What Should We Do?

A top-down solution to this problem is going to be a long time coming. Eliminating subsidies would be difficult enough, let alone implementing a tax along the same lines as tobacco and alcohol. Meatonomics presents a framework for doing the latter, but fighting all the lobbying and advertising money would be very difficult. It may happen, it may even happen within my lifetime, but my best guess is that there will be some kind of global collapse before it does. Cape Town is the first major city suffering serious problems with a lack of water, but it won't be the last, and that may well be the issue that brings the whole edifice down.

Bottom up is the best way to attack this, and the recommendation is very simple. Follow the EXSALUS food chart shown in What Is A WFPB Diet. Simple, unfortunately, isn't the same as easy. I personally have found it fairly straightforward, but that's largely because I was sick of eating meat anyway. I took it in stages. First the meat ; a couple of weeks later, dairy ; a lot of experimentation within that framework and then took out the processed foods like the oils, “replacement foods” like quorn steaks, even the bread ; and that's worked out well for me. Cold turkey, so to speak, may be more difficult for others.

If you think that might be the case, just start swapping in plant-based meals every now and then. Oatmeal for breakfast is a great start, it doesn't have to be dull, you can add in fruit – frozen berries are great for this – and top up with some seeds. Try some curries. Experiment with some different ways of cooking potatoes (without oil!), I find that simple steaming works very well, optionally browned a little under the grill ; or make oil-free oven chips by just cutting into chip shapes (LDO), seasoning a little and baking on a grid (not a tray) for 25 minutes or so. Potatoes how you like them, frozen vegetables steamed or dry-fried (just cover the veg and fry for 5 minutes or so, the water from the frozen veg effectively steams them), some leafy greens on the side and there you go.

Check the internet for all the recipes you could possibly need. Just remember that “vegan” isn't sufficient – I saw one the other day for “Vegan Caramel Shortcake” which sure, looked delicious, but it was basically half sugar and half oil, remember the basic principles we're working from! Swap in a few WFPB meals. If you like them, swap in a few more. Reduction in meat and dairy intake is still a positive, although it's a lot like smoking, cutting them out entirely is what really pays off.

When you're out and about it can be difficult, although most restaurants have plenty of vegan options and are happy to cook without oil if you ask. Pack some fruit or snack bars when you're going to be out and about for a while and you might crave a Starbucks muffin or something! And don't beat yourself up if you indulge once in a while, just dust yourself off and start again.

From a health point of view, make sure you are simply eating enough. I covered some of this earlier, to recap, salads are great for nutrients but not so much for calories. Don't be afraid of using starches as your main energy source. Potatoes, rice and oatmeal work for me – whole wheat pasta is good too, anything whole wheat should be OK. If you have any existing medical problems, check with your GP, especially if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes. This diet should work very well in that case. It might work so well you need to reduce your medication! Finally I'd advise everyone to have a blood test, even if you have no intention of taking on this diet at all. It's free on the NHS and while biomarkers aren't everything, it can pick up any vitamin deficiencies that need to be addressed – anyone on any diet can find themselves deficient in vitamins B12 or D.

And that's it! Just try it. If you don't feel better in a month, you can have your money back :). Please let me know if you do give it a try, all and any questions are welcome. I will probably add an appendix next time just to talk about the Atkins/low-carb diet, and it does strike me reading back that I haven't devoted a lot of time to dairy. For the moment, trust me, it's just as bad as meat, if not worse. On top of the cholesterol and saturated fats, dairy contains all sorts of growth hormones that are designed to help a baby cow grow from 60lbs to 600lbs in 6 months. Rapid cell growth is essentially what cancer is, and studies have clearly shown that dairy consumption is associated with a significant increase (around 3x) in breast and prostate cancer risk. If there is demand for a separate dairy section, I'll put one together.

Whatever you're going to do, please take responsibility for your own health. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. Keep it Whole Food Plant Based!