Veganism has gained much popularity in the last decade. Unlike diet trends that come and go, the vegan lifestyle is here to stay because of it’s many health benefits and easy-to-sustain attribute.
What is a vegan diet?
Being vegan means you’re on a plant-based diet so all animal products including meat, dairy, eggs are eliminated.
Vegans can plan their diet around fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains. Including variety is the key to getting your nutrients in. Choosing seasonal fruits, vegetables, grains is a good way to get exposure to a variety of vitamins, minerals and also to diversify the gut bacteria.
Some people who are on a vegan diet also avoid honey. Those who adopt a completely vegan lifestyle, also refrain from using clothes, cosmetics, and other products (like shoes, bags etc) that are made from animal sources. Some adopt this lifestyle for its sustainable environmental benefits.
Is a vegan diet wholesome?
A vegan diet is pretty wholesome and nutritious, and if planned well it can also be anti-inflammatory. Plant-based sources are rich in dietary fibers that help improve good cholesterol levels in the blood, thus decreasing the risk of heart diseases and stroke. High fibre diets also help keep blood sugar under control.
Managing certain key nutrients on a vegan diet
There are concerns about a vegan diet being low in certain nutrients like protein, calcium, vitamin B12, iron. But in fact a lot of plant based foods are rich in these nutrients, so if one includes them in the diet regularly, there should be no issues.
Calcium:
Contrary to popular belief vegans are deprived of calcium because of not consuming dairy, the fact is a whole lot of plant foods are excellent sources of calcium. For a serving of foods like chickpeas, spinach, sesame seeds, kidney beans, one would get almost a similar amount of calcium as with a serving of milk.
Iron:
Iron too is abundantly available from plants. Beets, green leafy vegetables, legumes, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, hemp and flax top the list), nuts (namely almonds, cashews, pine nuts), pomegranate, are some of the best sources of iron. Here’s a pro tip: Add vitamin C to plant based iron foods to increase iron absorption! So add some lime juice to your beet salad, or have nuts and seeds along with an orange to increase bio-availability of iron!
Protein:
Protein on a vegan diet is easy to manage as a lot of plant foods contain protein.
Pulses, legumes like kidney beans, chickpeas, green lentils, soy products (tofu, tempeh), Seeds (specially chia & basil seeds), nuts, grains like amaranth and quinoa, sprouts (moong, black chickpea), oats are excellent sources of vegan protein and can easily help meet one’s protein requirement if planned appropriately.
Vitamin B12:
Sadly, there are no great sources of plant based foods for vitamin B12, but one can safely take a supplement under professional guidance and meet the requirement. It is a very popular vitamin and easily absorbed without disturbing the GI tract when taken in appropriate doses.
The bottom line:
A vegan diet is pretty wholesome and nutritious and has a whole lot pf health benefits too.
Every diet has it’s pros and cons and some diets work for one but may not work for another. They key is to always listen to your body and do what suits you best!
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