The Whole Vegan Lifestyle
Seven steps to a healthier and kinder way of life.
This summer marks my three-year “Veganiversary”. People often ask me why I became vegan. While I had been vegetarian since high school, it was never a central part of my identity. In high school, I became interested in yoga and the philosophy of “Ahimsa” or non-violence made sense to me. Why kill animals if consuming their flesh is unnecessary for our own survival? Yet, I never once thought I would ever become vegan — I loved my French wine and cheese, thank you very much.
It wasn’t until grad school, when I had a sort of quarter life crisis, that the possibility presented itself. My grandfather, who suffered from diabetes and prostate cancer for many years, passed away. As is the case with many immigrant families, we grew up living with our grandparents, and I always admired his wisdom greatly. In the last few months of his life, I came back home to help out with translating at the doctor’s office (he spoke only Russian), buying groceries, and preparing meals. Amazingly, my grandfather’s doctor prescribed him a vegan diet. I was curious, if that is the diet one should eat if they have cancer, why not all the time?
Unknowingly, I opened a Pandora’s Box.
What I learned during the summer of 2015 changed not only my diet, but my entire life. I changed the topic of my dissertation, founded the community advocacy group Boston Plant-Based Millennials, became the President of Harvard Vegan Society Student Group, and am currently writing a book about vegan entrepreneurship, specifically how veganism is becoming a lifestyle movement.
When I first became vegan, lots of people would ask me the practical questions of how to adopt this lifestyle. About a month into my own journey, I created a booklet I would send people when they asked me about my lifestyle choice. To celebrate my Veganiversary this year, I decided to update that booklet from three years ago, bringing together resources and links to get you started. In the future, I hope to write more posts about how to incorporate this approach into all our consumption practices, as I learn this information for myself. (You can check out my post on Conscious Body Care here).
What?
I follow what I call a Whole Vegan Lifestyle. At its base, the lifestyle is premised on a “whole food plant based” (WFPB) diet. The diet is distinct from simply a vegan diet (which is ideologically motivated by ethical concerns alone) in that it focuses on eating foods as close to their natural unrefined state as possible. The diet excludes not only all animal products — meat, fowl, fish, eggs, and dairy — but also processed food, refined sugar, oil, and for the most part, salt. The lifestyle is also vegan in that it includes eventually eliminating consumption of non-edible animal by-products like leather, wool, feathers, silk, etc.
Although nutritional science is still an area of dispute, we now have conclusive evidence that a plant-based diet (vegan or nearly so) is the only diet proven to not only prevent, but even reverse major chronic conditions. Plants contain all of the nutrients that humans need (with the exception of B12, more on that below), including macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) as well as the essential micronutrients we need to thrive. Instead of eating the flesh of animals who process our food for us, we can instead eat these plants directly, consuming nutrients in their “whole” unprocessed state.
Why?
The lifestyle is underpinned by the Three Pillars: Health, Planet, and Ethics. My initial foray in vegetarianism came from an ethical insight: When I learned that I did not need to eat animal flesh to survive, I wondered why I would create unnecessary suffering that involved killing other beings. At the time, I was not aware of the ethical dilemmas involved in animal by-products (dairy, eggs, wool, etc.), but once I realized these, I gradually cut out these products as well.
Although I identify as vegan today, I always try to remain skeptical and not become blinded by idealism. I understand that should my relationship to animals change, and I would need to eat them to survive, I probably would, as long as the relationship was symbiotic and they could eat me too. But today, since I have the privilege and power to choose what I put on my plate, I feel I have an obligation to do so (especially given that some others may not). If I can not only survive, but thrive, while following a lifestyle that reduces harm to the planet and other beings — then why not?
If I can not only survive, but thrive, while following a lifestyle that reduces harm to the planet and other beings — then why not?
While ethics guided my initial interest, what truly convinced me to become vegan is learning more about the health and environmental components, as well as the realization that the animal agriculture industry has far-reaching implications beyond what we typically think. For example, as horrible as is the suffering of animals in factory farms, there are myriad other ethical issues involved: the psychological damage to slaughterhouse workers, third-world leather dyers, food scarcity and world hunger issues, corruption in government and industry financing, the preying of the pharmaceutical industry on sick people, and the myriad other ethical issues.
Whatever motivation you find most compelling, the beautiful thing is that these three pillars reinforce and support one other, especially when backed up by actual research instead of feelings, uninformed opinions, and perhaps worst of all, cultural ignorance.
