I wrote last week about some of the complications that can arise from following a vegan diet, and I want to follow up with more, perhaps rather scattered, observations about this lifestyle. I’ll be including links to two articles written by young women who struggled while trying to follow veganism. One decided to start including some animal protein into her life and saw some dramatic improvements in her health; the other steadfastly refused to do that but was able to re-jigger things so that she was getting enough protein (understandable) and, you may be surprised to hear, cholesterol. Yes, that horrible substance that causes heart attacks. Too-low cholesterol levels are tied to serious issues such as depression and fatigue. We’re so used to hearing alarms about the dangers of saturated fat and sugar, for instance, that we don’t realize how narrow the normal ranges are for the many chemicals and nutrients that our bodies use. (By the way, if you understand how exquisitely designed and balanced our bodies are, you will run like the dickens from any diet, supplement or machine that promises to “change the way your body works.” Since, of course, you’d prefer not to die, which is what would happen if your bodily functions were suddenly changed. In reality, these items typically change only one item: the amount of money in your wallet.)
So here are ideas to consider as you navigate your way through your own attitudes about diet and your relationships with others who are adhering to eating guidelines that you may not agree with:
1. There are those whose moral adherence to avoiding any animal exploitation is so strong that they will not put their own health above that principle. Here’s a representative quotation by a woman named Sayward Rebhal from one of the articles mentioned above:
If I had to eat animal foods in order to get better, then that would mean I was not capable of being vegan. And if I was incapable of being vegan, then that would mean that the vegan ideology was fundamentally flawed. Because if I HAD to eat animals to be healthy, then eating animals could NOT be morally wrong.
Her reasoning is correct, and I thought that this quotation would mark the point at which she would say, “And so I added animal products to my diet and got better,” but that’s not what happened. She instead insisted to her naturopath* that whatever dietary changes she made could not include animal products, period. Her commitment to non-violence and compassion to innocent animals simply could not be shaken. Well, I have to hand it to her that she has the power of her convictions. By adding lots of beans and legumes for protein, by cutting out gluten (sigh) and refined sugar (yay), and by adding a fair amount of fat, especially saturated fat such as coconut, she was able to see a big improvement in her health. I don’t think that the castor-oil packs for her liver did much, nor did the homeopathy or herbal tinctures, but I guess they didn’t do any harm. (Ricin, a substance in castor beans, is one of the most toxic substances on earth. However, the heating process used to extract the oil from the beans deactivates the poison. I’m not sure that I’d want to get anywhere near it, though. A “dose of castor oil” used to be given to children as a laxative. No thank you!) She also says, and I think this is a good observation, that: ”in my own anecdotal experience, the vegans who most often get sick are of the low-fat and/or all-raw variety.” You’ll remember that “Rawvana,” the former vegan I wrote about in my last post who was outed and attacked for her heresy was in the raw camp, and I will add here that she had also gone on a 25-day fast during the past couple of years, an action which may have triggered her health problems, especially her “small intestine bacterial overgrowth.”
2. There are those who simply cannot remain on a vegan diet and have any kind of healthy life. So the other article says:
I added plant-based protein powders and increased my overall intake of beans, nuts, seeds, and soy products, as well as using bright light therapy. These changes helped, but were not enough, so I started taking a high-quality probiotic and a high-dose, fish-based EPA supplement that also helped, but were not vegan. Then, most recently, I started consuming animal foods including eggs and meat, mostly fish.
The result? I’m feeling better. Over the past two months or so, I’ve been sleeping more soundly and my energy levels have stabilized. My very near obsession with food and restriction is virtually gone and my mood is overall much, much better.
Note the words “my very near obsession with food and restriction,” a danger with any extreme diet. You become, at least in your own eyes, defined by your restrictions. “I’m keto,” I’m paleo,” etc. You feel as if you can’t betray your belief system, which is what your eating habits have become.
I think it’s worth explaining how I discovered the article quoted immediately above, by a young woman named Carrie Forrest. I listen sometimes to a podcast called “Food Blogger Pro,” run by Bjork Ostrom, the husband of and co-owner with Lindsay Ostrom of Pinch of Yum. The episode titled “6 Blogging Mistakes Made By a Veteran Food Blogger with Carrie Forrest” caught my attention. Forrest explained that her food blog had started out as vegan but that she’d had to change it when she was no longer vegan herself, and that her post explaining why she’d done that (which is the one I quote from above) had generated considerable backlash. Interesting, I thought. I was planning to write something about veganism myself. When I googled the search terms “dangers of vegan diet,” guess what popped up? “Eight Vegan Diet Dangers.” I started reading it and thought, ‘Wait a minute, That’s who was on the FBP podcast.” Sure enough. Small world, isn’t it?
Okay. One last point, and then I’m going to leave the subject of veganism, at least for now. (Although I plan a post on peganism, the latest wrinkle. How anyone on that diet eats anything I don’t know, but I intend to find out.)
3. There are those who believe that a vegan diet is “cleaner.” I know people who believe that, and I don’t argue with them. But it is fair to point out that:
Lots of processed, unhealthy foods are vegan. Twizzlers are vegan. Veggie burgers are vegan. Take a look at the ingredients list!
So we’re back to my drum(s) I keep banging: Eat real food. Eat it in meals. Don’t snack. Don’t eat in the evening. Always be willing to say, “No, thank you.” And so forth.
And always remember that respect and compassion are key. I include that in closing as a reminder to myself!
*Just a note on this whole “naturopath” phenomenon. First of all, full props to the one that Rebhal consulted, as she comes across as kind, concerned, and helpful. Her suggestions (minus the castor oil packs and homeopathy) seem quite commonsensical for the most part. She put Rebhal on a regimen of “seed cycling,” which uses various seeds at various times in a woman’s menstrual cycle to “balance” her hormones. Within weeks of starting on this part of the treatment Rebhal had her first period in several years. (How the naturopathist knew where Rebhal was in her cycles since she wasn’t having any cycles is not explained.) BUT . . . Rebhal was also getting the protein and fat that she needed, which was almost certainly much more to the point. A woman’s body will shut down its reproductive capabilities if she’s not getting enough nutrients or if she’s severely underweight. Rawvana also lost her period for long stretches, and when she’d give in to her doctors’ pleas and eat more, and especially more protein, and most especially animal protein, her periods would come back.
Wikipedia says:
Naturopathy or naturopathic medicine is a form of alternative medicine that employs an array of pseudoscientific practices branded as “natural,” “non-invasive,” and as promoting “self-healing.” The ideology and methods of naturopathy are based on vitalism and folk medicine, rather than evidence-based medicine.
Sad to say, the medical doctors whom Rebhal consulted kept airily dismissing her concerns about her symptoms, and it was only when she felt that she was spiraling totally out of control that she consulted the naturopathist. Luckily for her, she stumbled upon someone who genuinely helped her, but, it’s fair to say, not because of anything particularly naturopathic. I have to say that I always get a little nervous when people talk about “my naturopathist,” “my nutritionist,” “my homeopathist,” or “my wellness counselor.” There’s always a lot of nonsense mixed in with the good advice. But enough ranting on this subject for now.