The times are changing, and so is our diet.
There have been arguments about what kind of diet is best for everyone. The more research that happens, the more discoveries are being made about each healthy nutrition food and each different diet. Fun fact 39 percent of the Indian population is vegetarian. Vegan diets are an extension of vegetarian diets with more restrictions. Thus, veganism is a more established idea in India than it is in most other nations.
Types of vegetarian diets
The vegetarian diet itself can be diverse, the health world is promoting more diet culture, and we are coming out with more variations of diets.
- Lacto Vegetarian: people who consume dairy but no non-vegetarian food
- Ovo vegetarian: people who consume eggs but no flesh-based food
- Lacto Ovo vegetarian: people who consume dairy and egg but no flesh-based food
Now that we have learnt about different types of vegetarian diets; let’s dive into veganism.
So, what is veganism?
According to the vegan society “Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”
Hence, a vegan diet is a kind of diet in which one does not include any animal products. It excludes eggs, non-vegetarian products, dairy, bone broth, jelly extracted from animals, etc.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of going vegan?
Veganism is a way of life, of which a vegan diet is only one aspect. But is it conceivable that if you think about being vegan, you might not get all the nutrients you need to keep in shape and be healthy? To dig deeper into the topic, we must understand the pros and cons of being vegan in an unbiased way.
Advantages:
A vegan diet makes you rely on more different and diverse kinds of foods which are usually ignored, for example, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, etc. It makes you add a more vegetarian variety of food. It has been noted that vegan diets may have higher concentrations of several nutrients. Some studies have suggested that vegan diets may contain a higher number of antioxidants, fiber, and some other essential plant compounds. It may also appear richer in certain vitamins and minerals like potassium, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin E and C.
vegan diet may help you to lose weight. Many people nowadays are turning vegan just to reduce weight. It has been considered healthier by many health professionals as well.
According to a study, people who are vegan tend to have a lower BMI than people who consume non-vegetarian foods. In a comparative study between the vegan and Mediterranean diets the vegan diet was considered much more effective, as the group that followed a vegan diet lost 6 kg of weight over 16 weeks, while the group that followed a Mediterranean diet lost no amount of weight. It should be noted that any diet you should follow for weight loss works on the principles of fiber content, calorie content, and type of health nutrition food consumption.
Vegan diets are known to help improve blood sugar levels and enhance kidney function. According to numerous studies, vegan diets help one to have lower blood sugar levels and even improve kidney function. People who are partially vegan also tend to have a lower blood glucose level than people who consume non-vegetarian foods regularly.
According to a 2006 study, a low-fat vegan diet was proven more effective in controlling blood sugar and improving lipid profiles than the diet provided by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Moreover, vegan diets are linked to benefits for heart health. Vegan diets promote the use of more whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and legumes which are great for your heart health. Intake of legumes and nuts reduces the likelihood of developing diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. In other observational studies it has been reflected that vegans may benefit from up to 75% lesser risk of having high blood pressure as compared to vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets.
Veganism is cruelty-free. This is a huge advantage of being vegan: you are eating cruelty-free food. Many people convert themselves to vegan eating cruelty-free and not because of its great health impacts. But we still cannot ignore the wonderful health benefits of veganism. In fact, with the advancement in science and technology we are finding ways to create healthier and more easy-to-use vegan options for example Fenuflakes is a vegan health nutrition food ingredient which can be used in any meal you are preparing such your healthy poha recipe. It is cruelty-free and contains approximately 20 percent higher protein than normal methi seeds. It’s high in fiber and great for gut health.
In many multiple randomized studies, it has been proven that vegan diets are more effective in controlling high blood pressure, protecting the heart, and controlling LDL, or bad cholesterol. We can say that all of these may even indicate better heart health, as according to a study, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol may increase the chances of heart disease by 46 percent.
Disadvantages
Vegan diets contain a higher amount of iron than other kinds of diets. However, plant-based iron sources may not be as bioavailable as non-vegetarian foods (bioavailability means how much of that nutrient is your body able to absorb).
The problem with a vegan diet comes with planning. It might be a little difficult to plan a balanced nutrient vegan diet for a normal individual. Vegan diets which are normally carefully planned may be deficient in certain nutrients like niacin, vitamin B12, riboflavin, iodine, selenium, and zinc. Hence, one might have to take supplements to fulfil the need.
According to many studies mentioned above it has been proven that vegan diets help people with obesity to lose weight. However, one must understand that the basic principles of weight loss in all kinds of diets are calorie deficient and the kind of food consumption. Study suggests a thumb rule of 500 kcals deficit every day can help one to lose weight by 1 pound per 4 weeks.