How?
Taking on the challenge of re-vamping your life is no small feat. But I encourage you to think not about what you are giving up, but instead of what you are gaining, physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Over time, eating at home will not be too challenging. After a little while you will get the hang of cooking without animal products or oil and learn techniques to keep up this lifestyle even while traveling. I have travelled throughout Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and elsewhere all while maintaining the lifestyle.
Perhaps the most challenging thing will be social situations — going out to restaurants, parties, or generally eating with others who may not understand. I suggest just smiling and saying it is just something you are trying out and going along with your day. Unfortunately, salads that are too small and overpriced are often the only option on a restaurant menu because people do not realize that plant-based vegans eat substantial things too. But this is changing, especially in big cities.
Remember, it took me a decade of being vegetarian before I even considered veganism, and then another whole year before I felt ready to give up animal products altogether and embrace a new way of eating. Just be kind to yourself, and enjoy the process. Over time, the lifestyle will become imbued with meaning and you will enjoy every delicious step of the way. Look forward to the new you that you will discover. One day you will turn around and not recognize yourself.
Who? Where? When?
Whoever you are, wherever you are, and whenever you want to try something new, exciting, and potentially life-changing — not just for yourself but for this earth and the beings we share it with!
The Seven Healthy Steps
STEP 1: Watch a few documentaries.
I include the major the documentaries for each pillar. Watch the trailers and see what appeals to you, but I recommend the first couple at least of each.
Health:
- Forks Over Knives
- What the Health
- The Game Changers (Out soon)
- Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue
- PlantPure Nation
- Eating You Alive
Planet:
Ethics:
- Earthlings
- Eating Animals (Out soon)
- Dominion (Out soon)
- At the Fork
- Food Inc.
- Meet Your Meat
STEP 2: Commit to a week/month-long challenge.
My suggestion is you start off with either a week-long or month-long challenge to follow this lifestyle in an immersive way.
- Engine 2 7-Day Rescue Challenge: This is a good starting point program, since it’s free for 7 days. It was started by the firefighter Rip Esselstyn (son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, see below) and introduces the whole food plant based lifestyle (which Rip calls “plant strong”) in a way that will appeal to most people. Engine 2 Diet also creates oil-free products that can be found in any Whole Foods.
- Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s 30-Day Vegan Challenge ($40 for one month): Colleen has done more than most to advance the vegan cause. her immersive program is a brilliant way to get an introduction on why this lifestyle matters and she answers every question you may have through a daily email. Although the program is not oil-free it is definitely health-conscious. Listen also to her great Food for Thought podcast.
To help you along the way, here are meal planners and even meal kits if you do not yet feel comfortable preparing food yourself.
Meal Planners:
- Forks Over Knives: Developed following the documentary of the same name, the meal planner is 100% whole food plant based and offers a ton of recipes online for free.
- Engine2Diet: Whole food plant based and easy to combine with their products found in Whole Foods.
- PlantPower Way: Developed by athlete Rich Roll and Julie Piatt, the meal planner is not oil-free but healthy and aesthetically pleasing.
- 22 Days Nutrition ($14/month or $99/year): If you want to be like Beyoncé (who doesn’t want to be like Queen B?), sign up for the program developed by her trainer Marco Borges.
Meal Kits:
- Purple Carrot: If it’s too overwhelming to plan your own meals, Purple Carrot’s got you covered with their two or four-person meal delivery kits either in the standard or TB12 Performance Meals in partnership with Tom Brady.
- PlantPure: Entire whole food plant based meals ordered online and delivered to your door. From the creators of the documentary of the same name.
STEP 3: Learn the Do’s and Don’ts of eating.
After watching a few of the documentaries, you will start to get a sense of the do’s and don’ts of eating in the Whole Vegan Lifestyle.
Dont’s:
1. Meat & Fish. Red, white, fish, seafood, etc. Does not matter if it’s free-range, organic, non-GMO, or anything else.
2. Dairy & Eggs. Animal by-products or products made with dairy/eggs (e.g. fresh pasta is usually made with eggs, some breads contain butter/eggs, nearly all pastries/desserts contain these as well).
3. Oil/Sugar/Salt. A whole food plant based diet is “SOS-Free” meaning it does not contain any oil, refined sugar, or salt. Although a tiny bit of these substances is probably all right if you at a normal weight and healthy, it is better to avoid them entirely as much as possible since they always slip through when you eat out. Let’s break each one down.
