Vegan-Is this for everyone?

[naturelle]

I'm a professional dietitian-nutritionist and there's the obvious trend to eat exclusively plant food.  This is definitely physiologically achieveable and having discovered that tempeh can be delicious--the seared tempeh at Hello 123--which I'm wondering if I can duplicate at home.  Sure the omega-3 from plant food is not as effective as that from fatty fishes (anchovies, herring, sardines, salmon, tuna) and calcium requires more attention to nuts & seeds (particularly chia), green vegetables and legumes, as well as iron, etc, etc.--vegan is feasible.

What do you think?

[Dominique]

You ask two questions:

1.  Is a vegan diet for everyone?
2.  Is it achievable/feasible?

The answers are "no" and "yes", respectively. Yes, it’s perfectly possible to survive, and even to thrive, on a vegan diet. In fact, people who eat a plant-based diet (not necessarily strictly vegans) tend to be healthier in average than the population as a whole, at least in rich countries. However, it’s also possible (and easier) to be as healthy eating a balanced, varied diet that includes both plant-based and animal-based (meat, fish, dairy, eggs etc.) food.

[ScottHsv]

My personal experience is that I've been eating almost exclusively whole plant foods for over 4  years now and have not felt better. If you are looking for authoritative resources on the subject I can highly recommend The China Study by Dr T Colin Campbell, and How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger. Both books are the kinds of reads that so blew my mind over and over such that I had to take them in small doses just to try to to wrap my mind around the information I was learning. Good luck on your journey.

[writergal28]

The thing is, if all one eats are chips, falafels and onion rings - all vegan - then no, you aren't going to be healthy.  It's about making good choices in what you eat.  You also have people who have trouble digesting certain plant-based proteins.  If they are very active, what will they eat to achieve a balanced diet?  You might not need a lot of protein, but you still need it.  If you can't digest legumes and are allergic to nuts and soy, you're kind of screwed (okay, there are seeds and protein exists in vegetables, but still...)  

Moderator edit: format

[HMargarita]

I was allergic almost on every kind of food in my childhood. Today I am 99% vegan. I don't feel my body and fly like a bird. Al my allergies are at the lowest level possible. Most of our allergens come from psychological conditions and the way how scientists and producers treat their production - not the production itself gives people countless health issues if it is natural. Yes, being vegan doesn't mean just refusing from eating animal proteins. This is a whole scientific world and only lots of knowledge and smart approach to veganism will bring great results. Adam and Eve didn't eat animals and survived somehow. Moreover, Adam lived almost 1000 years! We are all their long distance offspring. So, technically, veganism may be for everyone.

[DanielleinDC]

I'm a vegan, and I will say that it isn't for everyone. Some people have digestive issues that preclude eating a lot of fiber (which is in plant foods). had trouble digesting meat after I turned 30, so I went veg in my early 30s and went vegan for ethical reasons a few months later.

I've been vegan for about 17 years, and I rarely have trouble having enough iron to donate blood. My numbers got better after I began exercising regularly. (I make a point of eating especially well the week before a blood drive.) I like to have grape tomatoes, celery sticks, and hummus with my dinner. It's a bit "snacky" but also healthy.

All sorts of plant foods can be delicious if you know how to cook them. 

[itsMichelle]

My body has always been finicky about meat, and recently I started becoming intolerant to lactose. Finally, I decided my body must be trying to tell me something, so I decided to go vegan. The transition has been easier than I thought it would be. 

My main concern was really about making sure that I was getting the right nutrients.. which is kind of funny, when I look back, since I didn't really give a **ahem** about that when I was eating meat and dairy. 

I went to a dietician at my doctor's office and she said I should eat small snacks throughout the day, should try Lactaid, and to reference the "food wheel". I was a bit annoyed with the vagueness of her instructions and decided that I needed a bit more than that. 

I did some research, and found this app, Cronometer to help me log my nutrient intake. It shows me where I fall short on things and lets me plug and play until I'm able to come up with a few meals to interchange every few days in order to get the protein/amino acids I need. I started to see a bit of weight loss when I got serious about it so I got a fitbit to track my exercise. 

Pleased to say that I'm down 22 pounds (and still going). I feel better than I can ever remember feeling and it's definitely down to the dietary change. The increase in fiber was a bit upsetting to my gut at first, but I adapted.

Of all of the things, I'm actually finding Omega-6 wayyy more difficult to work into my diet than Omega-3's. They're everywhere and you need way less of them. I've been eating sunflower seeds like they're going out of style lately. lol

All in all, it's definitely not a diet or lifestyle for everyone, but I don't know if any diet really is. I don't want to be one of those annoying, preachy types about it, but it's been a complete life changer for me.