LDS Freedom Forum

I'm thinking of switching over to a plant based diet for several different reasons. Have any of you made the switch and if so, can you share some of your experiences?

Thanks.

Mike

I'm not keen on the phrase "plant based" as it has been hijacked by corporations. I have tried it for three weeks. I found I had a lot more wind and other issues like that. The wind was painful sometimes.

Yes, I have. I love it.

The hardest thing, I think, is social situations. For example, Thanksgiving coming up. And Christmas. Then there’s also eating out or eating at a friend’s house or at the ward party. Hardly anyone will want to accommodate you and they will tease you mercilessly. However more and more people and restaurants are starting to offer plant based options. So it is getting easier. However sometimes the plant based things are unhealthy and processed too, like impossible burgers. I generally find that my home cooked foods taste way better than restaurant food anyway. And it’s cheaper and healthier to make it at home.

Taste wise, once you get your taste buds adjusted, the food tastes good. So it gets a lot easier to stick to.

Health wise I don’t have perfect health, but I’m doing pretty well. No diabetes or prediabetes while others my age do have diabetes. My blood pressure is usually great. My teeth are usually great. Cholesterol is usually great. I’m able to exercise, work out, hike just fine.

As far as the social aspect, some people follow a strict plant based diet throughout the week and then if they have a social engagement or go to a restaurant over the weekend, they allow themselves to eat meat or fish or whatever. And then go back to plant based eating again.

I think the moderation of the Word of Wisdom is . . . wise. Avoid extremes (all meat --- keto, no meat --- veg./vegan). Grain as the staff of life and basis, fruits and vegetables in season, meat sparingly and more in times of winter or famine.

I think diets that swing to the extremes are unhealthy and leave us with deficiencies.

I have been a strict vegetarian for close to 10 years now or so and do occasionally eat fish.

My diet consists of simple, mostly organic, foods. I avoid processed foods and anything with a huge ingredient list. I mostly avoid sugar and use stevia, honey or maple syrup instead. At first it was drudgery and I felt there was nothing to eat. You do however have to change slightly and be willing to spend more time in the kitchen preparing meals. I personally like being more connected to my food.

Another helpful thing for us has been our instant pot which we use regularly for beans, rice, quinoa, or chickpeas. Then for a meal we just cook some vegetables and mix it with whatever else we cooked. There are a lot of options, but you do have to think ahead a bit. It is easier to put something frozen in the oven, however you will pay for that in the future.

The biggest advantage in eating simply is I feel like it feeds into other aspects of my life also. I have a desire to simplify and get more connected to God and the Earth. I also recognize that if I had to go back to the basics because of societal collapse then it really wouldn't be all that terrible.

In aging beyond 65 it is quite important to maintain as much muscle as possible and maintain higher rather than lower levels of non-oxidized LDL. It will be hard to do on a strict plant-based diet. Yet I wish you well in whatever you decide to do.

I think a meat based high fat low carb diet yields better results than a vegetarian diet if you are trying to maintain muscle and control blood sugar. Sugar is plant based and is awful for you. Many fruits are especially high in sugar. Rice and potatoes promote weight gain.

The nutrient density and protein of meat and animal products are not duplicated in a plant-only product.

ransomme wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 2:20 pm The nutrient density and protein of meat and animal products are not duplicated in a plant-only product.

I think eggs are better nutritionally. However, there are endless articles about this or that super food.
I personally like tempeh for protein. It is a bit of an acquired taste though.

Telavian wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 2:30 pm

ransomme wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 2:20 pm The nutrient density and protein of meat and animal products are not duplicated in a plant-only product.

I think eggs are better nutritionally. However, there are endless articles about this or that super food.
I personally like tempeh for protein. It is a bit of an acquired taste though.

Eating only plants for protein requires a lot of volume (of food) and effort to balance the amino acid profile. Eating plants only usually leads to deficiencies in certain amino acids, and in the case of making protein structures, it comes down to the weakest link (ie deficiencies).

ransomme wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 2:41 pm Eating only plants for protein requires a lot of volume (of food) and effort to balance the amino acid profile. Eating plants only usually leads to deficiencies in certain amino acids, and in the case of making protein structures, it comes down to the weakest link (ie deficiencies).

Not really. There are a ton of ways to get amino acids and nutrients from sources other than meat. Eating a variety of foods is important though. It is also important to sprout or ferment food which increases their nutritional value.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/co ... for-vegans

Telavian wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 3:01 pm

ransomme wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 2:41 pm Eating only plants for protein requires a lot of volume (of food) and effort to balance the amino acid profile. Eating plants only usually leads to deficiencies in certain amino acids, and in the case of making protein structures, it comes down to the weakest link (ie deficiencies).

