Whole-food And Plant-based Diet

[RossE]

Hey guys

Been doing some research in the past couple days - watching YouTube videos, reading articles, and I watched Forks Over Knives. There seems to be a lot of evidence that a WFPB diet is the healthiest diet one can have, and I think I've been convinced. My diet is pretty healthy (I don't live in the US) as it is, and I stay away from processed and refined food for the most part, but I do eat a fair amount of animal products. The research I did woke me up a bit.

There are plenty of sources and research which say that we need meat, fish, some dairy, etc. But then there's other people that say if it crawled, had legs, could eat and walk around, don't touch it! So, unsurprisingly, I don't know what to believe!

Has anyone here gone on a WFPB diet? What kind of benefits have you had? Have you had any health issues? Have you researched into it? Share your knowledge!

@Leo Gura what are your thoughts on this?  I get the impression from your videos that you don't eat many animal products.

Edited June 15, 2017 by RossE

[Leo Gura]

Plant-based seems way healthier assuming your plants don't include wheat, potatoes, and heavy carbs like that.

There is a reason why most yogis are vegetarians.

[Socrates]

@Leo Gura What's wrong with heavy carbs like those? 

[RossE]

@Leo Gura Or Jupiter 

I've heard that potatoes are fine as long as they're cooked in a healthy way and not got all the additions like salt and butter in it. Reality is grey...

Edited June 15, 2017 by RossE

[phoenix666]

I switched to a plant based diet 18 months ago and it was the best decision of my entire life. it changed me on so many levels, also in terms of how I relate to the planet and other living beings.

I lost some weight (not much, since I didn't want to). my physical performance has improved, I noticed it with running, cycling and general fitness. I have more energy, clearer skin. I don't suffer from postprandial sleepiness anymore.

I can recommend Dr. Greger's website https://nutritionfacts.org. and his book 'how not to die'

if you do your research (on Pubmed you can find a lot of studies) you'll find that a plant based diet can prevent, treat and even reverse some of our top killer diseases in western world (Heart disease, cancer, dementia, diabetes, IBD, autoimmune diseases..) 

[RossE]

@phoenix666 That's very cool! Even above meditation (assuming you do)? What was your diet like before?

I'm starting to prefer anecdotal evidence to hard studies because there are many, many other factors involved, and having done quantitative research myself I know how numbers can be twisted/interpreted in many ways. Also there is A LOT of disagreement on this subject, even amongst hardcore researchers. I thank you for the sources however 

The anecdotal evidence is strongly in favour of this diet. I am thinking of trying it for 4 weeks and then making a more permanent decision.

Have you experienced any deficiencies with the diet? I've heard Vitamin B12 is a big issue, from some sources.

[phoenix666]

9 hours ago, RossE said:

@phoenix666 That's very cool! Even above meditation (assuming you do)? What was your diet like before?

I'm starting to prefer anecdotal evidence to hard studies because there are many, many other factors involved, and having done quantitative research myself I know how numbers can be twisted/interpreted in many ways. Also there is A LOT of disagreement on this subject, even amongst hardcore researchers. I thank you for the sources however 

The anecdotal evidence is strongly in favour of this diet. I am thinking of trying it for 4 weeks and then making a more permanent decision.

Have you experienced any deficiencies with the diet? I've heard Vitamin B12 is a big issue, from some sources.

yes, it changed my life even more than meditation. because it just draws in so many aspects of my journey: my health, a compassionate life, a sustainable diet that helps the planet, my spiritual journey and my life purpose. 

my diet was not the worst of the worst (no fast food, no fizzy drinks), but still very crappy. a lot of fish, meat at least once a day, milk and cheese also every day. refined carbs and oil. the only thing I did right was eating a lot of fruits.

now I changed to fruits, vegetables, whole grains (starchy food) and legumes. also a small amount of nuts and seeds. I'm feeling great since then! I never got sick in the last 18 months  and I also solved some issues I had with digestion. I also stay away from alcohol since march. 

some months ago I did a blood test (I've been a little anemic my whole life and I was afraid of poor iron levels) and for the first time in my life I had optimal iron levels. they've never been so high. My blood pressure and LDL decreased, HDL increased. 

Even my parent's blood tests improved, even if they just follow like 60% of my advice

yes, you have to supplement B12 as a vegan. (everyone should supplement B12 after the age of 40/50). as a vegan you have to start supplementing earlier. I take a daily sublingual supplement. I also supplement a vegan Vitamin D from november - february, when there is no sun around

Edited June 16, 2017 by phoenix666

[RossE]

@phoenix666 I guess, it's your fuel for your whole life! My diet now seems like yours was except perhaps a little bit better. On the surface I'd say yours was not a horrendous diet - a lot of people don't even eat fruit! 

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll give it a try for 4 weeks.

[phoenix666]

@RossE It wasn't all fast food, fat and simple sugar.. but if I think back, no wonder I often felt groggy. little to no vegetables and legumes But you're right, most people would already benefit from eating a little more fruit. 

nothing to thank for, you can always ask me for advice!  I'm glad you give it a try. let Dr. Greger help you plan your meals (he has a simple list called 'the daily dozen' where you can organize your meal plan around). Good luck on your vegan journey! 

[nexusoflife]

I have been vegan for three years and raw vegan for two years and I can honestly say that doing so has been the second best decision of my life next to meditating every day. The documentaries that I watched which helped me to transition were, Forks over Knives (for the health aspect), Earthlings (for the ethical aspect) and Cowspiracy ( for the ecological aspect). There is also a great website called nutritionfacts.org which cites thousands of studies on plant based nutrition and the innumerable benefits that it has for human physiology. I have only gotten sick twice in the three years that I have been vegan and each time lasted no longer than three days. I got rid of my asthma, cluster migraines, eczema and digestive problems from eating low fat raw vegan. It was difficult for the first month but after that it was very easy to do and your body will thank you for making the change.

There are also ethical end ecological benefits to consider as well. Over 56 billion animals are killed every year in the animal agriculture industries. Additionally animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, species extinction and greenhouse gas emissions via methane. Overall animal agriculture is a massive threat to the ecological integrity of the biosphere. By eating a plant based diet you are not contributing to any of that.

[phoenix666]

@Outer I don't think the heavy carbs are a problem, as long as they're whole grains. I also make my own pizza, I use whole grains and chickpea flour for it.

@nexusoflife absolutely right, the ethical and ecological benefits can be an even stronger motivation to contribute to a better future. A plant based diet is the only sustainable diet for the environment and the health crisis.