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... well a trying a thing for about 3 days now

any particular tips? (i live in Guyana so you have to speak accordingly re: tips )

The best thing so far is the ease with which one can prepare most vegan food

In reply to doosra

I am vegan 95% of the time.I stopped eating cheese in March but occasionally eat eggs. I probably eat eggs twice a month.

Being vegan in Guyana should not be particularly difficult with all the different types of peas such as black eye peas,split peas,channa etc for protein and the high fiber stuff like sweet potatoes,eddoes, and dasheen.Yuh gat bora,okra,boulanger and countless other things.Vegan eating is a breeze.

In reply to doosra

My daughter's a vegan, and I have to admit, I find her diet more and more appealing these days. She doesn't buy the fancy, pre-packaged meals marketed by Linda McCartney, etc. She prepares natural meals. Of course, since we live in England, that means lots of British fruit and veg.

But from a Caribbean perspective, you can have ackee and callaloo (I don't know what that is in Guyanese!)

Here are some other options:

Ital stew

Veggie stew peas - I've had that a few times and enjoyed it

In reply to Dukes

you are right

so far my diet includes:

1. vegetables - cabbage, pumpkin, ochro, bagee, baigan, etc

2. i am yet to work out how to do the peas and beans except boil the channa and blackeye and dall - lots of options

3. sweet potatoes, plantains, cassava, eddoes

4. achar - mango, bilimbi, etc (just in case things get a bit bland lol )

No eggs or cheese , no chicken,

i do miss fish and i am not sure i can keep away but we shall see

the only imported things i use are garlic, onions, salt, dall, channa

In reply to mikesiva

i am more inclined to do the natural thing/my own cooking... without meat your cooking time is dramatically reduced

Is there a name for someone that eats only fish?

Vegan is tough in NA but Guyana is built for veganism.

Like burnhamism says, eat what you grow...Dhall rice and bhajee. The man was beyond his time

Slap turmeric on every opportunity

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

we don't grow dall , not yet ...not sure comrade said dall lol

my boss at work eats fish only (for meats) i have to ask him what they call him

have to find a way to get the turmeric in there

In reply to doosra

Grow your own turmeric....I do in NA.

grows very well...like tiny ginger root.

I only eat fish and milk in my coffefe.

Vegan 2.0

In reply to mikesiva

One of my 4 daughters is vegan too. However, I still can't find that shit appealing though. Of course, I don't express this distaste (pun intended) to her face.

Maybe I can try it properly though.

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

i have to try. got yard space where i do some organic things.

good tip

In reply to JahJah

i think if you like the kitchen (cooking) you might appreciate it a bit more. now that i am back doing it myself i find it more appealing and tasty (i suppose i have to it what i cook, 'irregardless')

In reply to JahJah

you need some Achar(suspect you don't know what that is)

In reply to doosra

Link Text

The powder is usually mixed. Plant, dry and grind.

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

Pescatarian …. I am

In reply to Kay

Knew there was a name but could not think of it.

So we are a something Thanks

It is working out good for me and I feel better.
Wake up with lots of energy. 4 months in now.

In reply to doosra

I am thinking of cooking more, so maybe...

I really don't have the patience for it though.

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

Mike mentioned ackee. I think I'll just roll with that since I already eat and love it since childhood. Just looks like I'd have to get rid of the salt fish.

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

I have been doing it for the past 10 years and there is no turning back....

a visual

In reply to Kay

I oven cook all my greens..no oil

In reply to JahJah

you don't need a lot time re: patience lol

i am finding it quite good

In reply to JahJah

the salt is generally something the doctors would recommend come off or minimize...

the achar is like pickles man...if the food bland it gives the food a nice kick like pepper

In reply to JahJah

Try that mango achar...it is at the West Indian stores.

It gets rid of bland and is healthy except for the salt. I make my own and control the salt

I'm on a vegan diet. I eat vegans!!

Pigs, chickens, turkeys,...

When I see food.....
































I eat it. Stop torturing yourselves.

In reply to Kay

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

No surprise we have a lot of heat here day in / day out

u notice a certain fella seh 'eat what you see'?

#green

In reply to doosra

You are what you eat!

In reply to doosra

Tips?

Eat regularly and to time.
Learn how to cook.
Learn about nutrition.

Those 3 things are the most important things you can adhere to.


Tofu / Bean Curd once prepared well can be enjoyable. Marinade it, coat and fry and then use it like you would meat. I do not think Vegan food is easy to prepare but maybe if you are eating a bunch of raw foods? Nothing easier than salt and pepper on a nice cut of steak and throwing it on the heat.

Any particular reason why?

