Damn, reading this is like reading my mind when I when vegan. I was so angry as well about being taught that meat and taking from animals was normal and alright. I felt like I had been brainwashed my entire life, and in truth, I had. I also used to be someone who made fun of vegans. How stupid I was being.


But the biggest thing that struck a chord with me is that I feel the same way about thinking of myself as a caring, compassionate, and empathetic person. I though I always tried to do the right thing. Somehow I just completely missed farmed animals.


I've been thinking lately, and we really are brainwashed into not caring about farm animals or even thinking of them as animals. We are taught that they are stupid, dirty, hard-headed, and common. We are taught that they are not worth saving or even caring about. We care about endangered animals but couldn't give two shits for pigs. It's depressing as fuck when you realize it.


I just want to say thank you for coming here and letting us know your thoughts and feelings. It's immensely important to me to read about other people learning and changing their behavior. It gives us all hope and it's another person standing up for the animals.


I appreciate you showing the posts that made you think. That's cool too.


Anyway, tips on becoming vegan- just know that it's actually a lot easier than you think it will be. And you don't have to be a health nut to be vegan either. There are tons of awesome vegan junk foods that will help you get through the change.


---

Some of my tips:

1. Spend as much time in vegan online communities as you can. You learn a lot about nutrition, how to handle questions from non-vegans, tips on cooking, humor, commiseration, and other very important things. I prefer this very reddit sub r/vegan, but some people join facebook groups as well. Check out facebook or meetup.com to find other vegans in your area. I dig the facebook group ‘what broke vegans eat’ for meal ideas on the cheap.
   
   
   
   
2. Use cronometer.com- it's a free website that lets you track your food and it shows you how much of each macro and micronutrient you're getting. It's based on your height and weight, it calculates your RDI (recommended dietary intake) from that, and most foods are pre-loaded with nutrition info, though you can enter new ones that aren't found- you just need the nutrition facts section from the box. It really helps to know what your RDI are, even if you don't feel like using cronometer, though I suggest using it for the first 4 weeks of being vegan- honestly, lots of new vegans simply don't eat enough calories. I still use it, have been off and on since being vegan, almost 12 months ago.
   
   
   
   
3. Along the same line, if you don't really want to use cronometer, at least look up your RDI here. It helps to know your targets for calories, protein, etc. It is also a helpful aid when non-vegans give you shit about protein, you can ask them, "How much protein do you need in a day, in grams?" They won't have a clue most of the time.
   
   
   
   
4. One last nutrition tip: You'll probably want to start taking a B12 vitamin. There are tons of vegan B12 vitamins on the market, in pills, sprays, etc. It's the one nutrient that doctors agree on is not available on a vegan plant-based diet (although it’s actually from bacteria, and lots of livestock are given B12 shots anyway). I started off with one I got at Whole Foods, by Garden of Life which is a mouth spray and I also bought a D3 one while I was there because I had read somewhere that it was a good idea. They last a long time, I still have them. But I recently decided that I didn’t need to prove that I needed very few supplements just because I was vegan (which is true), but I don’t always eat a perfectly balanced meal 3 times a day, so I grabbed a vegan multivitamin and take that now.
   
   
   
   
5. Recommended reading: The China Study by Dr. Colin Campbell, How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.
   
   
   
   
6. Recommended viewing: Dr. Michael Greger's Nutritionfacts.org videos, especially this one. This one is a long one, but extremely worth it and a good preview of what you’ll learn when you read his book, How Not to Die. But his nonprofit website has tons of amazing videos on youtube. There is a short version of the first one I linked but I can’t find it right now. Anyone want to help me out? Dr. Melanie Joy's video on the psychology of eating meat. This one in particular will make you feel a lot better about how you’ve been able to think you’re a good, compassionate person and still eat meat. Seriously, it’s 14 minutes, give it a watch! Good documentaries: Cowspiracy (on Netflix- environmental impact of eating meat), Veducated and Forks Over Knives (both on Netflix- health aspects of veganism), and most people suggest Earthlings for the ethical/moral aspects. I… would only recommend this when you’re craving meat. I also highly recommend this Gary Yourofsky vid though some vegans find his attitude distasteful and off-putting. Hell, I think it’s an excellent video.
   
   
   
   
7. You might want to look into joining the Veganuary campaign, it's going on right now and has access to lots of helpful info/resources, as well as daily emails of support if you want them. Another helpful website is ChooseVeg.com as they have tips, recipes, free guides, meal plans, etc.
   
   
   
   
8. You will possibly experience some extra gas during the first two weeks of eating more fiber and beans, but that’ll ameliorate itself soon as your gut flora change. Also, you will probably crave cheese more than anything else. Some good vegan cheeses: Daiya Cheezy Mac which I get at Kroger in the ‘health food’ section, Follow Your Heart Mozzarella shreds, and Chao slices by Field Roast (both of which I get at Whole Foods or the local co-op. Beware that ‘Go Veggie’ is apparently not really a vegan cheese.
   
   
   
   
9. Get yourself a pinterest account if you wish to find lots of awesome vegan recipes, but if you don’t feel like searching through a ton, I recommend the following websites: Minimalist Baker , Reddit r/VeganFood , r/VeganFoodPorn, r/ShittyVeganFoodPorn, It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken , Where You Get Your Protein , and The Edgy Veg .
   
   
   
   
10. Check out Happy Cow to find vegan restaurants in different cities. There’s also an app. And if you want to order, you can easily get vegan food at pizza places , taco bell , and other fast food restaurant chains.
    

Etsy has really pretty jewelry! A few of my favorites I've seen lately (or ones I've purchased as gifts for friends/family) fave 1, fave 2, fave 3

You said she has a ton of scarves, does she have something more like a cowl? They seem to be super popular lately, and sometimes scarves just don't give you the warmth you want like a cowl does. Here's a cool lookin' one.

Does she have cuddl duds? I have like three pairs and they are the most amazing thing ever. I live in the midwest and pretty sure these are the reason I still have all my limbs after 30+ mins of waiting at bus stops. My favorite is this kind, the 'flexfit' cuz it has a v-neck and has that loop for your thumbs - this would something she'd probably like to wear for running too maybe? They have matching legging/pants version as well.

Some other generic go-to's would be a perfume set from Sephora. The kind that comes with like 10 mini vials and then a voucher for a free full size of whichever you want from the set. Pretty sweet since you don't have to wonder what scent she'd like and even if she already has a fave perfume this gives her a chance to maybe find a new favorite.

This is kind of random, but have you heard of those fruit tablet things that change your taste buds? They sell them here and they're only like $14, I'm giving some as gifts in a gift basket with lemons/limes/grapefruit which from the reviews say they're the most fun to try.

Does she have any TOMS? That's always a great gift. Even in the winter they have different kinds that are more durable rather than the typical slip on TOMS.

A nicer necklace would be great too. My bf got me one from Swarovski for our one year and it was like...the best gift I've ever received. Some of their stuff is kitschy (hello kitty necklaces) but they really have some amazing pendants like this, this, and this.

Does she like reading? A nook could be cool! Or kindle fire, whatever they have out now.

These would be awesome! I've been wanting something like this forever. They were also featured on Shark Tank so that's kind of cool.

How uh...weird is she? This mug looks hilarious. But a more normal & cool looking one would be this!

Looking for mittens and she likes cats? Here ya go!

Wellllp that's all I can come up with right now, hopefully something helped!! :)

I don't have an eating disorder and I am not a doctor, so I don't know if this is the right way to handle things, so you should check with your doctor or psychiatrist before doing most of this. I have, among other things, an anxiety disorder, and Bipolar NOS, so I am basing my advice on what I have learned about self care from those, and on recommendations that my grandfather was given to help with his heartburn. Also, if this is sound advice for ED, I'm sure you know all this, but often when I'm going through a rough patch, I need someone to tell me to do my self care stuff.

If you haven't already, go through your kitchen and get rid of or lock up most of your high calorie/low nutrition food and everything that is really acidic. Go shopping for foods that are nutrient rich and lower acid. Also, get something like Ensure or Boost, it will help both with nutrition and lowering the acidity in your stomach. Eat mostly fruits and vegetables (you don't have to be vegan, you can still have meat, just eat it in moderation), and make sure you are eating enough insoluble fiber (whole grains, carrots, apples with the peels, leafy green vegetables, etc.). Stay hydrated and chew thoroughly. Eating like this will help get your food through your stomach faster. Taking a walk after eating helps too. ^1

If you haven't already, talk to your psychiatrist about taking vitamins (including a D3 supplement, the farther from the equator you are, the less you get naturally), calcium, and a probiotic. My psychiatrist recommend I take prenatal vitamins (I'm sorry, I know this could be hard for you right now). She told me they really should be the standard woman's vitamins, because most women need the extra folic acid, regardless of their plans for children. As for what kind of multivitamin to take, I recommend the Vitafusion Prenatal Gummy Vitamins. They don't have iron, so they are easier on your stomach and don't interfere with the absorption of calcium. I also like Vitafusion's Calcium. I have found that taking a calcium supplement helps with my heartburn. A probiotic (I don't know why but every time I try to type probiotic, it changes to phobic) should help the rest of your digestive tract cope better. I like gummy supplements because they are their own reward for taking them (I think they taste like regular gummies), and because they are chewed up, they should be absorbed faster.

Add something fun to your morning routine, something you will look forward to doing. I love to read, so I make sure to have time to read while I'm eating my breakfast (but I have to be sure to set a timer or get to work early enough to eat there, otherwise I get too distracted and end up running late which makes me stressed for the whole day).

Make yourself do something to treat yourself everyday. Get your nails done, get a massage, buy a new book or shoes or a movie, take a bath, go for a walk, something that normally makes you feel good or you have been wanting to try for awhile. Just doing something you normally find pleasurable, even if you don't really feel like doing it right now, can help you feel better.

And remember, even though we don't know you in the real world, we care about you. ❤ You are one of us, someone who understands how hard it is to live in a parent centric society, and we want you to be happy.

^1 Unless you have a medical condition that affects your diet, you should be fine making these changes without talking to your doctor first.

I was reading through some of the replies and wanted to address some things to give you a little piece of mind because I know how much things affected my mental wellbeing when I would freak out about doing something that potentially made my problems worse or when I thought my problem was worse than it actually was.

I believe (you would have to confirm for yourself, shoot them an email. I have emailed them before and they got back to me very quickly and were super friendly) that verb uses water soluble silicones, which means that while it isn't technically silicone free, it is broken down when you wash it off and it doesn't stay in your hair, so it doesn't have the negative effects of silicone on your hair.

I saw some advice about using some pretty strong products for dandruff & hair loss. I would strongly recommend you stay clear of those unless instructed to use them by a dermatologist that has inspected your scalp. Those products have harsh ingredients that can really aggravate the problem if unneeded or used improperly. I remember trying some strong anti-dandruff stuff that made my hair sooo much worse because I did not need it but I felt like I did. Gentle is always better unless a licensed health care professional has told you otherwise.

Stress/depression/anxiety and all those things can really affect your hair health. I take Ashwagandha because I feel like it helped me and if you read online many others have stated it also helped them with managing their stress and therefore their hair loss problem. I have been taking it for probably 1.5 years now and I recommend it to friends when asked. Although it shouldn't interact with any psychiatric medications, ask your doctor if it's ok for you to take it if you are taking something for your clinical depression.

I have a regular brush as well but honestly that thing has probably been used twice ever, I don't brush my hair. My hair doesn't tangle very frequently unless I go on a particularly sweaty run and then put my hair in a messy bun during my cool down. That comb is enough to untangle it though and I only use it right before I am about to shower that way I don't have to run my fingers through my hair in the shower. I like the bamboo more than the plastic ones but if you a cheap plastic one you like I am sure it's fine, just make sure it is wide. Finger combing in the shower can be really damaging. More often than not, you are basically ripping hair off in the process and then you think you are losing all this hair in the shower when in reality you are pulling it off. I definitely recommend you stop doing that.

Golly, I have been taking Biotin for years. Honestly I can't even remember how long but maybe 5 years ago, a dermatologist told me about it and I have been taking it ever since. I have not noticed my hair growing faster in other places but I do notice that my nails grow very fast (which annoys me because I don't like long nails).

The smell of the dpHUE ACV rinse does not bother me. I don't know if it is particularly strong because I do not have a good sense of smell but I don't think it should be overpowering. My boyfriend uses it now as well and I never heard him say anything about it. It only lasts while you have it on, you won't really get out of the shower smelling like apple cider vinegar. This is also not straight up apple cider vinegar, it also has argan oil, lavender, and aloe vera off the top of my head. Before you get it though, know that it is not like traditional shampoo. It won't lather up and you only apply it on your scalp, it might be weird at first but you'll get used to it. (side note: it used to be a shampoo/conditioner substitute but they have since repackaged and it no longer says that. I emailed them and asked about it to ensure the ingredients and formulation remained the same and they said it did. I have not noticed a difference in the product since getting a new bottle. I personally think they changed the name because they just released a conditioner to go with it).

For any serum to work you have to use it consistently, as instructed, for at least a month or two to see results. When do you wash your hair? It is supposed to be used preferably at night on dry scalp. I would suggest putting it on before bed every night and washing your hair in the mornings -- this way you can apply it on a dry scalp at night and can rinse it off in the morning. Also, this would allow you to go to bed with dry hair which is better than going to sleep with wet/damp hair. I think you might not be using the serum properly, you are only supposed to use a few drops where needed and massage it in. Try putting a single drop, massaging it in, and then putting another drop elsewhere and massaging in it, and so on. This would avoid applying too much and it looking greasy. I don't think you are supposed to soak your scalp in it if that makes sense. I didn't want to mention this earlier because I have only been using it for a week so I can't really speak to it, but I actually bought the grow gorgeous serum for my boyfriend because his hair has been thinning. I know he won't use it unless I show him how to do it properly so he can do it for himself, so I have been using it since this past Sunday so I can get the hang of it and show him. In the instructions it says to not use more than 20 drops (which sounds like so little!) but that's what I have been doing and I don't always get my whole scalp but I get enough of it. The important thing is so massage it in. Scalp massages in themselves are supposed to be very stimulating for hair growth. Since I have been using it my scalp feels calmed and soothed in the mornings and I haven't noticed any greasiness when I wake up. I am not going to continue using this serum since I was just testing the application process (I want to get the one from The Ordinary because it is supposedly better for scalp problems) but I wanted to describe how I was using it and applying a hair serum.

I don't know how Canada does their water treatment, but I know a bit about the process in general because of my civil engineering degree. Water softness/hardness is unrelated to how clean it is but rather the concentration of dissolved minerals and sodium. It can also change if you move literally a few minutes away because it all depends on which water treatment plant supplies to where you live. So if you have moved from where you originally checked it might be different! I actually feel dumb for not considering how the dissolved minerals in water affected my hair -- hard water is perfectly safe to consume and use, it is actually preferred over soft water for consumption because it has minerals such as calcium and magnesium, but soft water is better for cleaning. Anyways, if you do have soft water that might be part of why your hair feels greasy! Just do a little more research and you can figure out what you can do to help if you have soft water.

I really hope you feel better soon. Try your best not to get overwhelmed, and if it all feels like too much, change things a little at a time. Also, whatever new things you decide to try, make sure to give it time to work. When it comes to hair stuff it often takes a little while (a few months) to really see a noticeable difference, but shavings make a pile.

A nice ass joint roller and ash tray.

I don't know if you're only asking for weed related things, but this 15 dollar led strip has kinda changed my life lol. It's adhesive and super vibrant, turns your whole room and every thing in it different colors. Great decoration piece as well as party piece. Just peel and stick on the wall right below where it meets the ceiling.

If you're trying to blow a little more cash you can get a laser projector. I have a really nice one and it's one of my favorite things that I own. Super beautiful & trippy. You can spend between 20 and hundreds of bucks on one. I wouldn't advise going much cheaper than the one I linked, because getting a multi pattern one is pretty crucial.

Another amazing thing is Miracle Berry Tablets. It is legitimately called flavor tripping. Makes sour things taste sweet. Makes sweet things taste amazing. Beer is good too. The best things to try are fruits by far. Be sure to have some different berries and such, fruit juice, and definitely some lemons and limes.

Do you believe that the anabolic androgenic ratio rating (done in mice I know) could be a surrogate for non-AR mediated anabolism to AR mediated anabolism? You say that Test has equal effects through both mechanisms, which would be supported by this idea because it is 100:100.

Regarding androgen affinity of masteron you can see this full paper here.

You are correct that masteron has affinity for the androgen receptor, but interestingly it's androgenic rating is only 25-40, less than half that of testosterone. This could be suggestive that the majority of the effects are non-AR dependent. The hormone was originally intended for breast cancer patients, and I believe that it may mediate anabolic activity by acting as an antagonist at the estrogen receptor. By blocking receptor binding of estrogen, it may allow you to reap some of the anabolic effects (increased IGF-1, sodium retention) of estrogen without experiencing the femininization (sp?) properties.

Let me try to summarize the thoughts going around here, and see if I can suggest an option to address this.

1. High SHBG may be good for uncoupling anabolic effects from androgenic ones in AAS
   
2. AAS generally lower SHBG but have an overall anabolic effect
   
3. Estrogen production/aromatase activity results in SHBG production^1
   
4. Having androgen dominance in some tissues is good (tits, dick, brain [to a degree]) and bad in others (primarily hair).
   
5. Estrogenic dominance may be good for anabolism (probably good for mitigating hairloss) and one way may be through elevated SHBG
   
6. Estrogen mediated anabolism is likely most effective in insulin sensitive (low bodyfat) individuals
   
7. Insulin, GH, IGF-1, androgens, and prolactin negatively regulate SHBG production
   
8. So we see that the favorable anabolic products of estrogen reduce SHBG production. How then do we keep SHBG up, insulin sensitivity up, and favorable androgenic dominance in tissues where it matters.
   
