Views on Whole Food Plant based diet?

Ewa101975
Ewa101975 Posts: 39 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey there:
Yesterday I watched a dvd called Forks over Knives and it was quite interesting...it talks about whole food plant based diet and how it is beneficial for our health, how it actually can reverse desease..etc.

I am just a regular person, we eat meat, fast food (though I've cut out quite a bit of fast food), but the odd time I will pick up a pizza on the way from work...I would love to prepare better healthier meals...but I don't even know where to start. My husband loves meat, my kids hate veggies....and really is the meat free, dairy free diet really better for us?

As a kid i know I ate way less meat...

let me know what you think

:)
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Replies

  • LadyMud17
    LadyMud17 Posts: 193 Member
    I always feel better on a little meat,, but good quality meat, not factory farmed where animals are kept and fed very unnaturally. Lots of fruit and veg,, even for the littles. Even my husband eats less meat do to me, mostly cause I cook and he doesn't, so he eats what I make! Also rice and beans is cheaper than good meat. I hope this helps
  • Chinadorian
    Chinadorian Posts: 200 Member
    I do not think that the plant based ONLY diet is for everyone, but definitely think most people suffer from

    1. not enough nutrients that can only be gotten from vegetables
    2. lack of other nutrients that process those veggie nutrients into your system ( ie proper calcium- and NOT the kind from milk or cheap calcium pills- and also magnesium and vitamin D/sun exposure)
    3. Eating too much processed sh**
    4. Eating meat, and not the good kind, way too often.

    Change up any four of these and your bound to start feeling better and lighter.
  • Chinadorian
    Chinadorian Posts: 200 Member
    If you are looking for recipes or info on this type of lifestyle but are not wanting to go vegan, check out the Weston A Price Foundation website. www.westonaprice.org. For you and your family this could be somehting you can follow easily and it will be super healthy. I recommend Sally Fallon Morrel cookbook called Nourishing Tradition.

    basically they adhere to more veggie and clean eating but your meat should be (as much as possible) pasture raised/organic. Raw milk and other dairy products are also important. Just check it out :)
  • bluebug53
    bluebug53 Posts: 86 Member
    I read Engine 2 diet almost 2 years ago (it is the the first book of the Forks over Knives franchise). I took the 28 day challenge and have never gone back! Not saying I have been 100% Plant strong, I have had my some weak moments, probably 90% though and I feel like a new person, I am 53years young, I am currently doing the Insanity work out, I can hop on my bike and ride 26 miles at at a 16-18mph pace and still be able to go to work and do 5 hours of massage! I owe all that to changing my eating habits, before I was always tired, now I have so much energy! There are several cookbooks out, Forks over Knives, Happy Herbavore! All with such great recipes you don't even realize you are actually eating plant strong. It is definitely a learning curve, takes time and effort, but there are so many options out there now! Just take the 28 day challenge, and see how you feel after! Best of luck!
    !
  • Ewa101975
    Ewa101975 Posts: 39 Member
    Thank you all: I will definitely look into this some more, I am the cook in the house so I guess the family will have to try what I make as long as I make something yummy. I think the biggest challenge will be the kids. We all definitely need more fruits and veggies..but what would I put in kids lunch bags? It will be a learning curve for sure but I really want to give it a try. Thanks for your feedback.
  • RachelFrost1
    RachelFrost1 Posts: 46 Member
    100daysofrealfood.com is a perfect place to start. It is a website dedicated to cutting out processed foods. She does not eliminate any single real food. I make an effort to eat the most real, unprocessed food as possible and I feel so much better when I do. I never realized how great I would feel from eating real food instead of gross take-out and processed boxed foods. Once in a while I do have pizza or something like that but for the most part I don't because I feel so much better when I'm eating real foods.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I do not think that the plant based ONLY diet is for everyone, but definitely think most people suffer from

    1. not enough nutrients that can only be gotten from vegetables
    2. lack of other nutrients that process those veggie nutrients into your system ( ie proper calcium- and NOT the kind from milk or cheap calcium pills- and also magnesium and vitamin D/sun exposure)
    3. Eating too much processed sh**
    4. Eating meat, and not the good kind, way too often.

