posted July 02, 2011 01:10 PM            

The result of years of eating animal products. Today, I can eat any more because it would send me straight to emergency. The littlest thing will set off an attack. I thought a poached egg was safe but it wasn't and the apple pie wasn't either - the crust made from lard.

I don't know where to start on my vegan diet and I really don't know what is out there. The irony of this is that I have a huge cooking background and have had to work with various diets. (Well my very first home care client was a vegetarian and never had any animal products and her whole family is like that too.)

For Canada day, I had a tofu dog and some soy banana dessert that was tasty. I have lots of greens here.

July 8, 2011 - the General Surgeon will be taking out my gallbladder because they don't want another painful attack coming on though I deeply question it now and wonder if it is a wise thing to get done. Thing is my eating habits put me where I am today and I have to fix it.

posted July 02, 2011 08:30 PM            

Not to mention gelatin in nearly every pill. It's very hard to be pure vegetarian and most people don't realize they're not when they say they are.. I make exceptions for tylenol or synthroid which I am somewhat reliant on. There are vegan gelatins, but I don't think they're in most bottles of tylenol. I think there are decent vegetarian marshmallows though..

posted July 02, 2011 10:50 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by mochai:
A lot of fake meat products are highly processed and contain things tantamount to msg. Btw, hydrolyzed vegetable protein basically becomes msg in your system and they sell it in bulk at my organic grocer . Soy beans tend to absorb more aluminum from the soil too.

Not to mention gelatin in nearly every pill. It's very hard to be pure vegetarian and most people don't realize they're not when they say they are.. I make exceptions for tylenol or synthroid which I am somewhat reliant on. There are vegan gelatins, but I don't think they're in most bottles of tylenol. I think there are decent vegetarian marshmallows though..

I've been a vegetarian for 11 years now. Not quite a vegan.

---

posted July 03, 2011 11:27 PM            

Right now I eat a lot of gluten free oatmeal (prepared with cocoa powder and sugar and almonds or flax seed or blueberries in lieu of chocolate.. i'm a chocolate addict), root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots, and salad even though I hate salad and fruit. I try to have the fruit as more of a pre-work out or post work out snack. I've been craving saturated fat like a mad woman so you probably don't wanna know about that.. I also like lentils and middle eastern food like koshary (rice and lentils). I love lentil soup and hummus though I substitute chips for pita. I also like southeast asian fusion cuisine. If you try to make your own, freeze the tofu and then thaw it to give it a chewier meat texture. Ethiopian food is amazing too!! http://www.bluenilekc.com/menu/ Morrocan food is okay and easy to make (couscous etc).

Other things you have to be careful about, most sugar is processed in such a way that it uses animal bones. Liquor and beer tends to use a bizarre assortment of things as well. Many are not vegetarian let alone vegan. http://www.barnivore.com/liquor?vfilter=All

posted July 04, 2011 12:43 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by mochai:
I love indian food!

Right now I eat a lot of gluten free oatmeal (prepared with cocoa powder and sugar and almonds or flax seed or blueberries in lieu of chocolate.. i'm a chocolate addict), root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots, and salad even though I hate salad and fruit. I try to have the fruit as more of a pre-work out or post work out snack. I've been craving saturated fat like a mad woman so you probably don't wanna know about that.. I also like lentils and middle eastern food like koshary (rice and lentils). I love lentil soup and hummus though I substitute chips for pita. I also like southeast asian fusion cuisine. If you try to make your own, freeze the tofu and then thaw it to give it a chewier meat texture. Ethiopian food is amazing too!! http://www.bluenilekc.com/menu/ Morrocan food is okay and easy to make (couscous etc).

Other things you have to be careful about, most sugar is processed in such a way that it uses animal bones. Liquor and beer tends to use a bizarre assortment of things as well. Many are not vegetarian let alone vegan. http://www.barnivore.com/liquor?vfilter=All

Under normal circumstances, you shouldn't crave meat if you're getting enough protein.

