What motivates you to eat differently? Fear, conscience, fitness or something else?

Reasons for eating differently

I have met people at different stages in their life who have chosen to eat differently for various reasons. Here's some examples

• Pregnancy - to maintain good health
• Weight - to gain or lose some
• Allergies - to minimise or nullify it
• Intolerances - to reduce or remove the effects of it
• Illnesses - to reverse, cure or pacify it
• Detox - to feel better
• Vibrancy - to feel less lethargic and more energetic

What does Alicia Silverstone have to say about shifting to a vegan diet?

Within 4 minutes, Alicia Silverstone discusses the pros of eating differently, reasons that fuel a change in diet, the visible benefits of shifting to a vegan diet and more.

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"People should flirt with a plant-based diet! The point here is that it's not all or nothing. You can sort of play with the idea and see if you like it a little. Often, the more you flirt, the more you want to flirt. Flirters try on these foods and hopefully become so into them they stick with it."
- Alicia Silverstone

Dr. Neal Barnard discusses the benefits of a plant-based diet

This video is about 9 minutes long. I consider it short for the amount of easily digestible information he covers.

Definitely worth watching.

Some points worth listening out for:-

• Diabetes
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Allergies
• Arthritis

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“Vegan diet reverses diabetes symptoms. Peo­ple that ate a low-fat vegan diet, cut­ting out all meat and dairy, low­ered their blood sugar more and lost more weight than peo­ple on a stan­dard Amer­i­can Dia­betes Asso­ci­a­tion diet.”
- Mag­gie Fox

Can Cancer be made to retreat and disappear?

This video is less than 3 minutes long and the content is rather strange!

The footage uncovers a secret!

It discusses the idea that Cancer can be cured and alleges that the solution is being kept a secret!

Why would anyone not want fewer people to suffer, a reduction of individuals in hospital, less men and women needing medicines and a lower number of deaths?

The clip from The Beautiful Truth will tell you more.

"What we have come to consider as “normal” illnesses of ageing are really not normal. In fact, these findings indicate that the vast majority, perhaps 80 to 90% of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented, at least until very old age, simply by adopting a plant-based diet."
- Colin Campbell

Can changing your diet reverse diabetes within 30 days?

The footage shown below is less than 5 minutes long.

Priceless! In less than the time it takes to make a cup of tea, you'll understand how to reverse diabetes in 30 days JUST by changing what you eat!

"Children who grow up getting nutrition from plant foods rather than meats have a tremendous health advantage. They are less likely to develop weight problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and some forms of cancer" Dr. Benjamin Spock

Conclusion: The effects of soya on health and the environment

This post is the final part of a four part series of posts. You can find the introduction (part one) here, part two here and part three here. I've been asked many questions about soya and I've heard contradictory opinions too, so I asked Sagar Kirit Shah to write an article it. Here's his conclusion.

Conclusion - the effects of soya on health and the environment

In summary, my view is that soya not a health risk, but is certainly not a health panacea and is by no means necessary for good health on a vegan diet.

Buying power

I also believe it is relatively straight forward to avoid some of the adverse environmental effects by purchasing soya products made with non-GM beans from plantations not associated with rainforest destruction.

Lightly processed vs highly processed

I believe there is nothing wrong with enjoying the taste and convenience of soya products as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Just try and remember it is much better to go for lightly processed, whole bean, products (e.g. whole bean soya milk, tofu, tempeh, natto, miso, edamame) than for products which are highly processed (e.g. meat analogues made using texturised soya protein, soya alternatives to single cream and soya ice cream).

Previous articles in this series

Part 1 - Should we consume soya or not?

Part 2 - Does soya consumption have a negative impact on health?

Part 3 - Is soya good for the environment?

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“I've been vegan for about 10 and a half years. It's been all good. I'm obviously much healthier.”
- Woody Harrelson

Will soya consumption have a negative impact on my health?

This post is part two of a four part series. You can find the introduction (part one) here. I've heard a lot of varying comments about soya so I asked a friend to write an article examining whether it's safe to consume or not! Over to Sagar Kirit Shah.

