Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Learn the answers to frequently asked questions about the benefits of a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet for good health.
People believe this single nutrient is so important and difficult to get that we must actively pursue foods that contain high amounts of it, even when those foods, such as meat and dairy, in so many ways compromise our health.
We have been led to believe that primarily animal-based foods contain sufficient protein and, furthermore, that we need to eat those foods to avoid becoming protein deficient. The reality is that protein deficiency is almost exclusively seen in people suffering from a calorie deficiency. In these cases, there will be an overall nutrient deficiency, not just protein deficiency, and when this happens the concern should be getting more calories and all nutrients—not just more protein.
A varied plant-based diet of whole grains, vegetables, and beans can easily meet your daily protein needs. An average woman needs about 46 grams of protein per day; the average man about 56. Research shows that most people—including those on a whole plant-based diet—easily reach these levels.
Taking in excess protein is a hazard to your health, just like taking in excess cholesterol or fat. Excess protein is actually a known problem reported on by scientists for more than a century. People have little awareness of protein overload, especially from foods of animal origin. Any more than 10 percent of calories from protein is likely excessive and can promote the chronic diseases, especially when the protein is from an animal source.
Unlike fat or carbohydrates, both of which your body can store if you overconsume it, excess protein cannot be stored. And due to its acid nature, protein has to be buffered in order to prevent your body’s Ph level from becoming too acidic. To do that, the body leeches calcium from your bones and neutralizes the acid load. Over time, leeching calcium to neutralize excess acidic protein load can promote a number of problems, such as osteoporosis (thinning of the bones). The naturally occurring amount of protein in a healthy whole plant-based diet is more than adequate.
And the other half of that question typically includes, “Don’t you need milk (from a cow) for calcium?” A varied whole plant-Based diet offers some of the best calcium sources available. Best yet, you can escape the damaging health effects associated with dairy products. Good plant sources of calcium include all green leafy vegetables, solid green vegetables, Legumes, whole grains and fruits such as oranges. Many people mistakenly believe that they need to ingest high levels of calcium in order to stave off osteoporosis (weakening of the bones). We’ve been brainwashed from a young age to believe this, thanks to propaganda from the dairy industry.
In fact, there is no calcium deficiency that causes or contributes to osteoporosis. Studies show that countries with the highest rate of dairy intake, like the United States, New Zealand, Britain, and Sweden, also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis. One reason people in these countries have such high levels of the disease is because of their excessive consumption of animal protein, which leaches calcium from their bones. It’s not a lack of calcium consumption causing problems. It is excessive protein, coupled with a lack of exercise, that’s causing osteoporosis. In other words, milk is harmful, not beneficial. The dairy industry itself is fully aware that milk does not build strong bones but actually harms bones. Avoiding animal protein— including dairy products—is the best thing you can do for your bones. No milk for you!
Calcium, like iron, magnesium, and copper, is a mineral. It is found in the soil, where it is absorbed into the roots of plants. Animals get their calcium by consuming the mineral-abundant plants and metabolizing that calcium into their bodies. Surprised? That’s because we’ve been so conditioned to think that calcium comes primarily from milk and dairy products that few of us realize it actually comes from the earth and is abundant in all whole foods. For strong bones and calcium, how much of the nutrient you get isn’t as important as where you get it—and how you lose it.
There are two major contributing factors to the leaching of calcium from bones, which leads to their weakening and may increase the risk for osteoporosis: First, consuming a highly acidic diet. Our bodies are alkaline. It is vital that the acidity level of your diet is not so high that your bones must leach calcium to keep your body’s alkaline levels balanced. The levels of acidic compounds are lower in plant foods so they won’t draw the calcium from your bones the way animal foods will. Eating a whole-food, plant-based diet gives your body the acid/alkaline balance it needs for optimal bone health. Second, consuming a high-sodium diet. The diet we recommend is naturally low-sodium, as it relies very little on processed foods, which tend to be very high in salt.
The formula for strong bones relies on two other factors entirely: First, that you get sufficient vitamin D from exposure to the sun. Vitamin D is a key factor in calcium absorption, and the sun is the best way for us to meet our requirement. The key is getting sufficient sun exposure on our bare skin without getting burned. Second, that you practice strength training and impact exercise. When you lift weights or do resistance exercises you not only build muscle, you stress your bones—this makes them stronger. Walking, jogging, and running are examples of impact exercises that will also help with bone strength.
Whole Plant-Based Diets low in fat are a powerful way to achieve good health. Diets focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes avoid saturated fats associated with heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. Research shows low-fat diets improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, improve mortality against cancer, and aid in weight loss.
Vitamin B12 is important for the development and protection of nerve cells and red blood cells and helps in the production of DNA. Insufficient B12 can lead to many health issues, including weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, increased irritability, gastrointestinal distress, anemia, and nervous system dysfunction.
