How do you feel when you see in the news that another celebrity ditched the vegan diet?
Does it upset you when you come across blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos telling people how a vegan diet ruined the author’s health?
How many people quit or won’t convert because of them?
Veganism is growing faster than ever. More and more newbies try it out due to the growing awareness of the environmental impact, animal suffering, and health implications. This is a good thing, right? Hold on, it’s not that simple...
The hard truth is that vegan diets are not inherently healthy. It’s not even a diet, but rather a lifestyle that eliminates the use of animal products while food happened to be one part of it. It doesn’t guide you on what you should eat. It just tells you what to exclude. In other words, you can eat the worst junk food in the world and still be vegan. So going vegan doesn’t guarantee any health benefits. Actually, if not crafted carefully, a plant-based diet can actually have really detrimental health consequences.
What is a proper diet and why it’s important
“We are what we eat”,
Hippocrates
This phrase was said several centuries ago and it is still relevant. Food is the primary source of energy and building material for the human body — one of the most complicated living organisms on the Earth. Diet is not a fool’s game. Things you put in your mouth determine how your body feels and performs. A poor diet that doesn’t provide everything the human body needs to survive can cause severe illness and even death. You can’t imagine how strong is the connection between your food and sleep, mood, mental sharpness, bone strength, the ability to fight infection, and hundreds, if not thousands of other vital functions. A plant-based diet is not an exception.
Problem statement
A vegan diet can provide all you need to thrive. It has the potential to be superior to any alternatives. Plants have all the macro and micronutrients you need to for peak performance. But getting it right is more complicated than one might think. Some essential micronutrients are really problematic, calcium is one of the hardest. If you immediately thought about supplements, think again. Calcium from supplements doesn’t only absorb poorly but also can be toxic to the body. Don’t get me wrong, supplementing certain things such as B12 and Omega-3 is absolutely necessary, but reckless supplementation is as bad as a reckless diet. You need to know what to get from food and how much, and what to supplement in what amounts.
Since subconscious tribal knowledge, accumulated over generations of vegan predecessors doesn’t exist for most of us, along with things being really complicated, you have only a slim chance of getting it right on your own.
So why most people think it is so easy?
Main contributing factors
Popular vegan blogs, websites, and videos made by enthusiasts with literally zero knowledge of nutrition are the main source of information for newly converted vegans.
Yes, we all want a healthier planet for our kids and happier animals. And we put an effort to promote the lifestyle to as many people as possible. But for God’s sake, why use irresponsible propaganda that downplays the vast inherent complexity of a healthy vegan diet and its importance?
Please don’t trust even the best popular sources of information on the vegan diet. No matter who is behind it, vegan doctors included, typically can give only general guidelines for a healthy diet and it is not enough.
What you really need is comprehensive quality information helping construct a practical and sustainable healthy menu.
The solution
Be responsible with your own health. Don’t buy into fad diets. Don’t get your information from unreputable sources. Don’t make your own meal plan unless you have real reasons to believe that you know how to do it. Stop believing that diet concerns only macros. Ask yourself if you know the main sources and functions (read importance) of micronutrients like selenium, copper, manganese, iron, calcium, lithium, boron, and other absolutely vital components, if the answer is “no” - don’t play a hero! If you don’t have enough knowledge in nutrition, use a help of a reputable vegan RD, nutritionist, or nutrition coach. Spend a little time and money to get it right once and your body will thank you forever!
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