Plant-based foods are the healthiest foods available to us. Consumption of animal proteins and animal fats are linked to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and numerous cancers. Animal agriculture is big business, though, and their lobbyists have a lot of financial and political weight to throw around. While they may promote dairy products as a good source of calcium, for example, they don’t tell you that casein — milk protein — actually leaches calcium from your bones, more than compensating for the added calcium. Plus, most of the time cows get that calcium from supplements rather than grass and green leafy vegetables, so it’s no more “natural” than fortified soy milk. Eating greens is a much better way to strengthen your bones, along with a daily dose of sunlight to generate enough Vitamin D to help you absorb all that calcium. After all, it works for elephants!
One myth that has considerable traction is that vegetarians don’t get enough protein, or at least not enough to be a competitive athlete. Yet there are vegan triathletes, bodybuilders, Olympic champions, and professional football players. A healthy plant-based diet actually improves your recovery time because it is easier on your body. Whole foods reduce inflammation, counteracting the stress of exercise and hectic lifestyles. Complete protein is easy to get by eating a variety of beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains throughout the day. Even vegetables are protein-dense when considered calorie-for-calorie.
The trick to being a healthy vegan is eating unprocessed foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, and enough fat, protein, and carbohydrates to be satisfied. Many people try giving up meat and feel awful, but often this is just because they don’t have practice getting what they need from plant-based foods. Remember that beans and nuts have a lot of protein in them, as do soy-based foods like tofu and tempeh, so they give you a sense of being full and grounded. Meat, dairy, and eggs have a lot of fat in them, so be generous with the avocados, nuts, and vegetable oils (especially extra virgin olive and coconut oils) and you won’t miss out on flavor. Plus, you need fats to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like beta-carotene. Most of the problems with high-fat diets come from animal-based fats and hydrogenated oils anyway, and excess calories from plants are burned off as heat rather than stored in the belly and thighs. The take home message is: don’t worry about it! Eat plants, they’re good for you!
Just make sure to mind these few things you might not be able to get from food:
Vitamin D
Like a human version of chlorophyll, this vitamin is produced by our skin when sunlight hits it, helping to absorb calcium for strong bones and promoting skin, liver, and kidney health. It even fights tumors and inflammation! It looks as if the more of the stuff we have the better, and the only ways to get it in quantity is from sun exposure and supplements. About fifteen minutes per day without sunscreen is enough in some parts of the world, but it’s not a bad idea to play it safe with fortified foods and vitamin supplements, especially in the winter — shoot for 400 to 4000 IU’s per day. The D3 type is produced by animals (including you), while D2 is a plant-based version that we can absorb almost as easily.
Vitamin B-12
The B vitamins are found in abundance in fruits and vegetables and fermented foods, and help build up our immune and nervous systems, keeping us physically and mentally energized. B-12, though, is nigh impossible to find in the plant world, and even then most plant versions of the stuff don’t do us humans any good. Herbivores obtain their B-12 from the bacteria, usually ones that live in their guts, but for humans the source is pharmaceutical. Make sure you take a B-12 supplement or eat fortified foods, shooting for at least a couple micrograms a day.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These are essential fats that our bodies can’t make for themselves. They balance out the omega-6 fatty acids by reducing inflammation. They promote good brain and heart health. Omega-6 fats are also essential, but they’re much easier to find and abundant in most vegetable oils, so it’s the omega-3 ones you have to watch out for. There are three varieties, and while young folk can convert the ALA found in plant sources like flax and hemp seeds into the others, young children and those of us getting on in years should seriously think about taking a DHA supplement as well. Such things usually come in the form of fish oil, but you can also find DHA made from algae. Other than that, a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed or flax oil every day should do the trick — just keep in mind that omega-3 fatty acids are easily damaged by heat, so consume it raw in cereal, smoothie, and salad form.
Resources
Vegan Health
Much more detailed info about the vitamins and minerals that are important to a healthy diet, and how to get them.
The World’s Healthiest Foods
Nutritional information for practically every fruit, vegetable, grain, legume, and nut that you can think of.
Fitness Rocks
A podcast about the benefits of exercise and a plant-based diet, which analyses of the latest studies in nutrition.
The China Study
This book covers a big study of rural China that showed even small amounts of animal protein increase the risk of chronic disease, with a good overview of other scientific research on the detriments of eating meat, dairy, and eggs. Here’s a defense of his methods for the skeptic.
Thrive
The author of this book is a thriathlete who discovered veganism as a means to better performance. Detailed info on increasing your energy and getting in tip-top nutritional shape.