In reply to nick2020

good tips...learning to cook is essential for many reasons. i cooked while at uni but got busy. now back in the kitchen...

laerning about nutrition is a work in progress, even as the body ages and changes...

i enjoy bean curd/tofu...only thing so far is it is from the chinese restaurants who overcook it with oil

any reason why i ask? well just that. to learn and to improve. managing cholesterol that crept up on me so making life changes

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

is that the reason why that fella is 'everything'

In reply to doosra

to much bovine is the pork

In reply to doosra

Stock up on vitamin b12. Google.

I,ll never go vegan but lve practice intermittent fasting for ten years now. This gives you some of the benefits of vegetarian/vegan diets without missing out on the foods uou love!

In reply to VIX

yea the B12 seems to be the common issue to manage from all i've read

how do you do it?

the fasting is good...i used to try meat fast for half days lol like from dinner one day to lunch next...it works

In reply to VIX

Ferrol, endorsed ?

In reply to doosra

I skip one meal daily - usually lunch. But sometimes breakfast or both on occasion. The gnawing hunger pangs go away after the first few days. I have regular sized meals when i do eat.

It allows me to be at a healthy leanness while having full satisfying meals.

I also make attempts to go meatless a couple times a week, but that doesnt always work out.

Also, not anecdotal, oats help in managing cholesterol.

In reply to VIX

doing alot of that

In reply to doosra

Try to use the steel cut oats although the cooking time is way much longer than the regular rolled or quick oats. It is much healthier

In reply to Kay

where to buy locally?

In reply to doosra

I don't know the market in GT but thought they will have them all

In reply to Kay

steel cut is the brand?

In reply to doosra

Not the brand. Different manufacturers provide it … there is McCanns Irish and Bob's Red Mill which are popular in supermarkets here .

Here are the differences explained

Note that the charts is using 1/4 cup steel cut to 1/2 cup of the other two.

In reply to doosra

Steel-cut oats refers to the manufacturing process of the oats. The whole oats is chopped into two or three pieces. The others are rolled

In reply to doosra

I use rolled oats, but uncooked

In reply to Dan_De_Lyan

ok. i have some of that here

i have the other bits too

I recently have leaned towards a more veggie diet than what i use to, but still, ain't easing up on the meat at all

Cut back on rice and macaroni and eating more peas, beans, lettuce, tomato etc. Still enjoying fish, pork, beef, mutton etc. All meat I consume now are local, so no imported hormone junk and you wouldn't believe how much nicer they taste and how less lackadaisical it makes you feel.

I'm eating a lot more fish now too. Have cut back on the amount of pork and beef I was accustom to hehe

Full vegan diet can't work for me, does get headache when ain't getting the animal protein oui.

Steel cut oats....yummmm

I cook it in some coconut milk and some water with cinnamon nutmeg clove vanilla and rose water. I cook in large batches then freeze in smaller containers.

Quinoa is also good for vegans.

In reply to doosra

Why vegan?

Documentary on Netflix-Forks over knives is compulsory watching for those interested in veganism.

In reply to nick2020

personal choice, and partly guided by my increasing understanding of the ethical aspects of animal rearing and all of that

In reply to Dukes

i do not have netflix lol

In reply to doosra
here's a link to the documentary- note that its VERY biased with lots of exaggeration - eg.- breast cancer cured with diet only. So have a lot of grains of salt handy.

It's basically a vegan cult film and is not scientifically sound.

http://www.documentarymania.com/player.php?title=Forks%20Over%20Knives

In reply to doosra

Changing dietary habit because you're concerned about ethical treatment animals is not enough, you need to be actively protesting to bring about change. If anything, it's more likely that these big companies may resort to cheaper ways of producing livestock, which may include unethical treatment of animals.

In reply to jen

I too am eating more fish and actually meats cause trying to eat less of the imported stuff.
All the vegetables we eat at home is locally grown (mother-in-law is a farmer) so we get everything as close to fresh as possible.
We got plenty fruit trees in we yard too. and drink a lot of local fruits etc.
Need to get back into the juicing thing, cause that helps a lot the body feels a lot better during the day when was juicing as would get less hungry was a little leaner and felt that my mind was sharper too.

In reply to black

are you suggesting i change the world before myself?

In reply to VIX

thanks for that. will have a look

In reply to doosra

I am suggesting that what you are eating or not eating is going to have little impact. You're thinking is that declining sales are going to force them to be more ethical but it might have the opposite effect, less human labor and more machinery.

In reply to doosra

Just curious—

Are you totally against the rearing and killing of animals for food? Because if your concern is simply “how” the animals are reared, then is going vegan a logical next step? Do you consider free range eggs and dairy farming unethical?

