There are so many different dietary habits that you can pick out. There are also tons of different nutritional considerations that need to be taken into account as well. If you have ever tried to determine if a Plant Based or Vegan lifestyle is healthy you have no doubt wondered how you will get all of your nutrients.
This is a common complication for many people but it is not impossible to adopt a Vegan lifestyle. You do need to be very careful though, especially in the beginning until the lifestyle becomes second nature to you so that you do not make a mistake of not consuming the proper nutrients.
What many people do not readily realize is that it is extremely important to get the best impact possible for your diet. If you are trying out a new diet then it is extremely important that you take some time to really determine what potential downfalls you might meet. For example, if you are turning to a Plant based or Vegan lifestyle you are omitting all meat products from your diet.
One common myth about moving to a plant based or vegan diet is that you will no longer be able to get your daily protein allowance. It is common that the biggest concern with a plant based diet is getting enough protein. Interestingly, the average person only needs about 50 grams of protein per day. This means that most people could get all the protein they need from plants. In fact, there are many plant-based proteins that are not only healthy, but also delicious!
Calcium
Calcium is an essential mineral for human health, playing a role in bone formation, blood clotting, and muscle function. The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1000 mg for adults. While dairy products are a common source of calcium in the Western diet, they are not the only source. Calcium is found in many plant-based foods, such as leafy green vegetables, legumes, and tofu. There are a few factors to consider when meeting your calcium requirements through a plant-based diet. The absorption of calcium from plant-based sources is lower than from animal sources. This means that you need to consume more calcium from plant-based foods to get the same amount of calcium as you would from dairy products.
B12
When embarking on a Whole Food Plant Based lifestyle you will be faced with information from friends, family and the internet warning you of vitamin B12 deficiency from eating a plant based diet. It is important to have some perspective on this because it is extremely important. First off you need to understand an important fact that you will be faced with; Plant Based diets are naturally low in vitamin B12, this is true. Vitamin B12 is not produced by plants, alternately as opposed to common opinion it is not produced by animals either. Vitamin B12 is the product of bacteria in the soil. In the modern world where everything is sterilized the naturally occurring B12 is not common. Some Whole Plant Based foods do have higher concentrations of B12 but a supplement is recommended. A whole food Plant Based diet is well documented as a CURE for most heart disease prevalent in todays cultures, do not let fear of vitamin B12 deficiency stop you from preventing heart disease or other chronic diet based diseases.
It is very important that you consider all of the foods that you are purchasing. If you have the option of purchasing any items that are fortified with additional nutrients, it will be very important for your diet.
These foods might cost a bit of additional money, but they will help to protect your health while you are learning how to eat a proper Vegan diet while still getting all of the nutrients that you need. If you try to miss out on some of the vital nutrients, it can cause fatigue as well as put you at risk for some serious health problems.
Many times, it is also a good idea to speak to your doctor before switching to a new diet to ensure that there are no special considerations you should take into account before you begin. A quick visit to the doctor is quite beneficial to ensure that you are healthy and making proper choices for your diet as well. Find a plant based nutritionist, often Medical doctors do not have extensive training in nutrition.
Taking a risk with your health is never a wise idea and can lead to some significant problems, but if you are careful and do check with a doctor you will be in a much better position to start a Plant Based lifestyle.
It is extremely important to track what you are eating and the nutritional content for the foods as well. This information will be extremely helpful when it is time to determine if you are getting all of the nutrients that you need. You will find after a short time that it is simple and easy to have a nutritious and filling meal eating only a plant based or vegan diet.
This will also allow you to quickly and easily determine any deficiencies that you have as well as start looking for ways to fix them before any serious health problems do develop. A small notebook will usually serve well to track your foods and still be small enough to carry with you.
Just be absolutely certain that you are consuming a wide variety of foods in order to get the widest variety of nutrients possible. Waiting until you are experiencing some serious health problems will typically find you suffering extreme problems that could have been avoided.
