Some of you may be participating, some of you may just be cutting down, and some of you may just be intrigued to find out more.
Whatever it is, there’s no denying that veganism is on the rise with more and more plant-based products popping up in supermarkets up and down the country and all over the world.
If you’re not quite sure what it is, veganism is where you avoid all animal-based foods. This includes the obvious beef, chicken, fish, pork, and so on as well as milk, eggs, and honey.
There are varying reasons to do this such as environmental and ethical, but I’ll be focusing on the pros and cons of the diet as well as some tips to help you this veganuary.
Going vegan definitely has it’s health benefits, but there are things you may need to keep your eye on which you won’t be getting regularly.
These include:
– Zinc
– B12
– Iron
– Omega 3 (DHA)
– Creatine
– Vitamin D
If you’re unsure about your levels, book in with me and we can get them checked as well as help you with supplements to ensure you stay energetic and healthy
One of the biggest talking points about a vegan diet is where do you get your protein from?
We’re so used to defaulting to meat, that it can be tricky to know how to get such an important macronutrient without it.
Most vegan protein sources need to be combined in order to become a complete protein.
For example, relatively, beans contain a lot of protein, but they don’t contain all of the amino acids and so, should be combined with rice in order to become complete.
Other issues with vegan protein sources are that they don’t tend to be purely protein. Lean chicken will have around 25g of protein and 2g of fat per 100g. Yet, peanut butter will have around 25g of protein and 30-40g of fat.
By no means does this mean that you can’t get enough protein from a vegan diet – it simply means you need to be smart.
Below are some good vegan protein sources:
Tofu, edamame, seitan, tempeh
Fake meats (check ingredients to see how heavily processed they are)
Peanut butter and bread (need to be combined with grain in order to be a complete protein. Also, keep an eye on the fat content)
Beans, Lentils and rice
Vegan protein powders (check ingredients to see how heavily processed they are)
Quinoa
Seeds (make sure to keep an eye on fat content)
Going vegan has a vast array of benefits for the body alongside some big positives for the environment and animal ethics. However, you need to make sure that you’re staying on top of your health at the same time, too.
It’s easy to think that because your diet is based on fruit and vegetables, that your health will skyrocket, and for some that might be the case. Yet, there are certain areas that you need to keep in mind.
If you’d like some more help with making 2020 your happiest, healthiest year, then send me a message.