I’m converting to a vegan diet.
Told by cardio rehab yesterday that based on my weight I should be aiming for 80g of protein a day which seems very difficult to achieve. I totalled up my intake yesterday and it amounted to 64g. Enough for me if I wasn’t in rehab. I only achieved that by adding a big dollop of peanut butter on to an ice cream desert, which didn’t make for a great taste. Do I really need 80g for cardio rehab?
How do I boost my daily intake? Protein shakes? Snack bars?
Hi willsie01 this is an excellent question so here's a link to the top 15 plants for protein:
medicalnewstoday.com/articl...
We have a vegan topic section on HE and there is VFL run by friends of ours. 😊
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One of the most thorough Protein explanations I’ve heard, willsie01, which might help you assess how much protein you‘d like to ingest.
[A long one (1+ hour 😳 ), but a good one. 👍👍 ]
Protein: Chemistry for Understanding Nutrition by Milton Mills, MD:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=05pe-...
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A muck quicker 3-minute explanation: What The Health - Protein segment:
m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbPjI...
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Hope this helps, willsie01 . ☺️ 🙏 🍀 🌺 🌞
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Thank you 😊
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(Very welcome, willsie01. 😌 🙏 )
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Supplementally, if you like the work of Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB google.com/search?as_q=Whol... ) scientist 👨🔬 T. Colin Campbell ( google.com/search?as_q=T.+C... ), his work/ views on protein may be of particular interest: nutritionstudies.org/?s=Pro...
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Aside: In connection to Levothyroxine/ low thyroid (aka hypothyroid/ Hashimoto’s …) post ( healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... ), you may want to consider: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... as a possible companion/ supplemental option as well? 🤔 [Some call it "alternative"; some call it "complimentary" or "supplemental" . . . Whatever we call it, yes, it does indeed work for some of us. 😯☺️
Some — over time — depending upon the extent/ depth/ length of our thyroid issues [& any other condition(s)], as well as irreversible(?) thyroid & other organ/ ‘system’ damage], have reduced our meds.
Some, have even weaned off meds entirely ( healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... ) — again, over time 🕰 📆 🗓 .
Others — caught early on enough — have "dodged the medication (Levothyroxine) bullet" 💊 🔫 altogether by substantially changing our dietary/ lifestyle habits. [Not easy/ ‘readily doable’ for everyone. And — per usual — ‘no guarantees’ that even substantial, focused efforts will achieve ‘miraculous’ ✨ results that everyone desires & deserves.] Nonetheless, any improvement is appreciable (& much appreciated) improvement — especially as time marches on & our bodies march forward (age) as well 👵 🧓 👴 . Abundant realistic hope. Actual/ measurable improvements have been/ are achieved by many people through focused, persistent, lifestyle/ dietary changes over time.
[Oh, & of course, we don’t go ‘popping off’ our meds willy nilly or doing anything foolish 🃏. . . 😳 . . . We work closely — hand in hand 🤝 — with our medics 👩⚕️👨⚕️ for continued careful monitoring/ guidance.]
Wishing you well, willsie01. ☺️ 🙏 🍀 🌺 🌞
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Oh, doh!! 🤦♀️ 🤦♂️
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn ( google.com/search?as_q=Dr.+... ) is a ‘cardio ♥️ guy’.
You’re cardio rehab folks may be well aware of him & his work. 👍👍
[Dr. Esselstyn, T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Michael Greger et. al. ( healthunlocked.com/nras/pos... ) are all colleagues of the WFPB community. If your interests is WFPB, those reputable ‘experts’ offer abundant free 🆓 , substantive information online. (They’re my ‘go to’ folks when seeking practical, reliable guidance or researching various food/ lifestyle topics.)]
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I have protein shakes and batch cook chicken breast with different coverings (cajun seasoning, sage garlic and olive oil, lemon and thyme etc) to snack on when peckish and this helps with protein intake. Best of luck
Hi willsie01 I think the amount of protein you require is best discussed with the rehab staff, I’m assuming you’re in cardiac rehab following a heart attack and the extra protein is to help repair or build new heart tissue (heart is a muscle and protein is required for muscle building). I’m a vegetarian not a vegan and don’t know enough about purely vegan proteins to advise on how to get 80g of “complete” protein. Just wondering if you’ve been advised to become vegan, or if this is an animal welfare/ethical choice for you. Either way sounds like a session with a registered dietician could be helpful as if you are recovering from a cardiac event this is not a good time to become deficient in any nutrients. Vegans can absolutely get everything they need from their diet but it takes knowledge and planning to ensure this. Good luck 😀
I agree it’s the rehab team’s guidance I’ll follow. I actually had a triple bypass and fortunately my condition hadn’t reached a stage where damage to my heart had occurred. I haven’t been advised to become vegan but chose to because of the benefits of doing so. None more so then reversing cardiac disease. I wasn’t the stereotypical cardiac disease patient. Not overweight. Non smoker. Very light drinker.
I am due a session with a dietician as part of the rehab but they may or may not have strong opinions about a vegan diet so I’m going to try and find a doctor/dietician who’s a plant food diet advocate.
Thanks for your reply.
Hopefully the dietician will support you, there are a growing number of Vegans nowadays and I would hope any qualified dietician would simply focus on making sure you meet your nutritional needs within your chosen diet. Glad you got the surgery in time, and good luck with your recovery! There are several Vegans on this site so you should see some good ideas for tasty healthy food. 😀
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