This is worth sharing from “One Green Planet”
Although plant-based diets are seeing a surge in popularity, they’re still outside of the mainstream; it’s no wonder that there is so much misinformation about what happens when you drop meat, eggs, and dairy from your meals. Unfortunately, many of the myths about this way of eating could deter people from giving veganism a try, especially if they fear that plant-based diets fall short on nutrition or are unappealing and restrictive. Here are five issues that no one should worry about when they start eating vegan-style.
Myth #1: You’ll feel awful when you first go vegan because your body will be detoxing.
Fact: It doesn’t matter what you eat; your body is constantly producing harmful compounds and working hard to neutralize or excrete them. Complex systems involving the liver, kidneys and other organs are part of a very effective detoxification system that operates continuously in both vegans and meat-eaters. Although healthy eating may help these systems function at peak performance, there is no such thing as a “detox diet.” You won’t start shedding huge amounts of toxic material when you go vegan. As long as you are eating a well-balanced diet based on whole plant foods, you should feel just fine from day one of your vegan experience.
Myth #2: Plant foods are incomplete because they’re missing essential amino acids.
Fact: All plant foods that provide any protein at all—which includes all grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, seeds and vegetables—contain every one of the essential amino acids. Except for soyfoods, they are all a little low in one or two of them, but it doesn’t actually matter. Eating a variety of plant foods that includes a few servings of legumes every day—no special food combining at meals is necessary—supplies plenty of the amino acids that are essential for health.
Myth #3: Vegan diets are low in fat
Fact: Vegan diets are somewhat lower in fat than those of the average American, but not by a lot. Expert perspectives on fat have shifted over the past couple of decades and nutritionists recognize now that super-low-fat intake isn’t necessary for good health. The type of fat in your meals matters much more than the amount. And since the fat in vegan foods is the healthy unsaturated kind, vegans don’t need to worry about higher fat foods like nuts, seeds, soyfoods, avocados, and olives. Even vegetable oils fit into healthy vegan eating plans. Most vegans enjoy salad dressings, nut butters, veggies cooked in olive oil, tofu, hummus, and sometimes veggie meats and cheeses — all foods that provide the culinary benefits of fat without the health risks.
Myth #4: Vegan diets are boring and restrictive
Fact: It’s true that vegans drop whole categories of food from their diet, so yes, they have fewer food choices. But the reality is that many people experience greater variety in their diet when they start exploring vegan options. Had they not gone vegan, they might never have tried roasted vegetable pizza, grilled tempeh with spicy peanut sauce, barbecued seitan, or fruit crumble topped with cashew cream. Vegans eat burgers and fries, grilled vegetables, spicy curries, Asian stir-fries, veggie sushi, macaroni and cheese, and pasta with sundried tomato pesto. They drink wine, beer and hot chocolate, and snack on tortilla chips and dips, popcorn, and potato chips. Vegan desserts include rich chocolate cakes, doughnuts, and ice cream made from coconut milk. There are great cookbooks for every vegan eating style, too, including entire books devoted to vegan cookies, vegan parties, vegan barbecues, and vegan burgers. Plug the words “vegan recipe” into an internet search engine and you’ll see that vegan diets are anything but boring.
Myth #5: A vegan diet requires vitamin B12 supplements, so it’s not a natural diet for humans.
Fact: Who knows what the “natural” diet of humans is — or if there even is such a thing? As humans evolved, so did eating habits based on availability, genetics, and climate. Simply moving around the globe changed diets and dietary needs. For example, our ancestors used to get all of their vitamin D from sun exposure. Now, populations that live far from the equator often need supplements or fortified foods to get enough. It doesn’t really matter that this isn’t the way we evolved to get vitamin D. Given the wide range in eating habits throughout the world, and the evolution of food choices, it’s not likely that there is some single natural way of eating. Vegans aren’t the only ones who need to supplement with vitamin B12, either. The Institute of Medicine—the group that establishes nutrient recommendations for Americans—says that all people over the age of 50 should supplement with B12 since many older people can’t absorb this vitamin well from animal foods. Rather than worry about what’s “natural,”— a question that’s impossible to answer — we should focus on choosing a diet that supports human health and nutritional needs while doing the least harm possible. A vegan diet supplemented with vitamin B12 makes the most sense in today’s world.
Virginia Messina, MPH, RD: Ginny is a dietitian specializing in vegan nutrition. She is a former co-author of the American Dietetic Association’s position on vegetarian diets and of the first textbook on vegetarian diets written for health professionals. Ginny was a dietetics instructor at Central Michigan University and a dietitian for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Her goal is to share the best and most up-to-date information on vegan nutrition and to make ethical eating easy and realistic for everyone. She writes about a variety of issues related to health and animal rights on her blog TheVeganRD and as the National Vegan Examiner at Examiner.com.Well Said!
Here’s my recipe for the day – Test drive this delicious recipe for Thanksgiving – sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Roasted “Rooters” and Mash 400 degrees – 45-50 minutes (serves 8-10)
1 Large turnip 1 tbsp of fresh chopped lavender leaf & flowers*
1 Large sweet potato 1 tsp dried lavender or rosemary
1 Parsnip ) 1 tsp sea salt
1 large russet potato 1 tsp cracked pepper
1 golden beet 1 tsp dried thyme
1 leek 3 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Butter
1 garlic whole head 2 dashes of cayenne pepper
½ cup (more or less) plain Soy Milk* 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3-4 tbsp olive oil
- Spray cooking oil on a large shallow baking pan or large cookie sheet. Clean and peel all root vegetables and chop into large 1” cubes (except garlic). Peel outer layer of garlic head and cut off pointed end to expose tops of cloves.
- Combine olive oil, dried lavender, thyme, salt and pepper in very large mixing bowl. Add vegetables, and toss until well coated. Pour into prepared pan (leaving out the garlic) and spread evenly.
- Place in preheated oven on middle rack. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir vegetables and add garlic head to pan. Roast another 25 minutes until vegetables are fork tender**.
- Place roasted vegetables into large pan or dutch oven with tight lid (to keep warm). Add butter, lemon juice, cayenne and fresh lavender (save flowers for garnish). Use potato smasher to mash adding milk a little at a time until desired consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. (*If making potato cakes, remove 2 cups of veges before adding milk).
*If using all dried herbs decrease by half.
**Vegetables can be microwaved in large bowl for 3-5 minutes to decrease cooking time. Then toss in oil spice blend. Roast for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.
Also note: This recipe is can be made more sweet than savory. Use 2 sweet potatoes instead of russet and large carrot instead of leek. Add ½ tsp coriander in place of rosemary and 1 tsp of ginger (fresh or jarred) instead of thyme. Use coconut milk in place of soy. Add a dash of cinnamon – yummm!