---

Indian food is very tasty and I have an ayurvedic cookbook with lots of indian food recipes in it.

Before I didn't have an appetite but these days I have been feeling hungry.

Will post again later - thank you all for your comments and insights!

posted July 04, 2011 09:48 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by cathy:
I have a few questions, how do you "cook"tofu? also I've noticed that some vegetarian "meats" taste just like real meat I can't eat them, but wonder how they do that?

---

Well,tofu needs to be cooked or steamed before eaten cuz the soybeans are not fully cooked.
After that ,there are tons of ways to use tofu.
The easiest is to marinate with soy sauce and garlic powder.
There are cookbooks which only have tofu in them.

posted July 04, 2011 12:12 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by cathy:
I have a few questions, how do you "cook"tofu? also I've noticed that some vegetarian "meats" taste just like real meat I can't eat them, but wonder how they do that?

---

They most likely used morningstar/boca products. That stuff is highly processed and some of the ingredients aren't that great, but they're very low in calories and many are vegan. You can freeze tofu and thaw it to give it a chewier meat texture. Using that stuff, a vegetarian could still make their own supreme pizza or any number of meat items. Black bean burgers and the morningstar riblets are phenomenal. There is even an italian sausage. I still stay away from those myself.

For cooking tofu I drain it and marinate it for several hours so it absorbs more of the flavor of whatever sauce I'm using.. phad thai etc.

I've heard of people using brewer's yeast and tofu to make scrambled eggs, but I found another recipe for it here using turmeric.. http://vegweb.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=7e8b02a7dcdf7684490c71c9f084ccef&topic=29433.0

There are vegan cheesecakes that will blow your mind too. They taste better than normal cheesecakes and are x`10 healthier.

I'm also a fan of butternut squash ravioli or lasagna. Quesadillas with vegetarian tortillas are so easy to make as are fajitas. You can even get very exotic with nontraditional ingredients there. My mom makes a sweet potato/potato/spinach and feta scramble which is amazing. There are vegan cheeses and barbecue sauce recipes. There are also egg replacements I've seen in the grocery aisle, but many vegan recipes do fine without that and make great cookies/brownies. Most artisan bread bakeries do not use eggs except in their challah.

This place has great sandwiches that can give you some ideas.. the spicy tofu spread is great as is the tempeh parmesan if I remember correctly. Some guy came into the place and loved the food so much he decided to make a chain based off of it that has spread to chicago. http://www.allmenus.com/ks/lawrence/230282-yellow-sub/menu/

Some other menus with good vegetarian ideas
http://www.aladdincafeoflawrence.com/carryoutmenu042010.htm

http://www.kckormasutra.net/menu.php their naan breads are phenomenal. You can substitute indian cheeses like paneer with tofu.

http://www.bluekoi.net/starters.php their lettuce wrap is great

posted July 05, 2011 10:10 AM            

1) Gallbladder surgery to remove gallstones is almost always avoidable and unnecessary.

2) The gallbladder is NOT just some useless organ you can easily do without. It is in in fact very necessary to your long term health.

3) With a change in diet and a high quality herbal detox flush, you can cleanse gallstones out of the gallbladder safely, painlessly and naturally.

posted July 05, 2011 10:13 AM            

So, if cholesterol is the root cause of your gallstones, you have to stop eating it! What foods contain cholesterol? Well, they come solely from animal foods. Here's a brief assortment of different animal foods, all of which contain large amounts of cholesterol:

red meat
white meat
fish
eggs
milk
cheese
ice cream
butter
cream
Basically, any food that comes from an animal contains cholesterol. When you eat these kinds of foods, your liver and gallbladder cannot digest it all and eventually these left over deposits form into gallstones.

Rubbing a cut with sand paper...

Most people find they have a severe gallbladder attack after eating such foods and it's no surprise once you understand the root of the problem. If you had a bad cut on your finger, you would clean it and bandage it, right? Well, eating the foods listed above has the opposite effect on your gallbladder. It would be as if you never cleaned that cut and instead you rubbed it with sand paper a few times a day. How could it ever heal? You have to give your poor liver and gallbladder a rest and then it will quickly begin the healing process.