    Change up any four of these and your bound to start feeling better and lighter.
    I read a report a few years ago that said doctors are seeing kids who are both obese and malnourished. Something they haven't seen before...
  • luckyclover78
    luckyclover78 Posts: 115 Member
    I started it about a year ago and haven't looked back. Totally worth it for me as it lowered my blood pressure and increased my energy level.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    100daysofrealfood.com is a perfect place to start. It is a website dedicated to cutting out processed foods. She does not eliminate any single real food. I make an effort to eat the most real, unprocessed food as possible and I feel so much better when I do. I never realized how great I would feel from eating real food instead of gross take-out and processed boxed foods. Once in a while I do have pizza or something like that but for the most part I don't because I feel so much better when I'm eating real foods.
    I agree that 100daysofrealfood.com is a good place to start.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Hey there:
    Yesterday I watched a dvd called Forks over Knives and it was quite interesting...it talks about whole food plant based diet and how it is beneficial for our health, how it actually can reverse desease..etc.

    I am just a regular person, we eat meat, fast food (though I've cut out quite a bit of fast food), but the odd time I will pick up a pizza on the way from work...I would love to prepare better healthier meals...but I don't even know where to start. My husband loves meat, my kids hate veggies....and really is the meat free, dairy free diet really better for us?

    As a kid i know I ate way less meat...

    let me know what you think

    :)

    I think that context is very important when trying to compare whether or not a particular eating philosophy is a good idea.

    For example, comparing an all plant based diet to your typical hypercaloric and nutrient deficient diet that your average obese and not-fitness-conscious person may be on --- well I think the answer is clear, the whole food/plant based diet will be superior.


    But I wouldn't take that statement out of context.

    A nutrient rich diet, that meets miconutrient needs, and is constructed with proper macronutrition and caloric intake to meet the individuals needs is going to be great even with some processed foods included.

    I would urge you to eat a lot of nutritious foods. I would urge you to pay attention to calories and macronutrients to meet your needs.

    But I believe you can do that without eliminating foods that you may enjoy, or making rules about what you can and cannot eat once you've been able to meet your nutrient needs.
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    My views: I need meat to maintain sanity.
    I detest veggies and choke down some daily in liquid form mixed with fruit from my juicer.
    Good luck to whatever you decide to do. I am certainly not saying my way is the healthiest path, but plant based diets are YUK:sick:
    I NEED MEAT!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    Any diet where a conscientious attempt to eat healthily is going to fair better than the Standard American Diet. If exercise is part of your new philosophy, then that synergistic relationship will make another huge difference. As far as plant based goes, most studies will show that the lacto-ovo and pescatarians show better and improved health markers. You also have to take into consideration that lifestyle associated with the SAD (standard american diet) is pretty pathetic when you consider the health of the nation as proof.
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
    Watching it now… For free on Hulu:

    http://www.hulu.com/watch/279734
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    Watching it now… For free on Hulu:

    http://www.hulu.com/watch/279734

    Read it now.

    http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/09/22/forks-over-knives-is-the-science-legit-a-review-and-critique/
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
    The only real quality protein is from animal sources… some merit, of course, but we need animal sourced protein. Most Americans can do with less. I am just partway through the film… but I will remark more throughout probably..
  • Kendall_Lauren
    Kendall_Lauren Posts: 20 Member
    I've been vegan for 7 years, and the healthiest I've ever been is when I'm eating a healthy whole foods vegan diet. I was pre-diabetic, now I'm not, I've been able to reduce my thyroid medication (hypo thyroidism), I was anemic, haven't been since I've been vegan! My blood pressure, cholesterol etc. are PERFECT according to my doctor even when I'm eating a junk-food-vegan diet. It doesn't work for everyone, but I committed to trying it for two weeks, and as I said that was 7 years ago. I also highly recommend watching Vegucated, recently came out and it's available on Netflix! Other than my weight (which is due to poor vegan food choices and not practicing portion control) being vegan has saved my life.
  • Kendall_Lauren
    Kendall_Lauren Posts: 20 Member
    It is actually a common myth that animal protein is superior, protein from plant sources are just as good (if not better than) as from animal sources and don't come with all the cholesterol and bad-fats that animal products do...
  • sarrymerry
    sarrymerry Posts: 59 Member
    I just saw that movie the other day!! I've been thinking on changing over to it as well... I eat pretty healthy now, except i love me some deli meats (so bad I know!) and the occasional junk food. But I do love fruits and veggies and eat lots everyday. Mainly why I'm interested is that I want to live long AND healthy and it seems pretty legit... I just don't know if I'm ready to make such a commitment. I am going to do some more research. Sorry to ramble, I guess I really just wanted to mark this for myself to refer to later :)
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
    It is actually a common myth that animal protein is superior, protein from plant sources are just as good (if not better than) as from animal sources and don't come with all the cholesterol and bad-fats that animal products do...
    It is not a myth, it is a fact. Vegetable base protein bio-availability is much, much lower.
  • micneg01
    micneg01 Posts: 147 Member
    Thank you all: I will definitely look into this some more, I am the cook in the house so I guess the family will have to try what I make as long as I make something yummy. I think the biggest challenge will be the kids. We all definitely need more fruits and veggies..but what would I put in kids lunch bags? It will be a learning curve for sure but I really want to give it a try. Thanks for your feedback.