I cannot understand how people can stop eating such great stuff like MEAT!

I have never heard of an essential carb but your body sure needs high quality protein and good fats.

I recently started the KETO diet. In less than 3 days, I lost 5 lbs, more energy and focus.
It consists of a lot of fats and proteins but 50g or less carbohydrates.
It's amazing the amount of carbs and sugar most food carry.

In reply to rockstarxxx

all diets work for the time you follow it. Ketogenic diets are proven to be effective for weight loss.

But, is this something you can maintain for an extended period?

If not you're just wasting time. You'll quickly regain the weight once your "diet" is over.

In reply to VIX

It's temporary(2 months) as I just needed a boost to get back into shape.
Once I lose the desired amount of weight, I will start eating healthy and more food conscious.

In reply to JOJO

my mind is open on the matter...i think free range is a great way to ease the pain and burden on animals...my understanding is def work in progress

In reply to black

fair...but i wouldn't give in because you just don't

i believe that change can take time in some cases and i am adding my bits

Hola...if I may..the good doc can attest to the lowering of Chol by simply changing lifestyle,a nice mediterranean diet,reduce stress,a bit of workout ,walking/jogging...as you get older genetics become a bitch and it becomes a bit harder to keep your numbers within acceptable ranges.Vegan diet though good..is not necessarily the answer.
Adios
Cb

In reply to doosra

Well that ends that. The reason to go vegan is not one of health but it is rooted in religious or ethical beliefs.

The other drawback is you have to keep proper inventory at home. Being vegan is about fresh eating so you will have to shop regularly. Fresh greens, herbs, fruit etc. So you won't be sitting on frozen meats that you can just take down at night to whip up a meal the next day.

Good luck.

In reply to rockstarxxx

I too have been doing Keto diet for the last 3 weeks, in a caloric deficit while following a GBC style workout program. I gained a lot of weight in Jamaica gorging on Curry goat and Roti.

My gut has since gone down from 35" to 33". I know that could be because my body is no longer holding water due to lack of carbs but my body fat % has fallen from 19% to 17%.

It was super tough the first two weeks and working out was horrible but I am feeling more energy now.

Will be doing some blood work this week to see how things working.

In reply to positiveg

So you are big on women with plow experience?

In reply to nitro

tort you are a crab ie no blood

In reply to nick2020

not religious reasons ,,,,health is #1 and ethical #2 - i am still a bit selfish if you noticed the order of 1 and 2

i shop often, almost every other day...still working out how to get all the nutrients...let's see

In reply to nitro

Wow, that's some nice results bro, keep it up! How much longer are you planning on being on it & your goal?
Im debating if I should start working out as I'd like to lose an additional 15lbs.

In reply to doosra

Man get the Instant Pot if you like to be in the kitchen and get all the nutrients from your meals, it cooks almost anything. It's computerised, fast, clean and locks all the nutrients in during the process. Nothing evaporates and it is very forgiving … hard to make mistakes with this useful toy?

Get the Ultra

In reply to Kay

I've been looking at getting one. What are some of your favorite meals to cook in it?

In reply to Kay

for now i going low tech and high activity

In reply to rockstarxxx

I am thinking of going down to 10-11% bodyfat then start a serious strength program afterwards. Hopefully that can happen in another 8 weeks.

I doubt that you can build muscle on keto however but i will give it 4 weeks after that with a surplus of 15% above maintenance.

Try doing a strength training program on it, no cardio. The main aim however is to watch your macros especially the first 3-4 weeks.

In reply to VIX

My Colleague George Wang

George and I worked together earlier this year.I think he is scientifically sound

I have viewed a patient with coronary artery disease with significant blockage in his LAD artery on angiography following a heart attack and a repeat angiogram on the same patient 12 months later where the LAD is as clean as a whistle following a 9 month vegan diet.He had no other medical or surgical intervention.I could send you at least 6 papers which show the obvious advantages of a plant based diet.

This new paradigm shows that a plant based diet can actually REVERSE coronary artery disease not just stop its progression.
Other evidence such as the absence of coronary artery disease in communities in sub saharan Africa where the diet is strictly plant based

I eat mainly fish now. I changed 5 years ago after seeing my mom having 2 weeks to live with stage 4 cancer to going another 2 years pain free.

Food is medicine.

In reply to deanjones

I have been in this business for 40 years and it took me damn near 30 years before I realized this!!!!