   I am not sure I have the perfect answer, but here is how I plan to do it in my next cycle:
   
   
9. Keep DHT levels slightly above normal levels systemically via Testosterone E (600mg/wk) + finastride (1mg inhibits 64% of DHT at scalp) I expect this to give me about as much DHT as my cruise dose (Yes I know its high) of 210mg/wk at which I don't notice any major hairloss on. The reason I plan to use a high dose of testosterone is because I believe that in combination with finastride it uncouples the androgenic (DHT) from it's anabolic effects to a degree. Maybe if the mouse studies were done on mice receiving AI + Finastride + Testosterone the anabolic:androgenic ratio might be more like 100:35, giving it a relatively more favorable anabolic to androgenic ratio than boldenone. Also if you look at the binding profile of testosterone from the paper I linked, I believe that it may have antagonistic effects at the progestagenic receptor, and I believe I am sensitive to progestrone activity.
   
10. Keep Estrogen slightly elevated by using aromasin at sufficient doses to keep me slightly above range
    
11. Use an anti-androgen at the scalp (RU58841)
    
12. Use topical DHT cream at the nipple
    
13. Include masteron E (300mg/wk) for extra nipple protection
    
14. Include Bold Cyp (700mg/wk) because of it's relatively uncoupled anabolic to androgenic properties/ratio. Thought about using DHB instead, but in terms of it's grams/$ relative to bold cyp I am not sure the benefits of no 5-ar or aromatase activity would be worth it since boldenone already has very weak activity with aromatase and 5-ar. Additionally DHB and bold cyp share the same ratio, and despite bold cyp's reduced potency compared to DHB I could brew it at twice the concentration, so in the end I am pushing the same amount of oil.
    
15. Include metformin to attempt to maintain insulin sensitivity on a modest caloric surplus
    
16. Stick to /u/bznnnj 's recommended diet of 2:1 glucose to fructose ratio, high fiber, low fat (10-20%), appropriate protein (shooting for 1g/lb despite the common knowledge that only .85 is needed as I believe that improved nutrient partitioning and protein synthesis in enhanced users may necessitate increased protein, and even if that isn't the case the thermal effect of protein may improve my metabolism to keep the gains even leaner). This should hopefully keep that liver full and pumping insulin. Fat sources will be mainly animal derived (beef and eggs) with some almonds thrown in, veggies will be spinach and brocccoli (uncooked to maximize sulrophane content), fruits will be kiwis and oranges, carbs will be sweet potato (and basmati rice if this ends up being too much fiber [I currently tolerate around 50gs]). Thoughts behind this being that we want stable insulin and glucose and as such should stick to carb sources with low glycemic index/load and /u/bznnnj has already discussed the advantages of increased fructose. Animal fats are selected for fat soluble vitamins. Veggies, Fruits, and Starches are selected for good micronutrient ratios (high potassium low sodium) getting enough calcium iron and unsaturated fats etc.
    
17. I am staying away from anything that has affinity for the progesterone receptor as I am not sure how it plays into all the previously mentioned mechanisms, and I have had poor reactions to them in the past.
    
    I thought I would include supplement choices since I am writing a book here anyways:
    
    
18. nightime - melatonin , magnesium glycinate (2x docotors best), P5P (I have the MTHFR mutation so I take mainly active forms of B vitamins and usually above the RDA), Zinc, CoQ10, Garlic
    
19. Morning - 10K IU Vit D (I have a vitamin D receptor mutation so I again go above the RDA), Vit K, B-complex, 2 xFish Oil, uridine
    
20. In order to stabilize dopamine, because I believe I am susceptible to post-cycle depression due to increased dopamine sensitivity on cycle I: Don't partake in psychoactive substances on cycle (including coffee), and utilize the Mr. Happy Stack (crossovers from /r/nootropics will know this is Uridine + Fish oil + and Choline (get choline from my eggs)) and off cycle I use a mixture of microdosed and periodic full doses of LSD to improve my dopamine sensitivity (and to deepen spiritual connection), modafinil, and caffeine and L-theanine to help me with the androgenic comedown.
    
    I am on the fence about including HCG, because I was running it on a cruise for a while, but it was aggravating my pubertal gyno and when I went to get my bloodwork I found that I had above range prolactin and in range estrogen and test. I was only on AI + Test + 500IU HCG/wk administered E3D. I may include it just to improve lipid metabolism, and increase estrogenic tone, because boldenone seems to act similarly to masteron insofar as it has not well understood anti-androgen effects.
    
    Sorry for the manifesto.

haha i don't know if you would say it's 'open' as such, i'm certainly no spiritual guru by any means but what I would say is that going vegan made me more conscious of the world around me and helped me become more compassionate in aspects which i wasn't aware of previously!

We're all on a journey and at different stages, but what I can say is that veganism certainly won't bring you any negatives as long as you do it right.

If you're also interesting in healing your pineal gland you should also stop and completely avoid products with flouride in them; toothpaste and mouthwash (if you use mouthwash) are the primary culprits of flouride. If you're from the UK this toothpaste is great and I would recommend getting this one or any flouride free fennel toothpaste as it tastes the best (imo); http://www.naturalcollection.com/shop/fluoride-free-fennel-toothpaste-by-kingfisher/?PCode=DSGPESS15&gclid=CjwKEAjwwOvABRC08aedoZ_lnTMSJACs_cbu4oHygX2JziWoQffp5AviI1caU8_RekW3ieZeIHp_3xoCwwvw_wcB

ALSO TAKE A B12 SUPPLEMENT; this is my one of choice as it's easy to use and tastes pretty decent https://www.amazon.co.uk/Garden-Life-Organics-Methylcobalamin-Raspberry/dp/B00K5NEPJY

Some good ideas for things like smoothies to incorporate spirulina into your diet could go like;

2-3 bananas

Some almond or whatever nut milk you come to enjoy or water

1/2 tablespoon of spirulina or wheatgrass powder

1 tablespoon of hemp/flax/chia seeds

cup of frozen berries of your choice.

Some good breakfasts could be
2 cups or 40 grams of oats, almond or nut milk of choice with banana and/or brown sugar.

avocado and marmite on toast.

fruit platter; watermelon, bananas, apples etc

Lunch time
Sandwich with avocado, carrot, watercress, tomato, cucumber onions whatever you feel like chucking in there.

Dinners;

Curries; rice, sweet potato/normal potato, portabella mushrooms, broccoli, courgette and corn with vegan curry sauces (if you're from the UK sainsbury's have the best variety)

Noodles; soba, rice, udon or wholewheat noodles with mushrooms, kale, courgette, broccoli and corn, accompanied with a good sauce you can find.

There are so many recipes and options available I don't really know where to start to be honest haha, but just look around this subreddit, youtube and the internet there's so much info and interesting food recipes.

Regarding your question about helping the environment: http://thevegancalculator.com/ <-- Go here and put in "1 year" into the calculator. Just one year, you're saving almost half a million gallons of fresh water, 15 THOUSAND pounds of grain, 11 THOUSAND square feet of forest and 7 THOUSAND pounds of carbon dioxide (compared to a typical animal-including diet). The calculator is supported by sources. Just by changing a few minor things about your lifestyle, you can have an incredibly drastic impact on the world.

​

TL;DR regarding expense and difficulty - if you live in a very rural area in the USA, it can take some difficulty to find a good source of cheap bulk beans / lentils / vegetables / bulk (by weight) dried veggies. But they're sooooooo cheap; normally you can eat for $1-2 a day, plus B12 vitamin expenses ($5 a month).

​

Longer explanation regarding expensive/difficult: Expense is very low; I pay much less now for food than before going vegan. Difficulty may vary depending on where you live. I happen to live in Denver, and it's very easy for me to find pretty much any substitute/vegetable I want. If you cook your own meals, there's really nothing different about cooking vegan - just use vegetable oil/avocado oil instead of butter, and buy veggies instead of meat. That's about it. Just make sure you eat a lot of beans or lentils or tofu.

​

When I first became vegan, I was hit with the reality of vitamin/protein differences - I needed to purchase some vitamin supplements. Here's the list I have:

• Vitamin B12 (vegan source) - $5 a month - https://www.amazon.com/Deva-Vegan-Vitamin-Dissolve-Lozenges/dp/B001GAOHTS
  
• Protein Powder - $22 a month - https://www.amazon.com/Orgain-Organic-Protein-Chocolate-Packaging/dp/B00J074W94
  
  ​
  
  These two made a big difference in my life. About 3 months after going vegan I started having some troubles related to protein (I work out a lot and my body wasn't used to the lower intake). I try to hit about 90g of protein a day (I am a reasonably athletic 6' male). I think a lot of vegans downplay the issues involved with protein - it's the source of a TON of jokes in the vegan community - but the truth is a lot of vegans simply don't get enough protein. And then they fall back into eating meat because they didn't know better. Which is really pretty silly because it's incredibly easy to supplement if you can't get it in your diet.
  
  ​
  
  Other than what I've mentioned above, here's some things to consider (this list is HEAVILY biased towards a lazy, no-cook approach. If you have any cooking skill, just cook your own veggie meals, they're awesome, cheaper and fresher than anything listed below, but this is for the lazy days):
  
  
• If you like cheese, vegan cheese substitutes cost about the same as dairy cheese
  
• If you like milk, vegan milk (ANY type) is typically cheaper, better for you, and better for the environment than dairy milk
  
• Most oils, spices, salts, flavorings - are already vegan. There's no real change needed here. Butter costs more than vegetable oil anyway.
  
• Most BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, spicy sauce, etc - all vegan generally.
  
• Most chips and junk food is already vegan. Except for the "flavored" sour cream/cheese type chips.
  
• If you like easy food/frozen food, Target sells a whole boatload of vegan microwave stuff (Gardein and others). "Chicken" nuggets, Fried "fish" sticks, "Chicken" wings, etc. Even Ben & Jerry's has a bunch of dairy-free vegan ice cream.
  
• Speaking of dessert, vegan desserts are cheaper and easier to make (and safer!! you can lick the spoon - no eggs!). And they taste way better.
  
• If you like burgers/hot dogs, check out Beyond the Meat. It's now cheaper than beef and is freaking amazing. They even sell it at Target now.
  
• Most bread is already vegan (just check the label). Vegan bread is generally cheaper than non-vegan.
  
• Most cereal is already vegan (just check the label).
  
• Most restaurants in the US charge less for veggie-based items. Although it is VERY true that you'll have a much more restricted menu choice.
  
• Fries are generally vegan, except for a few places (McDonalds, Buffalo Wild Wings, Smash Burger are the only ones around here that don't have vegan fries)
  
  ​
  
  Finally, there are a few things I'd like to point out in MY PERSONAL OPINION that might turn you "off" of vegan foods if you try them off the bat (a lot of people buy terrible choices and then say "vegan alternatives are bad". No, they are just poor choices lol)
  
  
• Avoid buying Daiya products if you want a realistic cheese/dairy alternative. They are the lowest common denominator. They are readily available everywhere for cheap, but they don't taste very good. Try to find Miyoko's or Follow Your Heart instead.
  
• Some substitute items are coconut based, or cashew based, or oat based, or whatever-based. There is a reason that 50 alternatives exist. Some people like some, some people like others. You know how you go to the store, and there are 50 different BBQ sauces, and the ONE you like is sold out, and you're super bummed? Yeah, same thing for vegan items - brand differences, tastes, and preferences exist - just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's any different than other products. Too many people say "vegan food" when really that lump-category doesn't exist.
  
  ​
  
  The best advice I can give is to JUST TRY IT. Just go a few days making vegan food. You don't need to say "I'M GOING VEGAN", you don't need to have some public moment - you can just privately try it out. It's pretty fun!

I take it over the counter. Mine was 7 when my doctor checked it. I started taking 2,000 IU's everyday. Then when I got it rechecked 3 months later is was still really low, 27. My doctor said it should be AT LEAST 50. So I got the 5,000 IU pills that I found on amazon ( I take one everyday, except Wednesday I take 2) and after a couple weeks at that dose I felt soooo much better. I haven't gotten it rechecked yet (will get it checked in July when I go to the doctor again,) but I'm pretty confident it's in range now. I'd say go for the 5,000 IU pills once a day. These are the one's I use 240 days worth of pills for $12. And they work really well. Can't beat the price.

My mom has a prescription for hers. It was like 50,000 IU's once a week, but they were like $20 a pill. So she started taking the 5,000 IU ones everyday and said she felt a lot better that way, because getting it in everyday didn't give her mood swings like the once a week pill did.

Good luck getting your levels up. It can take a while but once you get them up, as long as you keep taking the pills everyday it will stay up and you will feel sooo much better. It's really amazing what a difference it makes.

I also take 1,000 mg of magnesium everyday because it helps with the vitamin D absorption (from what I've read) and I realized that when I started taking it the random muscle spasms that I had for YEARS all over my body stopped almost right away. My doctors never mentioned that it might be a magnesium deficiency they just gave me a muscle relaxer to take at night so the twitching wouldn't keep me awake, but even with that I still got twitches all over. A lot of people who are deficient in Vitamin D are also deficient in Magnesium, so you might want to get that checked as well. :)

Yes, much advice!

First, the initial 6mo-1 year is really hard, you're changing your lifestyle and not getting a lot of support for it. Feeling depressed happens, however just because it happens doesn't mean it shouldn't be looked into. Please be mindful to check you're getting enough to eat, plenty of water, and allow yourself some time to sleep, rest and recharge. Plus, a little bit of this it's a great way to get b12. Also, go out and make some vegan friends. If you don't have anyone where you live then get a pen pal! The lonely vegan is a reality and I'm here to support anyone going through it because I know how much it sucks.

Simply put, I've got your back!

Now onto food

If you want to be healthy you have to prepare your own food. Now a lot of great meals take less than 20 minutes, you just need to know what you're looking for. From what you posted it sounds like cheese was your flavor of choice, so lets break out the nooch Here are three recipes which get that flavor and are easy to put together.

Vegan Nacho Cheese I recommend also throwing in 1/4 to 1/2 of an Anaheim pepper.

Tofu popcorn chick'n

Recipe number three: try sprinkling nutritional yeast on a small portion of whatever your eating to see if you like it as an addition. Yeah ok this isn't a recipe, but you'll discover a lot of great uses that are too many for me to even pretend to name.

Umami is a flavor that really helps those who have cut out cheese. Things with that flavor profile include:

Soy Sauce, Tamari sauce, mushrooms, cumin, paprika, rosemary, thyme... in fact here's an entire article. Easy recipes that I find really capture this are:

Marinated mushrooms**** Very highly recommend this one

Veggie stir fry's: fry up any veggies you like to eat with some garlic, ginger and douse on the tamari (or soy sauce). Serve with rice of your choice.

Roasted veggies are always a classic albeit they can take a while to cook.

Really though start out simple. Figure out two days a week where you can try something new. Search for recipes that only take 20 minutes to make and use foods you know you like already. Only buy a couple of new things a week. Like pick up one new spice each week or every other week. From your comments your spice profile is probably something your mouth is really bored with, give it something new. Start with the recipes I recommended, and if you like them hit me up and I can share some of my other easy go to's.

Remember you're learning a new way to cook so keep an open mind and try new ways of enjoying your food. Going vegan took my already awesome cooking skills onto a level that fucking blows people's minds now. You only have up to go from here, you just gotta put in the time.

You can increase the amount of iron you get through diet in a number of ways, by eating iron and Vitamin C rich foods together, avoiding oxalate-rich foods (Dark leafy greens are very healthy and contain some iron, but they also contain oxalate which can lower iron absorption. However, cooking them lowers the oxalate content, so if you're using things like spinach, collard greens, kale, etc., have them at a separate meal or cook them well), cooking in cast iron, or using a lucky iron fish.

> Anyone out there with healthy nutrient filled recipes that a teen would love?

Some recipe ideas are in the links, but:

• Oatmeal (or muffins or granola made with oats) or iron-fortified breakfast cereal with orange juice, or melon fruit salad.
  
• Pineapple black bean salsa (or made with white beans or chickpeas). The sweetness of the fruit may make the boringness of the beans a little better.
  
• Dirty mashed potatoes (or other potato dishes with the skin included) with bell peppers or tomatoes.
  
• Dark chocolate has relatively high iron, and it's usually easy to get teens to eat
  
  > and her vitamin D is low
  
  Vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common (among vegans and non-vegans), especially since so many people spend so much time indoors nowadays. Luckily, there are Vitamin D fortified foods like plant milks, and vegan Vitamin D supplements (even Vitamin D3, the form which may be absorbed better). After taking a higher dose for a few weeks, she should get another blood test to see if it's been effective.
  
  Here's much more comprehensive information on vegan Vitamin D supplementation, if you're interested.

It's not really that meaningful, but something fun + cheap...

http://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets/dp/B001LXYA5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291079636&sr=8-1


They are available on Thinkgeek as well. I did this one year, you address the packet of tablets to "everyone", and then wrap a lemon and/or lime for each person. The tablets, when dissolved on your tongue, make sour things taste sweet, so you can have a mini taste party. It's pretty cool and yummy, it makes a fresh lemon taste like sweet lemonade. Again, not very meaningful, and people will go "huh?" when they open the lemon, but once they try it it can be fun and something cool to experience. Supposedly the tablets are also pretty good for anyone that might need to keep away from sugar, because they can make things taste sweet without adding any sweetener.

Do you mean your TSH was 80.56? Or T4 was 80.56?

TSH is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. It is released by the pituitary gland to tell the thyroid to release more thyroid hormones. If TSH is high, that is like your pituitary glad screaming at your unresponsive thyroid, so no surprise that your thyroid hormone levels were also low. That usually indicates that you need to increase your dose.

I have Hashi's and I take 146 ish mg of NatureThroid along with Hyperbiotics PRO-15 Advanced probiotics, B-complex with coenzymes, Iron, Magnesium, Omega 3-6-9, Selenium and D3-5000IU. I have tried to reduce the number of supplements I take but they all help. I sometimes take Zinc as well. I quit coffee and take caffeine pills instead and I am (not super strictly, but working on it) gluten and soy free.

The first time I took Nature Throid after switching from generic levothyroxine all of my symptoms were about 80% GONE. We increased my dose from 1/4 grain to the current 2+1/4 grain over the course of maybe 6 months.

