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Has any one else had problems with dairy withdrawl?
I've been reading two books at the same time, the kind diet and skinny bastard by Kim B. This is only day two of having gone completely vegan and i'm finding it really hard.
The conflicting emotions of wanting dairy and not wanting dairy at the same time because of knowing how its produced, how bad it is for you and what the animals are put through...
At the same time i find myself at a loss for what to cook and what to eat as its been really hard to find vegan products in my area...
I haven't been able to find any egg replacement which is driving me crazy, hopefully i can find some this weekend at a vegan shop i found while searching online. I love to bake and thought of not being able to makes me want to cry...
Just wondering if anyone else has experienced mood swings when they first did the switch?
Any advice? Also whats the deal with evaporated cane sugar, some books say its good, some tell you to avoid it, whats the deal?
David
Best (and cheapest!) way to replace an egg in most recipes (ALL baking): Whisk 1 tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 tbsp water + 1 tbsp neutral tasting oil (vegetable, canola or safflower) + 1 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp potato or corn starch
Closest thing to milk (taste-wise) is unsweetened almond milk. Great by itself or in recipes. Best cheese substitute is probably Daiya shreds.
Evaporated cane sugar is better than regular refined white, but is still a refined sugar and will still cause your blood sugar to rise dramatically and then crash. More natural sugars such brown rice syrup, agave nectar or maple syrup are less refined and also create less of a spike (although maple syrup/agave are still pretty "intense" for blood sugar) Bottom line is it's all sugar. Whichever one you decide to use, use it sparingly.
And a big YES on the mood swings... Your diet affects everything in your body, and has a direct effect on your hormones... The diet change also creates a level of stress, so give yourself time. It took me at least a month before I felt like the foods I'd left behind didn't have any control over me anymore (physically and emotionally...), and I was satisfied with the alternatives. Give yourself time. Experiment with new recipes/ingredients and try and create a new comfort zone for yourself.
Hi David!
My withdrawal symptoms didn't really happen in the same way I guess. I was feeling very sick and decided to go vegetarian "temporarily" until I figured out what was wrong. Once I discovered my ailments (gluten intolerance and gall bladder disease) I had no desire to stop being veg...a cool side effect was that I really liked it and started feeling better!
What got me started was trying a vegan cleanse (Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston, you might have heard of it). I had never done anything like it and was curious. I treated myself to an awesome vegan cookbook in preparation and just launched in! That kind of got me away from worrying about dairy and eggs for awhile. (V cuisine is the book...I love it!) Next thing I knew, I had all kinds of meal ideas without cheese, dairy or eggs. She even has plenty of baked goods and desserts in the book.
As for sugar, I guess it really depends on your philosphy about sugar in general. Alicia just reposted a blog about sugar a couple of days ago but you can probably search it on this site.
I hate baking but love to eat it! haha
Good luck!
@Debs wooo....great sugar and egg subsitute advice. I typically don't bake and now do so even less as it just seems even more complicated now that I must eat gluten free.
Thanks you oth for the responses. Today has been better. The mood swings are still hard on me, everyopnce and while i hit one and i'm let standing there wondering, what was that?
I made a delicious pumpkin bread last night, i just made it up of the top of my head and used flax seed mixed with water as an egg replacement, it turned out great. I really enjoyed it.
@deb, is there a big difference between the egg formula you gave and the regular 1tbl of flax with 3tbl of water? Have you tried both? Just curious as i want to try and convert my moms oatmeal cookie recipe this weekend.
@colleen, do you hapen to have the author of that cookbook, i'd like to look it up.
David
Flax + water = binding agent ONLY (which is fine when making croquettes, patties, etc) whereas the formula I wrote makes it fluffy and rises like a whisked egg, which is why I usually use the latter when baking. Depends on what you're using the egg for.
If you like baking, see if you can find "Sweet Vegan" by Emily Mainquist. Everything I made from her cookbook was absolutely delicious (and no one would ever guess it's vegan!)
@deb, thanks for the great tip! I would never have known!
I'll look for a copy of the book. Thanks a bunch.
Hi David!
Sorry, I forgot to subscribe to the thread and missed your question!
Yes, the author is Angeline Linardis. I make the half and half bowl and the lentil soup regularly (I had girlfriends asking for the recipes :) as well as many others. My brother and his wife (who are not even vegetarian!) make her ravioli often.
@Deb - awesome, tips, thank-you! I might give it a try and I'm no baker.
Happy cooking!
You'll get over the dairy withdrawl very shortly. Everyone goes through it for about a week to two and a half weeks. Replacements help you beat the hump. Don't give in, your almost there. Scramble tofu, use vegennaise, vegan cheese.....
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