In reply to Dukes

Hola...Duksie...you are familiar with the work started by Ian Rambihar..the South ASian Heart..wherein S/A are a higher risk of getting into coronary troubles.
The project still continues with other cardiologists..but I am sure you are aware...S/A have to be very careful
ADios
CB

In reply to CITYBOY

Not sure about this Ian Rambihar but I know Vivian Rambihar who was ahead of me at QC and was a Guyana Scholar, who is based in Toronto and is a renowned Cardiologist who QC honored back in 2012.

Good mornings my folks.

“Take your food as medicine, or you will take medicine as your food”

Food is indeed medicine

Let us together do better.

I stopped sweet drinks since 2003. Yes 2003. That has helped me a lot

Dr. Dukes, I saw the documentary. I hear Vix vut I am also looking at other resources as well. I think there is enough evidence now to support the high-meat-diet connections to heart issues

Factory-farmed estimates

In reply to Dukes

A diet filled with vegetables and fruit undoubtedly is beneficial to all. However, no one can convince me that it's detrimental to life to occasionally add moderate servings of healthy meats and fish to said plant-based diet.No one can convince me that all animal food is terrible.

If Doosra is trying Veganism for ethical reasons fine, but if its for health reason I believe moderate amounts of meat and fish on occasion will actually be more beneficial.

As for the documentary, they harp on and on that removing prepackaged foods, HFCS, flour, processed carbs, sweets and meat is healthier for us, but yet zero down to meat as being the main culprit. I stand by my assertion that the documentary is scientifically unsound if only for the one-sided bias. And why wasn't there even a passing mention of fish as food, aren't they animals too?

In reply to Dukes

You can significantly improve health by cutting out processed food whether it is meat or carbs.

In reply to Vix

I started to respond,then I realized that it was not right to engage anybody on matters in my field on a message board.I did so a few years ago and have since regretted it.
Suffice it to say that I never tried to convince anyone that "eating healthy meats and fish in moderate amounts is detrimental to life" or that" all animal food is terrible for you".

In reply to Dukes

Hola..Sorry sir..Ian was his brother...and yup Viv has done some serious work on this correlation of heart disease and South asians.
Adios
CB

Processed foods are the real problem.

Vegans eat alot of shit too. The borders of all diets are filled with greedy people eating the worst of everything.

fresh vegetables, fruit, and fresh fish and meat eaten along with maintaining a good physical routine are essentials if you are not genetically blessed (like some) to do anything and emerge unscathed.

I low carb as a way of life, ala a keto diet but carb up a bit when I workout. And give yourself a treat. Your body needs to be fuelled properly but from time to time you need to remind it why

Vegan diet definitely reverses clogged arteries.

In reply to DirtyDan

A lot of fresh fruits and vegetables also work

In reply to Dukes

Indeed, in addition, you should also reconsider recommending biased snake oil documentaries as "compulsory watching". Whether in "matters of your field" or not.

In reply to doosra

... Man eat yuh fish ... that, as a vegetarian myself for YEARS, is the only other thng I will eat with my vegs, beans/peas, callalaoo, spinach etc etc -- no other meat (beef,poke, corned meat and dem tings not eaten since I was 16+). AND of course - fruits ... and better yet --- of course mi Guiness to wash it down!!

In reply to Dukes

Chat yuh chast yes Dukesie ....

In reply to VIX

I suggest you take some additional lessons in reading comprehension. The fact is that if you are not interested in veganism then I am not suggesting that you watch it. Watching something does not mean you are being told to agree with everything in it but that you should use your brain to determine if it makes sense to you.
Meantime HOP OFF MIH FENDER YOU ANNOYING INSECT

In reply to np

Listen to the wise words of Sparrow.

No meat but Guiness?

In reply to nick2020

I get liquid barley ... from Mr. Arthur Guiness' factory ...
Sparrow can have al the poke (alias for pork in Ja) he needs

3 benefits of drinking stout

In reply to Dukes

In reply to Dukes

Dean Jones' statement that food is medicine would not surprise anyone who spent time around my grandmother or her contemporaries. That was taken for granted. I have found that I cannot find any fault with the fresh food and herbs eaten then. The exception was the salted meat. BTW meat was eaten in small portions (fresh or salted fish was the mainstay) and usually on Sundays and ceremonial occasions.

In the 1980s I came across a Time magazine article describing the 7th Day Adventist Lifestyle and realised that I was living the lifestyle without knowing it. This caused me to pay even more attention to diet and exercise.

After a lifetime of regular exercise and sensible eating (pescatarian for the past 11 yrs) I am amazed how many folks do the wrong things for 50 years and get religion only when high cholesterol or heart disease provides a scare. The good news seems to be that doing the right thing can sometimes reverse the damage. A doctor told me some of his healthiest patients are the ones who got a heart related scare.

