Vegan vs. Paleo

How many of you have/are using Vegan or Paleo diet? How are they working for you? What are the pros/cons you have noticed?

I think Cordain's Paleo diet research is dated. There are lots of health blogs out there which are working on defining what sort of diet would resemble what our ancestors truly ate. The idea that primitive man avoided fatty meat and trimmed off all fat is contradicted by archeological evidence. Try gnolls.org for a start. As you read you will come across many links you can follow to understand the issues.

Also search on Perfect Health Diet and Primal Blueprint.

As far as these diets "working", for most who follow them they are a way of life, not a diet that can be abandoned once the goal has been met.

I can't speak about eating vegan.

As far as Paleo, there really isn't a Paleo Diet anymore. The term Paleo Diet is now considered an umbrealla term for a lot of different diets (Paleo Solution, Primal Blue Print, Perfect Health Diet, Practical Paleo, etc). Basically it is a Whole-Food diet that also recognizes that some people don't tolerate some natural foods well. Specifically dairy and grains, however most Paleo proponets now recognize the health benefits of quality dairy fat.

I follow something similar to a paleo diet and have easliy been able to maintain my weight loss for quite a while now. However stress and a lack of effort has kept me from reaching my goal.

The good thing about a paleo diet (and most vegan diets from what I understand) is that they recognize that processed & refined foods are detremental to health.

If you want a good summary of a Paleo diet check out these tear out guides from the book Practical Paleo:
http://balancedbites.com/practical-paleo-tear-out-guides

What are your goals?

I'm on a vegan diet for almost a year. I've lost 18 pounds, I have more energy than ever and my skin has cleared up. Speaking about the cons, is low in vitamin B12 and some other nutrients, that's why I take vegan multivitamins. http://aloe-verajuice.com/recommendations/take-advantage-of-the-best-vegan-diet-with-aloe-vera-juice/ In this article you can read about other benefits of vegan diet.

I cut out meat a while ago and have more recently cut out all animal proteins after really doing my research. The ONLY nutrient that you will have trouble getting on a natural vegan diet is B12 which is the result of modern farming practices. Most milk replacements (soy milk, rice milk, etc) are fortified with B12. Just check and make sure that you have something like that or take a B12 vitamin.

A major pro is that I feel fantastic and find I have a lot more energy.

I'm working towards a vegan diet.,,,about 90% of the time I eat vegan. I take a b12 supplement. When I eat on plan I feel great. The majority of time I get my fats from whole food sources such as olives and nuts not oils. Since I've given up dairy I feel great. Haven't read primal but as mike said the refined junk is detrimental. I still get between 60-90g of protein per day from plant sources.

This is an interesting thread, I have chatted with Rita41 before and mentioned to her about a book called "Eating right for your Bloodtype".
Twice in my lifetime i have tried to go vegetarian and I felt awful. The first time i read the book and added meat proteins back into my diet and felt much better. 20 years later I tried it again because of my rising cholestrol levels. I did it last fall and again , felt awful. I've now added meats back and again feel great. I'm type O and they are supposed to be the hunters.... Rita is blood type A and they are vegetarians.... so there's maybe something to it. Anyone else heard of this?

Mommydee that still gives me shivers. ....

I find it interesting and would be curious to know about the others that are choosing vegan/vegetarian , what blood type are you?

If you're blood type O ("for old," as in humanity's oldest blood line) your digestive tract retains the memory of ancient times, says D'Adamo, so you're metabolism will benefit from lean meats, poultry, and fish. You're advised to restrict grains, breads, and legumes, and to enjoy vigorous exercise.

Type A ("for agrarian" flourishes on vegetarian diets, "the inheritance of their more settled and less warlike farmer ancestors," says D'Adamo. The type A diet contains soy proteins, grains, and organic vegetables and encourages gentle exercise.

The nomadic blood type B has a tolerant digestive system and can enjoy low-fat dairy, meat, and produce but, among other things, should avoid wheat, corn, and lentils, D'Adamo says. If you're type B, it's recommended you exercise moderately.

The "modern" blood type AB has a sensitive digestive tract and should avoid chicken, beef, and pork but enjoy seafood, tofu, dairy, and most produce. The fitness regimen for ABs is calming exercises.

I'm type O and I eat a near vegan diet and I feel fantastic doing it. I'm not trying to offend anyone, but I think the whole blood type diet is sudo-science crap. There is a notable lack of clinical trials.

I agree! with you ^! It's malarkey to me too!