What really fixed things for me was going gluten and soy free and adding magnesium and selenium. The selenium reduced my antibodies from nearly 500 to 100 in six months. That alone made a huge difference. And going gluten/soy free allowed me to lose 20 lbs in a month and then maintain it pretty easily just logging my calories.

Occasionally, due to poor planning, I eat regular bread or some pizza and I am sapped of energy and achy for a week afterwards. I'm working on getting into the habit of always having gluten free options on hand. But generally speaking, I feel better than I've felt my entire life.

I've never heard of having an immune response to desiccated thyroid. I've done very well on Nature Throid. You may want to get labs done every 6 weeks to check your levels and adjust your dose as needed.

B12 is not a huge concern. Your body creates reserves of it that can last longer than a year. So even if you aren't getting it daily you won't be deficient as long as you get it sometimes. Although some people have a rare disease where you need regular injections, but you would know if you had this problem, it's unrelated to diet. The best type of b12 is methyl b12: http://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Methyl-B12-1000mcg-Lozenges/dp/B002FJW3ZY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374156839&sr=8-2&keywords=methyl+b12 it's what is most widely available in nature. The most popular type though is artificially produced from bacteria ( Cyanocobalamin). This type converts just fine into a form your body can use though. Some like to claim that it isn't good enough, but that claim is not strongly supported by evidence. However methyl b12 is definitely more bioavailable so I use it to supplement maybe twice a week plus I eat fortified tofu, tempeh and soy milk and nutritional yeast. Many other things are fortified with it as well these days, so it may never be a concern. Although be careful with just using nutritional yeast, the b vitamins break down if it is stored too long or cooked too long at a high temperature. Also be careful if you tend to avoid processed foods completely, you may need to supplement. Is extremely safe to supplement b12 even in high doses so don't fear. Some labels will say 1000x RDA and that's totally fine for b12 (not for all vitamins though), you just pass the excess. Also, don't get too caught up in the idea of things being "natural". Natural, whatever that means in the days of cars planes high tech farms computers and biotech, does not necessarily mean safe or healthy. We've come a long way as a species to save ourselves from the great harms of nature. To begin with, a vegetarian diet is not that natural, it's just ethical and efficient and in many ways healthy (although you should not be vegetarian if your only motive is optimal health). Agriculture at the level required to support an all veg diet is a relatively recent occurrence in human evolution. Other things to be aware of: vegetarians often have trouble getting iron, zinc, vit d, omega 3s, and calcium. So try to incorporate more foods with these into your diet if you don't choose to supplement.

I'm not saying you're going to have the same results, but here's my story.

I recently saw my nutritionist after 61 days of keto. I brought my bloodwork which had been taken the day before. Everything except my LDL cholesterol was fantastic. I mean perfect. Great kidney function, great liver function. Really good HDL. My LDL was 163, but I've always had elevated cholesterol (even when I was a vegetarian).

Now - I work out 45 - 60 mins a day, 4 days a week so part of this might be from just plain good livin', but I've lost a solid ten pounds during my time with keto. I had stalled out (I've lost about 60 lbs in the past 2 years), and keto was the ticket to get things going again. I'm getting close to my goal weight, so 10 lbs of weight loss in 2 months is a really big deal for me.

I've had exactly one day where I ate more than about 50 grams of carbs. Every other day of the past 60-ish has been pure keto. I have not suffered from the dreaded hangover. Some pointers:

• ElectroMix is your best friend. Drink that with 25 oz of water when you get up in the morning, every single morning.
  
  
• Shoot for 125 oz of water per day. Minimum. MIN. I. MUM.
  
  
• Take a b-complex vitamin and a few potassium pills in addition to the ElectroMix in the morning.
  
  
• At night, right before bed, take a calcium/magnesium pill. Don't take the magnesium in the morning or with food or it'll clean you out. This is the dreaded "keto fart effect".
  
  
• An avocado a day keeps the cravings away. Eat one after lunch / before dinner. Perfect snack. A lil' salt and pepper and you're good to go.
  
  
• Add cheese to everything. Making eggs? Add cheese. HEY - tuna salad? Throw some cheese on that bitch. Eating your avocado? Add that cheese, son! Cheese is your god now.
  
  
• If you're in the good ole U-S-of-A, remember that you're usually looking at total carb counts on labels, not net carbs. Keto is concerned with net carbs.
  
  
• Need a boost? Try Spark Energy from Advocare. It has some carbs, but not the sugar and other stuff that's really bad for you. I cut a few carbs from my day to make room for this when I have a really hard workout. Yes it's a bit pricey.
  
  
• Miss your macros for a day? Don't sweat it. Try and stay close, but don't freak out if you're missing your macro by a gram or ten.
  
  
• A month or two of keto won't kill you no matter what your nutritionist/mother/priest/parole officer might tell you. Just get started and you'll see the difference pretty quickly.
  
  Anyway - just my story. YMMV.
  
  Good luck!

Not exactly related, but some tips I've found helpful:

Feeling Dehydrated? These do the trick! I drink at least one packet a day and it works wonders.

Constipated? Spoonfuls of flaxseed or chia seeds help (they're low calorie and have only fiber & good fats). Psyllium Husk Powder is also pretty effective. Having trouble washing it down? I mix 2tbsp of powder with 3-4tbsps of heavy cream, dash of cinnamon, maybe some splenda and its like eating oatmeal.

Don't notice any progress? Keep calm and keto on. Have faith, log your food in MFP, and take progress pics. You look at yourself in the mirror everyday. Sometimes, its hard to see the progress. Sometimes, it doesn't show on the scale. But, damnit, this diet works. Stay under 20g of carbs and run a daily calorie deficit and youre bound to lose some weight.

Lastly, enjoy the improved energy and focus after your body adapts. It' wonderful and probably my favorite part of keto. If you feel off, you're probably just dehydrated.

Best of luck!

Honestly, once you start reading you'll see that that most sources nearly already recommend a vegan diet whether they realize it or not. There's a high emphasis on whole foods and getting plenty of fiber.

Since you are new to veganism, I would recommend this book: The Everything Vegan Pregnancy. I only skimmed it because I've been vegan for a few years and a lot of the information was redundant to me, but it should be helpful if you're currently transitioning.

Make sure to get you B-12, iron, folate, and vegan omega DHA-EPA. For prenatals I alternated between Vitamin Code and Dr. Furhman. There are quite a few vegan omegas. I didn't take folic acid, but I made sure to track that I was getting my folate naturally through cron-o-meter. Make sure to keep track of your food iron intake. My levels were great pre-pregnancy, but I became mildly anemic by my third trimester (this is common for all pregnant women, not just vegan ones). When you're eating iron-rich food make sure it's with vitamin c and avoid caffeine for at least an hour for best absorption. In hindsight I would have kept better track of this.

Diet wise, just try to eat a lot of whole foods. I generally started my day with some super easy oatmeal or a smoothie. I ate tons of dark leafy greens, beans, veggies, and fresh fruit. They recommend that pregnant women get at least 60-70 grams of protein, so consider purchasing some vegan yogurt and drink plant milks if you find you're not hitting your requirements from other food alone. I'll usually have some silk soy yogurts on hand when I haven't been paying too much attention to my intake.

Hey, that's awesome!

First and foremost, educate yourself about nutrition. Seriously, nobody wants to further affirm the stereotype of the malnourished vegan, especially as an athlete or with somewhat athletic ambitions.

For nutritional information I would recommend the following resources:

Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet: A book with a lot of nutritional information.

Veganhealth: Website that has all the information about nutrients that need attention in a vegan diet and more. (Especially read up about B12 and take a supplement! I take the one I linked, because it's super cheap and vegan.)

Learn about complete proteins.

 

There are websites aimed at vegan athletes like these:

Tips from a Vegan Athlete plus meal recommendations

Meal Plan, information and a real life vegan bodybuilder

Some possible problems and their solution


 

Other stuff:
List of vegan athletes: Great as an inspiration and for that moment when people will try to tell you that it's impossible to build muscle on a vegan diet.

I love tofu, which has a lot of (complete) protein and I especially like this recipe.

Eat tofu, seitan and for the cheapest option rice with beans, lentils, chickpeas etc. Also plant milks, bananas, spinach, oatmeal, nut butters...


 

As a new vegan, you might find some of the things useful I posted yesterday. Skip the text at the beginning and especially take a look at the things about nutrition. I like to recommend the accidentally vegan foods as well.

Good luck! If you have any questions feel free to ask :)

I take 150mg in the morning and 50mg at night along with 100mg of Zonisamide; I was originally on only 300mg of Z, but after a year of bad side effects with that I decided to give Lamictal a try.

I started off at 25mg in the morning, then 25mg morning and evening, then 50 morning/25 evening and so on until I was at 100/100. I realized (through some helpful comments here!) that the nighttime doses were probably the source of my tiredness; I asked my neuro if it'd be okay to move to 150mg morning/50mg night, and he said okay. (This was on top of 300mg Z; I titrated that down afterwards).

The side effects I noticed (in order) were:

• Increased logical skills (Z kinda dumbed me down; L would actually help me out some) Immediately
  
  
• Dry eyes, skin, general dehydration After reaching 100mg
  
  
• Difficulty sleeping (happens when you take an upper before bed) After reaching ~150mg daily
  
  
• Some minor side-vision hallucinations - just stuff like thinking you saw something in the corner of your eye, then turning and realizing it was just a figment. Honestly, I still have this sometimes, but it's easy to deal with (imo). ~2 weeks after reaching 200mg daily
  
  I've been on 200mg Lamictal since about mid-July. The sleep issues are getting better, the dry skin is still sort-of an issue, but I get this stuff on a subscription, 3 every 2 months, which is basically like drinking gatorade every day but much cheaper.
  
  I know the part about hallucinations sounds a little crazy, but not everyone gets them and when they do occur, they're extremely minor and I hear they do go away after a few months. Mine have seemed to be fading.
  
  Overall though, I'm under great control, and very happy - compared to other meds' side effects, lamictal is great.

>it's like people are playing some kind of game, and they just want you to join their side

I completely understand this, and it makes it difficult to figure out what's true. I do think that vegans sometimes stretch the truth in order to try to win converts, but I look at that as a misguided act of compassion, because the new vegans are going to learn eventually and then they may very well give up.

Personally, I believe that we can absolutely be healthy on a plant-based diet as long as we supplement B12, D3, and omega-3 fatty acids.The first two are incredibly cheap: This supplement costs $20 for a three-month supply of B12, on top of giving a host of other useful nutrients in case you're missing anything, and for $12 you can buy eight months' worth of D3.

As for omega-3 fatty acids, they are unfortunately on the more expensive side. A lot of vegans say that we can get sufficient EPA and DHA by eating ALA, such as from flaxseed and chia, and converting it ourselves. While there was a promising study saying that vegans convert ALA to EPA and DHA more efficiently that omnis, flax and chia on their own are probably not sufficient.

At the recommended dosages, supplementing omega-3 FAs will cost you about $15 a month. I usually buy Ovega-3, although I recently tried Tesla and liked it as well. We probably need more than 500g a day, since we're meant to consume a somewhat even ratio of omega-3 and omega-6, which would push the cost up to $30 a month or higher. I take three grams a day for mental health, although I doubt that most people would need that much.

As far as needing eggs and dairy to be healthy, I suspect that that's the work of animal industries spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Dairies have taken a huge hit lately as people switch to plant-based milk (now with 100% less pus!), and I think they'd gladly lie to the public in order to tourniquet their losses. For instance, we were all told that we need milk in order to have strong bones, right? But that's absolutely not true. First-world countries have higher rates of osteoporosis. And while I'm not sure how credible this is, the great Yourofsky believed that it was because animal protein is acidic, and to counteract that acidity our bodies draw calcium from our bones.

I'm going to wrap this up before I ramble any more, but in short, take B12 D12 and omega-3s and you will be all set!

*While it wasn't dairy, /r/vegan recently had a laughably transparent article about someone who was arguing not only that it was okay to wear fur, but that it was actually a moral imperative* to do so. It was such a moving piece that I immediately drove to a mink farm and snapped those little fuckers' necks myself, because god damn it, I'm a patriot

Oh my god, this stuff is amazing. You can actually buy these in pill form (totally legal) online, if you don't want to cultivate them yourself/can't find them locally.


Me and my friends went flavour-tripping one day. We took one miracle berry fruit pill each, then ate and drank everything from lemon, white vinegar, oranges, limes, sour skittles, beer and any other bitter/sour food we could get our hands on. Doesn't last long, but it was great fun. The lemon, lime and orange were super sweet, the white vinegar tasted like apple juice and the beer was unreal.


http://www.amazon.com/Sen-Yuh-Farm-Science-Co/dp/B001JH93BU
Amazon has them on sale, if you're ever keen to try it.

Congrats on the incoming munchkin!

Now, I don't have any first hand experience myself, but I've researched this issue for family members before.

The prenatal vitamin you'll probably want is this: http://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Light-Prenatal-Multivitamin-150-Count/dp/B00115BJ30

It's food-based so it should sit well with your tummy, and it's totally vegan. Best to take it during meals. Personally I'd recommend splitting each tablet in half, take one of the halves(The larger one if you cut unevenly) at breakfast, and the other half at dinnertime. Otherwise probably just in the morning.

You definitely want to avoid Fish Oil, the mercury content does more damage than the Omega 3's can do good. I recommend this instead: http://www.amazon.com/Ovega-3-Vegetarian-Softgels-500-Count/dp/B004LL7AXE/

Direct source of DHA sourced from golden algae(Which is where a lot of fish get it from in the first place!), grown in algae factories so there should be no fear of mercury contamination. Since you're pregnant I'd probably say take one at breakfast time, and another at dinner time, as their content isn't quite as high as Fish Oil pills.

Finally, definitely want to make sure you're getting enough B12, so I wouldn't rely on the multivitamin for that. I'd say get this: http://www.amazon.com/Aerobic-Life-AdvantageTM-Methylcobalamin-500mcg/dp/B0014JOBXS

Take a spray once per day in the morning with breakfast(You can even spray it into your drink/food). Little bit overkill, but with B12 that's not a problem, and since you're nomming for two, it can only help!

Good luck parenting! :D

Fellow vegan here (yay!), I have a lot of sympathy for you in this situation because my OCD gave me obsessive thoughts that I was going to harm animals too. I think it's a theme in OCD that's going to become commoner as more and more of us try out being veggie, though right now it's not very much recognized.

This is most likely just a regular episode of Harm OCD. If you're having feelings of anger and frustration, that's not unusual, OCD can be seriously frustrating.

If CBT and meds haven't worked for you so far, please don't give up. There are a LOT more options than just the basic antidepressants and one-size-fits-all CBT. Most of the research shows that when someone's CBT doesn't work the first time, it's more likely to be because the CBT was done wrongly by the therapist, because it wasn't done for long enough (average recovery time for severe OCD isn't 12 weeks, remember, it's actually 6 -18 months, because the brain heals more slowly), or because the patient had difficult stuff going on in their life that made it harder. It doesn't mean CBT and exposure therapy will never work for you. It technically works for pretty much everyone, the only difficulty is that it's emotionally hard to do. My first try at CBT was completely useless too, but it's working amazingly now that I've discovered I had an underlying health condition and I work with an OCD specialist. So please try seeking help again, preferably with somewhere that specializes in OCD ( this NY centre can see you by Skype and they're amazing, if you can break into your savings and afford it, http://www.cognitivebehavioralcenter.com/ ).

Also, there are a lot more meds you can try than just the standard SSRIs. I keep a folder of the newest scientific research on this, and there are new categories of drugs being tried for OCD that seem to be working better than the old ones that affect serotonin. There are also accounts of OCD sufferers who've had success re-trying the basic SSRIs but adding in another drug (like an antipsychotic or an NMDA-agonist) on top. I completely understand your wanting to avoid the meds if you feel they're dong nothing, but I guess I'm just saying: 'not all meds are the same'. There are old-fashioned meds that don't work that well, and there are newer ones that are sowing promise if you're willing to experiment with a psychiatrist.

One thing I would point out is that sometimes us vegan folks have to take extra care over certain brain nutrients, because if we get low in them, they can make our OCD worse, and they're sometimes found in plants that we tend not to eat much of (like, am I going to eat twenty brazil nuts a day to get extra selenium? No, I am not!). There's some evidence showing that the meds for OCD can work better if you take them with supplements: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20160426/Nutritional-supplements-can-enhance-effectiveness-of-antidepressants.asp

Do check that you're getting enough B12, zinc, magnesium and omega-3s. My OCD improved a lot when I made sure I was getting these! They're available without prescription and can easily be got off amazon or ebay. Message me or ask for help around here (or the nootropics reddits) if you want to try them but you're unsure about which type to get(the omega-3s are best got from capsules derived from algae, for a vegan source).

One thing you can also try an alternative to standard meds is inositol ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jarrow-Inositol-Powder-227g-Vegan/dp/B0013OUKPC/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1485942385&sr=8-2&keywords=inositol ), which works similarly to an antidepressant but generally without the side-effects. It's similar to a b-vitamin, and generally a mild and harmless substance. You can take 1 or 2 teaspoons stirred into a hot drink each morning, and many people with OCD find it helps. I

Are you ready for my dream/comfort meal? If not, stop reading, once you start I'm not sure you can unsee the tastiness.

Appetizer: cold beer. Meal: Rice, beans, steak, collared greens and other green veggies, fresh salad, some crispy toppings like cucumbers/onions/tomatoes. Mango/fruit mousse for dessert (surprisingly easy to make a cheat version by doing equal parts prepared jello liquid and ice cream and freezing it into a yummy mousse). And a super strong espresso or more beer for after dinner..

Welcome to South America! :)

Edit these! Speaking of food, Miracle Berries are supposed to be hilariously amazing. Eating a lemon and having it taste like lemonade? Yes please.

I personally have done "lazy keto" so I have to research a few things to answer you and my computer is locking up right now, trying. I will just answer off the top of my head for now, but if you have more questions, please ask and I'll answer you from other comp.

Specific Sugar Question?: Google: "Keto Friendly Sweeteners"

Fruit: There is a list of OK keto fruits. "Keto Friendly Fruits" I know Berries are okay... Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb.

