GONE PLANT-BASED? GET READY FOR SOMEONE TO POP THE QUESTION

For two-years, I was plant-based and proud, that was until 2020 hit, and I decided to start January off with attempting the Whole30 program. All I kept hearing about is how hard it would be to accomplish without meat and was consistently questioned how I knew that my body didn't perform at its best with meat? I didn't know anything for a fact, so I gave in completed a Whole 28(I quit two days early), and I haven't been able to get back right sense. This month, I am a pescatarian and am really trying to get back 100 percent plant-based, but crab legs have been calling my name all summer 2020. The more significant point here is being knowledgable on my "why." Had I been firm on that, nothing anyone would or could have said would have brought me back to meat, but alas, we are here.

Had the opportunity to pick the brain of Roxanne Lavin, a health coach and plant-based nutritionist based in Las Vegas, NV. She's here to give us the low down and resources to be able to explain and defend your "why" when going plant-based.

As a health coach, nutritionist, and personal trainer, I've experienced first-hand the shift toward more people turning to plant-based nutrition than animal-based foods. And when they do, the first question that converts face from friends, relatives, and naysayers is what I call The Protein Question. 

 

The question is so ubiquitous for those that adhere to a plant-based diet that one would think the hospitals are filled with ashen-skinned, protein deprived vegans. Ironically it is quite the opposite. Following a whole food plant-based diet has many health benefits, including lowering your risk of obesity, diabetes, and inflammation.

 

Back to the question. I'm sure you have already guessed that it is....drum roll.... "but where do you get your protein from?"

 

We are a country obsessed with protein, and lately, we seem to be on protein overload. Here's a piece of information that might surprise you—and silence those protein fanatics once and for all—the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is .8 grams per kg of body weight. Elite athletes, bodybuilders may require a bit more. However, this is pretty standard for most people. And it's relatively easy to get that amount of protein from a plant-based diet.

 

At this point, it may be worth taking a closer look at what protein is. Protein is a concentrated source of amino acids, which are the building blocks of muscle and other functions, and all plant foods contain various amounts of amino acids. Animal protein is just a more concentrated source, but, and here's the key, more isn't necessarily better. Because most animals are not carnivores, and indeed all animals that we as humans consume fall into that category, they get their nutrition from plant foods. Hence, animals end up just being the middle man. 

 

What all of the above means is that eating a wide variety of whole plant foods (vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits) along with a proper amount of calories according to individual needs will ensure that you get all the protein and amino acids you need to sustain healthy muscle mass. It's as simple as that and, plant-based foods also contain fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and polyphenols, things that animal protein products do not. 

 

The good news is that absolutely anyone can go plant-based as there are no nutrients found in animals that aren't already found in plants. The only exception is B12, a bacteria found in diminishing amounts due to the recent concerning trend toward worldwide soil depletion. As such, animal feed has had to be supplemented with B12. The ironic part of this is that B12 deficiency can be found in anyone, not just vegans. This is quickly addressed by taking a daily or weekly supplement (as found in our Future Kind multivitamin). 

 

I'm not entirely sure where this fascination with ensuring that vegans get their protein came from. It's lovely to imagine that meat-eaters have such a worry about our daily nutrient intake because of some concern for our health. But I tend to think it's because they want to rationalize their carnivorous diets by dismissing plant-based as lacking in protein and nutrients. 

 

So when the next person asks where you get your protein—and you know they will—tell them to speak up because your hearing is gone from lack of protein. I kid. Tell them you get your protein from everything you eat on your plant-based diet with a little help from a nutritional supplement or two.

 

Roxanne Lavin is a health coach and plant-based nutritionist based in Las Vegas, NV.

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