    There are many websites/resources to help you out. I started at the end of November and I feel a lot better and I have a lot more energy. After a few weeks, it seemed my tastes have changed and I am enjoying a lot of the food. My boyfriend, who is not Vegan, enjoys a lot of the food I make. There is a 21 Day Vegan Kickstart http://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome/. Also, some good books are Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman, The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, and The Spectrum by Dean Ornish.

    Good luck in your journey!
  • Kendall_Lauren
    Kendall_Lauren Posts: 20 Member
    It is actually a common myth that animal protein is superior, protein from plant sources are just as good (if not better than) as from animal sources and don't come with all the cholesterol and bad-fats that animal products do...
    It is not a myth, it is a fact. Vegetable base protein bio-availability is much, much lower.

    http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7151/if-youre-vegan-how-do-you-get-enough-protein.html Great article on protein and plant based diets.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,266 Member
    It is actually a common myth that animal protein is superior, protein from plant sources are just as good (if not better than) as from animal sources and don't come with all the cholesterol and bad-fats that animal products do...
    I guess the plant based trans fats and refined vegetable oils like soy and safflower that are extremely high in omega 6's, which are pro inflammatory and cause free radical damage which are plant based, and found in abundance in the Standard American Diet have nothing to do with the health of that demograhic. Also cholesterol is something the body actually needs and even when a person doesn't consume any cholesterol the body (liver) makes about 1000mg's a day to top up the approx 35,000 mg's we have in our body. If your saying that animal cholesterol is unhealthy, your saying cholesterol is unhealthy.
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
    I have read so many actual scientific studies on this stuff. It isn't even a question. There is no question about it. You can get adequate protein as vegan only through taking very expensive vegan protein powders. Outside of that, you need animal sourced protein. A veg can do it, but they need dairy and eggs. On a regular basis.
  • Kendall_Lauren
    Kendall_Lauren Posts: 20 Member
    I'm out, I'm not interested in arguing with you guys.
  • veggiesaurus15
    veggiesaurus15 Posts: 152 Member
    Since I changed my diet to a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet, I have lost over 80 pounds. I was highly motivated to eliminate animal products from my diet, and since doing so I have felt so much better. I won't go back.
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    If you eat like a typical American, then yes, you probably would be healthier if you ate less meat, dairy, and processed foods and ate more vegetables, fruits, and whole foods. I do not think you have to go 100% to see at least some benefit--for many people any improvement in your diet is likely to result in improvements in health, especially if you keep making small improvements over time. One small change, then another, and another adds up! If you are interested, there are many cookbooks (including a Forks Over Knives cookbook) that you may find useful in learning to prepare more healthful foods. I'm a really big fan of Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz--it has a lot of fast, relatively easy, plant based recipes. Her work does include things like small amounts of oil, which might not pass muster with some of the hard-core whole foods people, but her recipes are good, and accessible, so if nothing else, they provide a starting place for people who want something fast and easy, that is also generally low fat and completely plant based.

    Another simple place to start is to eat one big salad (with a simple dressing, like olive oil and lemon juice) once a day, or to start your morning with a fruit smoothie.
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
    I'm out, I'm not interested in arguing with you guys.
    I forgot, the FDA wants to kill me.
  • veggiesaurus15
    veggiesaurus15 Posts: 152 Member
    I'm out, I'm not interested in arguing with you guys.
    I forgot, the FDA wants to kill me.

    Actually, the FDA is extremely corrupt. Meat, dairy, corn and soy are subsidized by the government. Fruits and vegetables are not.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    The only real quality protein is from animal sources… some merit, of course, but we need animal sourced protein. Most Americans can do with less. I am just partway through the film… but I will remark more throughout probably..

    'Always' statements are rarely true, such as: "The only real quality protein is from animal sources.'
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
    I was a vegan for a time, and a vegetarian for over 4 years besides. I bought into the health-nut BS, and when I first got into working out, I started to actually study nutrition from a science view. I learned that I had been promoting quackery. I felt like an a**hole. I truly believed the health-nut trash I spewed, but it was lies. I was just ignorant, and following these self proclaimed health gurus. Yes, eat veggies, eat fruit, eat whole grains, get hormone free meat and dairy. They are all part of a well rounded, holistic diet. We are not herbivore animals. We are not carnivore animals. We are, however, omnivore animals. We are designed as such.

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