FOOD MATTERS: A PLANT-BASED APPROACH by Chad
Austin
Let me start by
saying I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist. I’m just a health coach
wannabe with an avid interest in health and wellness. With that said, this is
an opinion piece, similar to my last
article for RunMinnesota (Food Matters: A Whole-Food Approach) where
I explained
the benefits of replacing processed foods in our diets with whole foods. In
this article, I want to focus on the second half of a lifestyle that is gaining
tremendous momentum, Plant-Based. Notice I didn’t say “diet” as they tend to be
restrictive and rarely work long-term. Instead, think of a Whole-Food Plant-Based
(WFPB) approach to eating as a lifestyle, like running. It’s a lifestyle that
doesn’t involve deprivation, detoxing or counting calories, but is centered on
whole, unrefined, or minimally refined plants. It’s also based on fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (think beans and lentils). By focusing on
these foods, it crowds out or minimizes meat, dairy products, and eggs, as well
as highly refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil.
Part of the reason why this lifestyle is gaining momentum
is due to the health benefits associated with it, which are almost too numerous
to mention. A whole-food, plant-based diet has been shown to (1):
·
Lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood
sugar
·
Reverse or prevent heart disease
·
Prevent and reverse obesity
·
Lower risk of cancer and diabetes
·
Slow the progression of certain types of cancer
·
Improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis
These chronic illnesses are becoming so common
that people think they’re just part of the normal aging process. I’m here to
tell you that this doesn’t have to be the case. In reality, these chronic
illnesses can be directly linked to the Western diet. A WFPB approach
to the foods we eat can improve the overall quality of life – even after these
illnesses arise.
Not only does a WFPB lifestyle positively impact or health, but
also the health of the planet. Over 56 billion (yes, billion with a “b”) land
animals are killed every year for
food (2). The environmental impact (namely rain forest deforestation, ocean
acidification, water usage, climate change) and the amount of animal cruelty
associated with killing that many animals is staggering. And that number doesn’t
even include the billions of marine animals killed each year. With the world
population expected to increase from 7.4 billion to 9.7 billion by 2050 (3),
it’s easy to see that the path we’re on is not sustainable.
Generally,
I’m not a fan of placing a label on our eating habits because it typically
causes confusion, leads to arguments, and pushes people apart – rather than
bringing them together in an effort to solve our current healthcare and environmental
crises. However, I really like the term “plant-based” because you can broaden
the definition to suit where you’re at on a spectrum. In the strictest sense it
means unprocessed foods that don’t come from animals. But rarely are people
going to switch to a full-on WFPB lifestyle overnight. As you begin to
experiment with WFPB you might start with Meatless Mondays where you exclude
meet one day a week. Another approach is discussed in Mark Bittman’s book Vegan Before 6:00. As you can probably
guess, it refers to only eating animal products for dinner. As a result,
two-thirds of your meals will be plant-based. These are great ways to introduce
more plants into your diet and, chances are, once you see the benefits you’ll
want to continue down the WFPB spectrum.
Let me
take a few minutes to dispel the biggest myth that surrounds a WFPB lifestyle;
protein. The first thing people notice about my food choices is that they don’t
include meat. Typically, this leads to the question, “But where do you get your
protein?” I don’t know if meat eaters are really curious about my protein
intake or not, but it does show the power of the messages we are constantly
bombarded with – messages paid for by the meat and dairy industries, and
supported by the U.S. government. There are lots of possible responses to this
question, but here are a few that I use, depending on my audience.
Medical: There’s actually a term for protein deficiency.
Do you know what it is? No, because no one ever has to talk about being protein
deficient. The next time you’re at your doctor’s office, ask them how many
people they’ve ever treated for a protein deficiency. My guess is zero. By the
way, the medical term is Kwashiorkor.