Oil: This might be a shocker, but oil is not a health food. No oil is good for you, even coconut oil or olive oil that have benefited from a lot of marketing. Oil is basically nutritionally worthless, but full of calories you do not need to be eating. Pay particular attention to crackers, tortilla chips, peanut and nut butters, and especially salad dressings because these are usually loaded with oil. The only exception is when you go out to eat or when a family member or friend cooks for you, because that is very hard to control (though you could ask for dressing on the side and just get a squeeze of lemon and some balsamic vinegar). I go out to eat much less these days than I used to. But, it saves money and time and you learn to cook at home and can have people over which is fun! More on the evidence below. And believe me, your taste buds will adjust.
Sugar: Not as surprisingly, refined sugar is completely addictive. As humans, we evolved to be attracted to sugar-containing foods since they were rare in nature and contained concentrated energy. For most of our history, the sweetest things were fruits, and provided us not only with glucose, but also fibre and other health-promoting components. These days, not only do we consume refined sugar (which is much more potent), but it is often mixed with fat and salt (e.g. donuts, salad dressings, even refined bread) which ups the addictive potential. Eating a diet containing a lot of sugar leads not only to weight gain, but also risk of an earlier death.
Salt: Do not add salt to your food. Although a bit of salt is not harmful, given how much salt is added to our food on a daily basis (in packaged and processed food and in restaurants), most of our taste buds are totally out of wack and the amount we consume contributes to health problems such as hypertension. As such, at home avoid it altogether. At first food will seem bland, but your taste buds will adjust. If you must have salt, season your food after it’s cooked rather than during the cooking process as that way you will be able to add less and yet still taste it.
For more, check out this great article by Cathy Fischer at Straight Up Food: “Why Go SOS-Free?”
4. Processed food. This one should be obvious, but probably worth repeating. Try to avoid buying things in packages at all. If you must buy something boxed or binned, the fewer ingredients the better. Whatever comes first is what there is more of in the product. You might be surprised that your favorite peanut butter, for example, has palm oil as its second ingredient. Not only is this ecologically disastrous, but also bad for your health. Steer clear. Get rid of all sugary pop and fruit juice since given its lack of fibre, it is mostly just expensive sugar. Same goes for most bread that comes in plastic bags and is not frozen, since it contains additives which make it shelf-stable (more on recommended products below).
5. Coffee/alcohol/drugs. These substances are unnecessary for good health. I avoid coffee altogether, but do drink green tea which has some caffeine. Alcohol is not healthy either, though it’s benefited from marketing about antioxidants, etc. There is some evidence that red wine may be health-promoting, but I personally still err on the side of caution.
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I know that seems like a lot to cut out, but believe me, you will be shocked at how different and great you feel when you do. Remember you are gaining rather than losing on this diet! You are gaining energy, vitality, and reconnecting to what your body naturally wants to consume. You will also be amazed at how quickly your palate changes. I used to crave cheese, yogurt, and ice cream especially. Now I simply have no desire for dairy, and in fact, even my passion for the vegan versions have subsided the healthier I eat. You will also be amazed at how much energy you have, and your desire to move your body will come more naturally as well.
Do’s:
So here then is a simple list of what you should be eating.
1. Vegetables. No surprises here. Any and every doctor would agree that eating vegetables is good for our health. Eat a mix of both raw and (lightly, e.g. steamed or baked without charring which is cancer-promoting) cooked vegetables) in any quantity. Focus on greens in particular, which are a powerhouse of nutrition. The most perfect of foods.
2. Beans/Legumes. Beans and legumes offer an incredible amount in terms of nutrition. They stabilize blood sugar, reduce our cravings for sweets, and fill us up. Of course, they also provide protein, but as I will address below, as long as you get enough calories (which you will), you do not have to worry about protein.
3. Fruit. Some people are concerned about eating fruit given the sugar content, but the glucose in sugar is naturally different than refined sugar and is healthy, rather than harmful. Ideally, you should consume a platter of fruits a day. My favorite way is to eat fresh seasonal fruit for breakfast, or else in granola/oatmeal in the colder winter months.