Being vegan means avoiding animal-based foods including dairy which can increase the risk of prostate and colorectal cancer.
Protein is an essential macronutrient. Approximately 20% of the overall calories of your meals should come from protein. Our nails, muscles, hair and even haemoglobin are made of protein and a deficiency of required protein in your diet causes muscle depletion and weakness. However, it becomes difficult for vegan people to get that many times as it is difficult to find vegan sources of complete protein.
Complete protein: A protein is described as “complete” if it contains all nine different types of amino acids that you must obtain from a diet. Some of the vegan protein sources are quinoa, amaranth, tofu, edamame, etc. But most of these also must be taken in combinations to get the 100 percent benefit.
Some nutrient-rich vegan recipes
It surely will be difficult to balance a vegan meal if you are not a diet professional, but once you learn the art of living like this, you will experience the world of delicious and healthy plant-based foods. There are many day to day Indian recipes which are vegan such as a healthy poha recipe, roti, vegetable curries and so on. Here are some recipes that you might want to try out!
Stir-fried mixed sprouts
Stir-fried mixed sprouts are an easy and filling recipe. All you need to do is heat the oil in a pan and add chopped onions and tomatoes. Let it cook for a few minutes now. Now, add salt and chilli. Add sprouts and keep stirring. Cover it for 1 to 2 minutes and serve hot.
Banana pancakes:
in a bowl put 150 g wheat flour, ½ cup almond milk, 1 scoop Fenuflakes, 1 large, mashed potato, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, and 1 tbsp honey. Mix everything well and spread about ¼ of the batter on a hot flat pan and once you think one side is cooked, flip it. Now serve, you can add more honey for taste.
Apple strawberry smoothie:
In a blender put 100 g apple, 1 cup strawberries, 1 tbsp pumpkin seed, ½ scoop Fenuflakes and 1 glass of soya milk. Blend it well and serve. Your protein and fiber-rich smoothie is ready.
Tomato soup:
In a saucepan put 1 tsp butter and sauté onion and garlic cloves. Put 3 tomatoes and 1 carrot and 1 tsp of salt. Sauté all the ingredients and add ½ cup water. boil till everything is mushy. Blend it into a smooth paste. At last sieve, the entire soup and discard the residue. Now again add ½ cup water and let it boil for 2 to 3 mins. Put salt and pepper. Your nutritious and delicious soup is ready.
Now, how do you become vegan?
Turning vegan is a lifestyle change, and it can be difficult to stop eating certain kinds of foods that you have been eating since childhood. We have got you covered here. Let’s look at some tips on how to go vegan.
- Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you can get from different foods.
- Opt for more whole-grain foods.
- Trying getting protein from soya beans, rajma, dals, tofu, lentils, etc.
- Focus on Omega-3s Without Fish. Like, walnuts, flax seeds, canola oil, etc.
- Remember to Take Vitamin D. Most people get vitamin D from dairy products. Opt to expose yourself to sunlight, some mushrooms, spirulina, etc.
Non-vegetarian proteins usually are complete proteins; they even contain a good amount of essential amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). You can go for Fenuflakes, a fenugreek supplement instead which is a non-GMO product with high fiber. It has a high amount of BCAA which helps you in the anabolism of your muscles.
Takeaway
The vegan diet is an extension of the vegetarian diet. There are four kinds of vegetarian diets. Lacto Vegetarian, Ovo Vegetarian, Lacto Ovo vegetarian, and vegan A vegan diet means the absence of animal-based products from the diet, including dairy, eggs, fish, pork, meat, and poultry. There are many benefits of going vegan, like how it helps to lower blood pressure, lower the risk of diabetes mellitus, reduce bad cholesterol or LDL from the body, help with weight management, etc. According to studies, it has been found that if your cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose are normal, it reduces your risk of heart disease by 46 percent, which means a vegan diet is effective for heart health as well. The drawback of having vegan food for a long time is that it might be difficult to balance without the help of a diet professional, which can lead to many deficiencies like Vitamin D, B12, zinc, magnesium, etc. that will have to be supplemented by supplements. Being vegan is a choice; it cannot be forced on a person. It has some great benefits, but its disadvantages cannot be ignored either. If you are a hardcore non-veg eater, it might be a little difficult for you to go vegan, but it is not impossible. It is more of a lifestyle change and involves changing your outlook on food. Vegan, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian are all great diets if you can balance and sustain them for long.
References:
- https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/07/08/eight-in-ten-indians-limit-meat-in-their-diets-and-four-in-ten-consider-themselves-vegetarian/
- https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7779846/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7050782/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466943/
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07315724.2020.1869625
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466941/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24149445/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6133017/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3959199/
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