Good Health From Plant Foods
From A Vegan Guide To Bristol 2006
Dr Stephan Walsh is the Vegan Society spokesperson on Nutrition and Health and author of Plant Based Nutrition and Health.
Physical activity is vital for health and is of particular importance for building and maintaining strong muscles and bones and avoiding bulging waistlines. Try to be active for at least an hour a day, ideally including several different activities. Choose foods that help you to maintain a healthy weight: High fibre, low calorie density foods such as vegetables, fruits and boiled or sprouted grains and legumes will help to avoid unwanted weight gain. More concentrated foods such as oils, nuts, avocados and dried fruit can help to avoid unwanted weight loss.
Eat plenty of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, including some green leafy vegetables.
Eat a wide variety of whole foods. Limit use of processed foods containing large amounts of salt, sugar or white flour. Avoid foods containing hydrogenated fat and limit consumption of deep fried foods.
Get at least three micrograms per day of vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Choose your main high fat foods from those containing mostly monounsaturated fat: e.g. olive oil, rapeseed oil, avocados, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias and almonds.
Include a good source of omega-3 fats, e.g. about a tablespoon per day of ground flaxseed OR two tablespoons per day of rapeseed oil.
Ensure an adequate iodine intake, e.g. by adding small amounts of kelp to food (10 to 30 grams per year or two standard kelp tablets per week is plenty).
Get out in the sun without sunblock for at least 15 minutes on most days when the sun is high enough in ithe sky (March to October in the UK). If this is not possible for more than a few months take 10 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D2 a day.
Get at least 500 mg of calcium per day from calcium rich foods, fortified foods or supplements.
Limit sodium intake by using a low sodium salt at the table and in cooking. Use sprouting and bread making to make the minerals in whole grains, beans and lentils more available.
Eat vitamin C rich foods such as cauliflower, peppers, green leafy vegetables, oranges or kiwi fruit at the same meal as grains, legumes and other seeds to improve mineral absorption. Anyone eating a high raw diet should include plenty of vegetables and sprouted seeds to improve protein and mineral intake and, if necessary, high fat foods to maintain a healthy weight.
Choose from foods and recipes around the world to make your meals enjoyable as well as healthy - enjoy your food.
Following these recommendations will ensure a healthy plant based diet.
If you wish to use a daily multivitamin to help ensure a good intake of nutrients, make sure it provides:
5 to 10 micrograms of B12; 10 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D; 100 to 150 micrograms of iodine; and 50 to 100 micrograms of selenium.
Half these amounts are appropriate for children under twelve years. The Vegan Societys VEG 1 supplement provides a convenient low cost means (£4.99 for three months supply for an adult) of ensuring a good intake of the few nutrients not reliably provided by a varied intake of plant foods.
If you want to learn more about plant-based nutrition, including the wealth of evidence supporting a healthy plant-centred diet, you may wish to purchase the Societys comprehensive book Plant Based Nutrition and Health (£7.95). More detailed information on diets for young children can be found in the Societys book Raising your Vegan Infant (£9.99). See www.vegansociety.com/shop for these and a wide variety of other items. The Vegan Society is an educational charity which promotes the benefits of an entirely plant based diet for people, animals and the environment.