When it comes to the healthiest vegan diet, it’s important to note that there’s a big difference between ditching animal products and also eating the healthiest vegan diet ever. They can be worlds apart. Optimization occurs when the body reaches a high level of peak performance and wellness due to a variety of factors. Omitting animal products is a single step.
So you may be wondering what the healthiest vegan diet is, and especially if you’re new to veganism and just transitioning.
Well I can tell you from over thirty years of being vegan and biohacking my own stuff, what exactly I think that diet is.
And it’s not just based on decades of experience or running a healthcare facility where dietary factors played a key role.
It’s also drawn from an accumulation of knowledge and research acquired in three different degree programs, and with a passion to learn.
And from a health journey that’s taken me from A to Z and back again.
So with that being said, it’s essentially this:
The healthiest vegan diet is primarily organic with a high ratio of raw living foods, next to no processed foods, next to no sugars or oils, and well balanced. It also includes a targeted list of supplements and healthy herbs.
And though we can all agree that one of the primary motivations for going vegan is helping animals, that does not negate the principles of optimal health.
Not does it change the fundamental dynamics of a healthy diet.
So here are five key steps . . .
1. The Healthiest Vegan Diet Is Organic
Whenever possible you should attempt to obtain the majority of your foods certified organic.
Organic foods are cleaner and subjected to higher standards overall.
They also help support wildlife and the environment.
Here’s a look at why they rock:
Organic Foods . . .
- Cannot be grown with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or sewage sludge.
- Cannot contain synthetic growth hormones or antibiotics.
- Cannot be genetically engineered or irradiated.
In fact recent reports show that harmful chemicals called polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS) are in sewage sludge:
PFAS-tainted sewage sludge has long been applied to fields as fertilizer and compost. PFAS chemicals don’t degrade or do so slowly in the environment and can remain in a person’s bloodstream for life.
They can also cross the blood-brain barrier and harm cognition and other cellular functions.
According to this report:
A growing number of studies have reported that pesticides are linked to various pathologies, including metabolic diseases (such as obesity and type 2 diabetes) [5], dysregulation of the immune system [6,7,8], neurotoxicity [9], endocrine alterations, reproductive disorders [10,11], and even tumours [12,13], whereas the gastrointestinal microbiota critically contributes to a variety of host metabolic and immune functions.
So when we eat organic foods, less pesticides.
They’re also more nutrient-dense.
Says Mayo Clinic:
Studies have shown small to moderate increases in some nutrients in organic produce. Organic produce may have more of certain antioxidants and types of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. Compared with produce grown using usual (conventional) methods, organically grown produce has lower levels of pesticide residue.
Studies also show that organic foods contain “higher antioxidative and antimutagenic activity as well as better inhibition of cancer cell proliferation.”
And when it comes to cost, I’ve seen conventional and organic foods listed at close to the same price — with organic sometimes cheaper.
2. The Healthiest Vegan Diet Is High In Raw Foods
Including a high ratio of raw living foods in your diet can be what separates a healthy vegan from an unhealthy one.
That’s because raw foods typically contain more enzymes and vital nutrients than cooked foods.
They’re also less likely to be oxidized, acidic, and carcinogenic.
And though it’s certainly true that a balanced diet of both cooked and raw foods is important — some foods are healthier cooked than raw — the vast majority of folks lean too heavily on cooked foods for the bulk of their meals, with many viewing salads, crudite, and other raw foods as mere ‘appetizers.’
Which typically means infrequent consumption or not at all.
The good news is that healthy appetizers can make excellent meals!
Take salads, for instance.
They form the basis of a lot of vegan diets, including mine.
And there’s a certain lightness and energy you get from raw organic fruits and veggies that are missing in cooked foods.
They don’t drag you down and happily, they hold their chlorophyll.
Steve Meyerowitz says this:
When I eat food I want to feel energetic and happy and good. When I eat cooked food, I feel tired. You eat dead food and it just doesn’t work. It brings your vibration down and your body has to wrestle with it, to get it out of the system, then you come back up. Then you eat again and it goes down again. So if you eat live food your vibration doesn’t go down; it gets higher and higher and you grow in a spiritual way.
Another reason to skew the ratio raw — I go 70% — is enzymes.
They’re destroyed by heat and vitally, vitally important.
