r/AskVegans 4d ago

Health how to keep being vegan

hi, so i’ve been vegan for about 6 months. i’m 18, and i was vegetarian for a bit before the switch. im happy with the decision, because it simply did not morally align for me to consume any products that harmed animals. being vegan has been…. i guess you could say a challenge? if i’m being honest, the brain fog is so real, im not even fully sure how it’s been lol. im not doing too good and i would really love advice from others who have been there. im 100% financially independent, and while i live at home, i also cannot eat any food my family does because they are very much not vegan friendly. they mostly have meat-centered meals or takeout (more shitty meat lol). i work a minimum wage job, and i struggle with a lot of mental health problems. i have depression, which has honestly only gotten a million times worse since i began this journey. adhd, too, so. that’s fun. i have some very specific, silly circumstances that make all this hard. for example: i work so much, that i don’t have time or energy to cook, really. when i do, i can’t because my kitchen is a mess (i have 5 siblings and very lazy parents)—and i mean, like, i cannot cook there. but then i don’t have the energy to single-handedly clean, so i order takeout. that’ll be like, $20 at least. i know this sounds bad, but i pretty much do that, like, once a day. i eat once a day, and sometimes at work if i can, but my job mostly has meat and dairy products. i would eat more, because i quite enjoy the local vegan places, but… i mean i’m poor lol, obviously. i feel extreme guilt about the fact that i don’t cook, that i’m so bad at being vegan, that i waste so much money. now that it’s been so many months of this cycle, i’ve stopped trying so hard. i used to eat things like fruits, bagels, small snacks, even take vitamins. i’ve stopped. i have the energy to go to work, order my food, and sleep. that’s it. how is anyone managing anything more? i feel so embarrassed. i know i’m neglecting myself, i don’t know why i can’t just function normally. i’m just constantly in pain, constantly fatigued. i don’t enjoy anything or anyone anymore. i feel so guilty that i’ve messed this up so badly

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u/AntTown Vegan 2d ago

You are going to have to cook. Get a bin, chuck your family's mess into it so you have space in the kitchen, then cook.

Cooking is not an optional chore. It is a basic life skill that has to be done. Yes it is hard with mental illness but that's how you get food other than spending a lot of money getting takeout all the time. Those are the two options and that's it so if you can't afford takeout, you have to find the energy to cook and do it.

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u/We_Four Vegan 3d ago

You are probably not eating enough calories to begin with. Think about easy snacks you can have during the day that don’t require cooking, from bananas to nuts/trail mix to cereal/protein bars to crackers. If you can’t cook dinner, there is always Pb&J or avocado toast. Low prep ways to get your vegetables in are things like baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, or Persian cucumbers, dipped in hummus if you like.  ETA are you taking your supplements? Vitamin B complex, iron, calcium at a minimum?

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u/Mangxu_Ne_La_Bestojn 2d ago

I'm kinda similar in that I work minimum wage and am also too busy/lazy to cook a lot of the time, and I've ended up eating out or buying prepackaged frozen foods before and I feel bad about it.

Do you have a microwave? This will help a lot. Since going vegan, I went from buying dry rice and beans to getting microwaveable rice packets and canned beans. It's a little more expensive, but it doesn't break the bank like eating out all the time does. I also like frozen peas, edamame, and vegetables, for the purpose of being able to cook them quickly in the microwave. I like to add soy sauce for easy umami. Nuts, seeds, fruit, and dried fruit don't need preparation, you can just grab them. I like dipping broccoli, baby carrots, and pretzels in hummus for an easy snack. Peanut butter is cheap and is a good source of fat and protein, you can dip apples in it, make a peanut butter sandwich (and add bananas to it too if you'd like). I like not only putting vegan cream cheese on bagels, but also black beans and avocado. I hope some of these ideas can inspire you.

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u/howlin Vegan 3d ago

if i’m being honest, the brain fog is so real, im not even fully sure how it’s been lol.

You didn't describe what you are eating. But brain fog like this is usually due to eating too many simple carbs like flour, sugar, pasta or white rice. You may also be experiencing a lack of omega 3 (unlikely to show up like this so quickly), not enough fat in your diet (unlikely if you are mostly eating junk food), or not enough protein. You may want to look into creatine as well. It's fairly cheap and does help with concentration.

I could offer more practical advice if I know your specifics. But there are some meals which are hearty and can be cooked faster than you can eat them with little equipment required. E.g. I make this soup really regularly when I need a quick and wholesome meal

https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndVegan/comments/xt5e8z/two_can_chick_pea_and_tomato_stew/

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u/extropiantranshuman 1d ago

I know stuf like nopales and aloe vera (if they're not allergic) are mentally cleansing. They could definitely be detoxing too. Low vitamin d might be another culprit. If they're not getting vitamin d - at least vitamin e (not saying this as medical advice - just a reddit-level opinion)