Okay, so do I need to do first?

1) Change your diet - Just like you would put a band-aid on your finger, cut out the cholesterol from your diet. It's the first and most important step to naturally cleansing gallstones out of your gallbladder. Cholesterol does NOT exist in the vegetable kingdom. That includes vegetables, fruits, dark leafy greens, legumes, seeds, nuts, etc... These foods are all nutritional powerhouses that don't contain ANY cholesterol. Eating foods high in nutrients and fiber and low in saturated fat is the best way to protect yourself from all disease, but is especially important for a gallbladder detox. Most people notice a significant reduction in pain within 2-3 days of following this new diet. And once the pain is gone, it does NOT return. You will also be very surprised to learn there are thousands of amazing recipes and delicious meals for you to try. the best part is that most of them are very simple to make. In addition to other benefits, you can expect to lose a lot of weight, lower your LDL cholesterol levels, boost your immune system, and experience much more energy throughout the day with very restful sleep at night.

To help you get started, we have created a 7 day gallbladder detox meal plan, complete with an eating schedule, recipes and a shopping list. And it's FREE. Click here to get it now!

2) Do an herbal detox and cleanse to flush gallstones out of the gallbladder - Many people also ask about herbal supplements. Yes, they can be very helpful, but only if used in conjunction with the diet above. You can take all the supplements and medications in the world, but if you continue to eat cholesterol, how can you honestly expect them to work? It would be like trying to lower your AST and ALT liver enzyme counts while continuing to drink alcohol every day. Used in combination with the proper diet, however, herbal supplements can produce phenomenal results. We recommend using only 100% organic, whole herbs synergistically combined for maximum effect.

We have looked at hundreds of products and found the products at Organic Health and Beauty to be the best. Click here for their organic herbal formula for detoxing the gallbladder of gallstones...

posted July 05, 2011 10:15 AM            

That's an excellent question. Unfortunately, in almost every case, surgery is a very poor option. Before we get into the risks and inherent problems of removing an organ from your body, let's take a quick look at the real problem with doing this surgery instead of making the chnges mentioned above. Surgery ONLY deals with the symptoms, NOT the cause of the problem in the first place, Gallstones were created in your gallbladder because of your diet. Your liver and gallbladder are doing the best they can to digest all the fat and cholesterol you're eating every day. Your gallbladder just got overloaded and some cholesterol deposits formed. So, why in the world would you cut that organ out? Remember, your gallbladder isn't doing anything wrong: You are. It's doing the best it can to keep you healthy, but you are eating in such a way to make that impossible. Taking out your gallbladder because of what you are eating would be like taking out the engine in your car, because you put in the wrong kind of gasoline and the car stopped running.

Further, once you take your gallbladder out, you will be much LESS effective at digesting fat and safely removing cholesterol out of your body. Assuming you continue to eat the same way as you did before, this puts you at much GREATER risk for heart disease and other deadly disease than before. Contrary to what you may be told, your gallbladder is a very important organ and although you can live without it, you are much better off with it. It works hand in hand with your liver to digest fats, so once it's gone, you also put a lot more strain on your liver, for the rest of your life.

Now, assuming you go ahead with the surgery, here's something else you should know... The first and most major risk of this surgery is that IT MAY NOT WORK... in other words, some people continue to have gallbladder pain even after the surgery. And at that point, there is nothing left to do. Again, this is because you have not dealt with the root of the problem. This shouldn't come as a surprise to you at this point when you consider that you haven't made a change in your diet, but you have removed an organ that helps you deal with it.

In addition to all the problems stated above, here are some of the other risks and complications possible with gallbladder surgery. Now, although the overall risk of laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is low, complications may include:

posted July 05, 2011 02:20 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by rajji:
There are so many natural remedies for flushing out your gall bladder stones. http://curezone.com/cleanse/liver/
Try them.

---

Awesome Rajji!