Media coverage about soya

Every few months a study in the media comes out noting beneficial or harmful effects of soya products with some media stories reporting beneficial effects and others reporting harmful effects – it is not surprising that many people are confused about whether soya is beneficial or harmful for health.

Health benefits of soya

The main health benefit associated with soya is cholesterol-lowering effect.

It is claimed that when 25gm of soya protein per day is consumed as part of a diet low in saturated fat, studies have shown a cholesterol lowering effect among people with raised cholesterol levels. This is a well-established result[1], though it is likely that some of the cholesterol lowering effect may come from the composition of diets with a high soya content[2].

Is soya isoflavone beneficial or not?

Many of the other health benefits and risks associated soya relate to isoflavones and the impact they may have on humans. Isoflavones are a class of phyto-oestrogens, hormone-like chemicals that occur in small amounts in many plants, seeds and grains.

Claims have been made the soya isoflavones may have beneficial effects for menopausal symptoms, breast cancer protection (by counteracting oestrogen’s cancer-causing potential) and bone health.

At the same time, claims have been made that soya isoflavones may have adverse effects for breast cancer risk and male fertility, and concerns have been raised regarding the impact that soya isoflavones may have on children.

A good 'story' vs. ignoring the results of lots of evidence

While many media articles have been written about these claims, in attempt to generate interesting stories, most overlook the wide evidence base examining the impact of soya on health (it is one of the most studied foods in the world), and exaggerate the importance of a small finding in a single paper.

The reality is that a majority of the studies on these issues are contradictory and inconclusive. Some studies show a weak beneficial effect, while others examining the same issue show a very weak adverse effect or find no effect at all. It is thus unsurprising that many end up getting confused at the contradictory stories reported in the media.

Summary - is soya healthy or not?

Overall, there is nothing to suggest that consuming soya products is unhealthy poses a health risk, at least in the quantities consumed by most vegans in the UK (around 15gm of soya protein per day).

Other factors that should not be ignored

If you do not already lead a very healthy lifestyle, the conclusion that most experts have reached is that it is likely there will be much bigger gains to health from increasing intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, reducing processed/fatty foods, increasing exercise or reducing smoking/alcohol than there would be from doubling/halving or eliminating your soya intake.

How to get more nutrients out of soya

That said, it is worth noting that there are differences in the healthfulness of different soya foods. Soya beans, like all other plant foods, contain a wide range of beneficial macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and other compounds). Heavy processing typically strips away many of the beneficial micronutrients, so lightly processed, whole foods are the best way to ensure these nutrients are absorbed.

Lightly processed soya foods include soya milk made with whole beans, and the soya products traditionally consumed in East Asian countries: tofu, miso, natto, edamame, and tempeh.

Processed foods

Soya oil, soya flour, texturised soya protein and soya lecithin are typically much more processed. In fact, the process for obtaining texturised soya protein involves crushing the soya bean at very high temperatures, and then passing the crushed soya bean through chemical solvents. Many of the beneficial nutrients and compounds in the soya bean are lost during this process.

Products made using processed soya ingredients (e.g. meat analogues, soya ice creams and soya alternatives to scream) are thus likely to be less healthful than their lightly processed counterparts.

References

1] British Nutrition Foundation (2002) ‘Soya and Health’ Briefing Paper

[2] Jenkins DJ et al (2006) Assessment of the longer term effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods in hypercholesterolemia Am J Clin Nutr Mar 83(3) 582-91

Part 3 - Is soya good for the environment?

Part 4 (final part) - Conclusion: The effects of soya on health and the environment

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"You never hear anybody talk about mad tofu disease."
- John Robbins

Should we consume soya? Is it safe?

I've heard a lot of varying comments about soya so I thought I'd ask a friend of mine to write an article examining whether it's safe to consume or not! Over to Sagar Kirit Shah.

Can anyone avoid soya?

For many vegetarians and vegans, soya products may seem almost impossible to avoid. The most widely available substitutes for dairy products (milk, cheese, ice cream) and meat (tofu, tempeh, burgers, sausages) are made from the soya bean. And other soya products such as soya oil and soya lecithin are common ingredients in many processed foods found in modern supermarkets.

Stifled about soya!

For some, soya is confusing and controversial.