4. Starch/Whole Grains. This includes starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and pumpkin, as well as whole grains such as rice, buckwheat, and quinoa which are naturally gluten free. As for gluten-containing wheat, while I do not believe there is anything inherently wrong with gluten, unfortunately the way most wheat is manufactured today gives us pause. Wheat grown on American soil is not super nutritious given the soil quality. Additionally, it is processed and and additives such as coloring, chemicals, salt, and sugar are added to make breads, breakfast cereals, and other prepared foods. It is likely that many people who experience gluten sensitivity (and are not Celiac) are likely sensitive to these other components as well as refined carbohydrates more generally. If you do want to consume bread (I mostly do only when in France), make sure it’s made the old-fashioned way or else is an organic and natural variety such as Food for Life’s Ezekiel bread.
5. Healthy Whole Fats. This includes raw seeds, nuts, and avocados. Fats are necessary for us to absorb many nutrients in vegetables, plus provide both flavor and satisfaction. Healthy overt fats are great in salads as part of the dressing, or as a snack if you’re out on a hike or traveling and need something to hold you over until the next meal. Do not consume salted or otherwise processed versions of these health foods. You can also find seed and nut butters in raw versions without added oil, salt, or sugar. However, when they are minimally processed in this way, I find it difficult not to eat half a jar in one sitting, so lately I am trying to blend the whole raw seeds/nuts directly into dressings and consume them that way. Along the same lines, some of the benefits of nuts may be overblown given research funded but nut lobbies, so if you are trying to lose weight or have a history of food addiction, have heart disease, or acne issues, it may be worth cutting them out as you can get all the nutrients you need on a very low fat vegan diet, which may be optimal.
Here is a handy graphic to remind you of the Do’s & Don’ts.
STEP 4: Stock up your fridge and pantry.
Here are some basic shopping lists for you. The fridge should be restocked often so that you are compelled to eat the vegetables and fruits inside. The pantry items then complement the the fresh produce to create a meal.
A note on *Organic: Of course, it is not necessary to eat entirely organic to be healthy, and in fact it probably matters what you eat more than if it’s organic or not. That being said, if you can afford it, it is likely a safer bet and better for the environment too. Especially since you will be eating a lot of greens, it’s not a good idea to be ingesting pesticides in large amounts. If you are shopping at a market, be aware that some organic farmers use pesticides, while other farmers cannot afford organic certification but their produce is all natural. When in doubt, refer to the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” (the most contaminated fruits and vegetables which should be bought organic: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers.
*You can also try the Dirty Dozen app.
Fridge:
- Raw vegetables: greens (lettuce, spinach, other salad greens), carrots, peppers, tomatoes, snow peas, etc.
- Cooked vegetables: greens (kale, chard, mustard greens), broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, onions, garlic, mushrooms, etc. These can be bought fresh or frozen.
- Fruits: berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), bananas, apples, and whatever other fruits are in season where you live (these can be frozen as well in the colder months).
- Herbs: parsley, cilantro, mint, sage, tarragon, rosemary, etc. for salads and baking.
- Roots/Bulbs: Onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric root, etc.
- Citrus: lemons, limes, oranges for salad flavoring.
- Dates: My personal favorite dessert.
Pantry:
- Beans/legumes: Chickpeas, black beans, French lentils, split peas, etc. Ideally dried, or pre-cooked in bags (e.g. Fig Food)/BPA-free cans.
- Dried herbs/seasonings: basil, oregano, parsley, turmeric, nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, onion, regional mixes, etc.
- Whole grains: quinoa, rice (but be aware of arsenic), buckwheat, steel-cut and large flake oats.
- Dried fruit: mulberries (white & black), other dried fruit without added sugar/sulphur, to be eaten in limited quantities.
- Vinegars for dressings/flavoring: black/white balsamic, apple cider, coconut aminos/tamari to be used sparingly.
- Wheat products: If you decide to consume wheat, I suggest buying either from natural bakeries (go for the true sourdough bread made from a starter) or else in the frozen food section (Food for Life Ezekiel sprouted grain bread/English muffins as are Engine 2 Diet products found in Whole Foods). For crackers, Mary’s Gone Crackers has good oil and gluten-free seed-based crackers.
- Raw nuts/seeds (and avocado): almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, hemp seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds. Raw pumpkin seed butter, almond butter, or tahini. Avoid peanut butter as it is never raw (peanuts are susceptible to mould) and often contain added oil. Limit or eliminate if have issues with weight, food addiction, or health conditions such as heart disease or acne.
