Is Veganism Healthy?
"People eat meat and think they will become as strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass."
-Pino Caruso
I'll Worry About It When I'm Older
I never much cared about my health, and I've been lucky enough to not have suffered from any debilitating diseases in my life. Though I wasn't eating fast food or snacking all day, I didn't pay attention to what I was eating; I was a mindless consumer of food. I knew that the way I ate wasn't great and could use some improvement, but like most youngsters, I figured I'd get healthier when I was older. When I went vegan, I figured I was going to see some miraculous health benefits like instant weight loss, glowing skin, and constant energy. But I didn't. My life continued on exactly as it had before. I didn't feel any better, and I actually started to feel worse as time went on. In fact, I got heavier, reaching an all-time high weight, and my anxiety was (almost) worse than ever.
Veganism Isn't to Blame
If I were to end this blog post here, that would put veganism in a terrible light. But the fact of the matter is that veganism had nothing to do with all those problems. I gained weight because I was eating absolute crap (not literally because that's not vegan). My boyfriend at the time hated vegetables, had never eaten a salad in his entire life, and the only fruit he'd eat was bananas. When we lived together, he ate sugary cereals with sweetened almond milk, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and snack on potato chips for dinner. He reintroduced soda into my life, which, with all that refined sugar, is addictive. I felt bad about adopting some of his bad eating habits, and there was an inner conflict of wanting to do better; but I was constantly tempted by all those terrible, addictive foods. My anxiety got worse because I was living on my own as a 20-year-old head of household, going to college for a degree I didn't really like, and working a job I'd grown tired of with very nonvegan coworkers. And I was worrying about my diet to boot.
Whole Foods, Plant-Based
Saying veganism is healthy is overly simplistic because the diet I was eating, though technically vegan, was incredibly unhealthy. The healthiest diet in the world, proven time and time again by unbiased scientific studies and research, is a high-carb, low-fat whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet. This means the elimination of all animal products, as they are naturally high in saturated and trans fat and are the only source of cholesterol; the elimination of oils, which are highly processed to remove the protein and carbohydrates (two of the three macronutrients found in every food) and leave only fat (the third macronutrient), making it 100% fat content; the reduction of natural high-fat foods, like nuts, seeds, coconuts, avocados, etc.; and the hearty consumption of starchy vegetables, like potatoes, and all-you-can-eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, herbs and spices.
There Are No Restrictions!
This diet, though it may initially sound restrictive, is simply eating plants in their natural form as often as possible, as that is when they are most nutrient-dense. For instance, opt to eat quinoa instead of quinoa pasta, or eat a salad instead of a green smoothie, or eat edamame instead of tofu. This diet encourages the limitation of processed foods (like Beyond Burgers or vegan cheeses), though the vegan versions of these foods are absolutely healthier (and infinitely times better for the animals and the environment) than the animal-based alternatives. Because most plants are naturally low in calories, people following a WFPB diet can basically eat all day and not gain weight. If you just watch a That Vegan Couple mukbang (eating show), you'll see that they – who are both trim, healthy, and fit – can eat several bowls or plates filled with food.
How Not to Die
Basically whenever I approach the topic of veganism with someone, I lead with health-related questions, facts, and statements. Over the last year or so, I went from knowing nothing about health to feeling confident talking about the saturated fat content in dairy, throwing out fancy words like atherosclerosis, and knowing what foods to suggest to people that are concerned about where to find calcium in a vegan diet (eat those leafy greens!). This is largely due to How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger. I kid you not, I think this is one of the best and most important books I've ever read. How Not to Die should be required reading for every child in school, every person suffering from an illness or disease, every doctor and nutritionist, and basically every other person in the world. There are not enough positive things I can say about it. All of the knowledge and research that went into it are absolutely incredible, and I felt like I was learning something life-changing on every page. I don't care if you don't even finish this blog post; whatever you do, just go read this book. (Also check out his new book, How Not to Diet, while you're at it!)
WFPB ≠ Vegan
As I've said in the past, a plant-based diet is not equivalent to veganism. While all vegans eat a plant-based diet, it is impossible to be vegan for health alone. "Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose."[1] Being "vegan for health" doesn't influence your treatment of animals in any other capacity, such as for clothing or entertainment. That doesn't mean it's wrong to care about your health or to find your way to veganism through the health avenue. But we must acknowledge that there is more to veganism than just the food you eat.
Eat Like an Herbivore ('Cause You Are One!)
Veganism itself is not healthy or unhealthy, and that statement itself is illogical since veganism is a moral choice to not harm others. That's like saying not being sexist is healthy; it just doesn't make sense. A plant-based diet, on the other hand, is the healthiest diet for humans when followed properly. The reason for this, as I stated in my very first blog post is that humans are physiologically herbivorous. We don't have the ability to chase prey, and we don't want to; there's a reason we think bunnies and chipmunks are cute and we don't salivate at the thought of ripping into their throats. Our digestive tract is significantly longer than omnivores and carnivores, as we are meant to be eating fibrous foods. Since flesh has no fiber, meat-eaters have to push it through their systems faster. In fact, the reason why so many people suffer from constipation and other bowel-related diseases is because we ingest only about half the fiber we need on a daily basis. If you're interested in learning more about this and other interesting facts, check out What the Health or read their facts page.
The Protein Myth
Ah, protein. While it's true that we do need protein, it's not as important as people think. Either way, all protein comes from plants. Cows and chickens get their protein from the plants they eat, and we filter that protein through their corpses when we eat them. That's how nonvegans get their protein. Vegans, on the other hand, simply eat the plants themselves. Like I said earlier, protein is one of three macronutrients found in all foods, meaning that a well-balanced vegan diet will give you all the protein you need. And if you really want to, you can still use protein powders or protein-enhanced foods. There's nothing inherently wrong with eating lots of protein, but when it's animal-based, that can lead to myriad negative health repercussions. If you'd like to learn more, please read Proteinaholic by Dr. Garth Davis.
Please refer to the resources I've listed below if you'd like to learn more about how to improve your health on a plant-based diet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXXXygDRyBU&list=PLW4Mss2vNfLb_ERUZ8K_siZC0nr6PMAhq&index=23&t=4418s
be conscious, be kind, be vegan
Resources
The "Why Doctors Don't Recommend Veganism" series by Plant Based News
Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes by Dr. Neal Barnard
The World Peace Diet by Dr. Will Tuttle
Though this book doesn't center solely on health, it discusses the profound effects veganism can have on society. It's another must-read book for me.