Forks over Knives- plant based diet

[swellmomma]

I watched this movie last night and am still processing what was said. Has anyone seen this movie and changed their diet? Did you go fully vegan or jsut cut back on animal based products?

 

We have already cut dairy products out for 2 out of 4 kids. I was going to do a full dairy free trial for the whole family after family camp anyway.

 

We rarely have meat due to cost, so that is not a huge deal.

 

We also rarely have fresh produce due to cost, so that is a huge deal.

 

I posted last week about my issue with weight loss not happening, dr testing for PCOS etc. I an generally healthy though my BP is borderline high. I see the dr tomorrow for results of all my testing incl glucose, cortisol, cholesterol etc. I am a bit worried what the outcome will be. I am currently at the highest weight I have ever been in my life. I have other health issues not caused by the weight but exacerbated by it.

 

DS13 has high blood pressure and low O2 sats the last few times we have been to the dr. He has also become chunky (not considered obese but he used to be a skin and bones boy and in the last 12 months gained a bunch).

 

DD12 is a skinny tiny little thing with high cholesterol.

 

The 3 oldest have learning issues, we have figured out ds8 is allergic to dairy, dd4 is responding well to dairy free.

 

Clearly something has to change.

 

I am seriously looking at a 2 week trial of plant based diet like they mention on the movie just to see what happens. I have zero will power though. How to you over come cravings?

 

How do you get your kids to eat this way when they are used to living off of mainly pasta and potatoes and are quite picky when it comes to produce simply because it is not a common thing in our home?

 

I am thinking of doing the 2 week trial starting today, I have only me, dd and 1 daycare kid this week so not many to serve, dd and daycare girl are pretty good about eating what is in front of them.

 

If you changed your eating habits for any reason, not necessarily because of a movie, did you do an abrupt change or gradual?

 

I have been trying to do gradual but cheat too much so thinking abrupt would work better.

 

How do you keep enough protein if you refuse to eat tofu and your kids refuse to eat beans?

[Avila]

Have you looked at Paleo? For some reason, I am finding Paleo a lot more convincing.

 

If you do it, update us. I know I need to do *something,* but I am still in the stage of research/procrastinating about exactly what that is going to be.

[pageta]

We read In Defense of Food and have eliminated (almost) all processed food from our diet. When we watched Forks over Knives, they say "plants based diet" over and over again, and people assume that means vegan (and a couple vegans were part of the movie). But a plants based diet doesn't mean just plants - it just means the majority of what you eat is from plants. So we eat meat (as we always have) but we definitely consider our diet "plants based" as the majority of what we eat comes directly from plants.

[Impish]

I have a hard enough time w/GF. I can't handle anymore dietary changes, so no help here.

[pageta]

I should add, when we eliminated processed foods from our diet, I went through our pantry and removed all of the processed food. Some of it I tossed as I had no desire to eat it (not something we especially liked) and the rest I put on a contraband shelf which we ate from only on the weekends (and still our diet was mostly non-processed foods during those days).

 

I would make the transition gradually - try one new recipe a week and slowly build a new set of recipes you like that you eat most of the time.

[swellmomma]

I don't know what I want. I want to be healthy, I am worried about the notion of cutting out a whole food group. BUt what if the iinformation we are told about things like dairy is due to the almighty dollar and not health like the movie suggests. I don't want to blindly follow something because of a movie, but the way things are for us right now is clearly not healthy.

 

Obviously changing diet is important. At this point I could handle not losing the weight if the other health concerns improved and if my kids were healthy. I don't care if I am 300 lbs(I am not) as long as my kids are healthy. My dd is turning 13 in a couple days. She weighs 65lbs and has high cholesterol. I didn't even know it was possible to be so skinny and have it. That has to change immediately. Ds13 with his high BP and low O2. He is turning 14, 5'4" and 130lbs. so chunky but not fat. His Bp and O2 scare me. I posted about it before. We have increased his aerobic exercise etc but it is not improving those enough, which tells me diet is at play. He has many sensitivities to various foods so I know his diet is affecting him.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I have a friend IRL who did and went NUTSO vegan on it. Seriously! Watch Fathead before making your decision! That is what we have switched to. It makes more sense to us. Fathead was in response to Super-Size Me but it is VERY good about getting nutrition facts out there :001_smile:

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Also since switching to this ds 7 has made improvements as well!! (he has HFA, tourettes, sensory issues, ADD)

[swellmomma]

Well this is kinda tricky because I suspect many people eat a mostly plant based diet. Wheat comes from a plant. Rice comes from a plant. Aside from meat, what else do we eat other than plants? I think the problem is low quality overly processed PLANT foods. Not that we aren't eating enough plants.

