I’m a dietitian who follows a vegan diet.
Here are the four mistakes people make when they go vegan.
Story by kschewitz@insider.com (Kim Schewitz)
A vegan diet has been linked to a decreased risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
A dietitian shared the biggest mistakes people make when trying the plant-based diet.
People can mistakenly rely too heavily on processed foods and skip supplements.
Whether it’s for environmental, ethical, or health reasons, switching to a vegan diet
is beneficial. Research has linked plant-based diets to a whole host of health benefits, including a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as supporting weight loss.
Even some of the world’s most elite athletes, like Serena & Venus Williams and Lewis Hamilton, are vegans. A vegan diet eliminates animal products, including meat, dairy, instead focusing on fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and legumes.
But becoming plant-based can be a tricky transition to make, and should involve
learning about the nutrients your body needs and meal prepping if you want to experience the health benefits, Alyssa Fontaine, a vegan dietitian based in Canada, told Insider.
Fontaine, who runs a plant-based nutrition company, told Insider about the most common mistakes people make when going vegan.
Not eating enough protein
Fontaine said that many people who are vegan come to her with iron deficiencies
because they don’t properly substitute their animal protein with nutritious plant proteins.
She recommended looking up plant proteins right away and learning how to use them to avoid developing deficiencies.
Plant-based proteins include things like pulses, such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans,
and soy products such as tofu, tempeh, and edamame, as well as nuts and seeds.
According to Fontaine, a quarter of your plate should be protein, if not more.
A quarter should be carbohydrates and the other half should be vegetables.
“So it’s very similar to what you would see on a traditional plate, but you have
to replace that protein section,” she said. Plant Based Protein | Garden of Life…
Eating processed vegan food
It can be easy to turn to processed food or takeout if you are strapped for time
and there are no real health benefits to products like vegan sausages, Fontaine said.
To really reap the benefits of a plant-based diet, you have to cook a little bit, she said,
even if it’s just an hour a week. She recommended carving out some time in the week
to meal prep.
She suggested looking up some protein-rich recipes online and making around four you like the look of in bulk. “In my fridge right now I have a tofu stir fry, a chili, a white bean dish, and a tofu cream cheese,” she shared. “I don’t know when I’m going to eat them,
but I know they’re good for around four to five days.” @Cindy Becker Tofu – video
Not taking a multivitamin supplement
Transitioning to a vegan diet can be a big change,
and there is a lot of information to take in. To give yourself time to
figure out what works for you, start with a multivitamin supplement, Fontaine advised.
“Just start with a multivitamin so that you’ll at least have your vitamin D, B12, and a bit
of iron. It will just give you a little bit more room to make mistakes and learn as you go,”
she spoke. IMPORTANT: all Plants | What Is Selenium And Why Is It Important?
Trying to be a perfect vegan
Getting all of the nutrients your body needs is extremely important,
but you don’t have to be a “perfect vegan” all the time, Fontaine said.
While she is conscious of adding enough protein to each meal day-to-day, when she’s eating out on the weekends, she will enjoy the occasional vegan pizza or mac and cheese. She believes that this balance is crucial and the reason she has sustained her vegan diet for over five years. “I don’t hold myself to the standard of being perfect. You’ve got to have a little fun with it and it has to taste good or else why are you doing this?” she also said.
Blood tests for vegan – Bing video
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32 Celebrities who have gone vegan (veggie.news)
Every year, more people are choosing to live the cruelty-free life and go vegan, especially the young — and especially those in Hollywood. In fact, PETA even predicted that 2017 will be “The Year of the Vegan,” and cited over a dozen food trends that show veganism
is hitting the mainstream in a big way. From smoked carrot lox to “root-to-stem” dining, there is a place for vegan entrees on every table. A plant-based diet can help promote good health, so it’s no surprise that the health-conscious younger generations are leading the pack when it comes to going vegan.
In 2015, a Nielsen Global Health and Wellness Survey revealed that younger Americans were more health conscious than their elders, and that Generation Z (people under age 20 at that time) were more attuned to concerns about GMOs and ingredients than any other generation. Nearly 40 percent of Gen Z were willing to spend more on groceries to go organic, as were 32 percent of millennials. Comparatively, just 21 percent of baby boomers were willing to spend more money on healthy foods.
Last year, The Guardian reported that the U.K. had seen a 350 percent increase in their vegan population since 2006 — a remarkable feat for such a short time period. Some of the reasons teens cited as being their cause for making the switch included concerns about the environment, animal welfare and sustainability. In their interviews, some of the teens also noted that they felt social media helped expand the concept of veganism, and one of the adolescents noted that Instagram made the diet and lifestyle look particularly appealing.
Going vegan is a choice many people make for health-related or ethical reasons, and celebrities are no different: countless celebrities have gone vegan. Woody Harrelson is even a vegan — and has been for over a decade. In fact, Harrelson was even named PETA’s Sexiest Vegan of 2012. While Harrelson is renowned for his tough-guy roles in movies like Zombieland, he’s also an outspoken activist for environmental concerns and animal rights. He’s even been credited with “turning” other Hollywood stars into vegans — like Liam Hemsworth, according to Bustle.
Some popular stars that you may or may not know as vegans include actors and
musicians such as Ariana Grande, Ellen Page, Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Joan Jett,
Stevie Wonder, Pamela Anderson and Travis Barker. That is, by no means, a complete list.
Some lesser-known celebrities included on Bustle‘s list of vegans include musicians such as Sia, RZA, Mya, Wacka Flocka Flame, Morrissey, Dawn Richard and Moby.