- Plant-based products: I only recommend these as a transition or occasional indulgence, as the majority of your diet should be based on real food. Having said that, for meat you can try Beyond Meat, Gardein, or Tofurky and for dairy you can try WestSoy, Silk, Miyoko’s, Kite Hill, and Treeline.
STEP 5: Design your plate — and redesign your palate.
It is not difficult to eat healthy, once you get the hang of it. In fact, I rarely cook these days, preferring to occasionally prep a few things ahead of time for toppings in salad (e.g. sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mushrooms, beans, etc.) and otherwise being quite lazy and eating mostly raw fruit and vegetables. Equally, you do not need any special “recipes”. You simply need to re-learn how to eat. Food is food. It is simple and by making it fancy, we often over-complicate it. That being said, recipes can be fun, especially when preparing food for others, so I will include links below for those occasions. But for daily life, remember: Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
Below, I outline some ideas of how to organize your daily meals. Remember, when you switch over to this diet, you must eat more volume of food. For someone like me, who enjoys the sensual pleasure of eating, this is a blessing. For others, it’s hard to eat this amount of food and fibre. But just be patient with yourself. You will get the knack of it soon, and then your body adjusts it will be easy. Similarly, if you are trying to lose weight, you will experience immense joy in being able to eat to your stomach’s capacity and yet likely still lose weight since the caloric density of your food is lower.
Breakfast
- Oatmeal. Especially steel-cut oats prepared in an Instant Pot, large-flake oats microwaved, or even eaten raw with apple sauce. Top with fresh fruit in the summer and frozen in the winter. Eat hot or cold. Take it to go. Eat it as a snack or dessert. It’s the perfect food.
- In the summer months, I often just eat fruit for breakfast. Fruit is perfect as a “break fast” food as it’s easy on the stomach and helps your digestive system to get going. The natural sugar is energizing without the inevitable crash you get from eating something like a refined bagel, sugary cereal with milk, or a seemingly healthy granola bar loaded with sugar, salt, and oil. Just make sure to eat enough to feel satisfied.
- In the summer months, I occasionally eat banana ice cream (“nicecream”) almost for breakfast (Here is my post on how to make the perfect nicecream every time). Such a wonderful way to cool down healthfully.
- Although virtually all the granola you will find in stores is loaded with oil and sugar, you can make your own homemade oil/sugar-free granola quite easily (e.g. check out Cathy Fischer’s recipe on Straight Up Food).
- Some people like to have smoothies for breakfast. I personally prefer to eat my fruit whole since I find smoothies difficult to digest. This may be because I drink them too quickly, but also because in a sense the blender does the chewing for you so it’s easier to overeat. However, if you like smoothies, go for it, since they at least do not get rid of the fibre as with fruit juice. If this is the only way you will eat greens, that’s better than nothing.
- If you are a toast person, get some real bread (meaning without all of the typical additives) and try avocado/lime, hummus (beet or turmeric for variety), or raw almond butter and bananas with cocoa nibs on top. I also like eating sweet potatoes or pumpkin as toast with those toppings, as weird as that sounds.
Lunch/Dinner
- Always start with a base of greens. Think a whole head of lettuce, or half or more of one of those family-size spinach boxes that right now last a week. You read that right. Eat both raw and cooked greens. Ideally, greens should be the base two meals a day.
- Add beans/legumes on top. I love chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, and French lentils in particular, both cooked and sprouted. These are extremely nutritious and filling too. They also provide protein.
- Add other cooked/pickled vegetables. Think broccoli, beets, cauliflower, eggplants, etc. which have been either steamed/baked without oil. You can even bake mushrooms. I also love sauerkraut (especially beet), dried tomatoes, artichokes, etc. on top for more complex flavor.
- Add starch/whole grains. Personally I love sweet potatoes and pumpkin, so will often add these starchy vegetables. They are delicious and nutritious, but also calorically dense, so they fill you up and give you the energy you need. Same goes for quinoa, buckwheat, rice, whole grain pasta, etc. Forget “Carbs make you fat!” Fat makes you fat. As Dr. John McDougall says, “The fat you eat is the fat you wear.” Starch has been the basis of all civilizations and keeps us going as long as it’s the whole food variety.
- Add a healthy whole fat for nutrition and flavor. I love avocado but only buy it in season and where I can mostly get local ones, and also make dressings combining raw seeds/nuts with vegetables or fruits. But I try to keep my overt fat intake low, as I get most of the my energy from carbs.
