if I can package the bag myself. With fava beans, I find that I like them better fresh or canned than dried. Maybe I just had some old stock of dried. I never saw fresh fava beans until I moved to MX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 If you eat beans (any kind) and corn (corn tortillas, anyone?) together, the combination gives you all the amino acids at once--a complete protein. Mexicans have been doing this since time immemorial. Add a salsa made of fresh tomatoes, chopped chile, cilantro, and onions--bingo, vegetables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio del Sol Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Agree, everything I've read advises monitoring your B12. That's what makes me think tho, that maybe we were meant to eatoccasional animal protein. . . Humans are omnivores. Meat (protein) from some source is an important part of the diet as our bodies cannot make some of the proteins we need. Anytime you switch to a meatless diet, you need to be careful. Many sources of protein are not complete proteins. For instance, beans are not a complete protein, but if you include brown rice with the beans, you have a complete protein. What I was told by a nutritionist is that your body needs the complete protein at one time. You cannot eat beans for breakfast and rice for dinner and expect it to work. As someone else mentioned, you cannot get the fats to feed your brain from veggies alone. One source I read said you can take supplements of salmon oil, another source said not so good if the oil is processed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplepatty Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 If you eat beans (any kind) and corn (corn tortillas, anyone?) together, the combination gives you all the amino acids at once--a complete protein. Mexicans have been doing this since time immemorial. Add a salsa made of fresh tomatoes, chopped chile, cilantro, and onions--bingo, vegetables. This idea of combining proteins was put forth by Frances Moore Lappe in "Diet for a Small Planet" in 1971 but has since be debunked. Current nutritional and medical thinking has changed. According to the American Dietetic Assoc. and Dietitians of Canada, "In the past, it was thought that these complementary proteins needed to be eaten at the same meal for your body to use them together. Now studies show that your body can combine complementary proteins that are eaten within the same day." Be sure to research this issue while planning your vegetarian diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkveton Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html The opposite opinion about the complete protein myth and a recantation by the person who started it. So believe it or not. If you are worried about getting enough just eat a lot of TVP. You can get the necessry "brain food" (aka Omega-3) from linaza. Lecitina de Soya is good too. Costco has it, 300 capsules for I think 189 pesos, I take two per day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio del Sol Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Thanks. I didn't know that, so I went www for a little search. Interesting stuff. I found this. Think I'll try bananas and coco this next week. All contain the eight essential amino acids: Bananas Almonds Alfalfa Sprouts Tomatoes Coconuts Bean Sprouts Dates Filberts Carrots Sunflower Seeds Eggplants Walnuts Sweet Potatoes Brazil Nuts Broccoli Pecans Cabbages Corn Okra Squashes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusieSunshine Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Thanks for the list! I eat bananas like crazy and I've been making ratatouille in the crockpot lately, so I just might be set. I've been eyeballing almonds lately, too...guess I need to go out and get some tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjkveton Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Studio, I've always heard there were 9 essential amino acids. Has one been demoted? Kind of like Pluto. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrunner Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 So, I started drinking rice milk instead of cow's milk when I started this a few months ago. No problem, tastes good etc. However! The only place I can find to buy it (besides Oso Cremeria in Joco, which was out of it last week) is SL. When I first bought it at Sl it was 20 something pesos. Then soon went up to 30 something. Yesterday rice milk was 44 pesos plus change! Anybody know anyplace else where one can buy rice milk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.