In fact enzyme-deficiency and overtaxing the organs to compensate can foment disease.
Dr. William Philpott says this:
Cooking foods above 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys digestive enzymes. When this happens, the pancreas, salivary glands, stomach and intestines must all come to the rescue and furnish digestive enzymes…to break down all these substances. To do this repeatedly, the body must rob, so to speak, enzymes from the other glands, muscles, nerves and the blood to help in its demanding digestive process. Eventually the glands – and this includes the pancreas – develop deficiencies of enzymes because they have been forced to work harder due to the low level of enzymes found in cooked food…Your chances therefore of not putting a burden on your pancreas are better if you eat as much raw food as possible.
And if you’re trying to lose weight, think raw.
According to this dietician:
You’ll probably lose weight on this diet [raw foods], since most of its foods are low in calories, fat, and sodium, and high in fiber. One study found that people who followed a raw foods diet lost a significant amount of weight. You’ll also get nutritional perks. Most of what you eat will be high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and disease-fighting phytochemicals.
3. The Healthiest Vegan Diet Ditches Processed Foods
The healthiest vegan diet is very, very low in processed foods, if not exclusionary.
Here’s why:
Consequences of Eating Processed Food
- Causes oxidative stress and inflammation.
- Linked to obesity, which contributes to disease.
- Typically loaded with chemicals and pesticides.
- Manufacture and byproducts harm the environment.
- Can weaken the skin biome, causing rashes and allergies.
- Packed with additives, preservatives, sometimes trans-fats.
- Often tainted with drugs like hormones and antibiotics.
- Can clog the arteries and gut.
- Boosts aging and all cause mortality.
- Linked to diseases, including cancer.
- Can raise cholesterol and blood sugar.
- Harmful to the biome.
- Typically high in fats, sugars, and sodium.
- Linked to fatigue, mood swings, hormonal imbalances.
- Sometimes a source of microplastics.
- Oxidized oils and unhealthy fats.
And then there’s sugar . . .
4. The Healthiest Vegan Diet Is Mostly Sugar-Free
Sugar can be a source of major issues.
It’s been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and more.
So for the healthiest vegan diet, just ditch it.
I personally use stevia, and here’s why:
Raw organic stevia is one of the few natural sweeteners that does not raise the glycemic index (GI).
Raising the GI can cause blood sugar spikes and damage arterial walls.
So on top of the benefit of a low GI, stevia also . . .
- Tastes great.
- Goes a long way — a tiny pinch can sweeten a cup of coffee or tea.
- Has health benefits.
- Can be used to sweeten just about everything under the sun.
According to one report, consumption of simple sugars such as sucrose, fructose, honey, etc. can “significantly reduce the ability of white blood cells to destroy foreign particles and microorganisms.”
In other words, it slams immunity.
Which is never good.
5. The Healthiest Vegan Diet Is Low in Oils and Fats
It’s surprising how many people think oils are good for them when nothing could be further from the truth.
According to research and Dr. Michael Klaper, oils make your arteries stiff.
Says NutritionFacts.org,
Generally, oils are not healthy. Contrary to expectations, even extra virgin olive oil may impair arterial function when consumed. Other oils also have deleterious effects on endothelial function. Research confirms that ingestion of oil, no matter which type of oil or whether it was fresh or deep fried, showed a significant and constant decrease in arterial function.
The optimal way to get nutrients from fats is to just eat the whole intact food — from sea veggies high in essential fatty acids to coconut, avocados, and nuts.
Oils are not a whole food.
And when it comes to most fats, rein in.
Here’s a look at some more healthy steps:
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Go for sprouting.
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Eat foods high in fiber.
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Boost with healthy smoothies.
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Energize and lose weight with apple cider vinegar.
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Enhance with nutritional yeast.
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Go for biogenic grasses: wheatgrass; barley grass.
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Regenerate and reset with fasting.
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Step up the exercise with a workout plan.
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Boost, detoxify, and live longer with saunas.
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Use healing hydrotherapy.
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Engage in the benefits of Nature.
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Rock an optimized vegan diet plan.
- Go for clean non-toxic beauty.
Keep Reading . . .
Veganism: A Biologically Optimal Jam
The medical and health topics covered on the Plate of Grass website and blog have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to prevent or cure any disease. This article and its content is presented ‘as is’ for informational purposes only.