Snarky: Where do you get your fiber? Do you know
that fiber is only found in plants like beans, fruits, vegetables and grains? Fiber isn’t broken down in the body. Instead,
it pushes food through the digestive tract, absorbs water and helps clean the
bowels. Those are all good things when it comes to health. Oh yeah, less than
3% of Americans get the minimum recommended amount of daily fiber (4).
Logical: Where do the strongest animals on the
planet (think gorillas, elephants, and hippos) get their protein? They’re
herbivores and only eat plants. By the way, cows aren’t standing around
producing protein, or calcium for that matter. Animals get their protein from
the foods they eat. For cows, pigs, and chickens that means plants. I’m just
cutting out the middle man, er, animal, and going directly to the source.
Truthful: I eat a balanced diet of fruits,
vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. And I never give my protein needs
a second thought – until someone asks.
Scientific: In
1988 the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics updated its position on plant-based
proteins stating “Plant protein can meet protein requirements when a variety of
plant foods is consumed and energy needs are met. Research indicates that an
assortment of plant foods eaten over the course of a day can provide all
essential amino acids. (5)”
This last
statement is interesting because it differs from another food myth; most plant sources lack one or more of the
essential amino acids and therefore are not considered complete or high quality
proteins. Technically, this statement is correct, if you look at plants individually. But, as mentioned above,
if you eat a variety of plants and
meet all you caloric needs, you will also meet your protein needs. I can’t help
but think that most of these food myths are perpetuated by the meat and dairy industries
themselves. It wouldn’t be the first time agricultural interests influenced the
nutritional information we receive. As Rip Esselstyn says in his book My Beef with Meat, “The sad truth is
that the information we get about health often has more to do with politics and
money than with science and fact.”
How can this be? Our government must have our
best interests in mind, especially when it comes to health, right? Not
necessarily. To understand, one only needs to look at the responsibilities of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This government agency has the
duel-purpose of protecting American agricultural interests and advising us about our
food choices. That’s a huge conflict of interests, especially when you consider
that until they were sued by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
(PCRM), more than half of the USDA’s board of directors was made up of members
from the meat and dairy industries.
I know, I know, this is a running magazine.
What does this have to do with running? Well, I’m 48 years old and every year I
hear about at least one runner, within 10 years on either side of me, dying,
unknowingly from heart disease. That’s way too young! According to Alan Gertler, M.D., "Half of the men who die suddenly of coronary
heart disease have no previous symptoms. The first manifestation of a heart
problem oftentimes is sudden death (6)." Those that do survive often undergo
heart bypass surgery or have stents inserted into blocked passageways, followed
by a lifetime of drug treatment. Unfortunately, the truth is that running doesn’t make us immune to heart disease.
We can’t out exercise a bad diet.
I get it. Beliefs around food often rival that of religion and
politics – and, for runners, training philosophies. But given the current state
of health in the U.S., it’s obviously that the food choices we’re making aren’t
working. We can no longer rely on the government to tell us how to eat. It’s
time we take matters into our own hands and work to change this situation
ourselves. It’s time we become more mindful of our food choices and take
responsibility for what we eat. It’s time to become more empowered and
recognize that we have control over these choices and that they have a profound
impact on our health and the environmental. It’s time, as Gandhi said, “To be
the change you want to see in the world.”
With Gandhi’s words ringing in my ears, I’m taking it upon myself
to help people that are plant curious, by creating a community that
supports one another along this journey. Again, I’m not a doctor or a
nutritionist, and I definitely don’t have all the answers. However, I am willing
to share what I do know and provide support for anyone that’s interested - whether
that’s 2 people or 2,000. If you’d like to get involved, feel free to leave a comment here or please feel free to email me
directly at chadaustin@charter.net
and
I’ll support you any way I can. If you prefer to do some research on your own,
simply google WFPB or check out the Nutrition Studies WFPB diet guide and the Forks over Knives WFPB diet to get
started.
References
accessed December 6, 2017:
(5) My Beef with Meat: The Healthiest Argument
for Eating a Plant-Strong Diet, Rip Esselstyn
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