Dairy: Is okay if there is no sugar in it! Keto is almost based on cheese, it feels like, sometimes. However, read the label on your milk. Notice how many grams of sugar is in it. I never realized, myself, it's nuts! I eat all dairy, but switched to Vanilla, Unsweetened Almond milk.

Carbs: It is most common for people to limit their carbs to under 20g/day. So, you can have some. To get more technical, you only need to watch your "net carbs'=g of carbs - g of fiber.

What can we eat?: Everything as long as it does not have sugar, and stay under 20g carbs. Fat is encouraged! Salt is encouraged! Protein is helpful. Up your potassium & magnesium rich foods: spinach! and take your electrolyte drink.

Visit r/keto and/or r/KetoBabies and or r/ketorecipes for more info!

r/keto FAQ

I dont know if you take any vitamins or supplements, but these b-12's are awesome! They help greatly with energy and stress relief. They're very inexpensive, sublingual so they just dissolve in your mouth for faster results, they are the superior form of b12-the methyl form so they don't have to be broken down by your body.

Also, a good quality vitamin c taken daily would also help keep the energy up and stress at bay. I would suggest a liquid form, because a lot of people don't realize that when we take vitamins in pill form, we barely absorb any of it. Vitamin C crystals or powder can be added to any drink and it gets right into the bloodstream for quick absorption.

Your caffeine intake will probably go down quite a bit by adding these two natural alternatives. Plus, you'll be nourishing your immune, nervous, and endocrine system rather than depleting it.

Hope this helps!

It might sound crazy... but have you exfoliated your scalp? I mean, it doesn't have to be super expensive or anything. Just get some plain ol' sugar, mix with a little olive oil to make a paste (it won't make your scalp greasy, I swear!), and scrub away! Then rinse, and shampoo like usual. I do this about once a month just to get rid of any skin buildup. Cheap & easy!

You might also try to use hair products that don't have sulfites or parabens in them, by the way... those things are nasty to begin with, and people frequently develop allergies/intolerances to both. So like, avoid anything with sodium laurel sulfate or ammonium laureth sulfate, stuff like that. I've had to do this because I deal with eczema, but it's supposedly better for your hair & stuff. I just don't want my head to break out haha!

That said... have you switched prenatals? If you can order from Amazon, these are the best pills around: http://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Light-Prenatal-Multivitamin-tablets/dp/B00115BJ30

They are crazy expensive, but they don't have any of the typical allergens that most pills have, like lactose or wheat byproducts or any of that other crap. I have a massively sensitive stomach and those are pretty much the only pills that don't wreak havoc in one way or another.

Welcome! The peace of mind and heart that goes along with it is a wonderful feeling. Let us know if we can help you in any way!

Our favorites from TJs:

Nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds (I buy all 3 - raw, roasted and unsalted, roasted and salted), marinated vegetables, grilled artichokes in oil, hearts of palm, firm tofu (we buy 8 at a time!), sourdough bread, pumpernickel bread, peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower oil, arugula (if whole foods doesn't have it, I get most of my produce from aldi and whole foods), cashew yogurt, animal crackers, fried rice, japanese fried rice, black bean & corn enchiladas, multigrain crackers, rice crackers (I try to stay away from buying too many junky carbs but sometimes the kids come with lol and sometimes we'll get the soy ice cream), popcorn kernels, umami mushroom seasoning...there are quite a few other vegan things.

My friend loves the soy creamer (I just use unsweetened almond milk in my coffee).

Consider taking a b12 Methylcobalamin sublingual. You don't need a huge amount a day unless you're very low. https://www.amazon.com/Deva-Vegan-Vitamin-Dissolve-Lozenges/dp/B001GAOHTS/ref=sr_1_20?keywords=vegan+b12&qid=1569115000&s=hpc&sr=1-20

If you haven't watched any Earthling Ed https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVRrGAcUc7cblUzOhI1KfFg, he is our favorite right now to watch. Also Humane Hancock https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf_M41aNZ0tDeyP-32aPEIw

Feel free to message me anytime :D

This is the one that I'm taking right now: https://www.amazon.com/Metagenics-Mag-Glycinate-240-Count/dp/B004GLGXVO/ref=sr_1_14_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1482431873&sr=1-14&keywords=magnesium+glycinate

It's expensive, but it's extremely high quality. Be warned though, the pills are only 100 mg each which means that you'll need 4 of them a day. At least it's nice for splitting up doses.

The one I used to take is this one: https://www.amazon.com/Viva-Labs-Magnesium-Bisglycinate-Chelate/dp/B00HQP51ZG/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1482431977&sr=1-1&keywords=magnesium+glycinate+viva+labs

Much easier to get down, and much cheaper. I don't know too much about the purity, but I trust the Viva Labs brand enough.

As far as vitamin D goes, garden of life makes some of the best supplements out there. They use plant based sources for everything, so it's all incredibly absorbable (i.e. all of the natural enzymes that your body could use to process the vitamin are included in the pill). They're more expensive, but like the metagenics ones, incredibly high quality. https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Raw-Supplement-Vegetarian/dp/B005JAT318/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1482432076&sr=1-4&keywords=vitamin%2BD%2Bgarden%2Bof%2Blife&th=1

If money is a concern, however, either now foods or viva labs make a much cheaper D3 that should work fine.

https://www.amazon.com/Viva-Naturals-Enhanced-Absorption-Softgels/dp/B00FQKI3W6/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1482432275&sr=1-1&keywords=vitamin+d+viva+labs

https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Vitamin-5000-Softgels/dp/B0032BH76O/ref=sr_1_6_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1482432235&sr=1-6&keywords=vitamin%2Bd&th=1

1 - realize that this diet means serious business when we say drop the fucking carbs. Make it a rule to stay under 20 a day, and then you can gradually work your way up after being in ketosis for awhile. This is where ketostix do come in handy, if say you cheat one day and have 30g of carbs, but aren't sure if it knocked you out or not (otherwise you don't "need" them - if you're eliminating carbs you're in ketosis)

2 - eat fats to satiety, no magic number

3 - proteins are the next "goldilocks" number - too much and it'll turn into carbs, too little and you won't maintain muscle (if you're trying to tone up at all). The keto calculators should definitively answer the specifics here for your body weight.

4 - I highly recommend some form of electrolyte/vitamin supplementation. This should be a mandatory sticky - if you are avoiding most of the bad fruits (because they're bags of sugar and carbs for the most part) and eating real/good/clean food, you'll be getting way less salt than the average processed food consuming American. I recommend these - http://www.amazon.com/Emergen-C-Electro-Mix-Lemon-Lime-30-count/dp/B002HWRY5S this is way more economical as opposed to Powerade Zero. If you feel like crap and are getting cramps, you need to replenish them electrolytes (especially if exercising). Another good way to up the salt intake I've read a lot of folks here do is simply to drink a few tablespoons of beef broth a day (plus other good minerals in there).

5 - my personal rule I'll share to help, as it helped me the most - No cheat meals by myself, period. Resist the temptation to pull over and get fast food now because you're "soooo hungry". This frees me up to have the occasional dinner out / dinner date and not be guilty about it. Life happens, you will want to enjoy yourself, and you should, if you've been strict and honest with yourself about no cheat meals on your own.

6 - I hope you like avocado, bacon, and spinach. Those are my 3 staples I eat pretty much every day, despite them getting very boring, I really love eating them all together still. Avocado is very important because of the fat content + fiber, and so is spinach/broccoli. Keto is cutting out bread entirely, so you have to get your fiber from healthy vegetables, or you'll notice you'll be in constipationland, population you, very quick.

Keep calm and keto on.

Hey, you may already know this, and if so, sorry, but maybe it'll help someone else.

Vitamin D is super important to preventing and minimizing SAD, and it takes your body a really long time to build and use up VitD, so start getting as much in you now as you can. Lots of time in the sun for all the sunny days we have remaining is the best way to do this. Depending on how your body processes VitD, that might be able to get you to early November, maybe even late November.

After that VitD supplements are the way to go. You should start those around Daylight Savings Time. They can be gotten pretty cheap, and if you're only taking them leading up to and during the SAD season, you run less of a risk of VitD toxicity. (Consult your doctor, obviously, before taking any supplement, much less more than the recommended daily allowance.)

All that said, it's a great idea to have a therapist on hand as well. Best of luck in locating one. I wish I had more info for you there.

Source: My wife has SAD, her VitD levels are around 10 nanograms per mililiter in summer months without taking supplements (normal people have 20 nanograms per mililiter or higher), so she takes about 10,000 IUs a day during SAD months (normal people maybe take 600 IU a day).

EDIT: Just thought of https://www.chasebrexton.org/ They might be worth a call.

EDIT EDIT: You also might be able to access free/cheap counseling services if you're in college.

1. About .4 to .9g of protein per pound of lean body mass per day (Lean body mass = total body weight minus fat weight + (fat weight x .25)). So if you were 250lbs with 35% body fat, that would be 87 pounds of fat, so lean body mass would be 250 - 87 + (87x.25) or 184 pounds. So your protein intake would be between 74g (absolute minimum per day) and 165g, higher protein requirements are needed the more active you are especially if you do high-intensity or weight training exercise. If you need help figuring this out, then reply back with your height, weight, and BMI if you know it and i'll do it for you.
   
   As for carbs you should be aiming for 20-30g of netcarbs per day (a netcarb = Total carbs minus fiber carbs). So if you were eating 15g of fiber per day, your total carb intake would be 35 to 45g.
   
   The rest of your calories should come from fat. So if you were eating 1600 calories per day, 100g of protein, and 20g of carbs, that would leave 1120 calories for fat, or 124g of fat. To calculate this yourself: fat in grames = (total calories - (protein in grams + carbs in grams)x4) / 9. Using the above example numbers that would look like: (1600 - (100+20)x4)/9 --> (1600 - 480)/9 --> 124g of fat.
   
   If you need help figuring out how many calories you should be eating, provide the numbers requested above for calculating total protein intake and i'll help you figure that out as well.
   
   
2. It really doesn't mater when you eat your carbs. Spread out throughout the day is probably ideal, but it's really not important. Eat when you're hungry and have time.
   
   
3. It really depends on the type of exercise. If you're just doing low-intensity cardio (such as walking or biking or any other form of exercise under 60% of heart-rate max) then a post workout really isn't necessary.
   
   
4. I'm not sure what the question is here honestly.
   
   
5. As many or as few as you want. You shouldn't purposely eat multiple small meals. Eat when you're hungry and when you have time. Some people only eat one large meal per day (usually as their post-workout), others eat only two (usually skipping breakfast and/or only have fat-calories for breakfast such as MCT oil). Most people would probably be best starting off with three meals per day as they're used to and then transition to fewer (or more) meals depending on hunger levels throughout the day.
   
   
6. You should be getting about 3-4 grams of total salt per day. This usually means either drinking salted water (1/2 teaspoon of salt twice a day) or a salty consume or bouillon broth (be sure these are MSG-free) or even a home-made bone broth with additional salt.
   
   I would also recommend a magnesium supplement, somewhere between 300-400mg per day. If you get diarrhea, then you should probably take two smaller doses of ~150mg twice daily (use a pill splitter) or switch to a slow-release version. If you still have issues even with two smaller doses, then reduce the dosage until you no longer do (usually after the first month of magnesium supplementation you'll probably need to reduce the amount to 200-300mg per day depending on how much you're getting from food). Also be sure to get a chelated form of magnesium (magnesium aspartate, magnesium citrate or magnesium citrimate). And when determining how much magnesium is actually in each dose, you will need to calculate it based on the RDI (the RDI is 400mg per day). So if the dose is 50% of the RDI then you would know that it's only 200mg per dose.
   
   If you decide to take a potassium supplement, make sure you aren't on any other medication that might interact negatively (such as blood pressure medicines). If you plan your low-carb diet well you can get enough potassium from food. If you do decide to use a supplement or a potassium-salt, be sure to stay below ~500mg per day and preferably spread throughout the day. Excess potassium, especially from quickly absorbed supplements, can cause serious health problems.
   
   The last two supplements i would recommend would be 1g-1.5g of Omega-3 fish oil capsules (or liquid) and ~2-5000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. There might be cheaper/better brands of these two supplements out there, but the two i linked are what i personally use.

Here's the kind that I bought, there's a lot of brands but this one seemed to have the best reviews. Not too pricey, and it was a fun experience, I'd recommend it at least once. Just get a potluck going with a group of friends!

http://www.amazon.com/mberry-MFT10-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets/dp/B001LXYA5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376711277&sr=8-1&keywords=mberries

Edit: Make sure to try wasabi. It tastes like ice cream, it was my favorite of all the things I tried.

Absolutely! Honestly, if you're not a little worried about bringing a person into the world, then you're probably not ready. That's the way I've always felt about it.

As for getting ready, now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, a Mabis basal body thermometer, and to find a good pre-natal vitamin and DHA supplement. I personally use a combination of Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal and Nordic Naturals DHA. They work well for me, and I got my period right when I expected to after getting my IUD taken out and have been regular as clockwork since.

I would also recommend signing up for FertilityFriend; it's the most common app we're all using, and does a great job of helping you keep track of your cycles. You don't have to go all in on temping (and if you choose not to, don't worry about the thermometer), but I've found it to be so helpful to keep my expectations in check rather than clinging to hope that "Maybe this period is just implantation bleeding".

But in terms of priority, I would highly recommend you pick up TCoYF, and getting started on a good pre-natal. Hope to see you around!

The way we make change with veganism is by taking our money away from people who exploit animals and by raising awareness, so if I have an accident, and if fixing it wouldn't take back the money or improve people's regard for veganism, I just forgive myself and let it go. If I dispose of the non-vegan thing instead of consuming it, it's mostly just because I feel icky about it.

I recently went vegan after being vegetarian for a few years. It was hard at first to think of what to eat, but the breakthrough that made me feel better about it was reminding myself that I can still eat whatever I'm craving in some form or another. I try to imagine exactly what I would want for dinner if I weren't even vegetarian/vegan and then I google "easy vegan ___." This has led to some great things like vegan eggs benedict (yum). You're working to help animals, so you've got to make it fun and treat yourself.

I also take a vegan multivitamin and B12 supplement so that I can eat whatever I feel like without worrying so much about whether I'm killing myself.

Yeah, those Powerade Zeroes are definitely not going to give you enough of what you need. Ditch them ASAP. I struggled a lot with low electrolytes my first few weeks because I did NOT supplement appropriately. The good news is you can start feeling better in a few days if you do it properly.

For my "ketorade," I mix 1/2 tsp of Lite Salt and 1/2 tsp of regular salt with one of these. It's got 3g of sugar, but for me that's good enough. I needed something that doesn't taste totally disgusting. It's still salty, way saltier than a Powerade Zero, but you just have to deal with it. I drink this every morning on my bike ride to work. If it's really hot out I might make a second bottle.

Additionally, I salt the crap out of my food with both regular salt and the lite salt. I drink broth. It's not the tastiest thing in the world, but it helps.

At night, you need two of these bad boys. I'm guessing the magnesium you picked up is the oxide form, which isn't bioavailable enough to make much of a difference. Citrate is better, but the glycinate has been tremendously helpful.

After you've done all of that for a week or two, see how you feel. If it's still not making a difference, time to see your doctor. I'll be the first to say that keto is NOT for everyone. I strongly believe that no singular diet is perfect for everyone. If you continue feeling like garbage, it might be worth considering trying something more like Paleo...keeping most of your staples the same, but adding in something like a potato every night with dinner. But don't give up hope just yet! You haven't been supplementing correctly and I know what a difference that makes.

I think the memory improvement is from other stuff I am taking at night before I go to bed. The modafinil is strictly a caffeine replacement for me, which also helps me avoid sugar, in the energy drinks.

AM

• 100mg Modvigil Modafinil - modafinilcat - when I wake up, takes about 30 minutes for me to notice the effects
  These next two are for muscle health, taken in the morning with 32 ounces of water
  
• 750mg Creatine Monohydrate by NOW Link: http://amzn.com/B0018OADEA
  
  
• 750mg Beta-Alanine by NOW Link: http://amzn.com/B001AWSR34 ( I like the way this makes my skin tingle )
  
  
  PM
  
  
  
• 2000mg Now Foods Glycine 1000mg, Capsules, 100-Count by Now Foods Link: http://amzn.com/B00UNH0TO2 - helps me sleep and is supposed to help your body process stored fat cells, in other words it should help burn fat
  
  
• 200mg Now Foods L-Theanine Veg Capsules, 200 mg, 120 Count by Now Foods Link: http://amzn.com/B00GQV9YX6 - helps with sleep, and calm clear thoughts
  
  
• 100mg Douglas Laboratories ® - Chelated Magnesium - 100 Tabs by Douglas Labs Link: http://amzn.com/B0013FVLIQ - apparently according to my dr, and chiro the modafinil can deplete magnesium from your system and cause sore muscle or bone aches, I take this to counter that and dont have that issue anymore with the modafinil
  
  
• 1 Now Foods True Calm Amino Relaxer by NOW Link: http://amzn.com/B0006U6IMI
  
  
• 1 500mg NOW Foods Choline and Inositol, 100 Capsules / 500mg by Now Foods Link: http://amzn.com/B001F0R65Q
  
  
• 0.5 Rainbow Light Men's One Multivitamin by Rainbow Light Link: http://amzn.com/B0007YCC7S - I take a half at night otherwise I get an upset stomach and I feel like I am peeing it all out if I take the whole thing.
  
  
  
  If anyone could suggest changes or something I might add, I am welcome to suggestions. I mostly made this list for myself so I can see what I am taking each day.
  