Snacks/Dessert
- I recommend trying to avoid snacking in between meals, since it gives your body a chance to digest the food from the previous meal and become truly hungry. As well, while some people can simply eat a bit between meals, most of us have trouble not eating all day if given the option. That being said, don’t be too strict — if you’re on a hike or plane ride and you have to wait an extra long time until the next full meal have some fruit/veggies/dried fruit/nuts/seeds. Same goes for athletes and others who need extra calories.
- Snacks: Fruit, hummus with veggies, dates with nut butter, dried fruit, sweet potatoes, oatmeal. Regular food, just smaller quantities.
- Dessert: Fruit, dates with nut butter, dried fruit, and nicecream. For special occasions, energy balls (check out these by Deliciously Ella though make without coconut oil), homemade vegan ice cream (check out these by Minimalist Baker), raw chocolate (e.g. Rawmio)
Here is a food pyramid to help remind you of what foods to focus on, and what to keep off your plate.
STEP 6: Explore recipes.
As I stated above, you do not truly need to learn to any recipes. You simply need to re-learn how to eat real food. That being said, it’s simply fun to cook, and when I became a vegan, I became even more passionate about learning how to recreate healthy versions of the foods I enjoyed before. These are also great to have in your back pocket for friends and family.
Blogs/Cookbooks:
- NutritionFacts.org — How Not to Die (SOS-free)
- Forks Over Knives (SOS-free)
- Straight Up Food (SOS-free)
- Engine 2 Diet (SOS-Free)
- Eat to Live (SOS-free)
- Minimalist Baker
- Deliciously Ella (great app too)
- Oh She Glows
- Plant Power Way/This Cheese is Nuts
- Superfood Siobhan
- Elsa’s Wholesome Life
- Green Kitchen Stories (vegetarian but many vegan recipes)
- Joyful Vegan
- My New Roots
Kitchen Tools:
You do not need any special tools in the kitchen to eat a healthful plant-based diet. The beautiful thing is it does not take much to eat fruits, veggies, legumes, and grains. That being said, it would help to have a blender and pressure cooker plus other tools for more creative recipes. Here are the ones I recommend:
- Blender: Some people need a blender to make smoothies, while my personal need is for nicecream and fancy salad dressings, but again this is a good to have. The Rolls Royce of blenders is undoubtedly the Vitamix, and if you have dedicated vegan friends, you know they swear by it. It can do wonders. It is expensive, but I have found it to be well worth it, and there is good warranty on it in case the motor runs outs.
- Pressure cooker: With this tool in hand, there is really no excuse to not making beans from scratch or steaming vegetables/cooking whole grains because this tool makes it so easy. There is a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hand of it it’s very handy to have around. I know people who travel with a mini version. The best on the market is Instant Pot (or as I like to call it, “Instapot”) which goes on sale once a year on Black Friday. Mark your calendar!
- [Food processor]: If you have a good blender, you do not truly need a food processor. But it’s helpful for recipes like energy balls, hummus, and for pulsating veggies like carrots and zucchini. A tiny one will often not do the trick, but may be enough if you need it just for salad dressings. My personal favorite is the French brand Magimix which really has that European touch.
- [Cotton Produce Bags]: Use organic cotton reusable produce bags (e.g. Organic Cotton Mart) at the grocery store or farmer’s market to reduce your environmental footprint (along with large reusable bags to haul groceries). They can be washed occasionally as needed.
- [Spiralizer]: Again, unnecessary, but it’s fun to make zoodles! (Though heed Mic the Vegan’s warnings about consuming too few calories)
- [Sushi mat]: A good-to-have if you like making your own sushi (with black rice, sweet potato, cauliflower rice, etc.).
STEP 7: Get vegucated.
Now that you have an idea of how to actually try this lifestyle, take this week/month as an opportunity to learn as much as you can. Keep an open, but skeptical, mind. Below, I list common misconceptions that people have when they first start out about the health aspects of this diet. After that, I include a long list of further resources about all three pillars.
Common Misconceptions:
Some great further reading on misconceptions and untruths in the promotion of nutritional claims can be found in Dr. David Katz’s new book The Truth About Food.