B12 is the one nutrient that cannot be obtained sufficiently from today’s whole food plant-based diet. This is not because we need to eat animal products to obtain it. In fact, animal products themselves don’t always contain enough B12. The reason for this is that neither plants nor animals naturally synthesize B12. It is made from bacteria. Animals get it by consume dirt, which is full of bacteria, through the unwashed plants and non-chlorinated water they consume. B12 accumulates in the animals’ tissues, which becomes a source of the vitamin for humans when we eat meat and other animal products.
We humans, on the other hand, rarely eat anything unwashed. In our quest to be clean, we remove the dirt that contains B12-producing bacteria from our foods. This sanitary approach certainly has its benefits, as it has decreased our exposure to parasites and other pathogens. As a result, we believe that when you eat a whole-food, plant-based diet, taking a B12 supplement is the best way to ensure adequate amounts of the nutrient.
We often recommend that people take a high-quality multivitamin to ensure that they get enough vitamin D, zinc, iodine, and selenium. Very few individuals eat perfectly, and some of people require more of certain nutrients than others. It makes sense to be sure that you ingest adequate amounts of all these important substances.
A plant-based diet is a great choice at every stage of life, including pregnancy and breastfeeding. A healthful, well-planned plant-based diet provides all the nutrients you and your developing baby need.
Eating habits are set in early childhood. Choosing a whole plant-based diet can give your child—and your whole family—the opportunity to learn to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods. Children who are raised on Whole Plant Based Diet have a reduced risk for heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and other conditions.
Adolescents raised on a whole plant-based diet often find they have an easy time maintaining a healthy weight. They also have fewer problems with acne, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems than their peers who eat animal products.
Soy products offer a wide array of health benefits. Eating whole soy foods may reduce the risk of breast cancer and several other types of cancer, fibroids, and even inflammation. Soy is helpful for bone health, heart health, and menopausal symptoms. However, the benefits of soy appear to come from foods made from whole soy. Focus on tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk, and miso as part of a balanced, whole plant-based diet.
Whether you want to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or just eat better, a whole plant-based diet can help you achieve your goals. Whole Plant-based diets are beneficial for weight loss, because they are rich in fiber, which helps fill you up without adding extra calories.
A healthful whole plant-based diet improves the health and diversity of your gut microbes, preventing and treating conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation associated with autoimmune diseases.
Only those eating a Standard Kenyan Diet-style, so high in salt and so low in the high-water-content fruits and vegetables, need to drink that much water. On Whole Food Plant Based Diet which is fiber- and fluid-rich, your need for extra water decreases. Four to six glasses a day is usually sufficient; but if you are exercising or in the heat, then you obviously need to drink more to replenish those liquids lost through perspiration.
The slight yellow-orange tinge to your skin is not a problem; it is a marker that you are on a healthy diet. On the contrary, any person who does not have some degree of carotenemia in his or her skin is not eating properly.
Clearly, excessive consumption of caffeinated beverages is dangerous. Caffeine addicts are at higher risk of cardiac arrhythmias that could precipitate sudden death. Coffee raises blood pressure and raises both cholesterol and homocysteine, two risk factors for heart disease. One cup of coffee per day is not likely to cause a significant risk, but drinking more than this one-cup maximum can interfere with your health and even your weight-loss goals.
Besides the increased risk of heart disease, caffeine is a stimulant that allows you to get by with less sleep and reduces the depth of sleep. Such sleep deprivation results in higher levels of the stress hormone Cortisol and interferes with glucose metabolism, leading to insulin resistance. This insulin resistance, and subsequent higher baseline glucose level, further promotes heart disease and other problems. In other words, caffeine consumption promotes inadequate sleep, and less sleep promotes disease and premature aging. Adequate sleep is also necessary to prevent overeating. There is no substitute for adequate sleep.
We are always surprised by how many people continue to think that fish is beneficial and important to include in the diet, even long after they become convinced that mammals are not health foods. Much of this perception stems from periodic reports that some study or another has found that fish is “heart healthy” or “good for our brains.” In our review of these studies, time and again we find data is misinterpreted and faulty conclusions are drawn from otherwise reasonable research. Unfortunately, such misinterpretations have occurred so frequently that a false narrative has developed.
The practice of misinterpreting data is not unusual. The frequently referenced studies of Okinawan and Mediterranean populations have followed this pattern. The benefits of a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains frequently get credited to small amounts of fish in the diet (just like they are often credited to olive oil and wine). In the case of the famous Okinawan Centenarian Study, for example, only 1% of calories consumed by the residents came from fish; the vast majority of the diet—69%—came from sweet potatoes! Yet the perception from this very study is that Okinawans are healthy from a fish-heavy diet. What is happening here? We have meaningful long-term studies presented by the researchers with care, which are then pored over by individuals or organizations who cherry-pick data, often to reinforce a specific agenda. The big picture is ignored in favour of subjective claims and reporting, and the public receives false takeaway messages like “Eat more fish!”
The nutrient profile of all animal products—i.e., high in fat, acid, and cholesterol, and low in fiber and carbohydrates—is as true for fish as it is for beef and other meats. In fact, although fish is often marketed as a wise, “heart-healthy” food choice, it has as much cholesterol as beef, chicken, and pork. And when we look at studies of populations and what they eat, we should examine the entire big picture. In doing so, we see the message is consistent: “Eat more plants!”
