I’ve done a lot of nutrition analysis, and from what I can tell it’s pretty near impossible to get *everything* you need from diet alone, without eating a ridiculous (unreasonable) amount of calories. You’d have to eat such a crazily diverse menu, and huge portions too. This goes for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.

I’m all for natural living but I’m also happy to be alive in this time of technological advancement. I don’t shun modernity, at all. So if I can take vitamin D pills (D2 not D3) to get me through the winter months, of course I will! And if I can take B12 if it allows me to be a perfectly healthy vegan and not have to compromise my morals, I thin that’s nothing but great. That’s just where I fall on the issue – sort of, better safe than sorry!

As for brands, there are lots of great ones. DEVA makes great supplements, I would check them out first. Probiotics are awesome too, and there are vegan varieties available. Always get refrigerated LIVE probiotics, not the shelf stable pills.

I do think about omega-3 fatty acids . . . a LOT. Especially being pregnant, this is a very important subject – they play a huge roll in brain development and depression. A very quick answer:

You can get EPA’s from flax, walnut, canola, etc. EPA can be converted into DHA, which is the really important omega-3, in healthy bodies. So, if you’re healthy and young, etc, you should be able to do fine just loading up on walnuts, flax oil, etc. But, if you are feeling less than healthy, or if you are pregnant/breastfeeding, or if you just want to be super careful (and why not?), there are vegan sources of DHA. You do NOT need to take fish oil or eat fish. You can get the DHA from the same place the fish get it – from microalgae! This is available in supplement/pill form. My husband and I each take DHA daily, and my husband has really noticed it affecting his moods. =)

I need to write full length articles on a lot of this stuff! You’ve motivated me! =D

Okay, since you told me I should feel freem to ask you any questions, I will continue :D

I understand that B12 is a problematic vitamin, which vegans should include in their diets by taking food supplement. Vitamin D can be dealed with by taking walks out in the sun.

But do you think it’s ok to take pills at all? Don’t you think it’d be better for the body to get all the nutrients from real food and not from artificial supplements? Is it easy to find supplements that are nature friendly, non animal tested and that don’t have any animal products in them? How about probiotics?

Oh, and I have a big questionmark in my head when it comes to fatty acids… I’ve read that it’s easy to find fatty acids in flaxseed and linseed (isn’t it the same thing, btw? :D) and that the alpha linolenic acid in flaxseed can be converted into other two essential fatty acids, but it’s not always that efficient. Do you ever think about the Omega-3 in your life? I guess that is the one reason I went back to being vegetarian about a year ago, I have extremely dry skin and I was just so afraid of my dermatitis to return that I began eating fish again.

There. A lot of questions. Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer again!

Love!

As for anti-frizz, I’m actually working on a few hair product recipes at the moment, but nothing I feel confident sharing yet. Sorry! I know that there are a lot of ‘natural’ hair care products available though – check out a place like Whole Foods or local co-ops, if there are any near you. As well, you could always try just a dollop of coconut oil or cocoa butter to smooth your hair.

I haven’t tried OCM myself (I don’t really wash my face with anything but water) but I have heard great things about it. I know that people have wildly different success rates with different oils, so you may want to experiment. Sorry, I wish I had more information for you!

@ Meghan – See above, I wish I had more information. Sorry!

@ Kelly – Eek! I’m working on it guys! Sorry!!!

@ Minna – Vitamin B12 is something that all vegans should be aware of and should supplement in a pill/sublingual form. B12 is made by bacteria but it’s pretty much unavailable in plant foods. It’s found in meat, eggs, and dairy. Recent studies have shown it’s bioavailable in button mushrooms, but this is new research.

When I got dietary B12 on my RAW diet it was from the kombucha I was drinking. Kombucha, like many soy/nut milks and many breads/pastas/cereals, is enriched with B12.

As a vegan, B12 is the one vitamin you should really be aware f and pay attention to. It’s nothing to worry about, but you should keep it in mind. I also *strongly* suggest you add a multivitamin (maybe one with your B12 in there) to your daily regimen. I think everyone should be doing this, vegan, veg, or omni. =)

Congrats on being a new vegan! That’s awesome, such a positive step you’ve made for your life. Yay! I know it can seem a bit overwhelming at times, but try to keep a balanced perspective. Yes, it’s imporant to learn about nutrition and take good care of yourself. But, being vegan puts you ahead of the game, so don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re ‘missing out’ on something. Just be conscious and thoughtful about your food choices, and you’ll be fine! Also, I recommend ‘Becoming Vegan’ by Vesanto Melina – a GREAT book that will teach you everything you need to know.

Good luck, and please always feel free to ask me any questions!

I have now successfully managed to read almost all of your posts (except maybe for the farm ones, since I do not yet have a garden of my own) and I got a couple of questions. I read about your RAW month experience and noticed that you didn’t get enough vitamin B12 in your diet. Although there were a couple of days when you had a 10% vitamin B12 level. Where did that come from? How do you get vitamin B12 when you’re on a raw food diet?

I gotta admit I still am quite a rookie when it comes to being a vegan and knowing by heart all of the vitamins and important essential nutrients that a vegan should eat. So I would really love to get a bit more informative post from you (or a response!) about where you get all the vitamins that may be a bit problematic to a vegan.

I hope I managed to formulate my question well enough (:

Peace!

I’m also interested in what sorts of things you put in your hair besides baking soda and ACV… from your pictures it appears you use some sort o’ product…

Also, yay, baby!

What I have been questioning is anti-frizz hair stuff. I know we just went over the whole “no poo” thing and it got me to thinking about how frizzy my hair can get. When I used to work at Wild Oats in Eugene (which I understand is no longer there) I was in charge of the vitamin and body care aisles. We used to have a couple of brands of anti frizz oil stuff for your hair, but I can’t remember for the life of me what brands they were. I didn’t have any interest in using them at the time.
I guess if I went the “no poo” method my hair would produce the oil necessary and I wouldn’t have to use the anti-frizz oil, right? However, if I decide NOT to go with that method then I might just have to try it out. Any thoughts?

And another thing I’ve been questioning is face soap and moisturizer. I was thinking about going the OCM (Oil Cleansing Method) route, but wasn’t that impressed. I felt like my makeup wasn’t quite removed and overall my face didn’t feel all that ‘fresh.’ So I’m looking for a facial soap and moisturizer. I searched the site and couldn’t find anything in the archives. Did I miss something perhaps?? Suggestions maybe?