Ever saince i became VEGAN iv been having some problems...?

Question

Iv been vegan for about 8 weeks now, give or take, and I feel perfectly fine, I get up and am ready to go for the day, some days I wake up early. Im not sick or anything. However, Iv noticed that even when pulling up my pants or tightening my beld, my nails bend backwards and its quite painfull, they are very soft. My tummy hurts every so often and sometimes, without warning, I get sick feelings in my tummy that make me feel like im litterly going to get sick, my eyes water sometimes too, but they only last about 5 mins.

My diet is limited because my house dosnt agree with my choices: raisins, dry Life cereal, some plain salad wraps, sometimes some string beans or cooked carots, ocationally a bannana, and a ton of peanutbutter. I think its the peanut butter that saves me really, i think im addicted. But would like to cut it out of my diet because i eat too much of it and in the past 8 weeks iv actually gained weight because of it almost 10 lbs! Im at 140lbs now, im 5'10".

Answer 1

Incorporate different foods in your diet to increase the amount of nutrients you're getting.

Just been reading a book called 'The Diet Doctors'. It mentions nutrients that are needed for strong nails. Increase your intakes of the minerals iron, calcium and zinc.

Also make sure you are getting enough riboflavin (vitamin B2- this isn't a typo, I don't mean B12). Eat protein rich foods too.

Vegan sources of

Calcium: green leafy vegetables, beans, fortified orange juice, fortified soy milk, rice milk

Iron: green leafy vegetables, nuts & seeds, peanut butter (!),  molasses, beans, wholemeal bread

Zinc: nuts, especially pumpkin seeds, beans (even baked beans), wholegrain cereals

Riboflavin (B2): wholegrains, fortified dairy free milks, bread, fortified spreads/vegan margarine

some protein rich foods: tofu, beans, nuts, soy milk, vegan burgers

I hope this helps. Don't limit yourself- there are a number of health boosting vegan foods out there. The next time you go shopping at the grocery store, try something new. :)

It may take a while for your nails to strengthen again. But perservere with a healthy diet. If you like, you can take a supplement. If your health worries persist, see a doctor. However, I think after a few months, with a little dietary adjustment you should be ok.

Answer 2

it takes a while to get accustomed to that type of product because you have fed yourself so much on meat, it blows your tummy due to the high in proteins,fibre etc

Answer 3

It's not the veganism.  It is your terrible limited diet.  You need lots of fruit, vegetables, beans, rice, TVP, fortified breakfast cereal like Kashi, soy milk, whole wheat bread, and other vegan things.  

You're seriously going to die if you keep living like that.

Answer 4

Seems to me you're lacking variety in your diet.  Where's the soy, whole grains, and the bazillion other vegan foods available at your grocery???

Get yourself a cookbook - I reccomend Vegan With A Vengeance - and get cooking.

And try vitamin E - it'll help strengthen your nails.

Answer 5

I think your diet is too limited at the moment and you will be facing deficiencies soon if you don't increase your varieties of food. The fact that your house doesn't agree with your decision shouldn't really matter because really, 'vegan' food is just food that everyone should be eating and non-vegans just have a few more items they choose to add to the diet.

I would be surprised if your nails were bendy after only 8 weeks. It would take about that long for the nail to grow from the bed to the tip and at that stage (8 weeks ago), I'm assuming you were eating a wider variety of food so deficiencies wouldn't have been evident yet. I think perhaps you're concerned about your decision to go vegan and are worrying about any changes you notice in your body.

The peanut butter probably is 'saving' you right now, because it's the only substance that you've noted that is giving you any decent fat or protein. However, regular peanut butter is usually margarine with ground peanuts added - not healthy. Make sure you choose a peanut butter from the health food shop which is 100% peanuts. But still don't eat too much. A couple of tablespoons per day is PLENTY. It could also be what is giving you your belly aches!

You need to eat a variety of foods, mostly vegetables (and I repeat, a variety). Make sure there are a few pieces of fruit in there each day (and not just bananas. Go for what's in season for most nutrients) and include tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, sea vegetables, lentils, beans and peas.

Keep breads, pastas, potatoes and snack foods minimal, because this is a big nutritional danger area for many vegans. Yes, they fill you up but they don't give you a lot of nutrients.

My best suggestion would be to book in and see a naturopath or nutritionist to assess your diet and lifestyle and give you personalised recommendations so that you learn what you need to eat to stay healthy. Definitely worth it.

