Hey, Hey!
Sorry to hear you have those allergies, I know how frustrated I was when I found out I was allergic to Soy, Almonds (and possibly all nuts), garlic, onion and oily foods in general. I thought, oh god, how can I possibly be a vegan without Tofu!?
I did a bit of research though and found that it definitely can be done. I know a lot of vegans who live and breath soy, but i really don't miss it and all my blood tests are perfect, basically never get sick, etc, etc. Admittedly I DO eat lentils, but I know they can easily be replaced with brown rice, quinoa, oats.... plenty of other complex carbs.
The man/website that really helped me with this was Dr McDougal
http://www.drmcdougall.com/ - a U.S doctor and nutritionist who promotes a high carb/starch low-fat vegan diet as the most nutritious. His site has a wealth of information, recipes, food lists etc that are free and easy to read from home (you just have to search around a bit on the site sometimes)
one page that I found especially helpful was:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/free_4b.html
which lists all the "starch staples" which are "starchy foods that are high enough in calories that they can serve as the center of a meal" - now, lentils and beans are definitely on there, but you will see A LOT of other options too.
I think the real key to making the switch to veg with allergies, is to:
1. do some research so you have some confidence (which you have already started doing by posting on Unleashed!)
2. Make sure when you cut out animal products you are still eating enough calories and getting lots of nutrients but eating plenty of different fruit, veggies and complex carbs (ie: don't switch from hamburgers to hot chips and coke and then wonder why you feel bad)
3. Have fun with it and remember EVERY time you choose not to eat an animal you're doing a great thing. So if you need to go slowly so you don't become overwhelmed, then slow and steady is fine!
4. Find some awesome veg treats that wont affect your allergies. We have some great recipes on Unleashed
www.unleashed.org.au/change_the_world/go_veg/vegan_recipes.php and there are a pile more on the internet.
5. Identify whether you have "allergies" "intolerances" or "sensitivities". If you don't know the difference you can look them up, but basically I think it works where a severe allergy wiil cause symptoms every time you eat that food, where as a mild allergy, sensitivity or intolerance may only occur once you have eaten that food a couple of days in a row... For me for example, I can really enjoy a meal with onion and garlic once a week, but if I had it the next night I'd risk ending up in hospital.... This is great to know because then for example, you might be able to really enjoy going to a vegetarian restaurant and ordering Tofu as a treat on the weekend, but avoid it as a general meal during the week. (this is how my body works and it's great to have that occasional treat if you can).
6. Stay connected. Check in with family and friends who are supportive of your transition and of course our Unleashed Forum... Feel free to message me any time re: the allergies
hope this is helpful
Good Luck!! and congrats on making the switch!
