Plant Based Diets
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janejellyroll wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »It's a vegan diet without the ethical concerns. Does that help?
I hate that the vegans have stolen the term "plant based diet". I have long called my diet plant based, in that the bulk of my diet comes from plants (but not all). What sense does it make to say that your diet is "based" on plants if plants are all you eat? Plus, they already have a name for their diet. ::grumble::
But it doesn't describe vegans. Vegans have an ethical objection to animal exploitation and suffering. Diet is only a portion of this. People on a plant-based diet are avoiding animal products in the diet for health reasons.
They're two different things. If anything, you should be annoyed with the plant-based dieters for not coming up with a new term to describe how *they* eat.
It's the same diet though, right?
It can be (although in my experience plant-based diet people often layer in additional restrictions of fat or certain types of processed foods), but the importance of the term "vegan" is that it provides a description of an ethical position. The diet stems from the ethical choice, it isn't the central thing.
Yeah, that's the distinction I see.
Happy Herbivore woman makes that distinction: https://happyherbivore.com/2013/07/what-is-plant-based-diet-difference-from-vegan/
Similarly, most of the people who promote cutting out animal product for health reasons (Campbell, et al.) focus much more on what they define as "healthy eating" (often with other restrictions, like even cutting out plant-based oils like olive oil), and less on ethics, such that some even allow for rare consumption of animal products (although there does seem to be substantial overlap or it's common to gravitate to it being an ethical position too).
Just what I observe, although of course you'd know more.0 -
I think that it lies more in the individuals promoting veganism in pop culture. Many of those individuals tend to focus on dietary and health aspects of the whole thing or promote the diet and health aspects as part of their chosen means of financial gain (think the dreaded banana girl among others).
It's my opinion that, when the pop culture "icons" (for lack of a better term) don't address the ethical roots of the movement, they get lost in what is a common concern for a larger body of people... in this case, health and fitness.
In that sense, people who are dietary vegans but not ethical might simply not know any different due to never having been exposed to that particular aspect of the movement nature or history.
It's an interesting "problem", to say the least... but ultimately of less concern to me than addressing the improper dietary advice which can lead to greater health concerns. Earlier in my vegan existence, I knew many who simply couldn't maintain health and several others who ended up hospitalized for malnutrition due to lack of education.... it's never a good time, so I tend to focus on that aspect of things.
Edited to change a phrase that implied a meaning I didn't intend to express.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Need2Exerc1se wrote: »It's a vegan diet without the ethical concerns. Does that help?
I hate that the vegans have stolen the term "plant based diet". I have long called my diet plant based, in that the bulk of my diet comes from plants (but not all). What sense does it make to say that your diet is "based" on plants if plants are all you eat? Plus, they already have a name for their diet. ::grumble::
But it doesn't describe vegans. Vegans have an ethical objection to animal exploitation and suffering. Diet is only a portion of this. People on a plant-based diet are avoiding animal products in the diet for health reasons.
They're two different things. If anything, you should be annoyed with the plant-based dieters for not coming up with a new term to describe how *they* eat.
It's the same diet though, right?
It can be (although in my experience plant-based diet people often layer in additional restrictions of fat or certain types of processed foods), but the importance of the term "vegan" is that it provides a description of an ethical position. The diet stems from the ethical choice, it isn't the central thing.
Yeah, that's the distinction I see.
Happy Herbivore woman makes that distinction: https://happyherbivore.com/2013/07/what-is-plant-based-diet-difference-from-vegan/
Similarly, most of the people who promote cutting out animal product for health reasons (Campbell, et al.) focus much more on what they define as "healthy eating" (often with other restrictions, like even cutting out plant-based oils like olive oil), and less on ethics, such that some even allow for rare consumption of animal products (although there does seem to be substantial overlap or it's common to gravitate to it being an ethical position too).
Just what I observe, although of course you'd know more.
IIRC, Campbell doesn't identify as a vegan and his diet does include a small amount of animal products (I think "99%" is the ratio of plant foods he says he consumes). It makes sense because his focus is more on the unhealthfulness of certain foods.
It's why I think it is useful to have different terms. We're talking about two different things. We eat a lot of the same things, but I also eat a lot of the same things that my Paleo friends do.
That said, I do know several people who started out plant-based and then transitioned to veganism (like you said). I think the food is the big hurdle for a lot of people with veganism and once that is "out of the way," it becomes easier to imagine living a vegan life.1 -
There's a difference between a "plant-based diet" and a "whole foods plant-based diet." A plant-based diet is just a mostly vegan diet - one that gets the vast majority of calories from plant foods, and also includes processed plant foods (flour, processed oils, sugar). A whole foods plant-based diet (WFPB) is the one that shows the major health benefits, and it is a diet that gets the vast majority of calories from plant foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, seeds, nuts, whole grains) and in addition, strongly limits processed plant foods (flour products, added oils, added sugars).1
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Dr Greger on NutritionFacts.org is a great science-based resource that presents the facts behind a WFPB diet: nutritionfacts.org/video/food-as-medicine/0
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I will say I am not wanting to go on a plant base diet because of morals. I see both side of the issues with eating meat morally and not. My sister is married to a farmer but he not the type of farmer to abuse his animals. I simply just want to slowly progress to a new way of living especially in my health. My mom died young because of heart disease. My dad doesn't take very good care of himself, my sister is trying to lose weight right now and we have had a long family line of disease. I know eating a certain way doesn't guarantee I wont die of any illness but I feel better when I change my diet. I completely gave up soda, desserts and sweets for this month and I can tell a huge difference. I really want to thank everyone who had been giving me information on the topic.
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robingmurphy wrote: »Dr Greger on NutritionFacts.org is a great science-based resource that presents the facts behind a WFPB diet: nutritionfacts.org/video/food-as-medicine/
I am reading his book right now!
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I generally think of "plant-based" as shorthand for a WFPB diet, which is what the HH woman seems to be saying too.0
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A plant-based diet got my cholesterol under control within weeks (bad cholesterol from 202 to 115 within 4 weeks and now below 100, with good cholesterol essentially unchanged) and got the doc off my back about starting meds. I still eat a bit of fish and an egg once a week, but sometimes forget to, and very, very occasionally eat meat like at Thanksgiving. I try to be as "whole foods" as possible.
Funnily enough my taste buds completely changed - I love spicy foods in a way I never used to. My flavor awareness is much sharper than it used to be as well. I stopped missing meat or cheese after a matter of weeks, and if I accidentally eat cheese I find it quite unpleasant, which is almost surreal.
I do find it easier to control my weight. It's still a struggle, but slightly less of one than it used to be. I still crave sweet stuff occasionally.
I agree you need to plan things, but mainly only while you're transitioning and getting used to preparing your meals in a new way. I took vitamin D anyway, and take B12 once a week. Iron and calcium can be problematic for some, but it's actually quite easy if you do a bit of research. Protein isn't an issue, unless you're consuming more than the RDA.
I did it purely for health reasons, but it's hard to ignore the positive impact on the environment or other animals.2 -
I created a space to discuss the differences if anyone is interested.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10413775/difference-between-plant-based-diets-and-veganism/p1?new=1
Just thought I'd try to stop the derail that I helped start.4 -
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For the Original poster, the plant based diet that I am on (or trying to stay on) also consists of *No Oil* so instead of using Olive oil to sauté with , you can use water or vegetable broth.1
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