 

That makes sense.

 

When I hear plant based I think of fresh produce. I never think about the fact the pasta, breads etc are made from wheat which is a plant.

 

We do eat processed foods here in sense of canned sauces, store bought pasta, jams, or the frozen fish sticks etc.

 

We have fast food/junk food like most people do but not on a regular basis. We have fast food 2-3 times a month, junk food more like 1-2 times a week.

[Parrothead]

That movie was what convinced dh to give it a try. I'd write more, but I'm kind of getting school stuf ready. You can read a quick blurb about how a vegetarian lifestyle has affected us here.

 

I'll post more later or if you have a specific question you can PM me. It works for us in a way other diets haven't.

 

Oh, if you get the chance watch Food, Inc.

[HSMom2One]

I am doing something similar, but not fully vegan. For one, I am eating 3 apples per day along with at least 1/2 lb. carrots (working my way up to 1 lb. goal.) Just doing this alone is amazing. I eat an apple before each meal and use the carrots for snacks and to add to my salads. I also drink 1 gallon of water per day and use some of the Sunrider products for added nutrition. Every day I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, mostly raw but also in stir fries or steamed. I rarely have sugar any more and I don't even miss it.

 

We have significantly cut back on meat, eating mostly poultry and fish when we do have it. Occasionally we will have small amounts of pork or beef, but we're no where near where we used to be. I've also cut back a huge amount on dairy. After going dairy free for 3 months I discovered no difference at all, so I stopped drinking milk and only have minimal amounts of cheese and yogurt now. I eat eggs too, but I've given up lunch meat and ham. Oh, and I eat beans pretty much every day for at least one meal.

 

This is how I've been eating for the past two months, although during vacation I really got off track. But all in all, I'm losing inches and I feel good. Without trying hard I've already dropped 8 lbs., but since I'm changing my lifestyle here I know that more will come off. My goal is to lose a total of 60 lbs. because, like you, I have reached my highest weight - EVER. I think changes can be made, but remember that this is a battle of the mind more than anything. You have to want it. You, and only you, are the key to your success.

 

As for the family, this is what I do. I have a basic plan for dinner that allows me to eat as I need to, but my family can add on items that they want to eat. For instance, we might have everything prepared for taco salad. I will make my version with much less cheese, no sour cream and I'll leave off the ground beef completely and use beans instead. My portions will be about half what they used to be, and I'll have water to drink instead of milk or a sugary drink. Voila! We're all happy!!

 

You CAN do this, really you can.

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[swellmomma]

I have a friend IRL who did and went NUTSO vegan on it. Seriously! Watch Fathead before making your decision! That is what we have switched to. It makes more sense to us. Fathead was in response to Super-Size Me but it is VERY good about getting nutrition facts out there :001_smile:

 

I will have to put that one on hold today. (I had to wait 6 months for forks over knives to come in, hopefully that one is faster)

[swellmomma]

That movie was what convinced dh to give it a try. I'd write more, but I'm kind of getting school stuf ready. You can read a quick blurb about how a vegetarian lifestyle has affected us here.

 

I'll post more later or if you have a specific question you can PM me. It works for us in a way other diets haven't.

 

Oh, if you get the chance watch Food, Inc.

 

Thank you. I will put Food,Inc on hold as well. Off to read your link

[HappyLady]

I've been vegan since before all of these documentaries came out. I have known people both IRL and online who have gone plant based/vegan and have turned their health around in so many ways that I have no doubts in my mind that a whole foods, plant based/vegan diet is the best way to eat.

[AdventureMoms]

I watched it and found it a bit unconvincing. I ended up going more of a Primal/Paleo route. I think that regardless, processed food is the biggest culprit in health and weight issues. Getting to a whole-foods diet is the biggest thing to me, after that figuring out what you need to do in terms of meat/plants/dairy will be much easier!

[Parrothead]

Okay I have a minute.

 

I started on this journey 3 years ago when I quit smoking. I wanted to give my body the best possible chance of recovery. The first food change I made was lots and lots of fresh leafy greens (on Peela's and Rosie's recommendation).

 

From there it went to more and more fresh veg, less and less processed foods. I was already baking my own bread so that continued.

 

I started reading and researching nutrition. I know there are studies for both sides to consider but the one thing that stuck with me was how nasty feed lot meat is. It truly disgusted me. Who wants to eat that? If we ever go back to meat it will be wild game that dh gets from the woods. (Then there is the whole soft spot I have for animals, but we won't go there.)

