Did you try out Veganuary this year or are you thinking about going vegan more permanently? Doctor Gemma Newman has some advice for you. With so many diets out there—low fat, high fat, low carb, high carb, vegan, paleo, keto—it can be easy to get confused. Which one actually works best?
Veganuary is becoming more popular every year. In 2018, 170,000 people participated, which was a big jump from 2017’s numbers. Last year, over 250,000 joined in, and it’s likely that even more people are participating this year.
Now, you might wonder if a vegan diet is truly healthy and how it stands out from the rest. Nutrition advice can get mixed up due to the media, food companies, and even health experts, but almost everyone agrees on the benefits of eating lots of fruits and vegetables and minimizing processed foods and sugary treats.
People sometimes stick to old eating habits, saying “everything in moderation,” but that’s not always wise. No one would suggest smoking in moderation, so why treat sugary drinks and processed meats any differently? The World Health Organization even classifies processed meats as a known cancer risk.
Health experts like Dr. David Katz and the True Health Initiative team agree on a healthy diet rich in veggies, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and water. Interestingly, paleo and whole-food plant-based diets have more similarities with each other than with a typical Western diet.
Looking at heart health, a plant-based whole food diet is the only diet proven to reverse artery blockages in just weeks. This was shown in the Lifestyle Heart Trial by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and replicated in the Mount Abu Heart Trial. No other diet has matched these results, making a plant-based diet a sensible choice for heart health.
Switching from a Western diet to one focused on plants can feel daunting. If you’re interested, here are some steps to start your plant-based journey safely. Consider picking up cookbooks like “So Vegan in 5” by Roxy Pope and Ben Pook, or “BOSH!” by Henry Firth & Ian Theasby, both offering easy vegan recipes.
Change can start with modifying your favorite meals. Turn chicken curry into chickpea curry or beef Bolognese into lentil Bolognese. Find vegan versions you enjoy, and start by having a plant-based breakfast a few times a week. Gradually increase plant-based meals until they become part of your routine. Expect some initial bloating as your gut adjusts, but well-planned plant-based diets offer significant health benefits, including disease prevention, as supported by both American and British dietetic associations.
In today’s nutrient-depleted world, thanks to practices like mono-cropping, a Western diet often lacks key nutrients like magnesium and fiber, leading to obesity and chronic diseases. A nutrient-dense plant-based diet helps counter those deficiencies.
While a whole food plant-based approach is highly nutritious, you might still need some supplements. Vitamin B12 is crucial since it’s hard to get from plants alone unless you’re consuming fortified foods regularly. A daily or weekly supplement ensures you avoid deficiency. Vitamin D and EPA/DHA (from algae) for heart health are also important, and flaxseeds can be a great addition to lower blood pressure.
Dr. Gemma Newman, with over 15 years of medical experience, advocates for this approach. She suggests that a plant-based diet is one of the healthiest choices for many chronic conditions and can provide lifelong benefits.