For actors and actresses, Bustle reveals that there are many other vegans in the crowd, such as Evanna Lynch, Rooney Mara, Kate Mara, James Cameron, Peter Dinklage, Jessica Chastain, Alicia Silverstone, James Cromwell, Joaquin Phoenix, Mayim Bialik, Bellamy Young, Casey Affleck and Daniella Monet.
Al Gore and Russell Simmons also made it to the list of celebrities who are vegan. While they may not be musicians or actors, they are certainly well-recognized public figures.
Veganism is a lifestyle that many people have embraced — and if current trends continue, it seems that many more people will be participating in this way of life.
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CELEBRITIES YOU DIDN’T KNOW WERE VEGAN
By Laura Barns
Laura is our Copywriter, who is obsessed with the Hearty Roots Stew (and has been known to eat a double serve for lunch on more than one occasion). On her day off you’ll find her walking her puppy Ralph, stopping off at bookshops and cocktail bars along the way.
Read more from Laura
Going vegan has never been easier or tastier. And thanks to lots of celebrities speaking openly about their plant-based diets, those interested in going greener now have more role models than ever. We love breaking stereotypes. The crew of celebrities who are vegan is just getting bigger. So here’s a list of celebrities you probably wouldn’t expect to be vegan.
1. Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande first went vegan in 2013, tweeting: “Today marks my first day as a
100% Vegan!!!! Joyous day”. After discovering she ‘liked animals more than people’
(can relate). She credits her plant-based diet for making her a happier person, too.
2. Benedict Cumberbatch
Whilst promoting the latest Avengers film, Cumberbatch shared that his vegan diet was integral for keeping him active and in shape. He was even crowned PETA’s Most Beautiful Vegan in 2018, because apparently, they didn’t receive my application.
3. Zac Efron
If you’re a Netflix addict, this may be a little less surprising. In his hit travel documentary, Down To Earth, Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of healthy, sustainable ways to live. So as well as being great documentary material, he also thanks his vegan lifestyle for his physique.
4. Will.I.Am
The Black Eyed Peas star and my mom’s favorite judge on The Voice went vegan in 2018, after announcing it on his Instagram Stories. He also shared that he’d ‘joined the VGang’
which we all know is the coolest gang going.
5. Jennifer Lopez
Lopez shared that her vegan diet gives her way more energy than when she ate meat,
and if that Superbowl performance is anything to go by, we’ll have what she’s having.
Though she did say she misses butter. Feel the same? Check out our favorite vegan butter brands.
6. Thom Yorke
Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke has been a keen environmental activist and vegan
for years. Though his original motives for going green aren’t quite so pure – he went
vegetarian to impress a girl, and ended up loving the benefits.
Celebrities BEFORE and AFTER Going VEGAN | LIVE KINDLY
7. Alicia Silverstone
Clueless queen Alicia Silverstone regularly shares snippets of her vegan life with
her family on her Instagram, though would it be too much to ask for her to do it in
the iconic Cher plaid outfit?
8. Brad Pitt
Sources report a slightly different version of Pitt’s diet, with some stating he’s been vegetarian for decades, and some saying he’s fully vegan. Regardless, he’s always been extremely vocal about animal and environmental issues, which is a win in our books.
9. Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is not just my favourite actress for her roles in Garden State, V for Vendetta and more. She’s been vegan for years (apart from a slight break when she was pregnant and had dairy cravings) and often shares tasty recipes on her Instagram.
10. Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder stepped out as an advocate for going vegan when he appeared on James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke and announced that he had only been a vegan for a year and a half, but loves it.
Ok, if you’ve been around plants as long as we have, you’ll definitely know about these guys. But we couldn’t list vegan celebrities without a shoutout to some of our favourites…
11. Miley Cyrus – Bing video
Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Cyrus has been a keen advocate of a vegan lifestyle on her Instagram for years. PETA even called her a ‘super vegan’ and the ‘veganest vegan to ever vegan’, which is a pretty cool thing to add to your CV.
12. Liam Hemsworth
Be still my beating heart, The Hunger Games star went vegan in 2015 with the support of then-partner Miley Cyrus and his Hunger Games co-star Woody Harrelson who originally suggested he try a vegan diet. Within a few months, Hemsworth was sold. ‘There are no negatives to eating like this,’ he told Men’s Fitness magazine.
13. Joaquin Phoenix
AKA probably the greatest vegan in the world. Along with his siblings, Phoenix has been vegan since birth, even turning down million-dollar meat and dairy advertising campaigns during his early career. Now he’s an ambassador for PETA AND my top crush. Lucky guy.
14. Ellie Goulding – Bing video
Goulding’s motivation for going green was music to our ears: ‘Once I fully understood where meat came from … I found that concept quite hard to live with. If you don’t need meat to survive, I don’t see why you have to have it.’
15. Venus and Serena Williams
As anyone with a sibling will attest, putting them both under the same number is NOT cool, but we had to make it an even (well, odd) 15. The world’s most inspiring tennis players are both vegan and have been for a number of years.
Check out the list of other favorite vegan athletes here.
16. Billie Eilish. Songs – Bing video
The singer was raised vegetarian and decided to go vegan in 2013,
using her platforms to spread awareness about animal agriculture.
17. Sadie Sink. – Bing video
The “Stranger Things” star went vegan at just 14 years old,
after working on set with another vegan and actor Woody Harrelson.
18. Madelaine Petsch – Search (bing.com)
Growing up as a vegetarian, it didn’t take long for this star to go vegan, with her completely cutting out animal products at just 14 years old. Madelaine Petsch (@madelame) • Instagram photos and videos
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