I am not a vegetarian (although my wife and son are vegetarian). I am definitely not a vegetarian. I do not recommend anyone to eat an entirely plant-based diet for health reasons. Animal food is too good, too important in our evolutionary history, and too important for our physiology to never give up altogether. On the contrary, I think meat, eggs, seafood and dairy are some of the healthiest foods on the planet and should be eaten by most people. than of them are currently eating.
However, plant-based diets are exploding in popularity, and I know people will eat them — and I care about everyone’s health. If they still do it, I want to help them follow their diet in the healthiest way possible.
Eat whole foods
Don’t live off plant-based “meat” or lab-grown trash. Remove Tofurkey and Facon. Don’t eat canola-soaked fake chicken and vermicelli.
If you insist on eating things that are made to look like meat, maybe you should just listen to your body and eat meat. But you don’t want to do that — do you?
Do not base your diet on grains
There are dozens of reasons why grains are not healthy, especially as a staple food. They are packed with antinutrients — chemical compounds that damage the lining of your stomach and reduce your ability to absorb the nutrients that grains are said to be rich in. They don’t even contain as many micronutrients as vitamins and minerals, especially when you consider the phytic acid in grains often reduces your ability to absorb minerals. They are high in carbs, which most people need to reduce in their diet, not increase.
But the main reason is that there are hundreds of better plant foods to base your diet on besides grains.
- Legumes like beans and lentils
- Nuts and seeds
- Potatoes (complete protein)
- Yam
- Winter squash
- Beets, carrots, rutabagas, radishes and other root vegetables
Eat healthy fats
Avoid all industrial nut oils. Following a plant-based diet will necessarily increase your linoleic acid levels. So you don’t need any more and nut oil is the densest source around.
Instead, use extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, red palm oil, coconut oil, and macadamia nut oil. These will provide stable monounsaturated and saturated fats that won’t go rancid or oxidize very easily, and they’ll keep your linoleic acid levels low.
Eat mushrooms often
Mushrooms are a completely different kind of living organism. They are neither animals nor plants. As such, they appear to offer unique benefits and nutrients to plant-based dieters.
First, they can be a good source of vitamin D, which is a common stumbling block for plant-based dieters. Second, they offer the meaty umami flavor that so many vegans and vegetarians are looking for in imitation meat products. The beauty of mushrooms is that it delivers without being a processed junk food product.
Warning: they can have a degree of reliability, depending on who you ask (and the type of mushrooms you eat). To be sure, listen for any palpable screams or cries of distress when you bite one.
Germinate your grains, legumes, nuts and seeds
Anything sprouted lowers the antinturient content and increases the micronutrient content. More specifically, germination reduces or mitigates:
- Phytic acid, a compound that can bind with minerals and prevent their absorption in the gut.
- Gluten, which can be an intestinal irritant and stimulates leaky gut in sensitive individuals. Sprouting doesn’t completely destroy gluten, but it does reduce the amount of gluten and make it less of a problem in some people.
- Carb content.
Germination get a raise:
- Digestive ability
- Protein
- Urgent content
- Vitamin C content
- Vitamin E content
- Prebiotic soluble fiber
Consumption of fermented soybeans
While soy is a reliable source of protein and calories for plant-based dieters, it has its problems. Soy protein isolate may decrease testosterone production in men. Plus, many soy products tend to be high in phytic acid, which binds to minerals and prevents their absorption. Because soybeans are a blank slate for any flavor, much of what translates to “soy” is really just junk food.
You can work around this by eating more traditional forms of soy, like tempeh, natto, miso, and even fermented tofu. These are time-tested ways of consuming soybeans that use fermentation to reduce anti-nutrient content, make proteins easier to digest, and generate new bioactive vitamins like vitamin K2 ( in Natto).
Additional implementation
Plant-based diets are bound to lack important micronutrients and fatty acids. That’s is no way. Whatever you may think of animal foods today, the fact remains that the human body evolved in the context of regular meat and seafood consumption. If you do not eat any animals, you must supplement.
What supplements do I recommend to a plant-based diet?
- Vitamin B12: Despite what many people claim, vegan diets cannot provide vitamin B12. No, not through spirulina shaking. No, you can’t rely on gut bacteria to make it. You must eat animal food — or supplements.
- DHA: Humans are not good at stretching plant-based ALA into longer-chain marine-sourced DHA, the most important omega-3 fat. Used for brain health, cardiovascular function and overall system integrity, there is no substitute for DHA. Human consumption either directly, through cold-water fish and shellfish (or enriched eggs) or through vegan-friendly algal oil, has been shown to improve omega-3 status.
- Creatine: One of the most researched supplements in the world, creatine is found only in meat and fish. It is important for both muscle performance and cognitive function in people regardless of diet, but especially in vegans and vegetarians (who eat nothing without supplements). . Studies have found that vegetarians who supplemented with creatine had better memory and stronger executive performance in addition to increased performance in the gym.
- Carnosine: Carnosine is another nutrient found only in meat. While we can make carnosine in our bodies, supplemental carnosine — either through meat or pills — has been shown to help regulate mood and psychological well-being.
- Taurine: Taurine is classified in the same category as carnosine. Everyone makes it, but getting it from the diet or supplement offers many important health benefits. Unfortunately, taurine only occurs in animal foods, so plant-based dieters will have to take supplements to get more.
- Iodine: Plant-based dieters who don’t eat seaweed should definitely add some kelp tablets to their diet or take a specialized iodine supplement. Iodine deficiency is quite common among vegetarians, and quite disastrous for thyroid and cognitive health.
- Zinc: Conditionally based on diet. The best sources are red meat, oysters and other shellfish. If you don’t eat those, you may want to take some zinc picolinate.
- Protein powder: Protein is one of the toughest ingredients in a vegan diet. You can make it work if you really try, but it’s easier to just add a protein powder to “get you started”. The problem is that it’s hard to get good plant-based protein, especially compared to the likes of whey, which is the gold standard for muscle growth and recovery from exercise. This fermented pea protein (standard non-fermented pea protein can have some digestive side effects or worse) or hemp protein (another complete plant protein) are good choices.
- Nutritional yeast: Nutritional yeast is an incredible source of B vitamins for vegetarians and vegans. It also provides a pleasant “cheese” flavor that you can add to almost anything.
Includes eggs and milk
Vegetarians won’t do this, and I understand that. But I suggest that anyone eating a “plant-based diet” consider eating some high-quality, pasture-raised and grass-fed and/or dairy-free eggs. Doing so will provide you with micronutrients (such as B12, zinc, and iron), long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, and high-quality protein that plant-based diets often lack. It’s an easy solution to the problems of a plant-based diet.
Hell, even vegans can raise backyard chickens and eat their eggs — or find a friend or farmer who raises chickens in a way that works for you. No harm done there, right? You can control (or confirm) their living situation yourself and give them a good life, free from cruelty.
Ask big, I know. But it’s really, really worth it. Just one or two eggs a day can give you tons of B12, zinc, iodine and DHA.
Eat a few oysters a week
Oysters don’t have an active or conscious central nervous system, which means they can barely feel pain or suffering. A few oysters a week give you an amazing amount of vitamin B12, iron, zinc and even DHA. I truly believe that a vegan diet with lots of oysters can be a viable diet.
I doubt you’ll take me on it, but consider it.
That’s it. That’s how you follow a plant-based diet in the healthiest way possible. Let me know if you have any questions.
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