Plants-only Eater
A Plants-only Eater in Your Family?
by Rob English
According to many sources, some six percent of Americans nourish themselves with a purely plant-based diet – they eat no land animal, avian, or fish products. Might you be among that number now, or thinking about it? An appropriate plant-based diet can do wonders for your health! Maybe your significant other is practicing it, or your child or grandchild or other loved one is or is considering it. Many popular celebrities and popular social media influencers live plant based and recommend it to their millions of fans and followers.
The concern I have with the influencers is that they usually aren’t nutritionists. Their fan might want to immediately emulate their hero by going plant based, but changing one’s diet overnight can pose unnecessary problems and discourage a good candidate for the plan. There are some influencers and celebrities who “tried” going plant based, and failed at it, because unfortunately there are many unhealthy foods and treats on grocery shelves now that are labeled plant based.
A person who wants to go plant-based for health or ethical reasons would be wise to consider where they will get their protein (that’s the most common question people ask plant based friends). There are good answers to that question and a person going plant based needs to know the answer before taking the plunge.
The neophyte will want to know where he or she gets not only his or her protein, but also their daily source of adequate vitamin B-12, iron, and Omega-3 fatty acids, along with other nutrients. Going plant based will increase the amount of fiber a person takes in, and this change needs to be introduced over a few weeks so the body can adjust. A plant based doctor or plant-based nutritionist can be a source of important advice. Getting this right can bring a big improvement in health and can last a lifetime. Getting it wrong can lead to disappointment and a return to a less-than-optimal diet.
If you or a loved one is considering going plant based, more power to you! A bit of coaching can help in the beginning. Perhaps check out the program at https://www.veganlivingprogram.org/ for some great coaches.
Foto de un plato de frutas frescas variadas de Karolina Grabowska y foto de verduras maduras en una cesta de mimbre de Sarah Chai
Rob English is a member of People for Animal Rights, a grassroots organization in Central New York,
Contact People for Animal Rights
PO Box # 401,
Cleveland, NY 13042
peopleforanimalrightsofcny@gmail.com
https://parcny.org/
