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a little scared advice please :)
Started
by michelle aston
on March 5, 2011
Hi everyone my name is Michelle and I just signed up on here. I read TKD about a year ago and then a couple more times since then. My problem is that I really want to give this whole lifestyle a try but I'm really nervous. I've been reading a lot of posts about people who have a lot of trouble with it as far as bad skin bad breath and not to mention the going to the bathroom issues. This worries me the most because I already have issues with the toilet. Sorry I know TMI, but I was reading that too much fiber as there is on this diet can get built up and in serious cases cause the need for surgery. This definatley scares me as my mom not too long ago had a form of intestinal cancer. So if there is anyone who can help me feel at ease with some real information that could help me then please let me know. And thank you for any response.
Michelle
I would say ease into it. Start by giving up meat and work your way from that. You can do this gradually. Let your body get used to one thing and then give some other aspect of the diet a try. If you are that worried or have medical issues, ask your Dr, for advise. Hope that helps.Noone says you have to become a vegan overnite. Every change you make is a change for better health and a better panet. Good Luck!!
Jami
I haven't heard of bad breath being an issue, but I guess some people can have different reactions. If you think about it, though, you are digesting plant foods and not rotting animal flesh, so it seems like your breath shouldn't be worse, but maybe some people do experience that. Acne can be a common detox symptom, which should clear up over time, or it could be a reaction to new foods added to your diet - the most common culprit being soy. Many people also actually find stomach and digestive issues to be resolved or at least improved on a plant-based diet. I did not experience any of these side effects, but we are all going to react differently depending on what we were eating before, and if we start consuming more products we might be sensitive to. I would say that if you are worried you should start changing slowly, focus on whole foods and not processed stuff, chew your food thoroughly, drink plenty of water, and just keep increasing your consumption of good whole foods.
Hi Michelle, I agree with everyone else that you should ease it. You will defintely have some detox but this goes away so don't get scared. I haven't heard of the bad breath thing, only with people that do the Atkins diet and things like that. As Hazel mentioned, I have only heard good things about digestive health after becoming vegan. I would say most people become more "free-flowing" (I'm sure you get what I mean) after becoming vegan and are thus healthier. Most people on meat-based diets suffer from constipation from not enough fiber and find that resolved. Lastly, I'm sorry to hear about your mother's intestinal cancer. However, many studies have shown that meat consumption contributes to colon cancers making it maybe even more important for you to convert (depending on why your mother got cancer). Dairy has also shown to contribute to cancers. Check out "The China Study" to get more info on the benefits of a vegan diet. I would start slow cutting out one thing at a time or just incorporating a few vegan meals a week at first and see how you feel. Stay away from too much processed foods like faux meats or pasta all the time (unless the faux meats make the conversion easier). Eventually you will find that you feel best on a mostly unprocessed wholefoods diet. Good luck!
Oh yes...please drink plenty of water and herbal tea. They really help with the detox stuff. Stick with it. It took me about 4 weeks to feel "normal". But it is so worth it. I finally got my "vegan glow" and people comment on my skin all the time. It's all due to healthy living. And don't be shy to ask for help here at the kind life. Good luck!!!
Hi Michelle- I agree with everyonoe else that you should ease into it. I started by cutting down on the amount of meat I ate. For awhile I would have it a few times a week, then once a week, and now never. I did the same thing with dairy and started introducing new recipes from Alicia's book. Eventually I became vegan! I also have struggled with stomach issues so I understand your fear. For me things got much better when I went vegan because I started cooking more and eating less proccessed foods. Over time, I have learned what foods I can eat and what foods can't. If you have stomach issues it is definately worth giving TKD a try, because it could help like it did for me.
Good Luck!
Thank you for all your advice I really appreciate it. I guess I never thought about easing into it like I had to go all or none, so thanks for reassuring me. I will start giving it a try a little at a time. Thanks again. Michelle :)
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