Not really. There are a ton of ways to get amino acids and nutrients from sources other than meat. Eating a variety of foods is important though. It is also important to sprout or ferment food which increases their nutritional value.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/co ... for-vegans

I know tons of vegans and vegetarians. Only very few that are anal and try hard actually do it. Most people do not pay enough attention to their diet to do it properly. It's typically about convenience first. And this common type of approach is arguably worse for vegans.

ransomme wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 2:20 pm The nutrient density and protein of meat and animal products are not duplicated in a plant-only product.

This is accurate, important information.

It's strange to think creatures consume each other to live. But I'm not a believer in the doctrine that the earth wasn't made to fall from its Garden state.

You'd think the resurrected Christ would be above eating flesh, but that's exactly what He did

I assume I'll stop eating animals when the stops

Eating the way I do makes it clear what animal protein gives me. Would that change if I had slaughter my own cow?? Probably. Cows are like dogs. Pigs are like dogs. Even fish will show a man affection. It seems all animals are this way, dogs are just the ones God put on my bedside

It sad really. I worked with cows for a few summers. They are awesome creatures.
Made me feel like a coward knowing I couldn't eat the ones I knew... but wouldn't think twice about picking up a nice cut from Harmon's

Strange world

Thank you for the advice. I keep thinking about how badly animals are treated in our food chain and there is also the WoW wherein God does not forbid meat but He suggests that we should be seriously limiting our intake to times when there is not much else to eat. I'll be 66 in a few days and even though I have been keeping active I have been feeling sluggish for quite a while. I'm curious to see how my experiment will turn out.

Mike

I'd say that a plant-based diet with a little meat (especially chicken and fish, or depending on your ancestor's diets) would be much better.

Perhaps this is why people on the carnivore diet seem to lose weight.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/satiety/meat-poultry

“Eating meat, poultry, and eggs can help you lose weight without going hungry. Why? They provide a lot of satiety — the feeling of being full and satisfied — so you naturally take in fewer calories. Plus, these tasty foods are rich in protein and other essential nutrients.

“In this guide, we provide satiety scores for different types of meat, poultry, and eggs, so you can see which options maximize fullness while minimizing calories. How do your favorites measure up?

“What are high-satiety foods?

“High-satiety foods help you feel as full as possible for the fewest number of calories. In other words, they provide high satiety per calorie.

Christianlee wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 2:05 pm I think a meat based high fat low carb diet yields better results than a vegetarian diet if you are trying to maintain muscle and control blood sugar. Sugar is plant based and is awful for you. Many fruits are especially high in sugar. Rice and potatoes promote weight gain.

Fruits also have good amounts of fiber, which counter much of the sugar. Overall, whole fruits are extremely benificial. Starches are also good for you, in moderation of course, but cooling the rice/potatoes and warming them again create resistant starches, which are very good for you.

Ultimately, where you live and what you do each day will dictate, to a large degree, what type of diet you should have.

Every person I know who went on plant only diets either had to go off of them because of health problems or stayed on the diet for a long period of time and developed long term heath problems.

I know of no personal friends who have been able to stay on for long periods except one. She goes on the diet and then ends up being forced into coming off because of her health. She has done this on and off for decades. She is now suffering all kinds of crazy medical problems and was not vaxxed.

I am sure there are some who have had success with this diet,

Niemand wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 9:18 am I'm not keen on the phrase "plant based" as it has been hijacked by corporations. I have tried it for three weeks. I found I had a lot more wind and other issues like that. The wind was painful sometimes.

We've had some very high winds south of the border Niemand, was that you?

JohnnyL wrote: ↑November 2nd, 2023, 9:05 am I'd say that a plant-based diet with a little meat (especially chicken and fish, or depending on your ancestor's diets) would be much better.

I think you make a good point not to leave out considering your ancestors' diet with all other factors. Thousands of years consuming certain foods provides one people with the ability to process some things more beneficially than other people.

HereWeGo wrote: ↑November 3rd, 2023, 2:56 pm Every person I know who went on plant only diets either had to go off of them because of health problems or stayed on the diet for a long period of time and developed long term heath problems.

I know of no personal friends who have been able to stay on for long periods except one. She goes on the diet and then ends up being forced into coming off because of her health. She has done this on and off for decades. She is now suffering all kinds of crazy medical problems and was not vaxxed.

I am sure there are some who have had success with this diet,

What diet do you mean? There are 1000's of foods other than meat. Certainly not eating meat is not going to kill anyone in the short or long term.
I have not eaten meat in close to 10 years and I am doing well, I think.

Good for you! Read Bill Gates website! I'm sure he knows the best meat substitutes and would NEVER lead you astray.