In reply to np

But the same research would have no issue with some of the foods you don't eat.

In reply to Headley

Man I do share your views on diet and exercise. I know I been eating good and doing my exercises for many years, and still do ...

I've never had a heart related scare, but 31 years ago when I was 35 I went for my check up and found out that as healthy as I was(eating and running, exercising etc) my Cholesterol level was off the charts at over 200. I was most amazed, frightened by that number. It has genetic consequences when both your parents had high levels of cholesterol too ... and I got worried ...

Never had any issues, but I knew I had to bring this down ... and has been on meds for this condition, and despite my keen non-meat diet etc ... I still have relative high Cholesterol, but my GOOD cholesterol is Damn good ... and only use low level cholesterol meds these days. Still fit as a fiddle!!

In reply to nick2020

I only did that quick bit of checking the literature t oshow you that nothing is wrong with my drinking guinness everyday ... I dont drink cow's milk and dem tings ... a guinness a day keeps the dr. away -- ask Dukes!!

In reply to np

I understand. But research will also support reasons why to eat some things you stay away from.

Life is very much liking what you like and finding supporting information.

I believe diet + exercise makes food choices good that would be otherwise not as good if one was less active. The craziest theory though that I subscribe to is I cannot help but think chlorinated drinking water is not good for the gut. We have good bacteria in our gut and maybe just maybe chlorine affects it?

Who knows.

In reply to nick2020

Sure ... I understand well your own POV. I've made my own decisions on food and what's good for me in my teen years, despite many issues with parents, grandparents ... in the long run it is my life, not theirs ... so we AGREED to disagree on my choices for food, lifestyle, and definitely no more church going ...

It's been great ever since.

A third of early deaths could be prevented by giving up meat according to Harvard

In reply to deanjones

I haven't eaten red meat since 1979. I love seafood particularly yellow tail, snapper, snook and nice fat Guyanese shrimp and prawns. I also eat chicken and turkey.

That said, I eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I love peas - channa,split peas,red peas and black-eye peas. A fair amount of my diet is Indian food,particularly the non- meat diet. So mi love potato balls, pholourie, pumpkin choka, etc.

In reply to deanjones
Inluding lots of vegetables and fruits in your diet is great but
Vegetarian diets are healthy, but they don’t help you live longer

link to study

In reply to np

WRT Guinness, you will get absolutely no argument from me. Remember I spent several years in Ireland.
I have my own views on Nutrition based on experience and knowledge and lots of research but I do not try to tell people what they should or should not eat. Here is an anecdote I always tell my patients.

When George Burns was 98 years old he was interviewed on 60 minutes

MW: What is the secret to your longevity?

GB: There is no secret. I have a routine

MW: Tell us about your routine.

GB: Every morning, I have a glass of brandy and I smoke a cigar.

MW: That sounds terrible. What does your doctor think about that routine?

GB: My doctor died several years ago.

In reply to doosra

Yes there is, there is also evidence that supports moderate servings of meat and fish being just as heart-healthy as solely plant based diets.

Don't fall for the cultish snake oil documentaries supported by elitists. Continue your research and find something that works for YOU!

What is considered a heart healthy diet?

Vegetables and fruits are also low in calories and rich in dietary fiber.
Vegetables and fruits, like other plants or plant-based foods
contain substances that may help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Eating more fruits and vegetables may help you cut back on higher calorie foods, such as meat, cheese and snack foods

In reply to Dukes

Burns response is classic George!!

Link Text

These Food will take care of your Heart

In reply to np

The mention you made of cholesterol and genes is a timely reminder that we have to work with what we inherited.

It is a complicated subject. For example it is clear that even good exercise and diet in a solitary lifestyle has significant negatives. We know other lifestyle factors such as good sleep and regular sex are important. For some of us HUGELY IMPORTANT.

Then there is the matter of cultural (maybe racial) 'acclimatization' to certain foods. Eskimos live on blubber without green vegetables. For us that is considered a fast track to poor health.

Central American folks are reported to do well on mainly rice and beans. These 2 examples suggest there may be some other 'cultural dietary factors' at work.

Jamaicans have plenty Irish genes. It may explain our love and beneficial relationship with Guinness.

https://edition-m.cnn.com/2018/08/16/health/vegan-diet-change-body-food-partner/index.html

In reply to Headley

Yes man ... your comments there are on target in many ways ....
yuh got to understand your individual circumstances, and relate it to what you need to do for healthy life style that matches YOU, and be willing to adjust with changes that your body REVEALS —- and it will .....

https://edition-m.cnn.com/2018/08/17/health/low-carb-high-carbohydrate-diet-risk-of-death-intl/index.html