1. Olive oil and coconut oil are good for your heart.
The whole “Mediterranean” diet thing is a myth. That type of diet is only beneficial compared to the conventional SAD (Standard American Diet) which is so high in animal protein and fat that a “vegetarian light” diet, even with fish and oil, is better by comparison. Coconut oil in particular has benefitted from an incredible amount of advertising and yet coconuts are one of the few plant foods containing saturated fat.
Vox: The Mediterranean Diet Myth.
Dr. Michael Greger: “Olive Oil and Artery Function”
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: “No Oil — Not Even Olive Oil!”
Dr. Michael Klaper: “Olive Oil is Not Healthy”
Mic the Vegan: “My ‘Oil: The Vegan Killer’ Video Debunked?”
Mic the Vegan: “Oil Free Cooking Basics & Hacks”
2. Some types of animal protein are good for you.
All animal products contain animal protein, which has been shown to be damaging to health. It does not matter if is organic, free-range, grass-fed, or anything else. Of course, those types of products are probably marginally better than their factory-farm produced counterparts, but are still not “healthy”. Not to mention negatively impactful on the environment and worldwide food security.
Dr. Michael Greger: “Animal Protein Compared to Smoking”
Dr. T. Colin Campbell: “Animal Protein: Meat & Dairy Cause Cancer”
Mic the Vegan: “I Thought We Required Animal Protein?”
Mic the Vegan: “Five Ways Meat Causes Cancer (with Science)”
3. Vegans do not get enough protein.
This is the classic question, so be prepared. First of all, most people do not get enough fiber, because they do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, so protein is not the major problem. And there is protein in all plants, so if you just eat a variety you never have to worry about it. In fact you do best on lower protein high-fiber and whole carb diets. Protein should be about 5–10% of your diet, but not getting enough is basically impossible if you eat enough calories, and especially if you include a variety of beans/legumes in your diet.
Dr. Michael Greger: “Do Vegetarians Get Enough Protein?”
Dr. Garth Davis: “Americans Have Become Obsessed with Protein”
Mic the Vegan: “Protein is the Most Dangerous Thing in the World”
4. Vegans have nutritional deficiencies.
In fact, most people have nutritional deficiencies today, whether they follow a plant-based diet or not. This is due to low-quality diets full of refined sugar, fat, and carbohydrates, rather than fruits and vegetables. Even on a healthy plant-based diet, farming practices have changed so much that we have less access to high-quality produce.
The one thing vegans absolutely need is B12, since this is not found sufficiently in non-animal foods. The common misconception is that since plants do not contain B12, vegan diets are unnatural. In fact, B12 is found in a bacteria in soil. Given that animals consume dirt, they accumulate it in their tissue and it becomes a source of the vitamin to humans when we eat animals.
However, today’s factory farmed cows eat genetically-modified corn, not grass on pasture as we like to imagine, so they are commonly injected with B12. As well, we humans rarely eat anything unwashed today, so we remove dirt that contains B12-producing bacteria from our foods. As a result, you should supplement to ensure adequate amounts of the nutrient.
While there is some disagreement about what supplements are necessary, there is truly only 1 supplement we should take, which is B12. The others are optional depending on our needs.
- B12 (Bacteria-produced vitamin not found in plant foods). This is essential but we do not need a large amount.
- D3 (A hormone we get from sunshine). Since most of us do not get sun exposure, this one is often recommended as well.
- DHA/EPA (Necessary for eye and brain health especially as one gets older). Unclear whether you need to take this depending on your diet, especially if you eat enough flax/hemp/chia seeds. If concerned, you can take vegan supplement Complement by Alpine Organics which contains B12, D3, and DHA/EPA but know that it has oil.
- [Iron] (Some people need if do not consume enough greens/calories.
- [Iodine] (Some people need if do not consume enough algae (or avoid due to mercury).
Dr. Michael Greger: “Vitamin Supplements Worth Taking”
Mic the Vegan: “How to Prevent Deficiencies on a Vegan Diet”
5. Carbs are bad for you.
When most people think of carbs, they think of white flour, bread, pasta, sugary desserts, and other processed and unhealthy foods. Yet, broccoli is also a carbohydrate, as are beans and fruit. These latter carbs are complex, whole carbs which are health-promoting. Despite the common idea that low-carb diets are healthy, nothing can be further from the truth. Whether it is called the Atkins, South Beach, Bulletproof, Paleo, or Ketogenic, what these diets all have in common is pronouncing carbs as the enemy and fat as good. In fact, research shows that consuming too much protein and not enough carbohydrates is the root of many chronic health problems.