Interesting topic here, really. It seems I know at least 30% of the people my age trying some strange diet. I don't see any (well maybe one person) all that interested in exercise and traditional eating habits (some meat, potatoes, veggies, etc....). No they're all on diets of opposition. One is bread only. several are some form of Keto, eating only meat! Several are vegetarians or even vegans. One just doesn't eat until his body almost falls over. Others pay for TV supported diets.........got one that takes 17 Amway pills a day for everything that ails you and drinks some natural energy concoction 24 hours a day (looks nasty and is chemical based). None seem to be successful in the long run, but for a while they thrive. Just spoke to a friend on one of the Keto-like diets, near 80, his wife wants him to lose weight, she is 14 years younger. He was going to get lab work done as it seemed to destroy his thyroid output? But, she was hell bent on him continuing anyway, better to look and feel good than worry about true health?

I'm for a healthy, rounded diet. Lean on the meat (for red meat I usually have venison or elk and lots of fresh caught/frozen trout and salmon), but I like an occasional pork roast or ribs. Lost 18 pounds just moderate exercise and limiting to normal portions. I think any stringent diet of no excuses even when your body protest is stupid, and for sure what food for the goose is in NO WAY food for the gander. Every body and every person at a point in life has a different metabolism, prescribing one's way for others is dangerous. But, I see it every day lately, and every where!

MikeMaillet wrote: ↑November 1st, 2023, 9:03 am I'm thinking of switching over to a plant based diet for several different reasons. Have any of you made the switch and if so, can you share some of your experiences?

Thanks.

Mike

I switched to a whole food plant-based diet back around 2011. I lost 40 lbs and my health improved tremendously. Today, I'm 43 and very active. I'm 6' tall and weigh in at about 200lbs, I've spent years weight lifting to increase strength and muscle mass and I also train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 3-5 days per week. I suffered a severe back injury when I was 25 and a plant-based diet is anti-inflammatory which helps a ton in keeping my back pain at bay.

I have eggs and small amounts of cheese occasionally. In public, I will sometimes eat meat if it is served to me and a key part of a generously offered meal that cannot be avoided. I will also eat it at times to avoid it going to waste so that the life of the animal isn't completely in vain. I don't stress about it, I don't make a big deal about it, the vast majority of my life I feel meshes with the Lord's will in this regard and any exceptions are very sparingly as directed. Paul taught that we shouldn't use what we eat or drink to be the means for harming someone Christ died for. More about that here: https://oneclimbs.com/2019/06/02/bringi ... -discords/

The one thing I have concluded after reading every dietary law or instruction contained in the scriptures and by analyzing everything our leaders ever said in this regard: https://oneclimbs.com/2017/07/09/statem ... lications/ and my own experiments upon the word, I have arrived at a general understanding. I think the principles taught in D&C 89 demonstrate that we should each do the same for ourselves and to never command or constrain others.

I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan, I simply state that I pursue a whole food plant-based diet. It's not about avoiding things, it is about pursuing what is best for my own constitution, nature, and use and what is wholesome and contributes to my overall well-being temporarily and spiritually. I think that will look different for everyone.

I believe that Jesus ate fish because it was a genuine need then. If you live in a climate, area of the world, or harsh seasonality that cannot sustain a healthy life on the available plants alone, then consuming the flesh of animals is ordained of God. But here where I live, I have access to an insane array of plants that all contain the necessary elements to support a thriving life. I don't require animal flesh at all, it's not necessary so I don't consume it. Instead, I enjoy a more vast array of plants that I never consumed back when I did eat meat.

I had Jane Birch on my podcast a while back, and we had a conversation covering a number of things you might find useful: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1 ... 0558692055

A bit of advice I give to people considering going in this direction is to do it gradually. A trick I used is to think of the foods I loved the most, and then found other options that were healthier and that I even liked more. Then, I wasn't missing out on anything. Start with breakfast, that's the easiest.

For breakfast I will make amazing oatmeal full of fruit, shakes, acai bowls, pancakes, waffles, various healthy cereals with oatmilk, sprouted grain toast with peanut butter, and I'll even do eggs scrambled or breakfast tacos.

For lunches or dinners you can do the same types of foods. Veggie sandwiches, spaghetti and pastas with marinara, Buddha bowls with many varieties of vegetables, numerous Indian dishes and curries, numerous Asian dishes, stir fried assortments of various vegetables, baked vegetables, potatoes of all kinds (the most satiating food there is), salads, wraps, the list goes on and on.

Honestly, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. I don't really eat those fake meats either, there are tons and tons of options out there.

TheDuke wrote: ↑November 3rd, 2023, 3:47 pm Good for you! Read Bill Gates website! I'm sure he knows the best meat substitutes and would NEVER lead you astray.

Why the need to be condescending? I won't touch a beyond burger with a 10 foot pole.
I would wager my diet is far healthier than yours and you are the one mocking me?