A Plant Based DIet
Veganism has been around for a while, but I prefer another term- Whole Food Plant-Based eating because it refers to a sustainable, high-quality way of eating that now has good evidence for long term health. There are so many processed vegan foods around nowadays, that you can eat a high junk, highly processed, high convenience food, and poor quality fat vegan diet, and for this, there are poor outcomes.
Whole Food Plant-Based eating is a term given to eating a diet of mainly unprocessed plant foods, that look like the original plant i.e. whole foods. It is a way of eating that has plenty of fruits and vegetables, often a large amount of them raw- and whole grains, legumes, and small amounts of nuts and seeds. Generally, it is much lower in overall fat than an omnivorous or poor-quality vegan diet.
I haven’t always been so optimistic about the possibility of thriving long-term on a diet without any animal products. I have seen plenty of nutritionally depleted vegans over the years, and I have tried myself a few times previously without success, quickly becoming run down despite taking some precautions. But the evidence is pretty strong and undeniable now that it is possible to thrive on a quality vegan or plant-based diet, and many are doing it long-term well, even athletes.
Reverses Metabolic Diseases
Going plant-based has abundant evidence for reversing metabolic diseases, which are an epidemic in the west. These diseases come from the standard Australia diet- the SAD diet- high in meat and animal fat and low in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Metabolic diseases include Type 2 diabetes, being overweight and obese, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease, as well as dementia and strokes. A low-fat, whole food plant-based diet can help prevent and reverse obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Being plant-based also lowers the risks for some types of cancers such as prostate and breast cancers.
Evidence-based
Many influencers and passionate people, including medical professionals and nutritional researchers, are in the plant-based eating sphere. That’s because there is a lot of scientific evidence as well as anecdotal evidence for its benefit for the main killers in our western society, especially diseases related to metabolic syndrome.
Dr Caldwell Esselstyn (cardio health)
Dr Dean and Dr Ayesha Sherzai (specialising in Alzheimer’s and brain health)
Dr Brooke Goldner (autoimmune diseases)
Longevity
Most of the longest-living peoples in the world, in the so-called Blue Zones, have eaten a diet very high in plant foods and low in animal foods. It is perfectly possible to eat a very good plant-based diet with a small number of animal foods which is what I am currently doing (eg fish or red meat 1x a week). Many cultures around the world who adhere to their natural original diet, eat like this.
Life Energy
One aspect I don’t see discussed much is that on a good quality plant-based diet= or a good diet with a lot of plant foods in it - you are taking in a lot of life energy still in those plants. That’s why juicing, smoothies and raw foods like salads produce incredible vitality. My scientist husband calls our morning green juice “plant blood.” He feels the difference in his vitality from when we started drinking it daily, and his aches and pains disappeared- he was surprised! Try a green juice instead of a coffee - you might be surprised.
Deficiencies
There are potential nutritional deficiencies in a plant-based diet- but really, there are in any way of eating, and there are plenty of deficient omnivores walking around. Metabolic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and T2 diabetes are often due to too many calories and insufficient nutrition because of the food quality. I have written an article here to help with awareness of potential deficiencies.
Healing
Many people turn to a mainly plant-based way for healing from a chronic health condition they find themselves with (and others for more ethical or environmental reasons). And many of the popular promoters of this way of eating have helpful resources to help ordinary people transition to a new way of eating- which can otherwise be very challenging. Food attachments and patterns go very deep and many would rather die than change their diet, even when they see the benefit. Just like many would rather die than give up smoking, even with a cancer diagnosis. Change can be very difficult, and this is a significant change for most people.
Two helpful resources I have found are T.Colin Campbells (author of the China Study) Plant based 101 Guide
and Dr Greger’s Evidence-based Eating Guide, and Daily Dozen Meal Planning Guides.
Anthony Williams- Medical Medium
Another very popular and sought after guide, this time with no scientific background but with a strong following due to excellent results, is Anthony Williams, the Medical Medium. His approach is not exclusively plant-based, as he doesn’t want to exclude omnivores from potentially healing on his protocols. However, all his recommendations and recipes are plant-based. Any meat eaten is recommended in small amounts for the evening meal only. He has a lot of excellent resources available for free on his website and podcasts. He has a unique approach to healing, with a strong emphasis on the role of viruses and other pathogens in modern diseases and the role of having a healthy liver in recovering. He promotes a low-fat approach to healing the liver, with daily celery juice and smoothies, plenty of raw salads, and supplements. It is a powerful healing approach beyond diet, and I recommend it to those who resonate.
Popularity
It seems that plant-based eating is not quite mainstream but it is a way of eating that has exploded into popularity, not just for health reasons but for environmental and ethical reasons as well. You can now find vegan processed foods everywhere, which may benefit many, but may also be a bit of a trap for others needing to heal. But whatever anyone’s opinion, it seems to be a phenomenon whose time has come.
I have been diving deeply into studying this way of eating and how to do it really well while following some of Anthony William’s protocols. It tends to be more work in the kitchen for me. Still, I have found that my energy levels have increased so radically, all my aches and pains gone, that I am still enthusiastic about the food preparation and extra shopping for fresh produce, after seven months. I have become far more than a little curious and engaged with this way of eating since it has already done me and my husband, Dave so much good.
It can be worth looking into if you suffer from any chronic health conditions, or just wish to age well and your cholesterol and blood pressure, or weight, are creeping up.