I take some pretty pricey vitamins, but I have been told that these vitamins are similar to the ones I take, but cheaper. They are a whole food vitamin which means that they are vitamins taken from food products that you could actually eat, so it makes it easy to digest and easier for your body to absorb plus they don't make your tummy hurt. A lot of cheaper vitamins are sometimes sourced from non food items like the calcium will be from oyster shells or dolomite. Everyone has their own opinion, and I'm not saying my way is the best way, I just like what I take, and I like how I feel. So, here are a couple links.
Cheaper whole food vitamin: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FK9GZK
Some info on calcium: http://wikbio.com/en/The-best-and-worst-calcium-supplements
Just in case you are wondering this is the one I take: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005JAT3TU

lots of good info in that for those who say veggie keto isn't possible!

one thing i should mention though is that it looks like you don't use a food diary and this is something i recommend everybody to use for at least the first 2 weeks to get the hang of what to eat and how much of certain foods/macronutrients you can eat.

for example, it seems based on the example of your breakfast/lunch/dinner, you aren't getting enough protein and your fats may range on the high side. you can totally still lose weight like this, but you may be unknowingly sacrificing a lot of muscle along the way. i know the maxim of r/keto is high fats, moderate protein, low carb but the truth of the matter is the more fats you take in, the higher your calorie intake is and thus, slower weight loss. the best way too look at keto for me is to aim for 20 carbs or less, get your minimum protein amount to avoid muscle loss to (LBM in kg*1.5) which in my case is 120g protein and as low as fats as you can manage. for me, that would be 71g fat if i want 1200 calories a day. if i'm being particularly weak-willed that day, i'll up the fats to 104g fat and that's my absolute max because then i'll hit 1500 calories.

now you might look at this and say, wait a sec, don't you have high protein, moderate fat and low carb? that was my first thought when i was figuring out my diet but then i read a little closer and realized you need to base your diet on energy (read: calories) from these macronutrients. for example, each gram of fat is 9 calories. each gram of protein is 4 calories. using the above info, 120g protein is 480 calories and 71g fat is 639 calories (or 104g fat is 936 calories). based on calories, your fat content is much higher than your protein.


also, remember that r/keto can get away with constantly suggesting to raise the amount of fat in your diet because their main sources of protein are meats that are much lower in fats than your vegetarian counterparts. we don't have the luxury. the more protein we consume, we inadvertantly consume more fats. we vegetarians can't do this and need to watch our intake of avocados, sour cream, butter, etc...

sorry op, i got a little side-tracked in the middle of this comment and felt that the vegketo community might need some more clarification on certain things so i kept on writing. anyway, a lot of info in your guide is still pretty good! here's one more suggestion for people who don't know much about vitamins. even if you're not on keto, you should be taking a good multi (unless your diet is very balanced, and even then, i'd be skeptical!) these are by far the best ones i've ever had, and i've taken dozens of different brands. i've done some extreme manual labor in my day too and i definitely noticed the difference if i had one of these or not. regular multivitamins for meat eaters don't compare to this one for vegos.

Oh dear, I don't have the best jokes but I am going to try....


Q: How do cells in the body talk to each other?

A: With a cell phone





Ok, that was bad anyway onto the item that will make me happiest. Technically, it's a tie but I will list them both since one is more pricey than the other:

1. Miracleberry Fruit Tablets - cheaper item, I have seen tons of videos of people reacting to eating acidic foods after taking a tablet and I really want to experience that myself
   
   
   
   
2. Faber-Castel Watercolor Pencils - slightly more pricey, I love using watercolors and have always wanted to try using these pencils because of how beautiful they look when used for illustrations
   
   
   
   Hope this isn't against the rules!
   

As another raw foodist, let me give you guys another take on this. On a typical day, I'll start will a huge-ass smoothie (Kale, bananas, OJ, blueberries, wheat germ, water, filling a full 64oz Vitamix pitcher) that I will split up between breakfast and lunch. If I'm extra hungry, I'll eat some fruit here and there as well.

By dinner time, I'll be wanting a big salad (Big = 1 lb kale + 1 lb spinach + a large tomato + 1/2 avocado + a dressing made from tahini, garlic and lemon).

This may not seem like much, but have a look at the nutritional breakdown on Wolfram Alpha.

In the example above, I am getting 84 grams of protein, with good coverage in all the essential amino acids, sufficient Omega-3 and Omega-6 (in favorable proportions), huge amounts of most of my vitamins and minerals. My shortcomings here are vitamins D and B-12. I take a daily vegan multivitamin, a vegan D3 supplement and a B-12 supplement, just to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.

For exercise, I ride my bike an hour each way to work and back M-F. Between the food and the cycling, I stay in pretty good shape.

As others have posted, tablet forms of these are available on Amazon

I've actually thrown "Miracle Berry" parties several times and it's a lot of fun! Just walk around a grocery store and try to think of everything that tastes sour and buy it! Some tips from my experiences... Each tablet will last you about 15-60 minutes (generally about 30 before effects diminish), not ALL the sourness goes away (lemons do not taste like pure sugar), thoroughly dissolve the tablet in your mouth (3-5 minutes) and then wait a couple more for the full effect, and lastly, bitterness is NOT the same as sourness. Eating the lemon peel will still be incredibly bitter.

Lemons/limes: Taste like the best lemonade/limeade ever

Pineapple: Incredibly delicious, but almost TOO sweet for some people

Oranges/orange juice: Really depends on the kind, but can substantially change the flavor

Hot Sauce: Vinegar almost tastes sugary, so it is both sweet and spicy

Pickled items: Again, vinegar becomes rather sweet

Cheese: Some cheeses taste like "dessert" cheese, especially sharp cheeses, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and goat cheese. Some people don't seem to be as effected by the cheeses as other though.

Beer/Wine: Not as profound as citrus, but definitely changes the flavor profile


Random note of caution: You'll end up wanting to eat a TON of citrus foods. This will give you an upset stomach if you don't moderate.

Hi there, I sense your hair is thinning due to a vitamin deficiency. I sense you should take a good quality vitamin B supplement, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-B-right-Supports-Cardiovascular/dp/B0016003Z0/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1505639358&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=vitamin%2Bb%2Bsuper%2Bcomplex%2Bjarrow&th=1

I also sense your body needs more calcium and vitamin D. As for the job you applied for, I sense that Ali has had a lot of applicants and is narrowing down the list as quickly as he can. It doesn't look like you've been disqualified, but he also hasn't completed the task of narrowing down the applicant list. I sense that you'll most likely hear back from him in 1.5 weeks or less.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions :) Also, please share my link: http://clairvoyantreadingsforall.webnode.com/ thanks :-)

Be careful if you're getting sick, and as others have said, make sure you always have insulin on board. The risk is increased because you're consistently producing ketones and imbalances in BS+ketones will lead to DKA. So you have to be even more vigilant about BS & insulin levels, but that turns out to be a lot easier when you're not eating carbs. :)

I've been doing keto pretty frequently for several months now, only taking a few days off over the course of it, and I feel amazing. I probably average 40-60 carbs a day and don't seem to exit keto at those levels.

/r/keto is a good resource as well. I've found that magnesium/potassium/sodium levels are really important for me, so I drink sugar-free Emergenc Electrolyte Mix frequently (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWRY5S/).

For B12, I pop one of these every few days. I've never heard of it being affected by alcohol/marijuana use. It might also do you some good to also take a vegan vitamin D supplement, since most people are deficient anyways.

The nausea is not likely to be related to any specific nutrient deficiencies (a B12 deficiency usually takes years to manifest in any noticeable symptoms), but it is very possible that since you're probably eating different foods now than you did as an omni your stomach hasn't quite adjusted yet.

I'd highly recommend this book as a guide for healthy long term vegan nutrition. It's full of reliable science and teaches you how to be healthy as a vegan as opposed to some resources that try to convince people that a vegan diet is a silver bullet for anything and everything.

At this point, your blood results will be more likely to reflect your previous diet than they are your new vegan diet, so anything you see next Tuesday don't go 'OMG veganism is making me anemic/deficient/etc' based on those results. Also if you do have any deficiencies there are vegan solutions for all of them, so feel free to come on back and ask for more advice :]

Sounds like you need some more meals in your repetoire. What did you eat before?

While I'm waiting for your response, here are some of my favorite easy dishes. Some of them lend themselves to cooking in bulk. I find it very convenient to make large batches and then freeze leftovers in individual portions so I can just grab and reheat them.

• Oatmeal: Follow the directions on the package, flavor with jam, cinnamon and sugar, maple syrup, frozen fruit, peanut butter, or whatever else you like.
  
  
• Tofu scramble: tofu crumbled up around in a pan with onions, garlic, and the veggies of your choice.
  
  
• Microwaved potato or sweet potato: wash, poke holes in it with a fork, microwave on high for 5 minutes and then turn over and repeat until soft
  
  
• Pasta salad: Cooked pasta with tomato, onion and cucumber, salt, pepper and a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.
  
  
• One pot lentil dish: Sautee onions and garlic in a pot (add other veggies too if you like). stir in one cup lentils and one cup rice, add 4 cups liquid (vegetable stock or water) bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, taste and season as needed.
  
  
• Black bean tacos: Sautee onions and garlic in a pot until tender. Add canned black beans with liquid. Simmer until creamy, flavor with salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste. Serve on tortillas with toppings of your choice (I like sauteed squash, spinach and hot sauce).
  
  
• Peanut noodles: Cook some rice noodles. Make a peanut sauce with peanut butter, sesame oil, salt, and lime juice. Throw in some tofu and green onions if you like, serve with sriracha.
  
  
• Pizza: Order pizza without cheese. Add avocado and hot sauce. Or hummus. Yum!
  
  
• Roasted eggplant sandwiches: Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash an eggplant, brush with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Bake the eggplant until the center collapses. Scoop out the insides (carefully, it's hot), season with salt and pepper, and serve on a nice bread with some greens.
  
  
• Creamy soups: I do this with all kinds of veggies, but the basic template is to sautee onions, garlic and my veggie of choice (I've used celery, mushrooms, leeks, broccoli, kale). Once they're tender, add clean quartered potatoes, cover with liquid (vegetable broth or water with bouillon cubes), bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes or so. Blend with an immersion blender or food processor, season to taste.
  
  The recipes above are very brief overviews, I can go into more detail on any of them if you're interested. And if you'll mention what your previous favorite meals are, maybe we can suggest similar recipes. If eating out is a problem, I can make some suggestions there too.
  
  If you don't have one already, get a vegan B12 supplement. It's essential. This is my favorite brand.

2-3 99mg potassium pills at once, taken with food and/or a full glass of water. You'll notice a burning sensation if you don't drink enough with it. With a meal and plenty of water, I've taken 6 or more at once with zero side effects, so 2-3 is definitely safe.

I'd strongly suggest eventually tapering up to one 22mg zinc per day - zinc is a very widely used cofactor. More info - https://examine.com/supplements/Zinc/

Almost any vitamin c should be fine. Pretty cheap, consistent supplement. For a B complex, anything is better than nothing, so if you've got one already, I'd recommend taking that (or half doses if you respond poorly, which isn't uncommon) until you get a new one. If you can find Jarrow B-Right, that's a good one, otherwise look for one with a similar formula. (including rough ratios of each component - some companies put absurd amounts of one B vitamin, and a comparatively tiny amount of another, which can exacerbate an already sensitive balance as you discovered)

https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-B-right-Supports-Cardiovascular/dp/B0016003Z0/

This is amazing, I am so glad you are starting your journey to becoming vegan. My best suggestion is using cronometer.com to track your food for a good portion of time in order for you to get a handle on what foods have what properties and nutrients you need from them. Vegan diets can easily cover all your nutrients, I get all of the FDA's recommended doses of micronutrients daily and almost double their recommended protein amount. Here is a quick rundown of nutrients and vegan foods that are abundant in them

Macronutrients:

• Fat- Avocado, coconut, oils, nuts, seeds, and soybeans (tofu, tempeh, edamame)
  
  
• Carbohydrates- Fruit, Legumes, Grains, Vegetables
  
  
• Protein- Beans, Lentils, Faux meats, Green Vegetables, Grains
  
  

• amino acids are all present in all food just at different rations so eat a variety.
  
  You will meet all your macro-nutrient needs eating 2100 calories of any variety of foods. (eat and don't eat only fruit or drink oil for your calories, super easy)
  
  Micronutrients: (These are only the ones some lack on a vegan diet, take in consideration that less then 1% of the world eats all of their proper micro-nutrients and eating more vegetables and beans almost always makes people get more)
  
  

• Omega 3- Ground Flax Seed, Chia Seeds, and, Dark Green Vegetables (roughly 10% per serving of dark green veggies)
  Omega 3's are the most challenging to get at the start of a vegan diet, basically you add in a tablespoon of chia seeds or flax seeds to your diet daily and it covers you or you take an algae based supplement. Omega 3 is not a necessary nutrient but it does greatly help you.
  
  
• B12- Supplement this, here's a great article on it with recommended supplements www.veganhealth.org/articles/vitaminb12 you likely are already getting it from meat that got it from being heavily supplemented with b12, its a bacteria and we eat less bacteria now then throughout evolution so it's not exactly a vegan issue.
  
  
• Vitamin D- The sun, supplements, or mushrooms left in the sun. I take this in the winter and in the summer I use the sun. Here's an article about it
  
  
• Calcium- Nut Milk, Vegetables (Dark green especially), Chia seeds, Fruit, and Nuts.
  
  
• Vitamin E- (which is less of a problem for vegans but still not easy) Nut Milks, Almonds, Vegetables.
  
  
• Iron- It is a misconception that this is challenging I actually get more now then over, anyway Green veggies, Beans, Lentils, Grains
  
  
• Selenium- Only an issue if you don't get a few servings of grains especially whole wheat, or eat one brazil nut, or 400 kiwis
  
  
• Zinc- Beans, Grains, Nuts and Seeds. This is one most people don't expect.
  
  In short eat a few servings of grains, beans, fruit, green veg, nut milk, nuts, and seeds and you got it covered. Two servings of each daily will likely cover all your nutritional needs.
  
  Edit: I suck at formatting
  
  Ps. Also when doing your method I highly suggest doing the simple things on top of the x number of days a week you are vegan. By this I mean using plant milk instead of normal, and trying to have almost identical vegan products like chao instead of cheddar, and gardein and beyond beef instead of meats. The products I mentioned are best known for their phenomenal ability to replicate the original.

I do have excess hair on my chest and abdomen, but since it's only been a couple weeks, the jury is still out on whether that will change. My guess is that if it is helping lower my free T, then it'll help prevent more hair, but I'm skeptical to think it would reduce body hair altogether.

I'm using the Jarrow formula from Amazon. Just FYI - it does have a mild sweet taste, so it's best mixed with juice, tea, or another beverage. I do a 1/2 tsp morning and night - I read elsewhere that taking too much at once can cause stomach/GI upset, so I elect to split my dosage to be on the safe side since I'm usually pretty sensitive. Fortunately I haven't had any issues with it yet. I'm sure after starting you could ramp up to 4 grams (typical dose) if needed.

I've done natural T boosters and can share some thoughts. I don't feel that they raised my T, but I didn't get labs to compare. However, I do think they gave me energy when taken before training. I've tried Test Booster 1.0 and Nugenix. The Test Booster was the more affordable and has 1,500 mg per serving and the premium priced Nugenix has 3,000 mg per serving. Both kind of felt the same in the end: more energy throughout the day.

Eventually I made vitamins and minerals my main concern and I feel I've been having ore success with that. Now, I take 1x DHEA on an empty stomach before breakfast. Eat, then take 2x D3 (https://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension-Vitamin-5000-Softgels/dp/B000GTFOBA/) and 1x Trace Minerals (https://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension-Minerals-vegetarian-capsules/dp/B005MJTUEG/). The Trace Minerals has boron, zinc, magnesium, chromium, etc. All things associated with T. With lunch I take 2 Life Force Multiple (https://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-Multiple-Activator-Capsules/dp/B000GFPD0G/). Then 2 more with dinner. That's been my natural T boosting regimen as of late. Hope that isn't too tangential.

All good, helpful advice. I'm going the easy route and going to suggest Miracle Fruit tablets.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LXYA5Q/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_10?smid=A1HO96LT4QCG4P&psc=1

They change how things taste to your taste buds temporarily! I've had multiple friends try them and say they're definitely worth the few bucks for them. They're on my list as well, mwahaha.

Congratulations!!!! :)

I think you'd like these Miracle Berries! Perfect for taste tripping parties (get a party together with your new co workers!), these berries turn sour foods to sweet, and sweet foods become even sweeter. I can't wait to try them myself while sampling different foods!

they work I used this product though. I had to use two to really get the effect. Basically you let it dissolve on your tongue. I moved it with finger to didn't spots to get better coverage. Sweet doesn't change much, sour and bitter take super sweet.

• TLDR: Yes, work. Guinness is best choc milkshake, Orange Great, Apple nothing, Strawberry no change, Lime and Lemons confuses the mind.

Links to the products in the pictures:

Better Than Bouillon
The chicken flavor (2g carb/serving & sodium 29% DV) is my favorite, but they have other flavors too (the vegetable base only has 1g carb/serving).
Sometimes I add Sriracha (1g carb/tsp), garlic powder (2g carb/tsp) or a tablespoon of tomato paste (2g net carbs/Tbsp).

Nu-Salt
(potassium 15% DV/serving) I can usually find it at the grocery store for less than $3, and there's about 90 servings per can. I've tried some of the other potassium based salt substitutes and this one tastes the least like chemicals (it still doesn't taste good, but the benefits outweigh the flavor).

Magnesium Carbonate
(1/4 tsp = magnesium 84% DV) There are a few different forms of edible magnesium salt. This type is hard to find in it's food-grade form, but it has the least offensive flavor IMO. Bonus; this form of magnesium is also used as gym chalk, so you can use any extra to dust your hands if you take up climbing ;)

Emergen-C Electro Mix
This is one of the few electrolyte mixes that doesn't have carbs, but does have a decent amount of potassium (most have potassium <3% DV, this one has potassium 12% DV). Bonus; it also contains calcium, manganese and chromium.

I found that I needed to make a bowl of salty broth about once or twice a day when I was starting out with the keto diet (to help with digestion, occasional muscle cramping, slight nausea, the habit of eating larger volumes of food, etc.). A few months into it I had throttled down my salt supplementation to about a two times a week. Of course, everyone's body and experience is different, so you should do what feels right for you.

I've flavor tripped several times. Vinegar tastes like apple juice. Salt tastes like sugar. Beer tastes like grape soda. lemons tastes the best, basically like "yellow sugar" same goes for grapefruit, limes, and oranges.

