Start your plant-based eating journey Tel: +44 (0)203 488 0890 | Website: gutreaction.co.uk | Email: [email protected] | Start your plant-based eating journey here Being vegan is really fashionable right now, and those in favour of this way of eating will tell you that it’s the absolutely healthiest diet you can have from a nutritional perspective, plus you get to save, not only the lives of animals but the planet, too. I’ve talked more about the back-drop to this in my blog ‘Why I still choose personalised nutrition over extreme diets’, and encourage you to take a read now, if you haven’t already. For many people embracing a new way of eating, it can be a stretch to go from their current habits to 100% vegan overnight. So, I want to help you be clear about what it means to be vegan, what’s great about it, what’s not so good, where you might struggle - and I’ll also be giving you tips for getting started, whether your intention is to immerse yourself fully or if you just fancy dabbling (and of course, either is totally fine!). What is a vegan diet? A vegan diet is a stricter version of a vegetarian diet. On top of not eating any meat, fish or seafood i.e. dead animals, a vegan diet also cuts out any food stuffs made from animal sources, so, not just cutting out chicken meat, but also cutting out eggs. Not just cutting out beef but also milk, yoghurt, butter and cream. And that means honey, too, as well as certain wines* and desserts (gelatin). Unlike some of the more commercial diets, there is no pre- defined macro nutrient ratio for a vegan diet; just vegetables, grains, fruit, nuts, seeds and any other foods made from plants. However, since the main vegan protein sources are pulses and grains, and only a combination of the two provides complete proteins (containing all the amino acids), this can be a high carbohydrate diet by definition. 1 * If you’re wondering ‘why is wine not vegan?’ Here’s the answer…All young wines are a little bit cloudy thanks to tiny molecules like proteins, tartrates, tannins and phenolics. These are completely harmless, but wine-drinkers typically like wines to be clear and bright. To make the wines clear, wine makers have traditionally used some added ingredients called ‘fining agents’ to help the process along. These include casein (milk protein) or albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein) or isinglass (fish bladder protein). They act like a magnet, resulting in far fewer, but larger, particles that are more easily removed. Advantages of going vegan • Cruelty-free • Promotes natural foods • Rich in vitamin C and fibre, plus other plant chemicals • Helpful for some health conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, other auto-immune conditions). ‘Disadvantages’ of going vegan • Natural food is not a requirement to ‘comply’ with vegan • Does not explicitly encourage healthy eating patterns • May be nutrient deficient (B12, haem iron, omega-3 fats, complete protein) • Often high in carbohydrates • Can be too low in protein, especially if you’re stressed or recovering from adrenal fatigue • Not suitable for elderly, pregnant women, type 2 diabetics, or those with high triglycerides or carbohydrate intolerance • Not always practical, especially when travelling abroad • Whilst health presides over weight in my book, if you’re actively trying to lose weight, vegan may or may not be effective 2 Is being vegan healthy? Good question! A vegan diet doesn’t mean a healthy diet. There have been various well-publicised assertions over the years (most notably the book The China Study and, more recently, the film What The Health) that claimed eating a vegan diet was the healthiest thing you could do. Although vegans commonly take an interest in how diet relates to health and tend to educate themselves about nutrition, the vegan diet does not explicitly prescribe healthy foods. There is a vegan alternative for every junk food out there. And you can live on white toast with margarine and jam (and see your blood sugar levels sky rocket) while still being vegan – and that is certainly not healthy. However, despite the many different dietary approaches out there (think paleo, veggie, raw food, keto, fasting etc), everyone agrees on is that the following is healthy: • Enjoy an abundance of freshly prepared vegetables • Minimise processed foods and instead cook meals from scratch • Eat mindfully and slowly • Choose local, organic foods Given the vast majority of health complaints are linked to chronic inflammation and a plant-heavy, antioxidant-rich vegan diet will go some way to mediating inflammation, and supporting your health efforts. Given we don’t eat nearly as much fibre as we should for optimum health, committing to eating more veg is only going to be a good thing. 