We are baffled that certain oils are presented as “health” foods. Olive oil is not a health food. Neither is coconut, flaxseed, or any other oil you’ve heard you must endeavour to add to your diet because it’s good for you. Sure, if you replace some or all of the butter in your diet with vegetable oil, some of your cholesterol numbers may look a little bit better, but that’s not at all the same as doing well. Oil is a bad idea because it is highly refined and its nutritional package is inadequate. How is it that we know that processed sugars are junk foods, yet we’ve allowed ourselves to be convinced that certain oils are somehow good for us? Oil follows essentially the same model as processed sugar, which is also pressed from plants. Think about what oil is: fat—and nothing but fat. All the nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water, have been thrown away.
Oil of any kind has more calories per gram than any other food we know. And without any fiber or water in it, oil lacks the bulk to convey to your senses how many calories you have eaten; this virtually guarantees you will consume more calories at the meal than you need. So we ask you: Why would you waste calories on something that has no nutrients in it other than fat? And why would anyone believe that highly concentrated fat is healthy? So let’s look at where the “good oil” hype came from. Its origins lay in data collected in the 1960s that showed the people on the island of Crete. At the time these people had the lowest all-cause mortality rates over twenty years when compared to people in other Mediterranean countries. A main contributing factor was their diet, which included some animal products and a little bit of olive oil, but otherwise consisted primarily of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
In the years since then, unfortunately, the phrase “Mediterranean diet” has become synonymous primarily with olive oil. What subsequent researchers—and marketers—took from those early studies was that olive oil was the Holy Grail. But it never was. All oils have a negative impact on blood vessels and promote heart disease. Furthermore, they may also lead to increased bleeding through thinning of the blood; negative effects on lung function and oxygen exchange; suppression of certain immune system functions; and increased risk of cancer. Not to mention that excess calories from fat get stored as fat, no matter what type of fat calories you consume.
The nutrient makeup of animal foods (for example, high in fat and cholesterol; low in fiber and antioxidants) is the main reason why consuming these foods will increase your chances of getting chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This nutrient profile exists whether animal foods are organic or not, or whether they are grass-fed or not. Replacing animal foods with whole plant-based foods is a significant change that will greatly improve your chances of achieving good health, whereas the change between organic and conventional animal foods is relatively small and therefore unlikely to make much of a difference.
You don’t—until you try it! So many people who make the switch report feeling much better, having less fatigue, losing excess pounds, and otherwise enjoying a healthy lifestyle. Our Dietitians are available to help you make the switch.
Whole-food, plant-based eating is cheaper than you think. Fresh produce goes a long way, and whole grains, potatoes, and beans are some of the most affordable bulk foods you can buy. Create meals around these staple items and you’ll definitely spend less than you do on a diet rich in meat and other animal products.
While there are certainly some similarities between eating a whole-food, plant-based diet and being vegan, there are some key differences as well. Vegans avoid all animal products or exploitation in food, clothing, shoes, or any other aspect of their lives. Vegans do not necessarily focus on whole plant-based foods; they may eat refined and processed foods, although many choose not to.
By comparison, a whole-food, plant-based diet is defined as one that eliminates or minimizes all animal products and highly refined foods, including oil. Loading up on fiber-rich, nutrient-dense, close-to-nature foods makes it simple to meet your nutritional needs without exceeding your caloric needs.
There are two forms of vitamin K. It is easy to get enough vitamin K1 (also called phylloquinone) when following a Whole Food Plant Based Diet, since it is abundant in leafy green vegetables. Kale, collard greens, spinach, amaranths, African night shade and other edible greens are some of the richest sources of K1.
Vitamin K2 (a few different substances called menaquinones), on the other hand, is produced by microorganisms and is scarce in plant foods. High-K2 foods include dark-meat chicken, pork, and fermented foods, so K2 is more difficult to get from a Whole Plant Based Diet. The human body can synthesize some K2 from K1, and intestinal bacteria can produce some K2, but these are very small amounts.
A vitamin K–dependent protein binds up calcium to protect the soft tissues, including the arteries, from calcification. Vitamin K2 in particular helps to prevent the artery wall from stiffening and to maintain its elasticity. Higher K2 intake has been linked with a lower likelihood of coronary calcification; however, the same association was not found for K1. Coronary artery calcification is a predictor of cardiovascular events, as is arterial stiffness.
Therefore, taking in supplemental vitamin K2, in addition to the vitamin K1 you get in eating vegetation, is likely beneficial to help protect against vascular calcification.
Colourful whole plant-based diet (WPBD), that emphasizes cruciferous vegetables, beans, onions, Mushrooms, grounded seeds, nuts, low sugar fruits, and also emphasizes on nutritional optimization of the diet by supplementing with a comprehensive multivitamin-mineral complex, omega-3 and vitamin b12.