Dr. Michael Greger: “The Dangers of Low Carb Diets”
Dr. John McDougall: “Why Low Carb Diets Are a Scam”
Dr. Joel Kahn on Rich Roll Podcast: “Ketosis vs. Plant-Based: Diet Wars”
Mic the Vegan: “Diet Debunked: The Ketogenic Diet”
Plant-Based News: “Do Carbs Make You Fat?”
6. Fat is good/bad for you.
Given the research on the link between high fat diets and disease, most of the diets recommended in the whole food plant based community are low fat. As stated above, some people should avoid overt fats, like those with heart disease, acne, weight issues, and food addiction. But for many, there is nothing wrong with fat from whole food sources in limited quantities (10–15% macronutrient range).
Mic the Vegan: “Worst of the Fat Industry”
Mic the Vegan: “The Magic Pill Debunked”
Chef AJ: “Ultimate Weight Loss”
Resources:
Key Sources:
Podcasts:
- The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll
- Food for Thought by Colleen Patrick Goudreau
- No Meat Athlete Radio by Matt Frazier
Videos:
- Dr. Michael Greger, “How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease”
- Dr. John McDougall: “Starch Solution”
- Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: “Making Heart Attacks History”
- Rip Esselstyn: “Plant Strong and Health Living”
- Gary Yourovsky, “Best Speech You Will Ever Hear”
- Melanie Joy: “Toward Rational, Authentic Food Choices”
- Gene Baur: “Extended Interview on the Daily Show”
Articles:
- Forks Over Knives: “What is the Forks Over Knives Diet?”
- Cathy Fischer: “Why SOS-Free?”
- The Guardian: “Avoiding Meat and Dairy is the Biggest Single Impact on Earth.”
- The Atlantic: “What if Everyone Ate Beans Instead of Beef?”
- BBC: “Meat or Veg? Find Out Your Food’s Climate Footprint”
Books:
- How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger and Gene Stone
- The Truth About Food by Dr. David Katz.
- The Whole Foods Diet by John Mackey, Alona Pulde, and Matthew Lederman
- The China Study by T. Colin Campbell & Thomas M. Campbell II
- Whole by T. Colin Campbell
- The Spectrum by Dr. Dean Ornish
- Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
- Program for Reversing Diabetes/The Cheese Trap by Dr. Neal Barnard
- The Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall
- The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn
- Proteinaholic by Dr. Garth Davis
- Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
- Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
- The Plant-Based Solution by Dr. Joel Kahn
- Clean Protein by Kathy Freston & Bruce Friedrich
- Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
- The Pleasure Trap by Doug Lisle & Alan Goldhamer
- Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé
- Diet for a New America by John Robbins
- Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
- Animal Liberation by Peter Singer
- Living the Farm Sanctuary Life by Gene Baur & Gene Stone
- Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy
- Meatonomics by David Simon
- Appetite for Profit by Michelle Simon
- Clean Meat by Paul Shapiro
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There you go, a very long introduction to the Whole Vegan Lifestyle. While there are a ton of resources to get you started here, in fact there is so much more to learn. Think of this week/month as the start of an exciting (and delicious) journey that will bring you closer to a way of life that will help you live not only a more healthful and satisfying life, but also one that will contribute to a more balanced and happy world.
Just remember, have fun!
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank those whose work most inspired my personal transition to this lifestyle, and whom I have had a privilege to meet over the last three years: Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. John McDcDougall, Dr. Neal Barnard, T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Michael Klaper, Dr. Joel Kahn, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. John McDougall, Brian Wendell, Andy Levitt, Kathy Freston, Dan Buettner, Rebecca Amis, Suzy Amis Cameron, Jeff Nelson, Bruce Friedrich, Chris Kerr, John Mackey, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Melanie Joy, Sebastien Joy, Tobias Leenaert, Klaus Mitchell, Mic the Vegan, and Marco Borges. Thank you also to my parents and sister who, despite initial resistance adopted the lifestyle wholeheartedly and are enjoying life even more fully since. Finally, thanks to all of the wonderful friends I have made since starting on this journey: Dan, Jane, Benjamin, Lauren, Amol, Daniela, Andrew, Anne, Ted, Reale, Matt, David, Houman, Frohman, Val, Nina, Randa, Tara, Robby, Mel, Setareh, Chen, and Hillary. I couldn’t have done it without your support along the way!