Edit: Since you people think I'm the coolest person on the face of the earth, here is a link to buy http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002INDU22 and you can pay me in blow jobs.

Also buffalo chicken dip is the greatest thing with this, would recommend. Olives are good too.

This is it, in a nutshell.

I've also learned a few other tricks over the years to help avoid hangovers. Most of them are contained in this excellent page: How to Prevent a Hangover.

I mix up a cup of Emergen-C vitamin C drink with B vitamins and such, along with a milk thistle and NAC (glutathione precursor) supplement such as this one. This preps the liver for the beating you're about to lay on it. There is also some evidence that saturated fat prior to drinking can also have a protective effect.

Next, stay away from the sugary drinks and you want a clear liquor mixed with some sort of carbonation (this increases absorption). Vodka/club soda/twist of lemon or lime is about as perfect as it gets.

Also, you can switch to just club soda and twist of lime after you've hit your buzz, & still look like you're drinking the same thing.

Then before you go to bed, drink a large 22-32 oz cup of electrolyte water, my favorite is Electro Mix (no sugar), and also prep another one for when you wake up to urinate.

A benadryl will help you sleep through the night, otherwise you might wake up after 4 hours or so.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you can get a nice buzz on and have a good chance of feeling just fine the next day. Also, you get what you pay for with vodka. Look for something distilled 5 times and made from pure unicorn tears or something.

Just realized I didn't answer your scale question.

I use this scale:

WAOAW 500g/0.01g Digital Pocket Stainless Jewelry & Kitchen food Scale, Lab Weight, 0.001oz Resolution https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B4KX6JQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8wT7ybYTFX7DC

This beaker:

Emsa Perfect Beaker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BDLWE8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MxT7yb79S2TG0

This blender:

Blendtec TB-621-25 Total Blender Classic with WildSide+ Jar, Black (Certified Refurbished) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TKRQWS8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fyT7yb71ZK449

And this jar:

Takeya Airtight Pitcher, 2-Quart, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CYAIRG8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VyT7yb8J2NX2P

Happy mixing. :)

Also you asked elsewhere on the thread about D3. Here's what I use:

Doctor's Best Best Vegan D3 Vegetarian Capsules, 60 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E816ROU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_HBT7ybFJPMH6J

I did a beer education just the other day - so a little different than your regular beer dinner - and did something new with it I called "Sniff School 101" that would be interesting to integrate into a dinner. We were tasting 3 beers: a lager, IPA and a wheat - before we drank the beers I wanted to give everyone a baseline of the flavors I was going to be talking about. So I had set up a cups filled with ingredients in the beers: lemon zest, grapefruit zest, malt extract, hops, clove, etc with cotton balls on top so they had to rely on their nose only. Then they all smelled then blind to 'calibrate' their palates to the flavors I was about to talk about. It was a great value add depending on the baseline craft knowledge of the people you are doing it with. Could also use jelly beans.

Regarding your beer dinner - at the end, pair a tart dessert with an IPA and a dose of Miracle Berry - that will blow their minds: http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Berry-Fruit-Tablets-Miraculin/dp/B002INDU22

I always feel once you get past $75 bucks you should have some phenomenal beers. Its more about quality over quantity and I would cap it at 6 courses. Also saw a beer dinner that ended with a Utopias Cigar after dessert, which was cool. Good luck.

Source: work for a craft brewery

http://www.amazon.com/Rainbow-Light-Prenatal-Multivitamin-tablets/dp/B00115BJ30/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377528614&sr=8-1&

LOVE these. They're a little bigger, but hands down the best I've ever taken. All vegan, so no lactose issues (you'd be amazed how much crap has lactose in it!), and they're really easy on my stomach. I'm not a vegan by any means, but when you have a sensitive stomach & every damn pill in the world has lactose in it for filler, you get excited for the little things. =)

D3 is generally better than D2 at raising blood levels of D but D2 is still effective, especially at the dosing you are taking.

50,000 IU is definitely a 'doctor prescribed' dosing and is likely just to get your levels back into a good range quickly. Most people take 1000-5000 IU per day as a maintenance dose. Once the D2 runs out just go grab a reliable brand of D3 (I like Doctors Best) and take that once a day with a meal containing fat (fat helps your body absorb the D).

Morton's Lite Salt is straight-up the cheapest, though least tasty way to get both sodium AND potassium, and you probably need both. For palatability you can add Mio or Stur or a similar flavor enhancer.

Electro-Mix is an excellent option if you need potassium in particular. It's reasonably tasty for a no-sugar option. (I strongly recommend staying away from sugary things like gatorade and powerade, as advised by Chase.)

Another option is LyteShow, though it is a much pricier option than the other two. Na/K balance is pretty good though, and it is a good option if you just want to be able to add "x drops to x amount of water" without too much thinking.

I would look into a magnesium supplement as well--malate, taurate, citrate.

Yeah... I remember getting a prescription for triptans and it helped but it felt like it just masked the pain and didn't actually get rid of it.

I forgot exactly where i did the research, but this is what i take [almost] every day:

GNC Mega Men multivitamins (2)
https://www.amazon.com/GNC-Multivitamin-Performance-Function-General/dp/B00416V1DY/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=mega+men&qid=1571782966&sr=8-4

500mg of Magnesium (1)
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Bounty-Magnesium-Supplement-Vegetarian/dp/B00H5PJ0HW/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=magnesium&qid=1571783124&sr=8-10

1200mg Fish Oil (1)
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Bounty-Supplement-Supporting-Cardiovascular/dp/B000NPYY04/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=fish+oil+natures+bounty&qid=1571783268&sr=8-5

Super K complex (1)
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension-Advanced-Complex-softgels/dp/B004GW4S0G/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=super+k&qid=1571783413&sr=8-6

Vitamin D (20k IU for the first week, then 10k every day after)
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Bounty-Supplement-Supports-Softgels/dp/B00DN4VCA2/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=vitamin+d3&qid=1571783503&sr=8-15

Sorry for the long reply, hopefully this helps. I feel like an old man taking pills every day, but it's better than having these headaches :D

Hi! I might be able to help,

For years I had acne-prone skin until I went on birth control and adopted a good skincare routine. My skin was super clear after that, until I went plant-based. I don't know if it was the sudden hormone change from dropping dairy, and/or the b12 supplementation, but I broke out in horrible cystic acne all over my face.

It seemed like b12 fortified products + the b12 pill I was taking was too much. Or maybe it was the type of b12 since I know there are two kinds. But I posted in a vegan Facebook group about my troubles and was recommended this spray supplement from Garden of Life. I unfortunately had to go on antibiotics to get rid of the acne, but since starting this supplement, I haven't had any more problems and my skin is incredibly clear. I just try to remember to take a spray or two every few days.

Good luck! Regarding skincare routines, r/veganbeauty might be able to help! :)

Edited to add: I also recommend checking out Brian Turner on Youtube. He's a vegan/mostly WFPB athlete who has dealt with extreme acne and has lots of helpful content on it.

So if you're trying to add mass/strength, your biggest concern with going vegetarian is probably going to be getting enough protein. I try to take in like ~200g/day. You can calculate what you need here.

I personally get most of my protein from protein shakes. I use pea protein exclusively, this brand. Unfortunately, it comes from China but I can't pass on the price point. I also add peanut flour, cocoa powder, bananas, flax seed meal (good source of omega-3's), psyllium husk fiber (helps to slow down digestion of protein), BCAA's, creatine, and beta-alanine all in almond milk. The reason for some of those supplements can be found here.

Thanks to the fiber and the flax seed, it gets super thick almost like pudding if you let it sit. Usually, I'll mix in cold brewed coffee to get the consistency I want. It's really good. I drink like ~48 ounces a day, every day. Still have yet to get tired of it.

As far as recipes go, I try to eat high protein meals usually with beans/legumes and quinoa. I use tofu or tempeh as meat substitutes quite a bit too. I eat a lot of chili and curries. My instant pot (pressure cooker) is always getting used.

I also supplement with this multivitamin.

In response to the anti-protein focus comment, I guess I would say that I eat at a calorie deficit so it's hard to hit my protein targets unless I supplement. However, you should still count your macros at least at first to make sure you're getting in the range of where you should be.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002INDU22/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1377477145&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

These thing are awesome and make the sourest food taste sweet. If she likes great tasting food I'm sure she would like it.

So for vitamins and supplements.

https://www.amazon.com/Deva-Vegan-Vitamins-Multivitamin-Supplement/dp/B001GAOHVG/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=vegan%20multivitamin&qid=1483833460&ref_=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0001VUQ0M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1483833552&sr=8-1&keywords=vegan+b+complex

And then for eggs and brands it's pretty easy and skim through. Many brands say "contains eggs and milk" So, you can skim through and read what each has.

Some people take a shot of b12 but, many foods such as cereal and non dairy milks are fortified too!

You can easily find vegan cookies such as Oreos and others. It really depends on where you are located as well.

I would drink daily soy milk to keep up calcium but, you can eat greens which contain iron and calcium. Actually most multi Vitamins that are vegan contain iron. So, you won't need really a separate iron supplement.

Anything else just ask me! 😊

You're probably a lot better on D than most people (deficiency is extremely prevalent), but moderate supplementation like 5000 IU per day could be worthwhile. It's not very expensive off of Amazon or my personal preference iHerb.

Also it's perfectly fine to pop 10,000 IU every other day rather than worry about getting the perfect sized capsule for daily supplementation.

Hell, I think I even have a coupon code for like 5 bucks off at iHerb somewhere if you care about saving 5 bucks.

Seems like there are a lot of good protein suggestions already. Have you heard of Miracle Fruit? It's a berry that has a compound that temporarily (2 hours or so) turns sour things very sweet, meaning almost all fruits will taste 200% sweeter (lemons taste like candy).

I've read accounts of people undergoing chemo having good results gaining back some flavor, and it comes in pill form. I bought a pack for the hell of it and it's fairly nifty.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001LXYA5Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1421198657&sr=8-1&dpPl=1&dpID=417v--b%2B73L&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

I think what makes a good vitamin is the one you can keep down that won't make you puke! ha!

Before my first pregnancy, I took Folate and Vitamin D. Once I got pregnant, I wanted prenatals from a good source, so I paid a premium, I really like these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JAT3TU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

I took prenatals through breastfeeding as well (it was recommended), so basically haven't stopped taking them as I'm TTC for #2 now.

You might really like a tool like Cronometer. It breaks down the daily micronutrients pretty well. You can log multivitamins on there too. I take half of one of these every day and come pretty close to most of the recommended daily values https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001GAOHVG

Miracle Berries!

Happy cake-day to you sir and I wish you the very best!

Btw, /u/Rathkeaux is awesome!

They have miracle fruit tablets which can be pretty fun, I got these:
http://www.amazon.com/mberry-MFT10-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets/dp/B001LXYA5Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1368219049&sr=8-3&keywords=miracle+fruit

and they're pretty fun.

Here is a brain stack I think is great for people who damaged their brains from drug use and multiple concussions. Like me! Also applies to healthy brains to keep them healthy.

• 8000 IU Vitamin D3 daily with food
  
  https://labdoor.com/rankings/vitamin-d
  
  http://www.foundmyfitness.com/vitamin-d
  
  
• 200 mcg Vitamin K2 MK7 daily with food
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension-Advanced-Complex-softgels/dp/B004GW4S0G/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1457803421&sr=8-1&keywords=life+extension+super+k
  
  http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2008/3/protecting-bone-and-arterial-health-with-vitamin-k2/Page-01
  
  
• Daily consumption of Rhonda's Ultimate Micronutrient Smoothie
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys86ZgjQQYg
  
  
• 500 mg Curcumin with 15 mg Piperine twice daily with food
  
  http://www.powdercity.com/products/turmeric-curcumin-and-piperine-capsules
  
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=curcumin+depression
  
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26648392
  
  
• 1500 - 2000 mg DHA and 1500 - 2000 mg EPA daily with food
  
  https://labdoor.com/rankings/fish-oil
  
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26930527
  
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26978738
  
  http://www.foundmyfitness.com/ebook/importanceofomega3-v2.pdf
  
  
• And good sleep and exercise.
  
  
• probiotics ( or organic Kefir for a potent and less expen$ive option )
  
  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=probiotics+depression
  
  https://www.reddit.com/r/Nootropics/comments/49no8m/the_microbiome_a_key_regulator_of_stress_and/
  
  _____
  
  Plus these noots
  
  
• 300 mg bacopa
  
  
• 1.2 grams - 4.8 grams - piracetam
  
  
• 100 - 500 mg - phosphatidylserine 20%
  
  
• 10 mg - 40 mg vinpocetine
  
  once to three times daily

Miracle berries, haven't had it before, but it sounds amazing, apparently it's a fruit that if you eat it, for the next hour or so, anything sour you eat will taste sweet, and anything sweet will taste sweeter.

http://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets-10-Count/dp/B001LXYA5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409079577&sr=8-1&keywords=miracle+berry

super, super fudgey brownies. I could eat them all day. nomnoms!!!

cheesecake all day everyday

thanks for the contest and happy cake day!!

and oh, item!

How Not To Die has been an amazing resource for me in my last 1.5 years on the vegan diet. I trust Michael Gregor and 100% recommend an algae-based Omega 3 supplement for that good EPA and DHA.

Here are the 2.5 supplements that I have been taking to achieve my satisfactory blood test results:

Multivitamin:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GAOHVG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Omega 3:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074N5JZK8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

D3 - I only take this in the wintertime.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CYA8HD6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'd consider either carrying a bunch of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWRY5S/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1

Or making my own ketoade concentrate and putting it in a clean water bottle (emptying out a Dasani bottle). Or both!

My ten-serving ketoade concentrate recipe:

1. One 10oz bottle of magnesium citrate.
   
2. Ten tablespoons of lemon juice from concentrate
   
3. 50 grams of Morton's Lite Salt
   
4. 10 good squirts of MiO lemonade flavor
   
5. A little warm water to help the "salt" go into solution
   
   The above assumes that I'm getting some more salts from other sources. I also add in a multivitamin that includes some potassium and magnesium. Otherwise, what other folks here are saying - at the high end of what's needed for protein. Enough fat for satiety.
   
   If you don't mind toting it, a head of cabbage stays good for a long time out of the fridge and the leaves make good carriers for tuna (I'm thinking packets of tuna in oil + packets of mayonnaise + seasoning of your choice).

Chiropractor here: Vit D Deficiency is EXTREMELY common and taking an inexpensive oral supplement usually combined with vit K can help with all sorts of health issues. Personally I was diagnosed with psoriasis at age 19 and was immediately put on steroid creams for about 3 years. I ended up developing stretch marks as a result of the steroids and my psoriasis was no better. After noticing my rashes were improved in the summer time, I started researching auto immune diseases and vit d deficiency. I'm currently 30 yoa, take no RX for my psoriasis and have not had a rash since I was in my early 20's. If you live in a cold weather place (i live in Iowa) it is especially important to get it checked. Also when you do go out in the sun, make sure to wait at least 10-15 minutes before applying sunscreen as to not block any natural vit D you can get for free from the sun.

Edit: Here's the brand I like personally as not all supplements are the same.

OMG you want 'miracle' berries!!! They temporarily mess with your sense of taste so that sour and bitter things taste completely different--sweetish!

Put a few on a tray with grapefruit, lemons, limes, and maybe a few cheeses and vegetables. Light (heh, just don't overdo the cheeses), finger friendly, clean, and super fun to do in groups. Perfect for a night focused on sensual experiences!

I've always been interested in these, but I don't think I've ever ordered food online before, and they don't sell them in stores. That's always held me back, but they sound so cool! They make sour things taste sweet, and just change the taste of food entirely. Thanks for the contest! You might be the first person I've seen to think that Sunday Funday is actually fun ;D

Not op but I did a very similar regimene.

I discovered inositol when I went on a journey to attack my pcos holistically. No doctor ever mentioned it even though there are plenty of studies. Oddly.

I did not take folic acid. I eat lots of legumes which are naturally high in folate though.

It works very well with all my meds/supplements (I take metformin).

My drive is better than ever. I feel more womanly knowing I have a healthy reproductive system. I'm also not on hormonal bc. I used the FAM method. Which is just as effective (seriously look it up). The book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" explains it very well.

I used a cheaper treatment than Ovasitol or pregnitide. Bought a tub of myo and capsules of d chiro.
1 teaspoon 2,400 mg of this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0013OUKPC/ref=oh_aui_i_d_old_o1_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And 1 capsule of this : https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N232VFS/ref=oh_aui_i_d_old_o0_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wanted to mimic the product ratios of Ovasitol. Which was developed and researched to help PCOS women get pregnant.

Very cheap forms of vitamins that are very poorly absorbed by the body. Don't feel to bad though, Optimen was my first multi and I took it for a year when I was younger without realizing it was shit. It's on par with the shit multis they sell at walmart basically. Fear not for I know of very good multis for basically the same price. But depending on your activity life.

For an overall very good (one of the best you can get actually) multi, that's very balanced with superior forms of each vitamin, source naturals life force is the best bang for you buck, basically the same price as Optimen. https://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-Multiple-Activator-Capsules/dp/B000GFPD0G/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1497074875&sr=8-1&keywords=source+naturals+life+force

If you're a hardcore lifter, and/or you experience discomforts in joints or recovery, controlled labs Orange Triad is the best in this aspect because it also has very good forms of vitamins, BUT, it includes a joint/flex complex in it that would cost 45$ alone by itself at a CVS. And you get a 45 day supply for 28$, basically like a few dollars more then optimen or source naturals. I'm taking it right now and have for the past 3-4 years. I haven't experienced any joint pain during this time, amazing multi I would say. https://www.amazon.com/Controlled-Labs-Orange-Triad-Multivitamin/dp/B00104I5TS/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1497086164&sr=1-1&keywords=orange%2Btriad&th=1

Now Foods Adam Multi is also pretty damn good for the price if you want something cheaper then all of those. https://www.amazon.com/NOW-Adam-Superior-Multi-Softgels/dp/B003ENHSI2/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1497075275&sr=8-5&keywords=anavite&th=1

If you have any other questions of supplements you take or concerns just let me know. I've studied supplements and other nutrition info for years now.

