Vegan vs whole plant based food

Vegan Vs. Whole Plant-Based Food GWilkerson12/05/2014 Plant Based Nutrition

Is Whole Plant-Based Food the same as vegan? I’ve been noticing that several of the whole plant-based food proponents are not identifying with being vegan or vegetarian these days. What are these? Dictionary defines vegan as: Vegan: a strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products; also : one who abstains from using animal products (as leather) No mention of the type of food that is consumed, nor does it mention the reasons one might decide to be vegan. I’m thinking that people who define themselves as vegan, generally do so for ethical reasons. I would hazard to state that the #1 reason people ‘go vegan’ is because they do not want to be willing participants in the misery and death of billions of animals (cows, chickens, pigs, ducks, sheep, fish, etc) each and every year. Another reason one might become vegan is for environmental reasons. World health leaders are saying that in order to have any hope of saving our environment, we all need to move toward a veggie diet. The third reason one may become vegan is for the improvement of health. But is a vegan diet healthy? Is it healthier than the diet of an omnivore? The answer to both questions is maybe yes, maybe no. I could be vegan and eat the following foods over the course of the day: Breakfast: 1 white bagel with margarine, Kraft peanut butter and jam. Coffee. Snack: 2 Oreo cookies Lunch: Sandwich: white bread, vegan mayo, no-meat turkey slices, dairy-free cheese. Soy yogurt. Snack: Cup of juice or maybe another coffee. Dinner: Harvey’s veggie burger and fries. Snack: potato chips or corn chips with salsa. The question is: Is the above a healthy diet? The answer is a resounding NO! Here is an example of what a whole plant-based food menu might look like: Breakfast: Chocolate Bliss Smoothie (Raw cacao powder, banana, blueberries, water, almond milk, spirulina) Snack: Omega-3 nut balls (ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, raw cacao powder, dates, shredded coconuts) Lunch: large (as in a large mixing-bowl size) green salad (mixed leafy greens, cilantro, tomato, cucumber, radish, shredded carrot,avocado, kidney beans,

oil-free dressing) Snack: Green smoothie (Kale, apple, pear, water) Dinner: Cooked quinoa, chickpeas, steamed veggies (carrots, broccoli,cauliflower, leafy greens, etc.) The very definition of a whole food plant-based diet is HEALTH. The welfare of animals is definitely a large part of the picture. Because of its emphasis on WHOLE (unprocessed) foods, it is a diet that you can be sure is healthy IF you follow it. It is more than a label, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a way of eating that provides your body everything it needs for optimal health.

Whole Plant-Based food The Plant-Based Dietitian offers this: Vegan is exclusive and Whole Plant-Based Food is inclusive. Kaiser Permanente put out this booklet for their thousands of Physicians:

The Plant-Based Diet Health benefits of a whole plant-based food diet: Lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar Reversal or prevention of heart disease Longer life Healthier weight Lower risk of cancer and diabetes May slow the progression of certain types of cancer Improved symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis Fewer medications Lower food costs Good for the environment If most of their patients follow this, it would save the insurance company millions of dollars. Try a 30-day challenge! Use the information in this booklet to eat a plant-based diet for the next 30 days and see if it has a positive impact on your health. If it does, continuing with a plant-based diet may be a great option.

I suggest reading the entire booklet. Save it, print it if necessary. The closer you can come to eating whole plant-based food, very low salt oil or sugar, the healthier you will be.

Tell Your Physician You Are on a Plant-Based Diet Making a lot of healthy changes to your diet can lower your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. A whole plant-based food diet can also affect your thyroid or blood-thinning medications [warfarin (Coumadin)]. If you are taking medications, make sure to tell your physician that you are following a plant-based diet. Your physician may need to change some or all of your medications. Your health condition may need to be monitored more often. Conclusion

I think the vegan movement is great. Any lifestyle and dietary choice that eliminates suffering and reduces our impact on the planet is a big step in the right direction. I have no beef with anyone who is in it just for the ethical and environmental reasons. I am for being healthier so I can be around and able to do more for animals and our planet for a longer time. Whole PlantBased Food, to me is the best way to live. It has improved my health, my lab results and can taste absolutely delicious!