Silver Shadow
Have you dried only having cheese products from other sources? Such as lamb or goat related cheeses? I initially found those to be quite easy on the stomach compared to cow cheese. Once I let a those in on rare occasions I seemed to build up my cheese intake ability again (so I wouldn't get extremely ill) and can have the occasional parmesan or blu cheese as well now.

I didn't awaken until I had been sticking to a vegetarian, and most of the time vegan, diet for about a year and a half. I hadn't really done any energy work for a while. So I don't know how to compare. But I do find that my need for grounding seems stronger than a general need for meditation.

I agree that there seems to be something negative in the meat intake. Many cannot sense it for one reason or another. But others I know who have gone veg say that there is a sense of too much negative energy that comes from the unnatural killing of the animal (penned, bad living, bad death vs hunted in the wild or free range. Suffering vs "what was that,boom I'm dead") :0

Just find what works for you balance wise. Just like with dealing with energy work (centering, grounding, shielding, cleansing, etc) you need to find what works right for you not just physically but as far as your lifestyle goes. Sure a raw vegan, organic, locally grown, in season diet can have an enormous benefit...but it isn't practical. Even for a raw veg friend of mine who has lived her lifestyle for like 9 years now. Things about YOU and YOUR lifestyle may keep you omnivorous (even if it is just the occasional meat product) or maybe as you transition bad to veg you will find the balance you need to keep it up.

At home I found it easy, going out was another issue. Just finding the food that was non dairy.
I used to be pretty strict about it, not even milk/egg as a small additive in something.

Have you been vegetarian for long? When/why the transition to vegan?

I was vegan for about a year and a half with no supplements besides the occasional multivitamin. When I had blood work done everything was fine. No iron/protein deficiency for example.

They key I found with vegetarianism and veganism is not to simply cut out the animal products, but to replace them. Many times I have heard of people trying a veg diet by cutting things out. But animal products are high in calories usually. So when they cut things out, they decrease their calories by half or more (depending on how much animal products they were taking in to begin with).

I never really focused on soy...until I learned to make some yummy dishes with it (I gained weight goind Veg because of all the new foods I learned about). When I started bringing a lot of it in I had some problems.

I pretty much have filled in any animal products gaps with more of everything else. Grains and legumes definitely are the easiest way, more fruit and veg is a super bonus, and like Klara said, taking a supplement every now and then can help fill things in. Then again these days with the food available even omnivores should take a few supplements I guess :0

Just fill in the gaps where the animal products were and keep track of everything for a few weeks to see where you stand nutritionally. For myself, I found that without any soy my protein was at the right intake every day as well as my fat intake.

Silver Shadow
The over-the-counter thyroid stuff I take is called Now Thyroid Energy. It was recommended to me by someone who has thyroid issues, is on prescriptions, and takes this as a little boost. They came across it after trying several brands that try to assist the thyroid as well.

So far the only negative side effects were occasional stomach issues and nausea if I take it on an empty stomach. They recommend 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. I occasionally skip a dose but for the most part of some every day.

Black.Rose656
I have also stared taking some spirulina and have upped my raw food intake. The organic branding is in dispute these days, because so many rules have been bent to give something that lable. But I am more actively seeking out organic anyways. Especially from local markets and such. I hear all sorts of bad things about what happens to food when it is farmed from over farmed land with tons of fertilizer and pesticides. Not that the standard grocery store stuff is "bad" but just that the more organic, local, and raw you eat the better it is for your body. Doctors seem to want to treat the result of an illness but never recommend a lifestyle change or dietary change. While the drugs can work wonders, there are so many over the counter natural (or more natural than the drugs they push) drugs that should be explored as well. It's cool that you have taken up learning about the possibilities out there and finding out what will help you rather than just say: "Hey doc, give me the latest pill" 

Lono
I don't avoid soy like the plague really. But the days of guying frozen soy burgers and such are over I think. I have hadonly a few heavy soy based products since posting this (a fake rib thing and two soy hot dogs). I have also stuck to almond milk when needing something for in my coffee or cereal. I have heard mixed things (as always happens in health related info, about the estrogen. That soy can have a very positive effect but, like many good things, too much turns that good thing into a bad thing.