There are a few cheap electrolyte mix options out there that you could look into, I've tried this one and liked it, tasted pleasant. It doesn't have any sodium so you may want to grab some sodium bicarbonate to throw in.

Nuun isn't terrible either, lesser amounts of everything but has some sodium, couple of the flavors are pretty good.

As mentioned taurine helps, it's also dirt cheap at bulk powder sites.

Lastly, watch how much you take at once and the speed with which you drink it. Keep the doses sane and you'll be fine.

I have decided to buy them seperately.

This is what i'm thinking of buying:



Bacopa 250 mg caps from mindnutrition
-
https://store.mindnutrition.com/nootropics/24-bacopa#/quantity-60_veggie_caps_250mg

Rhodiola Rosea 500mg caps from mindnutrition
-
https://store.mindnutrition.com/nootropics/35-rhodiola-rosea

KSM-66 1000mg from Tranquility Labs
-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01EVNQM76/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3A3ZBO9L0YTT4

I'm not sure about the ashwagandha, I suspect it may be too strong..

Maybe this is better? There just isnt any information about the % of withanolides.
-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/qid/Organic-India-335018-Ashwagandha-Capsules-Vegetarian-60/B003PGE98K/ref=pd_cp_121_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9MFBAJ0B6WXPG2PH45S4

Mind nutrition is also selling ashawagandha, which honestly seems pretty good.
-
https://store.mindnutrition.com/nootropics/23-ashwagandha

I just thought maybe i could save a bit of money on amazon instead.

Any thoughts?

I don't care that the contest has ended, because I just wanted to share these awesome things with you! I mean, they're fun, they're sorta trippy, ANNND they make not-so-great healthy things taste good!

Cooking for twelve. The menu is roast goose with orange sauce, pureed spiced parsnips, broccoli sautéed with miniature sweet peppers and onions, baby green salad with palm hearts and a balsamic vinaigrette. There will be ginger cookies for dessert, followed by a special Christmas surprise of various sour fruits and these miracle fruit tablets.

If you've never had miracle fruit, you should try it. The results are truly crazy and fun.

No problem! It can feel very overwhelming at first, but it gets easier once you have a few go-to recipes. As an addendum to the kickstarter (or the advice in this thread in general), make sure you are supplementing your diet with B12. The simplest way to do so is probably to just take a vegan multivitamin daily, or just a B12 supplement if you feel that your other nutritional needs are being met. Good luck!

Ah I see, thanks again for the reply.

A quick search on amazon led me to these Vit K tablets which seem good from the reviews https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004GW4S0G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_d89VAbTCWQDMB

I will also build myself up to 6k UI daily in Vit D alongside taking Vit K. Do you know if it’s possible to take too much Vit K? I’m assuming the Vit K that is not used is pissed out.

I’m not sure if my bones are frail or not (my feet get tired/ache from standing too long?) however strangely enough I grew around 2-3 inches in height last year (age 21). At the time I was lifting/playing football, eating well and getting a good amount of sun exposure (walks I took daily as exam revision breaks) so I’m not sure if this was all related. The height thing is what initially caught my attention from your original post.

Edit: I’ve just realised that the link above is for a Vit K complex.

This seems better just for K2
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XSJFTXL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_jv-VAb1KCCKG7

Ha. Ha. Ha. We take almost the exact same supplements. I’m horribly Vitamin D deficient so I take that, prenatal, CoQ10, probiotics, vitamin C, B-complex, Fish oil, and calcium. My B-complex is this one. I’m not sure which one is bad? Mr. Spooky takes one (same brand) that’s just B-12 and folate for energy and it seems to be helping. I’ve mostly phased out the Vitamin C now that it isn’t cold season. Have you had your levels for all of the B vitamins checked recently?

If you haven’t already I’d make sure to add a few more vegetables and nutrient dense foods to your diet. Every little improvement can help!

The question "what has had the most significant effect for you?" has been posed in /r/nootropics and /r/stackadvice before. The #1 answer is always exercise. Exercise will have a much more significant effect than any nootropic, and the recommendation is always to ensure that sleep, diet, and exercise are all taken care of before experimenting with nootropics.

That being said, some supplements can definitely help to address anxiety/depression. Let me also say that every body is different; and between two people who are trying to ameliorate the same condition, the same supplement could help one and worsen the other.

The essentials for anyone are: Omega-3s, magnesium glycinate, and a B-complex. Also consider ALCAR and a choline source (such as alpha-GPC).

Supplements that people report being beneficial for anxiety/depression (and therefore focus, energy, mental capacity): ashwagandha, rosea rhiodola, L-theanine bacopa, SEMAX, memantine.

There are plenty (1, 2, 3) of reports on what has worked for certain people to tackle their anxiety/depression. (Click through all of those).

My recommendation for you would be to get this magnesium, some good fish oil, and this B-complex. Then give SEMAX a shot. Then maybe look into bacopa, aswagandha, etc.

Regarding noopept: "Noopept reduces anxiety and depression for me. When I went through a bad time it would immediately take the emotion out of me." Perhaps try it too.

NatureWise Vitamin D3 5,000 IU for Healthy Muscle Function, Bone Health and Immune Support, Gluten Free & Non-GMO in Cold-Pressed Organic Olive Oil,1-year supply, 360 count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GB85JR4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UWbbzbPTNWD4E


Life Extension Mega Epa Dha Softgels, 120 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZI7BVE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yXbbzb797NFH7

Been using both for some times and seen improvements in my bloodwork.

You may need more electrolytes. You're probably sweating a lot and plain water sometimes needs a boost!

Pick up some electrolyte packets. I like ElectoMix by EmergenC. I keep a couple in my purse and my yoga bag. All you need is a cup or bottle of water to mix the powder in and you're ready to go!

Nuun makes electrolyte tablets. They reforms latex their product a year or two ago and it tastes pretty good. Same with the ElectoMix, just mix it with water and you're set.

ElectoMix

https://www.amazon.com/EMERGEN-C-ELECTRO-MIX-Lemon-Lime-4-2/dp/B002HWRY5S

Nuun

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Nuun-Active-Hydrating-Electrolyte/dp/B001QW1L72/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1468125794&sr=1-1&keywords=nuun

Good points.

In the OP I mentioned I'm also taking Electro Mix which does contain other electrolytes. Here's a link to the product if you're interested in checking it out: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWRY5S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've supplemented with Magnesium / Potassium in the past but have found that Electro Mix + salt water works for me. I also have electrolyte capsules that I carry with me but have rarely had to use them.

I know that Vitamin D is fat-soluble, but haven't really dug into researching whether or not it's completely useless to take while fasting. If it has even a fraction of the benefit it normally has I'd consider it worth it and if not, oh well I wasted a few bucks. I'll take it just in case though.

VitaFusion. They taste pretty decent; I took them with my previous pregnancy too. Just know that the packs come with 90, but you're supposed to take 2/day, so the bottle doesn't last as long as you might initially think.

FWIW: Once I started the iron pills, my energy was back up and I felt a lot more like "me." So hopefully the same goes for you.

Also, I'm not a doctor, but my OB said that even with my low iron, it's almost certain baby was getting plenty. Baby gets first dibs, and we get the shaft. ;)

I took the Garden of Life Prenatal. You take 3 x day which I found to be gentler on my stomach. Also if I threw one up it wasn’t a big deal because I was due for another dose later. Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vegetarian Multivitamin Supplement with Folate, Iron, Probiotics & Ginger | Non-GMO, Dairy & Gluten Free, Best Whole Food Vitamin for Mom & Baby, 180 Capsules

The miracle fruit, known as Synsepalum dulcificum that temporarily changes the way you perceive sour flavors, essentially making things such as Tabasco sauce taste sweet.

Edit: they're pretty easy to find online, here's the link to a pack available on Amazon.

One great way to determine the nutrients you are getting from your juice is to use Wolfram Alpha. (Israel pointed this out a few weeks ago). Here is a typical example of my daily juice intake. You can see a very detailed breakdown of every macronutrient and micronutrient present in the raw ingredients you are preparing. Based on the type of juicer you are using, you also have to factor in a 60%-90% nutrient yield (how much of these nutrients are ending up in the juice vs. being left in the pulp).

In any case, you can see that juicing provides a more than adequate level of all necessary nutrients (yes, including the protein that most people ignorantly freak out about). You can also see if you're hitting a favorable Omega3-Omega6 ratio like I am here.

I wouldn't fret too much over recipes. Start with any recipes you find online, then continue with buying a bunch of fruits and vegetables and make what tastes good to you. Run them through Wolfram Alpha and see how they pan out on a nutritional level as well.

EDIT: I almost forgot... I also take a daily multivitamin as well as a daily sublingual B12 tablet to make sure all of my bases are covered.

Sure! i saw a bunch of people recommend the Jarrow powder formula so I bought it online. It is lightly sweet and I just pour a tablespoon in my drink/water to sweeten it. I also carry a ziplock bag of it in my purse so that I can use it at work.

Make sure you don't take it with caffeine. Adding vitamin C sometime throughout the day also helps (whether by food or supplement).
https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Inositol-Supports-Function/dp/B0013OUKPC

I take Vitamin Code Raw [These](http://www.Garden.com/ of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatal Vegetarian Multivitamin Supplement with Folate, Iron, Probiotics & Ginger | Non-GMO, Dairy & Gluten Free, Best Whole Food Vitamin for Mom & Baby, 180 Capsules https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005JAT3TU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_6BrTBbNWRAJ29)

I'm house-sitting for my parents tonight so…
Party at my place


I have these, so bring some lemons and shit.


I mentioned it in the hat thread a while ago, but since I posted here about it originally I'll update:


That wool poncho my grandmother was making has been finished for a while, and it's great.
Like I told /u/JammySTB it'll change your life. I just wander around my house in boxers and my poncho now, I quite literally live in it. It's like having that blanket with arm holes you always wanted.
It's kinda like a respectable snuggie.


*not hating on snuggies, don't want to offend /r/rawdenim's snuggers


Also, I'm getting into old samurai cinema, what should I watch?

Light-headed in this case usually can be fixed with electrolytes. The most important one that has the fastest fix is sodium. Broth is the easiest.

To keep my electrolytes on the up and up I take a magnesium supplement at night. It helps with restful sleep as a side bonus.

For my potassium and sodium, make my version if Ketoade. 32 oz water, 1/2 tsp pink salt, packet of [Emergen-C Electro Mix] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002HWRY5S/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_fI.VBb024N0NX) for potassium, tbsp apple cider vinegar and a squirt of mio. Make it heavy on ice and sip on throughout the day in addition to more water.

Also, first thing each morning even before coffee drink 24 oz water. Overnight you lose a lot of water which also affects your brain. Replinishing water loss right away helps wake up and could also help your light headed mornings!

Like everyone says, multivitamins aren't necessary, but they probably won't hurt if you wanted to cover your bases.

Rainbow light is a good value, $20 for a 6 month supply.

A lot of people also like orange triad but it's quite a bit more expensive.

For You A friend of mine bought these, they work and are pretty fun to trick friends with, suggesting them to alot of people.

For Me

For The Lulz

Miracle berry tablets. https://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets-10-Count/dp/B001LXYA5Q

Messes with your tastebuds so sour tastes sweet. Plain lemons taste like lemon candy. Fun with other sour or rart stuff. Pickles, sauerkraut, cranberries.

OMG that is so close! Yes, I am SO thankful that he has no pressure to make a decision to start at a certain time. We've talked about "when we have kids..." topics a lot, and as long as he's engaged in the conversation I could it a win!

I'll go with either the Garden of Life ones or Zahler's Prenatal. They're both ranked highly according to this Labdoor website that ranks vitamins, so it can't hurt I figure!

I use the inositol powder here. It's about 1/10th the sweetness of sugar (being a sugar alcohol), so it isn't nasty at all. I put it in my coffee in the morning.

As far as effects go, I have begun having a regular "spotting" every month. After I went from BCP to IUD, my periods disappeared. I seem to feel a little better.

I'm going to harp on you now about your diet. I'm 36, highly, highly active (I work in a professional kitchen, hobbies include rock climbing, trail running, and mountaineering) and have been diagnosed pre-diabetic. "Pre" diabetic is just fancy talk from the doc for, "you have Type 2 diabetes, but I need to spend my time with people whose limbs are rotting off." Getting your diet together is going to be the single most important thing you can do, and I promise (PROMISE!) you'll feel so much better when you do. Eat at regular intervals, avoid simple carbs. That will help you avoid hypoglycemia, which it sounds like you are doing. For insulin resistant people with high activity levels, reactive hypoglycemia is a Thing.

You say you get very thirsty, have to pee a lot, and you are hungry and hangry often. Please get checked for diabetes. It's Serious Shit. Inositol alone isn't going to control it, you have to (HAVE TO) clean up your diet, and some folks will have to have other pharmacological interventions. Personally, I'm just staving off the needles for as long as I can.

Good luck, this disease sucks ass.

I got some off of amazon. Be sure to try anything with high acidity. Sour cream was my favorite. Tasted like cotton candy. Other things to try are cherries, oranges, lemons (best lemonaid you'll have in your life), and I kid you not but vitamin C powder. Like pixie sticks, man.

Edit: Miracle Berry Fruit Tablets
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002INDU22/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_TaCfvb1036RCP

Putting party favors in these would be hilarious!

You could also do an "experiment" with these where they have to taste different foods to see the changes in flavor.

Gummy brains for goody bags.

A variety of safety glasses for all your scientists!

I like surprises! :D

I'm getting my parents miracle berry tablets, so they can host a miracle berry tasting night with friends.

And then I got another packet for my boyfriend's family with whom I will be spending Christmas; that and a small assortment of foods that are fun to try, like limes and stout beer and Greek yogurt, for our own miracle berry tasting night. Miracle berries are fun and last ~1 hour; something that creates memories but not at a huge expense.

Price: $14 / pack of ten, $25 / two packs of ten.

Your multi actually doesn't have enough B12. If you're vegan, you should be taking a supplement with 100 micrograms of B12 every single day. Yes, it will make your pee a bright color, that is normal and fine. There aren't any negative effects of getting too much B12, besides a small number of people getting acne from it.

If you're looking for a good vegan multivitamin, try Deva's.

For how long were you only taking a B12 vitamin once a month? If it was more than a year or so, you might have or be on your way to a deficiency.

We buy a bunch of these and cut up limes, lemons, oranges, and grapefruit, and buy tobasco sauce and vinegar. You take a miracle berry and rub it around your tongue until it dissolves; it inhibits the sour taste receptors and sour things taste sweet. You can literally take shots of vinegar. Makes grapefruit taste like candy. Pretty much always our most popular rush event.

http://www.amazon.com/Lindt-Excellence-Chocolate-3-5-Ounce-Packages/dp/B000HQNBSU

Each square is 2.25g net carbs, i usually have 2-3 squares / day.


http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Frooties-600mg-Tablets-XL/dp/B002INDU22

These make everything sour taste sweet for ~1 hour - eating a lemon tastes like eating super sweet lemon candy.

Personally, I got tired of reading various opinions on which form of K2 was best (mk-4 or mk-7). So, I just ended up buying Life Extension Super K. It contains k1, k2 (mk-4) and k2 (mk-7) - http://www.amazon.com/Life-Extension-Advanced-Complex-softgels/dp/B004GW4S0G. At least this way I know I'm getting good doses of all types. Also, the softgel is very small and easy to swallow.

I'm using http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B004GW4S0G/ as I'm quite sure I won't be able to get myself to like natto.

No citation stack, I just play it by ear. Not doing quantified self since I don't trust the vendors with the data and as a whole it looks like a yet another way to spend money to pollute your life with even more data. I tend to minimalism as I get older.

I notice higher endurance and much better mood. It seems that Bacopa/ashwagandha have started producing more tangible results now. Definitely a far stronger effect than Rhodiola alone.

Another thing I didn't mention in my stack: I drink about 1 l of strong green tea daily (and about a l of black tea).

Miracle Berries

They do work. Let them dissolve on your tongue for a minute or two and try stuff. Generally sour foods will give you the most effect turning them somewhat sweet. A cup of white vinegar tastes like Apple juice. Straight lemons taste like lemonade. Though there is a distinct "artificial" sweetener taste.

Note that you probably will get sick the first time - not from the tablet, but from the ridiculous stuff you will eat and think tastes good. And be careful with alcohol. Tequila tastes good, but it doesn't mean you should drink it like juice.

I am buying nerve health supplements because I am recovering from an acoustic neuroma - (and with vitamins many doctors think they do nothing - so keep that in mind) Nervestra Nerve Health Support Supplement, Alpha Lipoic Acid Vegetable Caps, Methylcobalamin (Methyl B12), 1000 mcg, Lozenges and Centrum but I am not taking anything for the ear for hearing health maintenance.

Anyone want to recommend any vitamin/herbal supplements for hearing heath maintenance?

While I am aware of medical literature that says vitamin supplements do nothing - it never made sense to me why vitamins absorbed in foods are good but via pills is bad (if the pills were of good quality and contained the ingredients they contained).

Magic Berries look like fun. Also, these are an Australian favourite. You can also buy Australia food online here, here, and here

Also, I really want it. I don't mind, but the $5 I'd love is the OTG USB cable for Google nexus.

Edit: I really really want it.

I take the spray linked below. Once a week under the tongue, my blood checks have always come back great. I notice a difference between the methyl- sourced and the cyclo- or whatever sourced. The methyl- sublingual ones I've always noticed benefits. Body stores what it needs, expels the rest. Gives you a boost, they put b12 in energy drinks, so I like to take it on Mondays.


Garden of Life B12 Vitamin - mykind Organic Whole Food B-12 for Metabolism and Energy, Raspberry, 2oz Liquid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K5NEPJY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_fAexCb55QVTJK

I am so sorry you are dealing with morning sickness :( I used these prenatal vitamins in my first trimester because they are delicious and they don't have iron, which makes a lot of women kind of queasy (just make sure to get iron from other sources). good luck dealing with the nausea, i hope it passes soon!

