Hi everyone! I am new to the kind life and feel a bit overwhelmed. There is a lot to learn and incorporate in my daily life. I have never been a big meat eater but loved all dairy products. About two months ago I gave up all meat and a little less than a month ago I gave up dairy. This past week I have been trying different recipes that claim to be vegan yet they call for sugar? Also I have been eating bread but think that is not allowed either. I am trying to be as responsible as I can but feel like I have so much more to learn and I need a little help from the pros. I am not familiar with a lot of the ingredients I found in “The Kind Diet” and hope to begin to familiarize myself with them. Anyone have any advice for someone new to the kind diet? I also want to mention I am a student and on a budget. I have noticed that some the grocery stores that offer healthier products are a bit more expensive. I am excited to begin a new chapter in my life that is kind to the environment, animals, and myself.  I hope to hear from all of you soon!

Hey Lindsay :)

Welcome :)

In this link you can find a lot of great advice on starting with this new lifestyl!

http://www.thekindlife.com/forum/thread/support-for-new-vegans

Enjoy :)))

PS check out this book :)

http://www.peta2.com/cookbook/

Just wanted to mention I am from Mesa, AZ so if anyone has any suggestions on different places to shop let me know! I want as much information as possible! Thanks!!

I'm a student too, so I feel your pain $$$-wise. I don't let that hold me back though. I mostly eat whole grains like wild rice, beans, and veggies. I make a fruit smoothie for breakfast out of frozen fruit I buy at Wal-mart and protein powder. It really fills me up and gives me energy and brain food! :) I buy the rice and beans in bulk. Then I save my pennies for the times I need a treat. One thing, tho, is that premade treats are often more expensive and a smaller portion than if you make it yourself. And eating out can be a total pain and use up more money than buying the ingredients and making it yourself. PLUS, it's healthier to make it yourself. :) Good luck with your journey!

Thanks Peasandlove!! I love smoothies so if you have any good recipes that you are willing to share let me know!! 

First of all, sugar is vegan. Bread is vegan as long as it doesn't contain animal products. My take on The Kind Diet, is that I used it as a starting point, as inspiration, and for recipes. But I've been exploring veganism as a whole through books and the Internet and, yes, there is a lot to learn. The thing to keep in mind is that vegans can be healthy or unhealthy, the choice is yours. If you're going for health, then try to eat whole foods--whole grains and veggie and fruits. But as a student, and as a human being, transitioning to a whole foods diet while also making the transition to a vegan diet can be extremely tough. I've only been doing this vegan thing for a month and for now, that's what I'm  concentrating on--becoming totally vegan, which isn't easy btw. 

So read VEGAN FREAK and BECOMING A VEGAN and check out goveg.org  and peta.org and just google like crazy, but don't drive yourself crazy. Be kind to yourself. That's what I'm trying to do.

-rebecca

I learned here that a lot of things that i thought were vegan are NOT. Suger is NOT always vegena, wines and other drinks are not vegan... It was a great shock to me! So you need to check everything when starting... now a few months in, i know the vegan ones from the not vegan... But my asthonisment remains!

OH and I read Vegan Freak also and did not like it... it is personal ofcourse but I would suggest reading Vegan Living for Dummies instead...

Yeah, sugar can be vegan or not vegan, technically. It just depends on where you draw the line. I'm still trying to figure that part out, but at this point, for me, sugar is vegan, though I know it's not healthy. I'm just trying to be vegan at this point, which is very challenging for me.

Hi Rebecca,  am not sure if we understand each other. By saying that some sugars are not vegan I mean that animal products are used in the production of some sugar brands... So there is the choice of using sugar that is not processed with animal residu...

Love & light, axa

*

Much, though not all, cane sugar is filtered through animal bone char. If you want to know more about that, you can google it. If you are talking about using sugar at home, you can purchase vegan cane sugar. I believe Whole Foods sells their own brand (365 - which is cheaper) of vegan cane sugar. However, if you're talking about home use, brown rice syrup is a healthier alternative. It all depends on your goals and purposes for being vegan. Bread is certainly allowed, but can contain non-vegan ingredients. Food for Life brand has some good healthier vegan breads. Remember there are stages in TKD if that is your primary source, and that can help you transition. For health reasons, mental, emotional, and physical, I would suggest eliminating sugar at some point just for a month to see how you feel - you might just be amazed at how it affects you, but that might be a ways down the road for you. Good luck in your transition! 

i am new as well, so now reading all these little by lines, i am more confused. it is more expensive, specially in an are that i live in , richlands va. not a very health concious place to begin with, so i guess if anyone may have concrete suggestions or places were i could shop for wole grain products, please tell me. thank you

You truly are thinking too hard about it.  Let it come natural to you.  Slowly.  It isn't something you want to feel like you "have" to do it or completely killing yourself over it.  IT will happen slowly and on its own.  It's amazing how you'll slowly learn to not beat urself up over this.  It really is an amazing life and it feels so freeing!  Keep up the good work and just listen to what your body is telling you!  I stand in front of the fridge about an hour before I need to have dinner.  My fridge is full of fresh fruit and veggies.  I look at everything and suddenly something comes to mind.  Sometimes, it isn't the greatest, but the next time, I'll know what to change.  It's such a freeing lifestyle.  The kind life should truly be called the freeing life!  just relax and realize what a change you've made!  Good luck!

Welcome Lindsay! It can be overwhelming at first, but it doesn't have to be difficult to be vegan. It is expensive only in the short term, because a lot of the new condiments/specialty items are expensive, but they last a long time. The other expensive items are convenience foods, which aren't necessarily the healthiest for you anyway, so are better thought of as special treats. The easiest thing to do is to think in terms of grains, legumes and greens.  I must eat whole grains (rice, barley, quinoa) every day to feel my best, and also dark leafy greens (bok choy, collards, kale). The grains will always taste better if you prepare them with broth or another flavorable liquid instead of water. Just fix yourself simple meals most of the time and experiment with cooking something more elaborate only when you have the time.  Take a deep breath and relax. You are doing something wonderful!

Thanks Cheryl! I appreciate the support and welcome all the help I can get. I already have a couple simple recipes down that I love! Thanks again for all the positive comments.