Ever since having my HA on March 16th of this year, I have decided to go Vegan. I was thinking about it beforehand actually (I had been trying to eat healthier) but now I’m adamant at being on a plant diet. I’ve tried a bunch of things and have largely been pleasantly surprised and how tasty some of it actually is.
What I’m trying to get my head around though is the whole bad “saturated fat” content of some of it (which I’ve been advised to avoid).
Even though it doesn’t feature any Cholesterol, some of that saturated fat is still quite high, even higher than its non vegan equivalent. Also can I still drink things like “whole fruit” juice and baked vegan foods like the snacks etc?
Any advice would be much appreciated. I want to be able to eat vegan healthy, but at the same time not unnecessarily limit my options and spoil my enjoyment of the food during my new healthier lifestyle.
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GABaracus
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Like you after my heart attack last July, I have gone plant based. I make a lot of batch cooked curries, targines. I also make my own burgers, hummus and falafels.
That said I really enjoy Aldi’s range of plant based burgers and sausages.
The best cook book I have is called BOSH. It has some good recipes.
I have found that I have more energy and do not miss meat.
Come up against a bit of resistance from friends and family, but I took my friends to a Vegan restaurant for my birthday and they loved it.
I had my HA 5 weeks ago and had a stent in RCA. I was already a vegan and have been so for 9 months. (Long term veggie prior) I just got dealt some bad genes from my parents ! My cholesterol on a plant based diet (The term Vegan usually refers to those who eat plant based for ethical, (for the animals) reasons) was 5, since my HA and I have been on statins, my total cholesterol is now 2.9, with LDL of 1.3. So for me, a combination of diet and statins keeps the cholesterol under control.
The key with going plant based for health reasons is to make sure you eat whole foods. There is plenty of Vegan junk foods. Stick to whole grains, legumes, fruits and plenty of nuts. There are a heaps of vegan cookbooks and gone are the days when vegan food was all lentils and salad. There are also some great milk alternatives as well, bon soy and minor figures oat milk are good in coffee or on cereals. Also avoid oils (including Olive oils, etc) they all contain relatively high levels of sat fat, which we don’t need with our heart conditions. You will then consume zero dietary cholesterol and low levels of sat fat. There are so many healthy whole food plant based options nowadays. Try and stay away from the processed foods and fake meat burgers that have high sat fat contents. Combine that with exercise and weight control and you will significantly reduce the risk of further heart problems. Good luck !
Congratulations on going Vegan. It will certainly help your health, but every Vegan reduces the torture of animals. There is a group on Facebook called Vegan Meal Ideas. (It has the full stop at the end). Good luck. You will save lives, including your own.
Good advice from Janma123 regarding B12, although I wouldn’t rush into supplements. I don’t take any B12 supplements but have it checked with my cholesterol when I have a blood test and it’s always been fine. The amounts of B12 required is low, and it does take a few years to deplete from your system (if at all) I do eat Nori (seaweed) and there is evidence that that it is aB12 source, but if unsure, just eat cereals fortified with B12.
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