I took that for a while and honestly I'm not sure it's worth it. They're extremely expensive for a bunch of other ingredients that I'm not even sure are worth having. Sure there are some BCAAs in them, but I didn't feel like it made it worth it.

Honestly you're better off with something simple. Try this.

Get them from Amazon.

I found they worked really well with sour and sweet things like lemons, but not so well with savory foods. I was able to eat a whole lemon and it tasted like sweet lemonade.

They don't last very long. I'd say maybe 30 minutes.

Edit: Here's the link on Amazon

That's called miracle fruit, it's pretty fun to try at least once.

I got these tablets from Amazon, if anyone wants to try them.
http://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets-10-Count/dp/B001LXYA5Q

I had lower end of normal vitamin D on my pre-pregnancy blood work so I've been taking D 5,000 UI since pre-conception. Now at 26 weeks my nurse midwife says my D levels are the best she's ever seen. I take it in the morning and so does my SO as his levels were low too.

NatureWise Vitamin D3 5,000 IU for Healthy Muscle Function, Bone Health, & Immune Support | Non-GMO in Cold-Pressed Organic Olive Oil & Gluten-Free (Packaging May Vary) [1Year Supply - 360 Count] https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00GB85JR4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Uz1PDbVB4TF7Z

[Miracle berry tablets!] for a short amount of time anything you eat or drink will taste sweet. Anything. That can include vinegar, lemon or whatever. Its a pretty cool thing if you have friends over and stuff.(http://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets-10-Count/dp/B001LXYA5Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1451162213&sr=1-1&keywords=miracle+berry+tablets)

I just followed the suggestions in the FAQ, so I went out and bought the highest does of Magnesium supplements I could find. The FAQ suggests Potassium Sulfate or Potassium Chloride, but I unfortunately could only find Potassium Gluconate, which is what I use. But if you can find what they list in the FAQ, i'd go with that. Something about the suffix "gluco-" doesn't seem keto-friendly to me. I also bought Benefiber to keep myself regular, and I use salt liberally. And I take a multi-vitamin. A cup of chicken broth was all I needed for the one headache I got in my first 2 weeks.

Emergen-C makes a supplement powder called Electro-Mix that makes a lemon-lime, sports drink type thing with electrolytes. Full disclosure, though: it tastes kind of yucky, IMO. It doesn't have enough flavor to really stand on its own, so it just tastes like you're drinking water that is "off." I'm thinking of adding lime juice, or maybe putting it in seltzer water to see if it tastes better.

This is what worked for me! Obviously every body is different, but I think it's a good place to start! Good luck!

You can find Natural Calm on Amazon, for sure. It's a powder.

ElectroMix should be near Emergen-C stuff. But you can probably order it from Amazon, too, that might be the easiest way:

http://www.amazon.com/EMERGEN-C-ELECTRO-MIX-Lemon-Lime-4-2/dp/B002HWRY5S

Some people were mentioning that electromix had been re-formulated and now has sugar, so make sure to double-check the label before buying or taking!

I take the DEVA Vegan Multi and have found it to be extremely helpful in making sure all my nutritional needs can be met. Good luck!

Deva Vegan Multivitamin & Mineral One Daily 90 Tablets (Pack of 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GAOHVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_EK1PDb471DZ1K

I bought a bunch of pills made from this stuff off of amazon and it totally works. The trick is to make sure all your taste buds get covered.

I've done diner parties where we all take the pills and then try different sour foods. Its pretty amazing.

Here, I can save you some money.

NOW Ultra Omega 3 Fish Oil 360 caps $40.50

• http://www.amazon.com/Now-Foods-Ultra-Soft-gels-180-Count/dp/B000SE5SY6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344266166&sr=8-1&keywords=NOW+Ultra+Omega+3+Fish+Oil
  
  
• 4/day = $0.44/day
  
  Life Force Multiple 360 caps (Year supply) $41.64
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GFPD0G/ref=rcxsubs_dp_chrt?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
  
  
• Taking 1/day (take 1, not 4 like the bottle states) = $0.11/day
  
  Healthy Origins Vitamin D 5,000 IU 377 Drops (Year supply) $6.99
  
  
• http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origins-Vitamin-D3-Drops-5-000-IU-68-fl-oz-377-Servings/40027
  
  
• Taking 1/day = $0.01 / day
  
  True Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate 1900g (Year supply) $23.56
  
  
• http://www.truenutrition.com/p-961-creatine-monohydrate-powder-100-grams.aspx
  
  
• Taking 5g/day = $0.06
  
  Comes out to $112.69 for the year.
  
  Want to add beta alanine?
  
  TrueNutrition Beta-Alanine 1500g $56.70
  
  
• http://www.truenutrition.com/p-990-beta-alanine-powder-100-grams.aspx
  
  
• Taking 4g/day = $0.18/day
  
  Total now is $181.66 for the year
  
  Coupon codes:
  
  
• iHerb - $5 off first order: OFU651
  
  
• Truenutrition - 5% off order:

no not very expensive. usually <$10. The trick is to find some that are from a vegan source and don't contain gelatin. When you goto the grocery store look at their vitamin section. There is usually a small selection of vegetarian / organic vitamins. I get my local stores brand so I can't really recommend a specific vitamin. Amazon has [these.] (http://www.amazon.com/Deva-Vegan-Vitamins-Sublingual-Tablets/dp/B001GAOHTS/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_5)

Never tried them and maybe a tad expensive. Sometimes a multivitamin has a good vitamin B selection. Your doctor might be able to get you prescription vitamins as well. Depending on your insurance that might be a good deal.

theveganrd.com has lots of great information on vegan nutrition. i used this page to help me figure out what supplements i should take.

personally, i take one of these daily and i also take a calcium supplement (everyone needs calcium, but it's extra important for women; greens are a great vegan source of calcium but you have to eat a lot and i don't particularly like them anyway).

LyteShow seems to be a little expensive (I looked on amazon). I think my favorite electrolyte go-to would be this: http://www.amazon.com/EMERGEN-C-ELECTRO-MIX-Lemon-Lime-4-2/dp/B002HWRY5S/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1415343741&sr=1-1&keywords=electro+c

It's way cheaper, and it's one packet per LITER of water, plus for each packet you get more electrolytes than each serving from the LyteShow which is also 3 times more expensive per electro c box. The Electro mix also is sweetened with Stevia, has no carbs, and tastes wonderful. I'm a stickler for quality, and I am surprised how wonderful it really is. I have it on auto pay on amazon for 2 boxes per month.

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: one of these


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|UK|www.amazon.co.uk|Macmillan|




To help add charity links, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

I do keto and love it.

If you're suffering from the adjustment period you need to up your electrolytes. I suggest this: http://www.amazon.com/EMERGEN-C-ELECTRO-MIX-Lemon-Lime-4-2/dp/B002HWRY5S/ it's a powder you can mix into any liquid and get your daily fix. If you need something now go to the grocery store and pick up some salt-substitutes, those have almost 1,000mg of potassium in 1/5 a teaspoon which is way more than you'll find in any supplement.

Also remember that low carb isn't just about low carb, it's also about increased fat intake. Pecans, almonds, and avacados always give me a nice boost. I used to read about people dipping their bacon in mayo in order to up their fats and thought they were insane, but when my doctor recommended dipping bacon in guacamole and explained why it all made much more sense.

As far as nootropic-like effects I need a lot less sleep, no morning sluggishness, lots of energy, and less symptoms of ADD. This is all anecdotal of course but if you look at /r/keto and /r/paleo you'll see many feel these benefits as well.

Here's something a little different that may appeal to her "genius" side and definitely the food side. These berries change your taste buds and make things taste totally different for like 15 mins at a time. Could be a interesting party idea to grab a bunch of different foods and try them out!

Like others I take the garden of Life prenatal. It's vegetarian, but that's not why I got it as I am definitely a meat eater. I looked for folate instead of folic acid as well. They suggest three a day and with you mentioning issues with absorbing them this might help by taking one, three times daily.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005JAT3TU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For DHA I take Nordic Naturals. They were also highly reviewed and don't taste funny at all. I've never had stomach issues or constipation issues due to my pills. Not to say my digestive system hasn't been wonky during pregnancy, just not caused by these, lol.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0062CW1BG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

bleh, get a good electrolyte water like this one: http://amzn.com/B002HWRY5S

Get off the artificial sweeteners, you'll feel better and after a long enough break when you taste them again they'll be pretty disgusting :)

My goto drink at a restaurant is unsweetened iced tea now, with a squeeze of lemon.

Woo! Funtime!

OK...I'm thinking about something with a horse, magic pills, and a yodeling pickle.

On second thought...let's just go with drawing stuff, cuz art is awesome!

http://imgur.com/GbcCTi5 (Total list of things you can do)

You need to regulate your hormones. By the way, people here will always just blame it on the hormones. But remember, your hormones will get out of whack for a reason, there are precursors that caused something to happen.

This isn't caused solely by puberty. It's a mixture of characteristics. Here's what you can do for a cheap remedy that you can get in Europe.

-Eliminate refined sugars from your diet. Refined sugars bring no benefit and only bring harm to your body.

-Adequate vitamin D. You can get vitamin D for free just by getting out in the sun and getting exposed.

-Exercise everyday. If you have access to a Sauna, go there after you exercise. Make sure you wash your face after you exercise.

-Sleep 8 hours a day. Change your pillowcases every other day.

Supplements that are game changers:
OptiZinc - Take 100mg of Zinc a day.

Boron - Take 6 mg of Boron a day.

B-complex - Once a day

Vitamin D with K2 - Take 2000 IU of Vitamin D a day w/ K2. Also take fish oil and a multivitamin, if you can afford one.

Those right there will change your acne. Limit dairy consumption as well. That should cure your acne or make it very controllable. If you can, go to a dermatologist and try to get a retinoid cream.

Meal frequency does not matter. If he wants to eat one or two meals a day, that is okay. What matters is that he is getting enough nutrients(vitamins, minerals, protein, calories) When the body does not get enough food, it slows down the metabolism. Go to the doctor ask for blood work for testosterone/thyroid/Vitamin D. At his age, either could be suboptimal for his health. Getting a sluggish thyroid optimized will make a huge difference in energy levels, same as testosterone. Optimally, you would want his testosterone over 700 ng/dl and his TSH(thyroid stimulating hormone) under <3. If you get his blood work and let me see it, i will tell you what i think. He needs to incorporate more animal protein into his diet. Amino acids found in food are essential for every single process in your body. Neurotransimitters like dopamine and serotonin(happy hormones) need amino acids to function properly. People underestimate the importance of dietary protein.



These are the two multivitamins i recommend because they contain the best, most bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals. They are not expensive and are of really good quality. It is possible that your husband's multivitamin switched it's formulation to an inferior product. You can try these, but get that blood work done. It is very important, low testosterone and hypothyroidism will deteriorate his health as he ages. :

http://www.amazon.com/Controlled-Labs-Orange-Triad-Multivitamin/dp/B00104I5TS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417103926&sr=8-1&keywords=orange+triad


http://www.amazon.com/Source-Naturals-Force-Multiple-Capsules/dp/B000GFPD0G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417104039&sr=8-1&keywords=source+naturals+life+force

WTT for about 6 more months here. I just started Garden of Life. I'm glad that husband is super sweet when it comes to the various charting paraphernalia that I've purchased.

I just purchased doctors best D3, in the ingredients it says as Cholecalciferol / vitashine D3. I hope it's vegan lol.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E816ROU?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

These Raw Prenatals are considered to be some of the best on the market. They are small because you are supposed to take three spread throughout the day which makes them easier to swallow and easier on your tummy.

Agreed. Spend this time dry to plan out an awesome night to get to know her. Maybe invite a few of your close frients, smoke quite a bit and then flavor trip. Always leads to a memorable night. :)

B-12 is the only vitamin that you cannot get by eating a plant based diet. Everything else you can.

The only reason B-12 is found in a meat eaters diet (in todays world) is because the factory farm cows/pigs/etc are force-fed B-12 supplements themselves. Then omnis get B-12 second hand through eating meat.

Vegans just get it first hand from taking the supplement themselves, instead of waiting to get it from a cow that took the supplement. You can get B-12 in pills, chewies, spray, weekly pill. You can also get it from B-12 fortified vegan milks (oat, flax, cashew, almond, coconut, soy, etc), nutritional yeast, fortified cereals and orange juices, and some fortified faux meats.

I have this one:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00K5NEPJY/ref=pe_3034960_233709270_TE_item


Also, everyone on the planet should take vitamin D. Everyone, because we all don't get enough sun. But that has nothing to do with veganism.

First of all congratulations! I am still TTCing but I really like rainbow light pre-natals - they are gluten free and have digestive enzymes so I haven't had any trouble with them. They usually have Iron but no DHA. Also noticed that they have a trimester 2&3 formulation too.

Wow the other answers here are annoying. Here's a RELEVANT answer since it's a SUPPLEMENT: Ashwagandha. https://www.amazon.com/ORGANIC-INDIA-Ashwagandha-Supplement-Capsules/dp/B003PGE98K

​

​

Been taking on a regular basis for 4 years to help severe chronic health issues which include(d) some of the worst possible anxiety. I also used to have thyroid imbalance and terrible adrenal fatigue which disappeared with this supplement. I used to take 4 caps a day for years, but now I take about 2 a day and not every day. Happy to answer more if needed. Lots of info online. Generally, things that take a little longer to "kick in" are going to have more steady effects, so that you will still have benefit when no longer on the supplement, or if only taking sporadically. Ashwagandha often has mild immediate effects, but it's over a period of a few to several weeks that effects become really obvious and positive. Check out the reviews and search for "anxiety." Best wishes.

Try taking a Miracle Berry tablet before eating strawberries. It makes every strawberry taste sweet.

Heck, they make lemon juice taste like sweet lemonade. And you don't need a whole tablet, you can split one in half and share.

Happy cake day :)

Clearly the correct answer is creme brûlée!

Cheesecake all day everyday

I do not even want to know.

That being said, something like Miracle Fruit tablets may help. Never tried them, so I do not know. Here is one such item on Amazon.

digging this particular one

http://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Methyl-B12-1000mcg-Lozenges/dp/B002FJW3ZY/ref=zg_bs_3774741_2

from description
"Methylcobalamin (Methyl B-12) is better absorbed and retained than other forms of B12 (e.g.; cyanocobalamin).* Methyl B-12 protects nerve tissue and brain cells; promotes better sleep and reduces toxic homocysteine to the essential amino acid methionine."

This bad boy! So the red/orange container is gelatin you can make into jello and the green one is gelatin that won't gel and you can put into your coffee. But what really helps me is using the red/orange container gelatin to make jello with Powerade Zero or I'll use water that's been mixed with Emergen-C Electro Mix and sugar-free syrup for flavor.

From my research stay away from Knox gelatin (yucky taste) and Sugarfree Jello (only has a minute quantity of actual gelatin).

When making jello with this gelatin use these instructions (taken from the first review in Amazon for this gelatin, but I modified it a little to make it keto-friendly):

"i start off by mixing 1 cup of COLD liquid with the 2 tablespoons of gelatin in the measuring cup.
keep mixing till all the gelatin has been mixed with the liquid, don't leave any chunks.
then let sit for 5 mins. This will bloom the gelatin.

After the 5 mins, dump the cup of liquid/gelatin into a dish, and then clean your measuring cup, then pour
another cup of liquid into your measuring cup. I then microwave this cup for 2 minutes (maybe another minute after i test it)
then take it out to measure the temperature. you want to try to get the liquid around 160F degrees. (should be pretty hot to the touch)

then i mix in the sweetner [I don't add any] to taste, then add the hot liquid to the cold, and mix it.
it should all be clear after you mix them together, and then i leave it sit on the counter for a few minutes,
then put it in the fridge. It takes a few hours to harden."

I eat it all, I try to make 2 tablespoons of gelatin by daily dose so I use half the liquid mentioned above so there is less jello to eat because even then there is still a lot of jello to eat!

Let me know if I'm not clear! I can type slower than I think!

Definitely gotta give Walt some of those Miracle fruit tablets that turn sour things sweet.

https://www.amazon.com/mberry-Miracle-Fruit-Tablets-10-Count/dp/B001LXYA5Q

Here's a link to the berries if anyone is interested in purchasing some. A few of my coworkers had them and tried out a bunch of different foods. They said lemons and grapefruits tasted amazing. Strawberries were far too sweet with the berries though.

From what I've heard, nausea from prenatal vitamins is really common. I don't know if it's just that most women taking them are in the first trimester of pregnancy and naturally nauseous, or if there's something in prenatals that can upset stomachs more than other vitamins. FWIW, I have a really sensitive stomach (and get nauseous as part of my normal PMS symptoms) and I've had no problems taking Prenatal One vitamins.

Your temps look totally normal. It's very expected to have variations of 0.1-0.3 or more from day-to-day. Definitely no need to "preheat" the thermometer. The important thing is that you're able to pick out the pattern of a temp spike after ovulation. You want to see a rise of 0.2 or more above the previous 3 temps, that lasts for at least 3-5 days (really, it should last until AF shows up, 10 or more days).

There are some possible complications from a D&C, but it's more related to the ability for an embryo to implant, not for carrying to term. However, lots and lots of women have D&Cs, it's not considered a high-risk procedure. I'd say there's no need to worry until you've been TTC with no luck for at least 6 months, and your doctor would really be the right person to ask about that.

Finally, your sex drive issues could be psychological or hormonal. It could be related to PCOS causing hormonal issues, or even the paraguard removal. Again, I would worry too much until it's persisted for a much longer period of time. :)

Good luck, and welcome to TFAB!

Also, muscle flutters/twitches, aching hands/feet and later on heart flutters and arrhythmia.

Headaches that don't go away with tylenol/ibuprofen or migraine meds are more common than actual migraines, but are also one of the first signs of sodium deficiency.

I like these packets: They're cheapest if you buy the 5-box quantity, but even $0.20 a packet isn't too terrible since it tastes nice and has zero carbs. http://www.amazon.com/EMERGEN-C-ELECTRO-MIX-Lemon-Lime-4-2/dp/B002HWRY5S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421521222&sr=8-2&keywords=electro+mix