Another newbie!

[Cecilia]

Hello!

I've been a vegetarian for 17 years and used to be a happy runner and daily swimmer until I had to stop due to an autoimmune disease. Six weeks ago I turned vegan after a suggestion by my GP. Since then I went from two major episodes per week to one very minor every two weeks, so I'm inclined to call it a succes. I'm bursting with energy and can't WAIT for the snow to melt so I can go running again!

Apart from on forums, I spend a lot of time studying in the library, singing (usually not in the library), and shocking people by telling them they've been eating vegan for three days without realizing it.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you!

Cee

[britdoc]

Hey now, welcome. What a progressive thinking GP to recommend going vegan. Was that because of your autoimmune business, if you don't mind me asking?

[spike]

Welcome! That's great that a vegan diet has had such a positive impact on your health so quickly!

[Cecilia]

Thanks for the welcomes!

Britdoc: yes, it was because of the autoimmune business, and yes, it was very progressive of him I switched GPs because I switched universities for grad school and I really can't believe my luck. My last doctor just put me on Prednison and all but gave me a replacement knee catalogue.

I'm a bit stunned by the result myself! We were going to try for three months and then recap, but my bloodwork was so good that I could wean off the pills already. We'll see how that goes.

The background theory is that diet can be a trigger in autoimmune diseases, and animal protein is often viewed with suspicion in this case. Since I ate a lot of dairy, my GP thought that could be an obvious start. There are some studies confirming the link but apparently switching diets radically is too tough on many people, and switching it slowly comes with a very slow result so they don't see the point and stop as well. I was a vegetarian already and liked cooking, so we thought we might as well try. And, of course, I was lucky in that the results were extremely good, which is a great motivator even when the home-made cheese nibbles are singing their siren song to me. I should add at this point that the things I learned about dairy production while searching for vegan meal options are also encouraging to keep away from it.

What's left is hoping that my immune system doesn't pick something else to go Hulk over

[mabli]

welcome, really pleased veganism has made such a positive change

[britdoc]

Make sense, and yes, I have heard a lot about animal proteins triggering autoimmune diseases...makes perfect sense, if you ask me. Good for you and I hope that your condition continues to improve.

[dublin dave]

Welcome...

[NeoEvaX]

Welcome!

[IronGirl]

Welcome Cecilia. Most impressed with your GP! I went Vegan 3 years ago following an autoimmune condition (with my eyes), the consultants were brilliant at treating the problem, but unable to explain the cause. Following some research of my own I became interested in the links between animal proteins and health issues. I switched to a Vegan diet overnight and felt great. I've never looked back.

I'm really pleased that you are feeling the benefits.

[xrodolfox]

Welcome!
I'm a swim coach. What do you swim? What do you like to do?

[Cecilia]

Irongirl: Oh, that's great! Have you been trouble-free since going vegan? Did you find any other triggers? (I have a seemingly light form of RP, which can also affect the eyes, but so far it hasn't with me).

Rodolfo: I just swam laps for fun before going to the library, 30 to 45 minutes on weekdays and a bit longer in the weekends. My entire race career is pinnacled by a 200m silver medal on a regional meet when I was nine years old. Dutch regions are slightly larger than a swimming pool, but not by much Oh and when I was 14 I won the mini triathlon (500m, 20k, 5k) organised by our pool, because halfway down the 20k I got in an adolescent fight with my mum and raced away from her in rage. That was a bit of a problem because first prize was a bottle of wine.

I'm building my scheme up again, if you have any pointers I'd be grateful!

[penguin]

Welcome!

[xrodolfox]

I just swam laps for fun before going to the library, 30 to 45 minutes on weekdays and a bit longer in the weekends. My entire race career is pinnacled by a 200m silver medal on a regional meet when I was nine years old. Dutch regions are slightly larger than a swimming pool, but not by much Oh and when I was 14 I won the mini triathlon (500m, 20k, 5k) organised by our pool, because halfway down the 20k I got in an adolescent fight with my mum and raced away from her in rage. That was a bit of a problem because first prize was a bottle of wine.

I'm building my scheme up again, if you have any pointers I'd be grateful!

Hey, that's something!

If you post stuff about swimming, I'd be happy to read/comment.