Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a great festive break. After a month of excess I hope you don’t need to do much to get you back on track.
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The new year is often a time for new starts or trying something new, and as the world goes crazy for Veganism, I wanted to share an infographic I’ve created on the benefits and caveats on this restricted way of eating.
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Stay healthy people!
Benefits
Diets consisting primarily of plants can confer to several important health benefits.
· Increased fibre - from increased plant foods has profound health benefits, such as aiding digestion, lowering the risk for certain types of cancers, and lowering blood cholesterol levels.
· Better microbiome diversity - by eating more vegetables and plant foods this can stimulate beneficial bacterial growth and improve the diversity of our microbiomes that may improve our gut health and immunity. Try to consume 25+ different plant foods per week.
· Lower blood sugar levels and improve kidney function - Vegans tend to have lower blood sugar levels and higher insulin sensitivity that may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and declining kidney function,
· Lower risk of heart disease and other conditions - Studies highlight that diets high in plant foods have a lower risk of heart disease and may also reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke and certain cancers.
· Better weight management - Research suggests that people who primarily eat plants tend to have a leaner bodies and lower rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease than those who eat meat.
· Better for the environment - Adopting sustainable eating habits can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and land used for factory farming, which are all factors in global warming and environmental degradation.
Caveats: Before starting a Vegan diet, people should ensure they take steps to get enough of the following nutrients:
· Protein: It is important to think about getting decent quality protein every day. Animal sources provide complete proteins with the nine amino acids that are essential to health. Only tofu and Quorn provide these in Vegan diets in beneficial quantities. Combining non complete sources is possible, such as rice and pulses but be careful with the increased carbohydrate content.
· Iron: It is vital we get enough iron in our diets, due to its essential role in producing energy. Plant sources do not have the same bioavailability as meat. Combining vitamin C with veggie iron helps with this bioavailability.
· Vitamin B12: This essential nutrient produces red blood cells, DNA, nerve cells, and brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. B12 deficiency can lead to anaemia and nerve damage. B12 is present in many animal products but not in plant foods, unless fortified. Vegans should supplement with up to 1000mcg/daily, or as directed by a health professional.
· Vitamin D that mainly comes from exposure to sunlight is an immune and bone health supporting nutrient that is deficient even in omnivorous diets, so supplementation from October to March is vital. Oil based supplements are best, 1000iu (25mcg)/daily!
· Omega-3 fatty acids provide EPA and DHA that can help reduce inflammation, benefit circulatory and brain health, and other chronic conditions, such as heart disease. Oily fish are the primary sources. DHA can be found in marine algae (vegan), but not EPA – this is often added from a synthetic source. Vegans should supplement with at least (300mg DHA + 150mg EPA)/daily.
How to adopt a vegan diet: If you are significantly changing your diet, it may be useful to start slowly – perhaps introducing two or three plant-based meals, or days, a week. This allows your body to adapt to new foods and to the changes in the proportion of certain nutrients, such as fibre. It also allows you to experiment with new foods and to build up some store cupboard staples over a period of time.
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