vegan superpowers

[Twizelby]

Okay, I don't know if it's placebo effect or what but going vegan has improved my health immensely. Changes I feel like I noticed, as I mention frequently I feel like my recovery time between workouts is fantastic, I feel like my mood has improved immensely, my blood pressure is finally normal, and the pooping...ohh the pooping it's like 3-4 times a day! What about you, I want a sample size (not of poop) but did you notice any health benefits?

[brimstoneSalad]

A higher ratio of dietary fiber can contribute immensely, for sure.

It depends on the person, and the change in diet, though. From the SAD to a healthy vegan diet, it wouldn't be surprising that the results are night and day. Somebody already eating mostly vegetables and only very few/occasional animal products probably wouldn't see much of a difference.

I'm glad you're doing so well on a vegan diet

[thebestofenergy]

This title is priceless
I'm happy you're doing so well, I feel more energized aswell.
I'm also eating more than before, and I have a more frequent appetite (which is good for me, considering I'm probably too skinny).

Edit: I forgot to say that I'd be interested to know what your diet is.

[tkks]

Be careful thought https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb7L-R74HBg

[Twizelby]

I think the usual fair, I just try not to restrict my calories because I don't eat a lot of processed vegan stuff and I usually cook for myself. Being at work and school means that I prepare big dinners that can last me a couple days and will keep in the fridge. In the morning I eat a ton of fruit. I make sure I get a big helping of different colored vegetables, then the rest of the day I basically just try to think about what nutrients I haven't had or listen to whatever craving I'm having sweets craving means more fruit, a greasy food craving means fats etc... I know that seems really vague and a little mystical but I think cravings evolutionarily tell us what our body needs. I have never fact checked that but it sounds plausible unless you have comfort eating issues..

[brimstoneSalad]

I know that seems really vague and a little mystical but I think cravings evolutionarily tell us what our body needs. I have never fact checked that but it sounds plausible unless you have comfort eating issues..

Cravings are a profoundly bad way of determining what your body needs, since that kind of reasoning justifies all kinds of bad eating habits (and bad ethics- it is, fundamentally, an appeal to nature fallacy applied to the first person).
Aside from dependency cravings (based on addiction to foods), cravings are mostly psychological, stemming from habit and boredom; the wandering mind fixates on something different from what is being eaten (or something that hasn't been eaten in a while).
There's no evidence that cravings in modern humans serve any nutritional need.

As long as you're eating healthfully and conscientiously, then sure, follow your cravings if you want (they'll help you eat more variety, anyway, and avoid boredom), but they're just psychological, like a song from your youth that you haven't heard for a long time randomly getting stuck in your head (you wouldn't assume that you have some essential biological need to listen to that particular tune, would you?).

[Twizelby]

well be that as it may, I still find it satisfies the craving. I simply replaced all the bad habitual foods with good ones. I had tried to go vegan for a year but once I started using this tactic I was finally able to kick the cheese and milk chocolate. I'm not saying I use it to determine every nutritional need but I just feel like it helps.

[brimstoneSalad]

well be that as it may, I still find it satisfies the craving.

Satisfying cravings does tend to satisfy cravings, yes. I wasn't disputing that

I'm just saying that there's not necessarily any correlation between cravings and nutritional needs. It's just psychological.

I simply replaced all the bad habitual foods with good ones. I had tried to go vegan for a year but once I started using this tactic I was finally able to kick the cheese and milk chocolate.

I did the same, by replacing fatty food with fatty, protein foods with similar tasting protein foods, etc. But the important thing to remember is that it's not that we had a nutritional need for that fatty salty thing in particular, or that we weren't getting enough of that, it's just a dependency (whether psychological or physiological), not unlike a smoker for smoking (who may be more successful if he or she starts chewing gum to replace one habit with another and occupy the mouth).

I'm not saying I use it to determine every nutritional need but I just feel like it helps.

But it's not nutritional needs you're dealing with; you're just dealing with cravings, which are another matter entirely (and not an insignificant one).
It definitely helps with cravings, and is a good way to deal with those- you're very right on that point.

It's just important to avoid confusing craving with need- omnivores in particular love to use this as justification to eat whatever they want (because they're "listening to their bodies" ), but there's no scientific or rational basis for it.
There's no need for us to unnecessarily implicitly endorse that mindset by certifying the basic premises as true when they aren't.