3 Things to be mindful of if you go vegan • Vegan diets don’t provide the fat soluble vitamins A and D. You can’t get vitamin A from carrots. What you get is beta carotene, which is the precursor to vitamin A. • You may have heard that carotene can be converted into vitamin A, but this conversion is usually insignificant. First, it takes a huge amount of carotene to convert create amount of actual vitamin A. And, if you have low thyroid function, impaired digestion or a lack of healthy fats in the diet, this conversion won’t happen at all. • Vegan diets (unless you’re eating a lot of natto – a kind of fermented soy) don’t give you the vitamin K2. This is needed for shuttling calcium into your bones. • Many people try to be vegan by relying on fake food – they replace milk, cheese and meat with foods manufactured to look and taste as though they are milk, cheese and meat. Since food manufacturing is not like magic, what is used is non-foodstuffs, including stabilisers, gums, thickeners and highly processed protein extracts. Moreover, you may be counting your vegan cheese in as a source of protein, when many of them are actually made from carbs. • Vegan diets are low on vitamin B12 and iron. The readily- absorbed forms of these nutrients are found in animal products. Several studies (see notes) suggest that up to 68% of vegans were deficient in vitamin B12. • Several studies have shown that both vegetarians and vegans are also prone to deficiencies in calcium, iron, zinc, and essential fats (see notes). 4 How to get started Some people like to make changes all in one go. If this is you, choosing a vegan recipe book from the resources I’ve listed below will be helpful. Or you might try changing one meal at a time – possible having a vegan breakfast during your first week, adding a vegan lunch during week two and so on. You might try changing one product at a time, for example, swapping traditional cow’s milk for almond milk, or butter for coconut oil. There’s now a plant-based alternative for most things you can think of. One thing that you can look forward to is some exciting new recipes. Bring the principles of being vegan into your life even a few days a week (assuming we are talking veg-based meals rather than fake or junk foods) will deliver a whole new taste experience. There will be things that you love – and things the family rejects. It’s all part of the fun of discovering new things. As I recommend whenever someone is making diet or lifestyle changes, a core component to your long-term success and mind- body health is being intuitive and listening to the messages (signs, symptoms, inner-wisdom) your body is giving you. Only you hold the answers as to what ultimately feels right for you. Resources – some favourite vegan blogs • The Colourful Kitchen www.thecolorfulkitchen.com • Deliciously Ella www.deliciouslyella.com • Minimalist Baker www.minimalistbaker.com • Oh She Glows www.ohsheglows.com • The Vegan Woman www.theveganwoman.com 5 Resources – some favourite vegan recipe books • Christine Bailey, Go Lean Vegan: The Revolutionary 30-day Diet Plan to Lose Weight and Feel Great https://amzn.to/38i9P3K • Hugh, Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Much More Veg: 175 easy and delicious vegan recipes for every meal https://amzn.to/38qyeUP • Angela Liddon, Oh She Glows https://amzn.to/3aqgDOL • Angela Liddon, Oh She Glows Everyday https://amzn.to/36b6QZu • Ella Mills (Woodward), Deliciously Ella Every Day https://amzn.to/2RA2s0O • Ella Mills (Woodward), Deliciously Ella The Plant-Based Cookbook: 100 simple vegan recipes to make every day delicious https://amzn.to/374WdZD Recommended supplements As you’ve seen, it is important to plan many nutrients on a vegan diet - including calcium, iron and zinc. But here are three very important nutrients that cannot be reliably sourced from a vegan diet and should be supplemented. If you would like a more personalised approach to your supplementation, please arrange a consultation with me. • Vitamin B12: Biocare Vitasorb B12 OR Biocare Nutrisorb methyl B12 • Omega-3: Biocare Vegan Omega-3 OR Testa Vegan Omega-3 • Vitamin D: BetterYou Vegan Vitamin D 6 Three steps to get 10% off supplements every time you order 1. Register at https://naturaldispensary.co.uk/ (type my full name ‘Sarah Grant’ in the practitioner field). 2. Add the recommended supplements to your cart and use the discount code 'GUT10' at the checkout. 3. Please do contact me if you need to check in regarding important dosage and safety information. Hungry for more? I hope this gives you some immediate practical information to help you on your plant-based eating journey.