Thursday 8 February 2018

What Is A Whole Food Plant Based Diet?

Here we go with definitions, not for the last time :). Nonetheless, we have to start somewhere. Cornell University's EXSALUS Food Continuum is a good place to start.





I hope you can read that clearly enough. The basic idea is that the "A" foods, to the right of the line, are foods you can eat as part of a WFPB diet. Sure, A+ is better than A-, and B- is better than F, but anything A is good, anything else not so much. It doesn't list every kind of food in the world (obviously), but you should be able to figure out where everything fits in without too much trouble. I personally think they should have included fish in Group D just for clarity, but as I said, hopefully it's intuitive that Group D is where fish would go.

While everything in the A groups qualifies as vegan, there are also vegan products in groups B and below, which is why it's important to clarify the difference between the WFPB diet and a vegan diet. Processed vegan foods found in categories B- and C should also be avoided. Oil in particular is consumed in large quantities by many vegans, which is a bad idea, as oil is virtually pure fat and just about the most calorie dense food imaginable.

It's also a continuum below the line, but note that all animal products that aren't fried are contained within the same Group, D. One way we have been fooled by advertising is the idea that there are "healthy" meats and dairy. I have to break this to you, your organic grass-fed beef is essentially no better for your health than any other kind of meat. It's the animal protein and the saturated fats that count, so the extra cost, both to your wallet and the environment, isn't buying anything in health terms. "Low Fat Cheese" generally means lower than the 50-70% fat content of regular cheese, which isn't much to shout about.

Similarly, "lean" meats like chicken and fish are anything but. Fish, indeed, might be worst of all because on top of the saturated fat and animal protein, they contain toxins that we pump into the sea (directly or via the atmosphere) to work their way up the marine food chain. By toxins I don't mean toxins in the sense of hippy dippy oh I must detoxinate my chakras, I mean poisons. Mercury, arsenic, PCBs and dioxins - not to mention all the "agricultural run-off", better known as shit, pumped out by the 70 billion livestock animals currently populating our farms.

That's basically it. While our body is a hugely complex system, and the various diseases brought upon us by consuming animal protein and saturated fats are more complex still, the solution is simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple. Eat what our bodies are adapted to eat - whole, unprocessed plant foods. Keep processed foods to a minimum and animal products to preferably zero - although of course if you do fall off the wagon every now and then, just start again and do your best. There's no need to beat yourself up or drop the whole thing.

I'll come back to practical advice on adopting this diet in the final section, but there are a few points definitely worth making in brief. Firstly, this is not a calorie controlled diet. Eat as much as you like, as long as you're eating the good stuff. If you're hungry, eat. You will need to get used to having bigger portions on your plate for the simple reason that this food is less calorie dense than the meat you've been eating before. I recommend the Alan Partridge Big Plate Plan. If you think you're eating a lot but you still feel hungry/weak/tired, it's entirely possible that you're not getting enough calories. Green salads are great for nutrients, not so much for calories. Lose that fear of carbs and tuck into your starches. I usually have oatmeal for breakfast, one rice-based meal and one potato-based meal in a day.

Avoiding temptation when you're out and about can be a problem, so it's a good idea to pack some fruit or wholefood snack bars [1]. When eating out, don't be afraid to ask about vegan options not cooked in oil, at the least. Chefs are usually happy to knock something up within your requirements. That's about it. The internet is chock full of recipes and suggestions - have at it!

Finally a word about supplements. You should be able to get all the vitamins and nutrients you need from a WFPB diet. Have a blood test all the same. Everyone should probably have their Vitamin B12 and D levels checked, as it's difficult to get enough of both whatever your diet. Personally my B12 is fine, but I am deficient in Vitamin D (the only deficiency or problem with my recent blood test). I'm taking simple supplements for that - they're very cheap and are not lining the pockets of WFPB advocates!

Next time I'll share some of my sources with you, the (cheap) books and (free) videos that have informed me on this topic.

[1] These snack bars are particularly good www.eatnakd.com .  Many others are over-processed and contain added sugars - check the label!

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