From a health perspective, soya is claimed to be a high protein, miracle health food which can help reduce cholesterol. But others have linked it to cancer and/or reduced fertility.

Vegetarians and vegans often note the environmental advantages of soya as it produces more protein per acre than almost any other food. Yet critics often point out how soya is associated with the GM industry and rainforest destruction.

Over the next three posts, I aim going to unpick these controversies a little to help you make up your mind about whether to eat soya products, and if so, which products to eat.

Part 2 - Does soya consumption have a negative impact on health?

Part 3 - Is soya good for the environment?

Part 4 (final part) - Conclusion: The effects of soya on health and the environment

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"The Gods created certain kinds of beings to replenish our bodies; they are the trees and the plants and the seeds."
- Plato

Won't vegans become ill if they don't eat animal products?

I am a little person and I've been quite fragile after being involved in a few car accidents. So...when I shifted to a plant-based diet, my family were worried that I'd get ill because I wouldn't get getting what I needed from what I ate. Over 5 years on, I feel better than before and I am not lacking in anything. I even have blood tests to prove it! :)

It's worth reading what Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton have to say about vegans and the need for animal products.

But…I heard about someone who became ill after eating no animal foods.

And what about all of the people you know who ate animal products and have developed cancer, heart disease, etc.?

This “But” is yet another attempt to characterize consuming animal products not as a matter of pleasure but one of physical necessity. As we mentioned earlier, even traditionally conservative organizations, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, formerly the American Dietetic Association, agree that an “appropriately planned” vegan diet can be completely healthy. And there is no evidence to the contrary.

It is, of course, possible to get ill eating only plants just as it’s possible (and more likely, actually) to get ill eating animal products. Although some vitamin B-12 is made by bacteria in the human body, not enough is reliably made for our needs and the unhealthy habits that humans have prevent maximum production and absorption of the endogenous B-12. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement B-12 from external sources whether you consume a vegan diet or a diet of animal foods. So all humans need to get their B-12 from somewhere outside their bodies. We get our vitamin B-12 from yeast; omnivores get theirs from meat. But all B-12 comes from bacteria — whether it is found in the gut of ruminating animals who get it from fermenting plant material in their hindgut, or in certain strains of nutritional yeast. So if you adopt a vegan diet but don’t consume an alternative source of B-12, such as yeast, yes, you may get ill. But there are plenty of people who have B-12 deficiencies despite their consumption of animal foods.

How about DHA and EPA, the long-chain fatty acids that aren’t found in plant foods and that people eat fish to get? Most people can convert the short-chain fatty acids found in chia seeds, walnuts, dark leafy greens, and canola oil into long-chain fatty acids. Or you can get long-chain DHA and EPA directly from the source that fish get it—algae. There are now many DHA/EPA supplements that are algae derived.

Occasionally, one hears about a parent prosecuted for manslaughter because their child died on a “vegan” diet. But when the facts are revealed, we learn that the parents had fed the child only iceberg lettuce (or something similar) and nothing else for some extended period of time. If the parents fed the child nothing but steak three times a day for an extended period, the child would also become ill. But no one would say that the child died or became ill from eating meat. They would say that the parents engaged in abuse by feeding the child an inadequate diet. The same is true of a diet consisting only of lettuce. That’s not a vegan diet; it’s a ridiculously inadequate diet.

In the 30 years that we have been vegans, we have heard of a number of people who supposedly became ill while on a vegan diet. An inadequate vegan diet will make you ill because it is inadequate and not because it is plant-based. Eat nothing but celery and soy yoghurt and you will not feel very energetic. Surprise, surprise.

We have also encountered people who say that their bodies “tell them” that they must eat meat or fish or chicken or dairy or whatever. But such assertions are really no different than saying, “I like the taste of meat (or whatever).” In other words, they are assertions about palate pleasure and nothing more. A related issue is the “need” to eat meat or other animal products based on blood type. The so-called “blood type diet” has been debunked as junk science.

An exploration and rejection of the various excuses — the “Buts” — that keep us eating animal foods.

"Whoever acquires knowledge but does not practice it, is like one who ploughs a field but does not sow it." Anonymous