Klara
I was really worried about the B12 thing when I first gave up egg and milk products. Spoke with some other vegetarians and vegans about it and most haven't had an issue as long as they are having a balanced diet and occasionally take a multivitamin to help fill in any gaps. Supposedly it takes a very long time to deplete the B12. But on the other hand I have heard that many are not getting the b12 that they should, omnivores as well, because of all teh extra processing going into foods all across the board. I had been taking a miltivitamin every day, the occasional extra B12 supplement, the occasional cheese here and there, and many of the foods were fortified with B12 and I still had the issues. I don't think it was the B12 specifically. But it is possible that the combination in the thyroid supplement makes it easier for my body to absorb the B12 in the supplement rather than in the multivitamin.

So far in this whole thing I am at my lowest weight since early October now and seem to have much more muscle mass than I have had over the past 6+ months as well. Go figure that cutting down on the soy stuff, which gave me a lot of protein, I would somehow end up working better in general and having better results from the gym.

From a metaphysical side I have also started carrying some stones from time to time, using some for grounding, and have put more work into meditation when I can fit it in. Seems like the combination of things are really helping me out.

Eternal Boy: www.pixyland.org/peterpan
He's a friend of mine from years ago. Good guy, really fun. His wife is lovely as well. Good people through and through. I even got to be on TV in an interview about them. :0

Man, I seriously wish I had some celery now...

Have it tonight, for dinner!

Been thinking of revisiting youthful ways. I want to organize a game of tag soon. I am friends with an Eternal Boy who would probably be up for it. Although the ants on a log would not be on the menu for snacks that day, he's allergic to nuts.

Time for some ants on a log?

Ah yes, that whole "too much of any good thing is a bad thing"...thing.

My multivitamin has 150% C in it. Not sure how much of that is really absorbed, but it not crazy high. I usually haven't paid much attention to C besides the vitamin and having an organge a few times a week.

Not true. If you completely cover yourself in mashed bananas or banana juice enough of it will be taken in orally to the point where your body is deprived of oxygen. You could die in a matter of minutes. Death by bananas!!!
end of the day I an felt the need to inject humor where I could. since everyone else has left for the day, this is my outlet

Good advice CMH. I have also found that attaining the elusive red/orange/yellow peppers seem to break the bank, as does the pineapple.

I hit up local markets when I can for produce. Grown locally, very cheap. Buying in season helps too. If a naval orange is $3.99/lb then you know it isn't in season. Be patient and it will come down in price. Same thing for certain kinds of apples that I consume frequently.

As for the frozen stuff, it's hard since there is more value there. Usually the blueberries I have with my oatmeal are frozen. I also stock up on the onions and peppers and freeze them if they are going to be cooked at a later date. I leave them in the fridge if they are going to be consumed raw.

I occasionally have a Kashi or Amy's frozen meal. I figure it is better than some food, even if not ideal because it is frozen and has higher sodium than home made.

My big cheap/healthy thing is pasta. Getting some high fiber whole grain pasta in each day has helped me. he cheap part comes in the sauce. I usually get two cans of the mass market cheap stuff and "fix" it as a friend says. Adding tons of fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and a whole bag of spinach chopped up and added into the mix. Adding additional spices and all rounds it off. Can get 8 servings out of it and it has lasted me a good 2 weeks in the fridge without going bad.

The big thing is knowing what is considered the best choice when it comes to food and balancing it with the best option for the wallet/lifestyle. Gradually work at it until you find something sustainable.

Hey CMH, I hope all is well with you.
Just wanted to post a follow up to my attempts to live better.

So far all has gone well. The changes have definitely helped me. I have tons more energy and everything seems much more balanced. I got out last week on a Monday night for the first time since May and got to meet up with some people I rarely see anymore, took in a good environment, and even ran into a fellow from our Gatherings there and had some brief energy talk.

The diet seems to be the key. Bad fuel = bad energy it seems. My girlfriend changed things up a bit too. Got some advice from a coworker on eating habits. She has been feeling much better than recently with all the holiday stresses and all and I can tell.

The thyroid supplements and lack of soy I think are playing a key role as well. I now have the energy and drive to go to the gym more consistently, to not binge on comfort foods or copious amounts of wine, etc.