 

I cut back on meat gradually in my cooking. More and more of our food started coming from whole plants. I can pronounce every single thing we eat now. A dish might have more than 5 ingredients but those ingredients are generally things like onions, peppers, carrots, basil, rice, beans, asparagus, olives, etc.

 

Humans can get every nutritional need from plants with the exception of Vitamin B12. In our house that comes from eggs I get from my friend who has true free range chicken in her yard. (Seriously, one has to be careful entering her yard so as to not run over a bird.)

 

Humans can't live on meat alone. And statistically, along with historically, most humans don't eat meat 3x a day. Study after study has shown that the higher one's meat consumption the higher chance one has for heart disease. You'll have to google those studies yourself if interested. I cleaned out links a while back.

 

There is no need to worry about lack of variety in one's diet while eating a plant based diet. The variety and flavor combinations are awesome. Yesterday I had breakfast burrito, Mediterranean pizza and three bean chili. Today I've had oatmeal for breakfast and green salad with lemon juice (instead of dressing) for lunch. Dinner will be a vegetarian version of Irish stew.

 

In my immediate family we've all lost weight. Our hair and nails are growing faster. Our skin looks loads better. I've stopped having painful cycles. My brain fog has cleared up and I have more energy.

 

Hope our experience helps you in some way to come to a decision that is right for you and yours.

[ChristyB in TN]

Me! I am vegan. I have one son who is not, he is on the meat, meat and more meat diet. My husband will eat fish, but no dairy, poultry, pork or beef. My oldest son is vegan, then he's not, then he is, then he is not... He normally lives a couple of hours away at college so it is all up to him. We eat a lot of frozen veggies, honestly. I have NO time to cook and when I do it has to be fast. During the cooler months I use the heck out of the crockpot and we eat a ton of beans, soups, etc. I find I don't plan well so I have to visit the store quite often. I have PCOS and have no symptoms since getting all the animal protein out of my life. I also am crazy allergic to dust, mold, tree and grass pollens, etc and have no mucous or allergy issues since getting rid of dairy years ago. It is awesome and has made a huge difference in our lives.

[Parrothead]

I've been vegan since before all of these documentaries came out. I have known people both IRL and online who have gone plant based/vegan and have turned their health around in so many ways that I have no doubts in my mind that a whole foods, plant based/vegan diet is the best way to eat.

I"m hoping that some of my disorders disappear within the next year or so.

[justLisa]

I like what Michael Pollan says "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

 

I don't really buy anything that is not real food. Meat, poultry, eggs and lots of vegetables and fruit. Nuts, milk, healthy fats. That is basically our diet. But none of us do well with vegan protein options as a staple. I have fallen back in to that several times and it just never feels good.

[Aelwydd]

Have you looked at Paleo? For some reason, I am finding Paleo a lot more convincing.

 

If you do it, update us. I know I need to do *something,* but I am still in the stage of research/procrastinating about exactly what that is going to be.

 

I also find Paleo to be a lot more expensive, thanks to how prominent meat becomes in that diet. And that's not considering the short time I went on a high (animal) protein diet years ago, I got a kidney infection, and gall bladder attack. Furthermore, all the hormones (not added, but naturally occurring ones from the animal, itself) actually affect my cycles. I found that my periods were much heavier, and lasted longer, when I eat too much animal meat or animal protein. Dairy, as well, causes me inflammatory sinus problems.

 

My dh has had very high blood pressure, and any sort of diet with high proportions of animal based fat or protein, or diet with too many refined carbs, has caused him serious health problems.

 

Since we adopted a plants-based diet (we are not vegetarian or vegan, we do eat small amounts of meat), dh's BP has become manageable for the first time in years. He has dropped about 30 lbs, effortlessly, not even exercising. Though I wasn't looking to lose weight, I've dropped some as well. However, it wasn't a fast drop. Both of us lost evenly and over the course of a few months. I think we're much more likely to keep the weight off due to this steady, measured weight loss, than if we lost it all quite dramatically. I also think it's more traumatic on the body to lose a great deal of weight very quickly.

 

As I have stated on other threads on this subject, my education is in health, and it's knowledge of bodily systems and chemistry that really influences my opinion. And it's a fact that animal protein, fat, and dairy all induce acidosis, an systemic inflammatory process that has a damaging effect on cells, tissues, and organs. To me, a paleo diet makes little sense when I consider how frequently I'd be digesting animal proteins and fats, and all the acidosis, acid reflux (another "gift" of high fat foods, I've discovered, unfortunately), gall bladder, and kidney problems I'd likely get from it don't seem like a good trade off for a fast weight loss. And frankly, my blood work on the plants based diet is stellar now, where before I had a problem with high WBC counts.

