Frequently asked questions

what is whole food plant based eating:

Eat plant foods that travel the shortest distance from Nature to Your Table. Think vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils, whole grains.

Every day plan to eat GREENS, BEANS and BERRIES.

Is this vegan?

Not exactly. Vegan diets avoid animal products in food, not necessarily for health. This means french fries and beer are vegan but not Whole Food Plant Based.

Why more plants?

  • For Your Health

  • For the Planet

 

will i get enough protein?

 

The strongest animals on earth are primarily plant based - think gorillas, elephants and hippos. They get plenty of protein from plants. We can too.

  • The new BLT is Beans, Lentils and Tofu /tempeh.

  • Soy milk and edamame, oatmeal, quinoa and whole grains are also good.

  • Eat a handful of unsalted, raw nuts and seeds daily.

why can’t i just take medications?

You can … but consider this:

  • Cost

  • Side Effects

  • Miss the benefits of all the micronutrients in plants that help open blood vessels, reduce inflammation, fight infections, reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer

 

i’m already on the Keto diet

Why change to Whole Food Plant Based type of eating?

 

We want three things from a diet:

  1. LOSE WEIGHT.

    • All calorie restricted diets do this, including starvation and cocaine diets.

  2. SUSTAIN IT long term so we don’t end up gaining the weight back.

    • Eating mostly plant based gives you the best chance for maintaining this way of eating since you are not starving yourself or denying foods longterm - just eating much less animal products.

  3. Have good LONG TERM HEALTH.

    • The more plant whole foods you eat, the better your healthspan and less chronic disease like diabetes, heart attacks, cancer and Alzheimer’s you are looking at.

    • Keto and animal based diets are high in saturated fat. This leads to high LDL cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease.

Keto, Low carb and paleo diets high in animal products:

 

  • Lose weight in the short term.

    Improve glucose and blood pressure.

    Avoid BAD CARBS (highly processed foods like white bread, desserts)

  • Hard to sustain long term.

    High in saturated fat which leads to high cholesterol and heart disease.

    Low in fiber and the great micronutrients in GOOD CARBS like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans.

if the Mediterranean diet reduces risks for Cardiovascular and Dementia, why make the effort for Whole Food Plant Based eating?

 

  • Fish concentrate the environmental toxins in the sea.

  • Commercial fishing is not sustainable and is destroying the ocean floor. (Ref.)

  • Less chronic disease (incremental benefit of more plants) (Ref: Seventh D, Anastasiou)

    Better for the animals on the planet.

    Better chance we have to feed the world’s population and lessen the impact of climate change. (Ref: Lancet editorial)

    We can obtain omega 3s from walnuts, chia seeds or a vegan algal omega 3 supplement. (Fish get omega 3s from algae also.)

I don’t like the taste of greens.

It only takes 7 tries to adapt to a new taste. Try a little each time. Greens are some of the healthiest foods. Our taste buds regenerate every 14 days. We were not born with these taste preferences; we developed them. In a few months, you will be amazed at how your preferences have changed.

I like rice but it has a lot of carbs.

Whole grains have lower glycemic indexes than white rice. Try mixing rice and quinoa (cook like rice for 10 minutes), brown rice, wild rice, purple rice, seven grain rice mix package in rice section in grocery store, … Lower the glycemic index by refrigerating cooked rice and reheating next day.

 
 

I can’t give up meat (or cheese or …)!

You don’t have to give up anything completely. Aim for whole food plant based 5 days a week, and then one animal based meal on Saturday and one on Sunday. Instead of cooking meat at home and tempting yourself with leftovers, purchase 1 takeout serving.

Are Plant Based Meats okay?

Compared to animal protein, these are a better choice, resulting in lower TMAO and LDL cholesterol vs. organic, lean animal protein. (Ref. SWAP MEAT trial) Lower TMAO and LDL leads to less heart disease.

Choose products with lower sodium and saturated fat.

Is cheese addictive? i love it.

Yes it is addictive. Unfortunately, cheese does not love you back. When we eat it, caseomorphine is produced which is 10% as active as morphine on our neurons and explains the difficulty in reducing cheese intake.

Any caution about whole food plant based eating?

  • Eating whole food plant based is so powerful that your sugars can drop within a few weeks, and blood pressure and cholesterol can also improve - so you may require less medication. Make sure you tell your doctor you are doing this so meds can be adjusted.

  • Many people need B12 supplements. Ask your doctor to check your B12 level.

It’s my genes - that’s why I have diabetes.

Twin studies have shown that only 20-30% of illness and how long the average person lives is caused by our genes. 70-80% is from our environment (Ref. 2 Danish twin studies), although genetic differences may be important for survival at older ages. (Ref.:Hjelmborg)

How Bad is Bacon?

Processed meats like bacon, sausage and cold cuts were classified as Class 1 carcinogens by WHO in 2015. (Same level of evidence as that cigarettes and plutonium cause cancer.)

How do i know what to eat?

  • Download Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen app. It highlights the categories and types of foods you should aim for in a day. It is a great way to see the variety of foods to enjoy.