Cut out the Crap

So today I am going to write about how to maintain a healthy vegan diet, and basically, how easy it is. When I first started looking into this a couple of years ago, I found that quite a few sources I used varied a little, well, actually, quite a lot. Some places said that B12 was basically non-existent in a vegan diet, and some said that it was a total myth that we missed out on it. From what I had been told, vegans were unhealthy, we had brittle bones and pale skin, our teeth were falling out and we were unable to fight off sickness, its amazing that we have lasted this long huh? 

A lot of websites make out as though we need to take millions of supplements to ensure we get what we need, wrong. A bad diet, vegan or non-vegan can lack a lot of things. Plan and read labels. But really, if you eat a variety of foods, plenty of fruit, veg, nuts and seeds you will do great. You can always ask your doctor if you’re having doubts, man I hate doctors. 

Anyway, I am going to go over the main things people seem to think that a vegan diet lacks, 2 today, 2 tomorrow and 1 the day after along with loads of tiny ones (I rote more then I expected about them and don’t want another mammoth post)  

Calcium.  

Important for bones and teeth. Probably the most obvious but also probably the easiest to overcome. You’ll be getting it from places you didn’t even realise; tap water (in hard water areas) and bread. Nuts have it, especially almonds and especially sesame seeds (one tablespoon of sesame seeds have more calcium than a glass of milk). Beans, tofu and soy yoghurt are good sources too. Leafy greens are high in calcium; spinach, but I got told it has something mean it in too that inhibits it being absorbed, I’m sure you don’t have to worry about that if you go along with the other things.  

Iron.  

Helps red blood cells, they deliver oxygen, which is pretty important. My parents asked me where I was going to get iron from on a vegan diet, well, erm… lentils, tofu, beans (again), nuts (cashews, hazelnuts), seeds, raisins, prunes, apricots, figs, along with a million other things. Again, leafy greens, everyone knows spinach is full of iron (Pop-eye loves his spinach), it’s really easy to cook and can go in almost anything. The taste is easy to mask too if you aren’t keen, I love it. I love it even more on pizza, it gives me massive muscles. You need to remember that your body needs help absorbing iron, in the form of vitamin C, everyone knows where vitamin C comes from.  

Featured in the next couple post; Protein! Zinc! And B12!!

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