The Vegetarian/Vegan Diet - Doing It Right

What about supplements?...

When it comes to supplements, take them only if you are tested to be deficient.  By giving your body a continuous supply of healthy vegetarian foods, you have a far superior nutritional advantage.  Your diet will be filled with antioxidant and nutrient rich fruits and vegetables and should require little to no supplementation.  Do not fall for the hype preached by supplement manufacturers, vegetarian and vegan websites, and people who advise you to spend your money on all sorts of expensive supplements, "superfoods," and protein powders.  They really are not in any position to diagnose you as needing these things.

Do not self-diagnose and randomly assume you need supplements!  Not only will you be groping in the dark, but there are many studies showing that some very commonly used synthetic supplements such as folic acid and vitamin A are not only bad for you, but can contribute to serious health concerns.

Vitamin B₁₂

Vitamin B₁₂ comes from bacteria in the food we eat, and is produced internally by our bodies.  It is also efficiently recycled in the body and can last over 2 years in a healthy adult without requiring direct dietary sources.  In this day and age, with the depletion of our soils and the pollution of our planet, non-organic plant foods are no longer considered a reliable source of B₁₂ and many people - vegetarian, non-vegetarian, vegan, or raw foodist alike are low on B₁₂.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman, board certified family physician and author of multiple books on healthy living, considers anyone on a 100% raw vegan diet that does not include B₁₂ supplementation to be irresponsible, because the majority of people in the long run (over a period of 10-20 years), will develop a B₁₂ deficiency.  "A B₁₂ deficiency disease can cause little or no symptoms until irreversible damage occurs, but very often the neurological difficulties are reversible.  I have seen vegan patients who could no longer walk unassisted, gain back their ability to walk after treatment with B₁₂."

Famous vegan T. C. Fry, a popular promoter of the raw vegan diet, died of a severe B₁₂ deficiency.  Based on Fuhrman's experience of raising his own four children on raw and cooked vegetables, nuts, fruits, grains, beans, and occasionally eggs, he advocates that 80% of the food should be raw and vegetable-based, and that more than 10% animal products can increase the risk of disease.  Fuhrman is author of the book Disease Proof Your Child.

Vitamin D

Depending on the climate you live in and how much year-round sunlight you are exposed to, you may need vitamin D supplementation. This is especially so if you live in northern climates such as Canada, north American and northern Europe.  

The continual application of sunscreens on a daily basis blocks vitamin D absorption and contributes to a deficiency, even for those living in sunnier climates.  Many of these sunscreens contain very toxic chemicals that not only damage the skin, but studies now show they contribute to the very skin cancer many people assume they prevent.

• Learn about vitamin D, what it does, and the best type of vitamin D supplement to buy.
• When it come to melanomas, learn why you have more to fear from today's chemicalized sunscreens and their dangerous ingredients than from the sun itself.

What About the Omegas

A healthy vegetarian or vegan diet contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from food sources such as avocados, walnuts, seeds (hemp, flax, sacha inchi) shitake mushrooms, and other foods.  There should be no reason to take omega supplementation.

Keep This In Mind...

At best, high quality supplements should be used only to help resolve a health issue, and then be discontinued when they are no longer needed.  The two exceptions to this rule are vitamin B12 and vitamin D, both of which you can monitor by taking simple tests, and supplement ONLY if you are deficient.  Otherwise, you will simply be wasting your money.

If you do take supplements, always make sure they are sourced from whole foods (and not synthetic), and are produced by reputable manufacturer.  Where possible, choose raw supplements (such as the Garden of Life raw supplement product line).

Get wise about supplements
When to use them & how to make the right choices

The Body Healer Protocol

Foods to Avoid

There are many food manufacturers that have jumped on the vegetarian and vegan food bandwagon to provide a huge variety of options.  Although some offer some wonderfully healthy choices, most of these are highly processed meals and snacks that have no place in your body.  

Just because the term "vegetarian" or "vegan" is slapped onto a food package, along with pretty pictures and misleading words such as "healthy" and "natural" (terms which mean very little and are very loosely regulated), does not mean they are healthy... or natural.  There are many foods filled with chemicals and hydrogenated oils that use these words on their packaging.

Let's take a look at some of the offending foods to avoid:

The Moral Stance Factor 

When it comes to choosing a vegan or vegetarian diet, it is important to recognize that this is just one way of eating, and not the only way.  It is especially important to honor the choices others make and not force our viewpoints upon people who have no interest in changing their eating habits, or make them feel inferior because their choices are different to yours.

Being a vegetarian myself, I am often very irritated when I meet other "holier than thou" vegetarians and vegans who feel that their eating choices are the right ones, and everyone else's are wrong.  Respecting the dietary choices of others when being in their presence is important.  

Teach Others to Eat Meat Responsibly

For some vegans and vegetarians who have educated themselves on the cruelty experienced by millions of animals in US factory farms, they find being around those who eat factory-farmed meat upsetting and offensive.  Do you remember when you, too, were unaware of factory-farming practices?  Do you remember when the subject of meat-eating was never even on your radar screen?

If others choose to eat factory-farmed meat, consider helping them understand why organic and sustainable meat and fish choices are much more healthier, humane, and morally responsible options.  If they continue to eat factory-farmed meat, even after knowing that it contributes to animal cruelty, then simply choose to no longer be in their company if you find it upsetting or unacceptable.

The majority of the American public are not even sure what factory farming is, never mind being aware of just how deplorable and inhumane this practice is, and that countries such as all of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries have banned it.  Helping to educate them in a non-confrontational and caring manner will go much further in helping them make better and healthier choices, rather than being intolerant and judgmental. 

How to eat meat responsibly...