Answer 6

I've been vegan for around the same amount of time, i'm doing okay. I take a multivitamin, and include alot of soy & hummus, which is made from beans so has protien. Try some hummus, & maybe some tofu. My family doesn't really agree but r fairly supportive. I'm sure that your family wouldn't want you to hurt urself just so that you can stick w/ ur beliefs. I would also try to include more fruits/veggies, and try soy milk (i suggest silk soymilk- vanilla flavor, cause plains a little nasty lol). Even if your family doesn't support u, u should just eat more fruits/veggiest cause thats good for u anyway. Try some clif bars in place of ur protein, they have alot of protein. Meat substitues are fabulous if you can get ahold of them. Try some nuts (i love almonds), for protein.

Good luck!!!

Answer 7

I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian... but I can offer some advice...

Your diet seems to be lacking in the usual nutrients and you should be eating plenty of protein (other than peanut butter), good, healthy carbs: fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, legumes, as well as your diet should have some of the healthy fats (OTHER THAN ONLY peanut butter *lol*)....

You should try eating:

For Breakfast:

Oatmeal with flaxseed (Oatmeal has 6 grams of protein per cup… while flaxseed has 3 grams of protein for 2 tablespoons), some walnuts or almonds (almonds have 8 grams of protein for ¼ cup - make sure you're not allergic to those or any other kind of nut), some almond milk and fresh fruit like bananas, even dried fruits like raisins, dried cranberries.... (the whole breakfast includes some healthy protein: oatmeal, flaxseed, almonds, almond milk, some healthy carbs: fruits, and a healthy fat: flaxseed) So far you have 17 grams of good protein for breakfast (with the oatmeal, flaxseed, and almonds)… and that’s not including the almond milk and other foods included. (if you don't like the oatmeal you can substitute for whole grain cereal - even whole grain pancakes with no egg in the batter)

For a mid-morning snack you could also have a peanut butter smoothie… You can make it by adding peanut butter (2 tblspns of peanut butter has 8 grams of protein - buy the peanut butter from "Smuckers" since it's "all natural peanut butter and no sugar or additives), almond milk, ice, and sweetener (honey works really well in this smoothie and it makes the drink taste like a nutter-butter candy - if as a vegan you don't eat honey than use a sweetener like stevia or equal)… That makes 8 grams of protein for a good mid-morning pick-me-up…

For lunch you can have a meatless burger that contains vegetables and beans… with a whole wheat bun (whole wheat bread contains 5 grams of protein for 2 slices – just read the label to make sure that it contains no animal products like butter or eggs – or invest in a bread maker to make your own bread)… The beans in the burger add up to 15 grams of protein for 1cup of beans… bringing your total for lunch to 20 grams of protein for both the meatless burger and the whole wheat bun/bread (don't forget to add some lettuce and tomatoes for more vegetables or a side salad)...(Your choices for lunch can also include a falafel (chickpea balls or chickpea burger - google the recipe for "falafel") with pita bread (most pita breads are made without eggs or other animal products and are vegan friendly… though you’ll have to double check the ingredients)… and you can serve this with a tahini dressing (made from sesame)… You can also make yourself a lentil soup just by taking some vegetable stock (you can buy it canned) adding some cooked lentils (which you can also buy canned) and adding in some celery, carrot, and onion, salt, pepper, and basil)

For a mid-afternoon snack you can have a smoothie with “spirulina” (which is a superfood that contains 5.5 grams of protein per tablespoon… so if you add 2 tablespoons you will have 11 grams of protein – I buy my Spirulina from “Source Naturals” brand)… You can make the smoothie by adding mango, pineapple, banana, apple (you can throw in the skin and seeds), and kiwi (you can freeze all the fruits including the banana) with the spirulina and some filtered water in a blender with some sweetener… and trust me this tastes soooo good. (You can also buy the same smoothie pre-made at any Trader Joe’s… it’s sold in a bottle that you can take to school or something (add more spirulina powder to it for more protein)… or you can buy any "bottled fruit juice or bottled smoothie" and add the spirulina powder to it for protein as well - apple juice goes well with it)… So far that’s 11 grams of protein…

And for dinner you can have a meat-substitute called “Seitan” (which you can buy or make yourself – just google it)… it’s made from wheat and it’s a safe alternative to soy (since there are some conflicting studies on soy – some say it isn’t good for you – look it up on google)… This protein, “Seitan”, has “31 grams of protein”, alone, for only 3 ounces… You can make it any way you like, BBQ, with sweet & sour sauce, etc. and serve with either some brown rice (which has 5 grams of protein) and veggies or with some pasta (which has 8 grams of protein) and some pasta sauce with veggies and a side salad… add the total and you have “36 – 39 grams of protein” for dinner alone….