I am sometimes surprised by the whole nutrition thing. I know, as most of us do, that good nutrition is key to a good life. But it seems, how it has worked for my anyways, that there is a gradual downward spiral I follow. I will let in "bad" foods/habits/behaviors here and there. Nothing big, just little things. Then that leads to another and another. Just enough to start some minor bad energy (both physically and spiritually). That will bring on the "comfort" foods/habits/behaviors which gradually make any of the issues worse, and so on and so on. Next thing I know I am staring at the bottom quickly approaching me, or me approaching it I guess, and it is overwhelming. An attempt to suddenly jump to the top is inevitable going to fail. But a gradual climb, one step at a time, seems to work best for me.

I haven't been perfect this past month, but I guess what I am doing so far has worked well. Helped me get through a stressful cross country drive (and back), settling back into work, catching up on home stuff, etc. I think I have found my current path...but all things change.

2009 has been rough, health wise. Besides the blood clot issue I had in my lung in May my weight has gone from as low as 161lbs to as high as 181lbs (about 177lbs now). Despite what I have tried I cannot seem to get out of the 170s. Not only that, but during the blood clot thing my blood tests showed that my cholesterol has fallen from it's "Gold Star" status quite a bit.

When I had first let myself slip some while in a very unhealthy relationship in 2008 my weight maxed at 171 (healthy weight range for me is 125-165lbs). I quickly went back on Weight Watchers Points and got it down into the low 160s within about 2 weeks. Then I started dipping to the 155-159 mark pretty consistently. By the end of 2008 it got back up to the mid 160s but I was able to reel in some bad habits and get it back down to 161. A weight I have not seen since March.

I used to be able to go out, drink a lot, go off the diet for a day, but still be in that 158-163 weight range. Now it seems that no matter what I do I make no progress.

Strict points, lots of exercise, letting little things in, winging it, etc. Nothing seems to get me back down to the weight I want to be (145-150lbs again).

I worry that the "borderline underactive thyroid" I was diagnosed with, and my doctor has been wanting to check every year just in case, is having issues. I look at the symptoms and many of them fit. Among those:
-Feeling tired and sleepy a lot
-Dry and/or pale skin
-Sore muscles
-Depression
-Problems with memory and concentration
-Weight gain
-Constipation
-Lowered libido

I thought about having another blood test to see where things stood. But before jumping on that I decided to act like I have a thyroid issue. What would a person with a thyroid issue take that is over the counter, what would they/would they not eat, etc. One thing came up: Soy

Apparently soy has been known to cause thyroid issues in some clinical tests. Of course this is probably soy in abundance, or in patients with minor thyroid issues to begin with (the soy making it worse). I haven't read into it too much, but I had heard about it several times in the past. However I had never even thought about soy as an issue in my life because I wasn't consuming it much except every few weeks in a batch of chili I would make or as a filler/creamer. But in 2009 I had been taking in lots of soy. Different kinds of patties and such. The main reasons are for the diversity in my diet, protein, and because unlike the oatmeal and blueberries I used to have for breakfast (which is still really healthy) the same WW Point equivalent in Boca burgers left me fuller longer.

Soy is good for you. But I think, like many things, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Depending on your body and lifestyle, a VERY bad thing in some cases.

However, that's not all. It is very doubtful that soy alone is causing me these weight issues or that the symptoms I have are only related to the soy/thyroid. I have been stressed.

The earlier prospect of losing my son (long story), a new life in a new apartment, the blood clot issue in May, and the holidays have really taken a toll on me. I have been getting over stressed frequently. Besides the soy issue, I also haven't been going out on my usual Monday night and every other Friday and Saturday. Not that the alcohol was the big key to de-stressing as it were, but other stuff about going out.

I would socialize more and get good stuff from those nights out as well. Whether it is something related to pheromones, adrenaline, anything social and physiological or something along the lines of spiritual energy work (super empathic at times, realized those were my ambient feeding nights) from being in that environment I think my body is freaking out from my absence from the scene. I have been getting sick easy and have had stress alone almost shut me down because of neck and back issues from the tension.

Because of this, I am taking steps to not self destruct, feel better, and get back to the weight I want to be. Instead of blaming only soy, only not going out, only my "possible" thyroid issue, I am attacking my health issues on all fronts.

-I am cutting out the Boca and chili this month as well as taking some minor supplements that are supposed to be good for ones thyroid such as a B Complex or a thyroid specific multi supplement.

-I am going back to what I used to eat most frequently when I was feeling better and at the weight I felt comfortable with.

