Not getting a vegan lifestyle wrong

[andyswarbs]

A healthy vegan lifestyle gets plenty of variety with fresh veg, legumes, veg, nuts & seeds as part of daily intake. However some people come at a vegan lifestyle beset with ideas and in some cases chronic conditions that distort the way they go about their lifestyle.

For instance some people may go on a water fast, indeed I did a water fast once for two days as a lead up to the beginning of my recovery. But some people go on a water fast regularly, and that in my mind is plain stupid. It is silly because it is actually inviting health problems.

Not getting a regular B12 supplement seems also a mis-guided idea. I regularly consume seaweed which is a possibly source of B12, but that does not mean I do not take a this supplement.

Relying on juicing and smoothies day in day out can also encourage disaster. I am not saying following the ideals of a well planned smoothie approach for a period (say a week or even a month, if it is well planned) is a bad thing. But to consider smoothies as a lifestyle option is definitely a bad plan. Digestion begins in the mouth and smoothies bypass that entirely. Smoothies as a transition to eating normally is what is required, and then the occasional smoothie. If the rest of the diet is good, then even a daily smoothie.

Going fully raw can also be a mistake. Yes, some people seem to thrive on being fully raw, but I would argue that you need sufficient calories in your diet, and to do that is a lot easier with a cooked meal once a day.

This leads me onto the biggest mistake. Counting calories so that you are in serious calorie deficit. This is definitely the biggest mistake many people who go vegan make. Did you know that, no matter where you live in the world, no matter what diet you follow, that by and large you eat the same amount of food as everyone else!

What I am saying is fill your plate up so that it looks full at each and every meal. If you need/want to lose weight alter the balance of starchy/nonstarchy foods. Starchy foods include pulses & legumes, potatoes, rice & grains. Swapping some of them out for fruit & veg almost guarantees weight loss, despite having extra large plates of food at every meal. And you don't even need to exercise (though highly recommended)!

Making the change is easy for some. Some people seem to be able to drop eating meat and seriously increase their veg intake with ease. They feel healthier and everything goes swimmingly. Others start eating more veg and encounter problem after problem. It can take time for the gut biome to adapt to a more diverse diet. For most that change should take around three months, with many doing it in less than one month. For others it might take a year. If you are transitioning, take it slow, even take a year or more.

Finally misunderstanding and underestimting health issues is a definite thread. People come at veganism and think it is a kind of panacea. If people do have health issues then these can block a successful transition, and indeed their health issues may be exacerbated by a change towards a vegan diet. If you do have issues then geting these checked out by, ideally, a plant based doctor/nutritionist should be a prerequisite.

[Veeee]

Very informative Andy.😊

[jimmyq]

Great stuff Andy!

Dr Michael Greger is a plant based doctor/nutritionist. He wrote a book called "How Not To Die". It is in 2 sections: the first being how not to die of the world's 15 biggest killers, the second part is all about foods, medically proven benefits of different foods (with references).

If you read the book and decide to act on it, you should consult your doctor or a plant based doctor/nutritionist first. Luckily for me, the doctor I consulted is a vegan.

[Veeee in reply to jimmyq]

I try to do the Daily Dozen and have problems ticking all the boxes. Do you have any tips please?

Many thanks.

Veee

[andyswarbs Volunteer in reply to Veeee]

Don't get hung up on any mantra, even the daily dozen. Yes, some days I smash it but other days I go off the wagon. Think of it as a goal. My aim is Dr Fuhrman's rainbow colours at each and every meal and at the back of my mind is the daily dozen.

Also because I am cooking for other people, not least of which is my better half, I have to be somewhat tolerant of where they are in their stages of health understanding. For example, I think I understand calorie counting pretty well, but they do not. They simply don't get it, not yet.

Another angle on this is the differences between various plant doctors. Take, Dr McDougall who has just had a video put out almost seeming to encourage salt intake, and they other plant doctors might draw a harder line against salt. Drilling into their differences I find a magical experience because it really helps me understand what it is all about. With salt, for example, most people on the SAD diet or anything approaching it have no idea how much salt they consume. This is especially true for someone eating cheese which is loaded with salt. Remove all the processed foods, which are normally laden with salt, and what are you left with. Whole foods, plant foods which have minimal salt. So adding a little to "taste" and ensure a lot of whole plant food goes down well, well is that a bad thing? Especially when that same meal is low on oils and low on sugar.

One more point on salt. It probably took me a year to feel comfortable with no-salt cooking. Yes, I enjoy it when it is there, but my own "salt" transition took time. I expect other people will take months and years as well.

Enjoy the journey and set a personal goal of trying to do better over time.

[Veeee in reply to andyswarbs]

Many thanks Andy. Please can you send me the link to Dr Fuhrman information please. I will be grateful if you could also give me some simple meal ideas.

Kind regards

Veee

[andyswarbs Volunteer in reply to Veeee]

drfuhrman.com/ is his home page, but many of his recipes require an account.

It intrigues me when I come across recipes like this one drfuhrman.com/recipes/categ... which shows a recipe with salmon! One part of the answer is that the goal of doctors is to help people become more healthy, and so for some people salmon is a healthier option. Also just realising that fish/meat does not have to be consumed at each and every meal is a big deal for some people!

[jimmyq in reply to andyswarbs]

I started out with the Daily Dozen such that has now become a habit. That is the way we organize our meals. Having said that, we don't hit the target every day but we don't beat ourselves up over it. We do the best we can.

My blood pressure has been as high as 240/140 and my cholesterol was 6.5 for years.

I have been on a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) diet since March and the evidence of my blood pressure (120/70), cholesterol (2.7) and pulse (50-60) indicate that my arteries are cleared. So, it has taken only 6 months. My doctor is gradually taking me off all the meds, the diuretics and statins have gone. Clopidogrel next.