 

Furthermore, a plants based diet is far more economical, in terms of resources used, than one that is highly dependent on meat. Right now, with the US suffering huge agricultural losses due to the drought, meat prices are expected to rise 10%. A lot of families have multiple kids, and buying enough meat for that many people is already expensive. Now, increase that cost.

 

We do buy more fresh vegetables, but overall, we spend less than we did when we bought processed foods, or bought meat all the time.

[Aelwydd]

Well this is kinda tricky because I suspect many people eat a mostly plant based diet. Wheat comes from a plant. Rice comes from a plant. Aside from meat, what else do we eat other than plants? I think the problem is low quality overly processed PLANT foods. Not that we aren't eating enough plants.

 

This is true, which is why I emphasize the need for a diet to be comprised mainly of green vegetables, not grains.

[Aelwydd]

Okay I have a minute.

 

I know there are studies for both sides to consider but the one thing that stuck with me was how nasty feed lot meat is. It truly disgusted me. Who wants to eat that? If we ever go back to meat it will be wild game that dh gets from the woods.

 

A-freakin'-men, sister, it's horrible.

[HappyLady]

I"m hoping that some of my disorders disappear within the next year or so.

 

I'm positive that they will, providing you're eating a whole foods diet and not a junk food one (which I'm sure you're not doing). :) Some people think they can be a junk food veg and be healthy and that isn't the case.

 

Have you incorporated juicing into your diet? That's another great way to help your health.

 

I don't know if you're on Facebook or not, but there are a lot of support groups you can join where you can hear the many success stories from going veg, get new recipes, ask questions, or just vent. I've found them to be very helpful! PM me if you want some of the names of them.

[Parrothead]

I'm positive that they will, providing you're eating a whole foods diet and not a junk food one (which I'm sure you're not doing). :) Some people think they can be a junk food veg and be healthy and that isn't the case.

 

Have you incorporated juicing into your diet? That's another great way to help your health.

 

I don't know if you're on Facebook or not, but there are a lot of support groups you can join where you can hear the many success stories from going veg, get new recipes, ask questions, or just vent. I've found them to be very helpful! PM me if you want some of the names of them.

Thanks for the offer. I'm not on FB and have no desire to start. I have my own issues with FB that I won't take over this thread ranting about. :D

 

No, I'm getting rid of junk food as quickly as I can. I've even recently eliminated bottled salad dressing. I still have this hang up that a sandwich has to have chips on the side, but the other day I paired the sandwich with a salad and was mentally okay. :lol:

 

We still have a bunch of sweet tooths in this family. When it cools off a bit more I'll start baking again. Right now we eat store bought organic cookies. They are a bit dear so they don't get scarfed down by the handful. ;)

 

ETA: Oh, juicing. I just can't do that yet. I only drink a few things. I'm so weird that way. I tolerate chocolate milk, apple juice or cider and tea. We were still buying root beer but changed up to Vitamin Water. I have to have one of the orange bottles and one bottle will last me 3-4 days since I'd rather just have tea. I hope one day to be able to enjoy plain water.

Edited July 23, 2012 by Parrothead

[VeganCupcake]

This is true, which is why I emphasize the need for a diet to be comprised mainly of green vegetables, not grains.

 

:iagree: What most people really need is a lot more vegetables (and some fruits), not grains.

 

OP, I've seen the movie and I find it really interesting. I've been vegan since 2002 and it suits me well--I have no health problems and am a healthy weight (yay! Finally!). We are a mixed family, though, since my DH is omnivorous. I've read several of Dr. Furhman's books and we try to eat mostly unprocessed plant foods (beans, nuts, vegetables, fruits, some grains).

[Parrothead]

:iagree: What most people really need is a lot more vegetables (and some fruits), not grains.

 

OP, I've seen the movie and I find it really interesting. I've been vegan since 2002 and it suits me well--I have no health problems and am a healthy weight (yay! Finally!). We are a mixed family, though, since my DH is omnivorous. I've read several of Dr. Furhman's books and we try to eat mostly unprocessed plant foods (beans, nuts, vegetables, fruits, some grains).

I like Eat to Live.

[butterflymommy]

Eat to Live is a cheaper vegan/ healthy way of eating then a raw or mostly raw diet since it doesn't require lots of fresh produce. It says 50/50 raw cooked it best but that is just the guideline. I can sum it up for you here if you don't want to buy the book (there is lots of info online)

 

unlimited greens, minimum 1 lb a day, ideally half cooked half raw

unlimited fresh fruit

unlimited beans

unlimited non starchy vegetables

 

limited nuts

limited whole grains/ starchy vegetables

limited dried fruit (i.e. raisins)

 

very limited or eliminate: sugar, refined grains, added oils, meat, dairy, fruit juice, soda, alcohol

 

I have been able to eat this way very cheaply for years now. For greens I eat romaine (purchased in 3 or 6 packs), frozen greens, and broccoli when it's on sale.