-I am going to start going out (even if my girlfriend cannot make it) every other Monday and every other Friday along with the monthly Vampire Gatherings. Doing a mall walk or going to a movie theater isn't cutting it. Need a crowd that is energizing and spewing about ambient energy for me to tap into.

-I am going to keep up with staying active. Not pushing to the extreme or being obsessive about it, but getting healthy active time in as much as possible.

-I am going to make a better effort to get a healthy amount of sleep.

-I am going to not take on more and more at home with the thought that I am being supportive, since this is obviously not the way to do it and will only stress me out further. Balance is what it is all about.

I think I may finally be going down the path that I should have months ago. Instead of attacking one, forsaking all others and in many cases making things worse since the other stuff is not even touched on, I am attacking on all fronts.

Update to this, since it was originally posted a week ago on another location.
A week with no soy patties, doing better with the diet, and (after a major stress breakdown this weekend) getting a few days with extra B12 and one night with the thyroid specific complex (which will replace the B12 pills since it already has B12), I am surprisingly energized. Placebo effect or not, I feel like I am heading down the right path for once.

Extreme low carb (like the "induction phases" and such) seems like a body-hack to me. A way to trick the body into kicking into another mode for a quick initial result, but not a long lasting lifestyle. However, lowering carbs, especially from breads and sweets, has seemed like a positive step for many people.

Many, not all. Because (as already stated here) people are all different. For some going above 50g of carbs is a very bad thing, for others they are fine until they cross 80g.

After 5 months on a low carb diet and not being able to lose any more than the 20-25lbs I did in the first 2-3 months I switched to doing Weight Watchers-style system. Used the points system I read about online to go at it alone (instead of paying and going to meetings and all) and had much better results. As I learned more about what foods are how many points I found a better balance and at my lowest was down a total of 72lbs.

But really with any diet I think the most important thing is finding the balance that works for YOU in YOUR lifestyle. Not just the calories, fat, carbs, etc but what kinds of foods that not just make you the weight you want to be but make you feel good too.

Vaccinations are a tricky subject.
When my son was getting them I wondered why they didn't space out the shots a bit at least. Nothing like seeing a baby get 4 shots in one visit to make one wonder.

I completely agree about the FDA being seemingly corrupted. Read a book called The China Study sometime. Surprisingly quick and easy of a read given that it is more about research and less about any actual story. It touches on the practices of some of the government agencies that tell us what to consume. Also go to Ted.com and check out the Mark Bittman bit (direct link to video). Very interesting stuff.

I personally think that vaccinations in and of themselves are not the issue. But that they are one piece in the autism puzzle which includes other nutritional questions as well. Not to mention genetics. Too little to jump to vaccinations being the key, too much to jump away from vaccinations having any possible negative, possibly autism inflicting, effects.

As for raw, I brought a raw vegan friend of mine to a Gathering once. Interesting energy to say the least. She is pretty tuned in and was amazed at what she was picking up in the room. And others were immensely attracted to her. One was actually caught tapping into her a bit. But I think it was his intense curiosity to what she gave off and not an intentional attempt to feed. Just a taste perhaps, if it could be worded as such.

Really protein and calories are everywhere. If you replace with meat with just about anything (aside from the obvious like iceberg lettuce) the gaps will be filled.

A typical day for me will consist of:
Oatmeal and blueberries
Apple
Banana
Carrots
Cucumbers
Pretzels
Whole grain pasta with a sauce I have added tons of spinach, peppers, onions, and mushrooms to.
Two servings of beans with a cup of diced peppers and onions.
And various other snacks (preferably fruit)

Just remember to replace the missing calories with quality food. After all, Coke and french fries typically don't have animal products in them (some fries to) but it isn't a very healthy option. When physical energy goes due to bad nutrition, spiritual energy seems to follow. You can't focus your spiritual energy if your diet won't allow your mind to focus.

The biggest problem most failed vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, etc do is to eliminate vs replace.
If one eliminates meat, they suffer more from a loss of calories than anything else. Those are the gaunt vegans one sees at Peta rallys and such. Replacing is the key. Grains and legumes is key. If going raw, it is more complex but with education and dedication one can be immensely healthy.

I hadn't had meat in over two years and when getting some bloodwork done due to previous cholesterol issues (which are gone since giving up animal products) and a borderline underactive thyroid they want to follow up on every six months (something I had while an omnivore) everything checked out. Proteins were fine, iron was fine, no deficiencies. And I didn't take any supplements during most of that time.