Now so far… if you add up all your proteins you’ll see that you have now consumed (if following the diet) 95 grams of protein… and from what I read you’ll need 0.45 grams of protein for every pound that you weigh (for example someone who weighs 210 lbs., let’s say for a guy, will need 94.5 grams of protein per day… and this diet adds up to 95 grams of protein – so not bad)….

Some additional things for dessert or any other time throughout the day could be… you can try making a smoothie from fresh cacao (which is nothing more than "chocolate"/"cocoa beans" in its raw state)...  I buy both the powder (raw cocoa powder) and the nibs (crushed cocoa beans - they sort of look like chocolate chips *lol*)... I buy my cacao from amazon.com where they are the cheapest and you can buy them in bulk on a discount (i.e. they sell 2 packs for a certain price).... The cacao powder has "5 grams of protein" for 1 ounce (which is nothing more than 2 or 3 tablespoons)... while the cacao nibs have "1" gram of protein... so together with the rest of the ingredients it adds up to over "10 grams of protein" with the almond milk and flaxseeds included ("3 grams of protein" from 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed - I buy "Bob's Red Mill" flaxseed which you can also get at amazon.com in bulk or buy at Trader Joe's or anywhere else)...(You can make this drink and have it for a creamy dessert or a snack) Just add the cacao powder with cacao nibs, almond milk, 1/2 banana, sweetener (try cane juice/"sucanat", etc.), flaxseed, and water in a blender with some ice and that's it...

You can make "red bean smoothies"... just follow the recipe for "red bean paste" and then in a blender add some almond milk, sweetener, some ice... (because as you know “beans” are high in protein for vegans)

http://mainmainmasakmasak.wordpress.com/...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=red...

Just don’t forget that with every meal you will need to add a healthy fat as well to even things out… just remember that with sweet things you can use flaxseed… and with savory things you can use olive oil… and don’t forget to also have a either fruit or vegetables along with some grains, seeds, or nuts and your healthy sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, seeds, grains, meat-substitues such as “Seitan”, etc. (with EVERY meal) for balanced nutrition…

You can also consume a protein powder to add to your smoothies, or make into a shake on its own… (I heard of something called a “castine protein shake” for vegans… look into it… if not a vegan-friendly protein supplement/powder will do)…

And DO NOT forget to get your vitamins and minerals from supplements… take a multivitamin and anything else your diet may be in need of…

Here's a meatless burger recipe from the foodnetwork:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/...

Here’s a link that has all the information you’ll need to know on protein for vegans:

http://mainmainmasakmasak.wordpress.com/...

Good luck and please take care of your health… get a job if your family won’t support you… so you can buy your own food if they won’t…. Show your family what you’ve posted and the answers…

Answer 8

You want to get down to 120 lbs.? Manorexic, aren't we?

You aren't eating enough raw fruits and veggies--where are your salads? What's up with cooked vs. RAW carrots? Where are your deep leafy greens like Swiss chard (eaten raw, of course)?

Answer 9

I think that you aren't getting enough nutrients in your diet.  I am a vegan and my nails are awesome.  You have to make sure that you are getting enough protein and calcium.  If you can't be a vegan correctly then you shouldn't do it because you could do serious damage to your body.  It doesn't sound like you are eating nearly enough.  Don't eat a lot of peanut butter.  It does have protein but it is fattening.  Your weight for your height is fine.  By your house not agreeing I guess you mean your family.  It is cheap to be a vegan.  It isn't hard.  You have to do your research and read labels for ingredients.  Go foodshopping with your mom.  Let her know how important this diet is to you and that you would like her to help you so that you can do it in a healthy way.  People don't like when people go against what they believe in especially former meat eaters who have become vegan.  Other than peanut butter you aren't getting any protein so you need to find other sources of protein.

Answer 10

Sweetie, if your post is foreal I'm guessing your working towards, or have an alergy to peanut butter. You need to get yourself a vegetarian cookbook and start eating a ballanced diet.

Answer 11

I would expect your nails are soft and your tummy hurts because you are eating such a poor diet.

If planned properly, the vegan diet is the healthiest on the planet.

You really need to expand your diet, to add more variety.

You need lots more fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, both raw and steamed.

Plus you need sprouted seeds, pulses, lentils, beans, etc…

Also were you aware that some brands of peanut butter are NOT actually suitable for vegetarians / vegans.

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