 

For fruit I buy bananas and bagged apples, and/ or what's on sale.

 

beans are very inexpensive.

 

I buy nuts at the drugstore where they usually half the cost of the grocery. I make my own whole wheat bread or make whole oatmeal from the canister.

 

If I ever run out of or can't afford fresh fruit I eat canned fruit but you should avoid anything sweetened.

 

Google "Eat to Live" and Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

 

As far as gradually doing it or going cold turkey, I just try to make it work for me. I don't stick to ETL 100% but I do eat this way about 50-75% of the time. So I do occasionally eat cookies, meat, dairy, but it's always the exception and not the rule. If I am eating "bad" stuff I start counting calories in addition to not go over ~1800-2000 (I'm BFing).

 

hth! feel free to PM me.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Do you have Netflix instant streaming? Fathead is on there.

[swellmomma]

Do you have Netflix instant streaming? Fathead is on there.

 

Unfortunately nope, BUT my folks do, hmmm that gives me an idea

[Bluegoat]

I wouldn't change my diet over a movie that was offering that much spin.

[Avila]

No more spin than Supersize me or Forks Over Knives.

[Quiver0f10]

That makes sense.

 

When I hear plant based I think of fresh produce. I never think about the fact the pasta, breads etc are made from wheat which is a plant.

 

We do eat processed foods here in sense of canned sauces, store bought pasta, jams, or the frozen fish sticks etc.

 

We have fast food/junk food like most people do but not on a regular basis. We have fast food 2-3 times a month, junk food more like 1-2 times a week.

 

I have been on a plant based diet. I ate whole plant based foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, potatoes, rice, beans/legumes, oats and so on.

[Sevilla]

I watched this movie last night and am still processing what was said. Has anyone seen this movie and changed their diet? Did you go fully vegan or jsut cut back on animal based products?

 

We have already cut dairy products out for 2 out of 4 kids. I was going to do a full dairy free trial for the whole family after family camp anyway.

 

We rarely have meat due to cost, so that is not a huge deal.

 

We also rarely have fresh produce due to cost, so that is a huge deal.

 

I posted last week about my issue with weight loss not happening, dr testing for PCOS etc. I an generally healthy though my BP is borderline high. I see the dr tomorrow for results of all my testing incl glucose, cortisol, cholesterol etc. I am a bit worried what the outcome will be. I am currently at the highest weight I have ever been in my life. I have other health issues not caused by the weight but exacerbated by it.

 

DS13 has high blood pressure and low O2 sats the last few times we have been to the dr. He has also become chunky (not considered obese but he used to be a skin and bones boy and in the last 12 months gained a bunch).

 

DD12 is a skinny tiny little thing with high cholesterol.

 

The 3 oldest have learning issues, we have figured out ds8 is allergic to dairy, dd4 is responding well to dairy free.

 

Clearly something has to change.

 

I am seriously looking at a 2 week trial of plant based diet like they mention on the movie just to see what happens. I have zero will power though. How to you over come cravings?

 

How do you get your kids to eat this way when they are used to living off of mainly pasta and potatoes and are quite picky when it comes to produce simply because it is not a common thing in our home?

 

I am thinking of doing the 2 week trial starting today, I have only me, dd and 1 daycare kid this week so not many to serve, dd and daycare girl are pretty good about eating what is in front of them.

 

If you changed your eating habits for any reason, not necessarily because of a movie, did you do an abrupt change or gradual?

 

I have been trying to do gradual but cheat too much so thinking abrupt would work better.

 

How do you keep enough protein if you refuse to eat tofu and your kids refuse to eat beans?

I've watched Forks Over Knives and found it inspiring in several respects - in particular how people's health can be transformed by diet and the huge importance of fresh vegetables. I also agree that casein (diry protein) is unhealthy for people and avoid it.

 

I did *not* think he made a convincing case that animal protein that was not casein is toxic/disease-causing for humans (like the rat study was based on casein! Which is distinct from other animal protein!).

 

I eat paleo/primal with a big emphasis on fresh produce as a dietary staple. I think grains tend to be inflammatory and feel 100x better since cutting them out of my diet.

 

For someone who has PCOS (insulin-resistance issues) then something like paleo/primal eating will help your symptoms far more than doing a grain-heavy diet.

 

Cutting out sugar and processed foods is huge - I eat so little sugar now that something that has just 20g/serving makes me feel sick.