astra
16-02-2004, 09:31 AM
hi :) my online nickname is astra. i chose a dairy free lifestyle at the beginning of august last year, previously vegetarian before that. which now effectively makes me a vegan in 'diet' at least :)
i felt sluggish, tired, depressed almost before, no energy, sleeping badly etc. i looked into dairy free, and found out more information about milk than i would have liked, but at least that pushed me to go dairy free over night and stick to it!!
i've lost a stone in weight since then (still would like to lose more but slowly slowly does it! :) ) feel much bouncier, much more alert and i need less sleep! i'd definately recommend it.
at first i was really daunted as looking at the ingredients on my fave veggie burgers etc they all had egg white in them *cries* but i've explored other avenues, and now use tofu (not as often as i should) and nut burgers (far more often than i should!) and soya milk. i did go fanatical at first, and still have products that i really should use - black strap molasses (sugar leftovers that have a lot of calcium and iron in it), linseeds (great for omega oils etc) collecting dust in the cupboard >.<
i used to use vegan discussion boards, but i got fed up with the same old tired arguement that i wasn't a 'proper' vegan as i still cooked meat for my family. as far as i am concerned, i have chosen to eat a dairy free, meat free diet, my family (and kids) have chosen to continue to eat meat and dairy. i chose at 14 to explore being a vegetarian, my parents supported me and let me do my own thing, never once suggesting that it was a fad - i was a very fussy eater to begin with so i guess this was a natural progression for me, and i think they saw me take it seriously, use soya protein instead of meat and generally eat a much more balanced diet than i would have done by just avoiding the meat on my plate (which i always did anyway lol).
i'm probably a walking mine of information that i've collected and bookmarked since taking the plunge to dairy free! i tend to do an indepth search once in a while for recipes then copy and paste them onto a word document, tidy it to read easier then refer to it when i'm stuck for meal ideas (i have also just finished a dairy free and wheat free one - if anyone wants a copy please send me a pm :) )
i sometimes use a vegan based dish then add meat to it for the rest of them! it was very hard initially, as i was very very unsure of what there actually was left to eat!! was even scared of baked beans! hehe now i know the basic 'safe' foods i am building on from that! i do tend to be lazy tho, and we have a roast dinner a couple of times a week - i have a nut burger instead of meat, we all have a vegan/veggie gravy and at least we all have lots of vegetables :) cottage pie is always an easy option too, having discovered the wonderful world of instant packets of textured soya protein - in bolognese, shepherds pie and chilli flavours at asda!! and recently i discovered the wonders of pesto sauce!! aubergine one is great.. frying up a mushroom and slices of tofu, it's a quick, easy, filling meal - ideal when i am stuck for ideas of what to do me when the rest of them are having something i cannot adapt!
well, you're probably all asleep now!! *pokes you awake* am looking forward to being a frequent visitor to the forum, as i'm always open to suggestions for different dairy free recipes/ideas and i could do with some inspiration at the moment!!
take care :)
i felt sluggish, tired, depressed almost before, no energy, sleeping badly etc. i looked into dairy free, and found out more information about milk than i would have liked, but at least that pushed me to go dairy free over night and stick to it!!
i've lost a stone in weight since then (still would like to lose more but slowly slowly does it! :) ) feel much bouncier, much more alert and i need less sleep! i'd definately recommend it.
at first i was really daunted as looking at the ingredients on my fave veggie burgers etc they all had egg white in them *cries* but i've explored other avenues, and now use tofu (not as often as i should) and nut burgers (far more often than i should!) and soya milk. i did go fanatical at first, and still have products that i really should use - black strap molasses (sugar leftovers that have a lot of calcium and iron in it), linseeds (great for omega oils etc) collecting dust in the cupboard >.<
i used to use vegan discussion boards, but i got fed up with the same old tired arguement that i wasn't a 'proper' vegan as i still cooked meat for my family. as far as i am concerned, i have chosen to eat a dairy free, meat free diet, my family (and kids) have chosen to continue to eat meat and dairy. i chose at 14 to explore being a vegetarian, my parents supported me and let me do my own thing, never once suggesting that it was a fad - i was a very fussy eater to begin with so i guess this was a natural progression for me, and i think they saw me take it seriously, use soya protein instead of meat and generally eat a much more balanced diet than i would have done by just avoiding the meat on my plate (which i always did anyway lol).
i'm probably a walking mine of information that i've collected and bookmarked since taking the plunge to dairy free! i tend to do an indepth search once in a while for recipes then copy and paste them onto a word document, tidy it to read easier then refer to it when i'm stuck for meal ideas (i have also just finished a dairy free and wheat free one - if anyone wants a copy please send me a pm :) )
i sometimes use a vegan based dish then add meat to it for the rest of them! it was very hard initially, as i was very very unsure of what there actually was left to eat!! was even scared of baked beans! hehe now i know the basic 'safe' foods i am building on from that! i do tend to be lazy tho, and we have a roast dinner a couple of times a week - i have a nut burger instead of meat, we all have a vegan/veggie gravy and at least we all have lots of vegetables :) cottage pie is always an easy option too, having discovered the wonderful world of instant packets of textured soya protein - in bolognese, shepherds pie and chilli flavours at asda!! and recently i discovered the wonders of pesto sauce!! aubergine one is great.. frying up a mushroom and slices of tofu, it's a quick, easy, filling meal - ideal when i am stuck for ideas of what to do me when the rest of them are having something i cannot adapt!
well, you're probably all asleep now!! *pokes you awake* am looking forward to being a frequent visitor to the forum, as i'm always open to suggestions for different dairy free recipes/ideas and i could do with some inspiration at the moment!!
take care :)