Going Vegan

[goldey]

Hi -- I have been planning to go vegan for a few months now to help save my kidneys -- but this was interrupted by multiple cardiac arrests in June, a diagnosis of AFib, and the insertion of a pacemaker and a defibrillator (ICD). I am pretty much ok with that now, so I started on the vegan plan this week. When I was in the hospital I spoke with a few different cardiologists about changing my diet instead of taking a statin drug, and they all gave me their blessing. Each said that he had patients who got a lot better by going on Dean Ornish's plan (How To Reverse Heart Disease), and the Michael Greger plan I chose, How Not To Die Of Heart Disease.

Have any of you guys gone vegan after being diagnosed, and how is it working for you?

[CDreamer]

Wouldn’t be my choice, although I eat a lot veg and probably 80-90% of my diet is plant based as my B12 & folate are often borderline and the best source is red meat and I like it, I wouldn’t consider it.

I tend to follow the Functional Medicine model -Dr Mark Hyman if you are in US or Dr Chaterjee - 4 Pillars of Health.

[10gingercats in reply to CDreamer]

I was a vegetarian for 20+ years and only stopped when my GP in UK became exasperated with my on/off anaemia .I now eat very little meat and a pretty healthy diet i.e. lots of nuts and lentils,buckwheat ,veg. and salad,cheese and so on......Very little bread or potatoes....veg. and salad and fruit every day.Vegetarian is good.I raised a child from weaning on it 'til age 12 but vegan would not be my choice. Husband tried it for about a year and it made him quite ill. If you go down this route research VERY carefully.

[10gingercats in reply to 10gingercats]

Sorry CDreamer. This is for Goldey!.

[CDreamer in reply to 10gingercats]

That’s ok - but your experience certainly mirrors mine when I went vegetarian - never vegan. I had to have iron injections after 5 years of no red meat and I certainly do NOT want to repeat that experience!