Yep. Just decided to change to a vegan lifestyle this week. Mine actually started out of the ethical/environmental side of it. Never looking back. Glad to hear about how you benefited from being vegan for the month, and makes me more excited to keep pushing for progress in the gym! :) Good luck!
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I am glad you enjoyed your vegan experience! I am vegan and I appreciate your honesty on your journey If you're looking for movies to educate yourself on veganism more Earthlings, Conspiracy, Forks Over Knives, and Food Inc are all great! Also you should check out Dr. Greger AKA NutritionFacts.org here on youtube :)
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From "veganwhatnow" - Dude a step I the right direction! yey!!! You should check out "cowspiracy"!!!! OMG it is life changing!
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Going vegan is where it is at! Glad to learn that you are joining the club, as I have felt both physically and mentally better since taking 'the plunge.' Although slow, I hope to see animal consumption go down and reduce the number of CAFOs in existence.---You saved probably hundreds of lives. You saved thousands of gallons of water. cut down on pollution. Check out Gary Yourofsky Best speech ever 2014. cowspiracy. and Earthlings. life changing videos.
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It is shocking to me that a "physician" would post such incredibly anecdotal and ignorant comments.
First, veganism is NOT a diet. It is a philosophy. Ergo, critiquing something that is NOT a diet and to point out the shortcomings of said diet is a logical fallacy.
Vegans eat everything omnivores eat with the exception of animal products. That leaves fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains. However, if you were to exclude many of these items and resorted to processed and junk foods, by way of example, one would indeed become unhealthy. But this does not a vegan diet make. If one eats a whole-foods, plant-based diet, which can absolutely be a wholesome, nutritionally rich diet, one can be very, very healthy. One could call either of these a "vegan diet" but it would be equally unfair to say that our unprecedented rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer are a result of an omnivorous diet. There are lots of omnivores who are health and unhealthy just like vegans. So just like omnivorous diets, one can eat healthy or unhealthy, it comes down to choice and educating oneself and being responsible
Furthermore, to suggest that eating meat and dairy is a biological imperative (i.e. it is required to be healthy) is not only false and unverifiable, it is downright irresponsible.
As a vegan of 8 years, and my wife for 25 years, we are the picture perfect of health. And my physician agrees. I have no B12 deficiency for example - 15% of the population is B12 deficient, yet vegans only account for 2% of the population, ergo there are a lot of omnivores who are B12 deficient too, it is often an absorption issue. I have no "protein deficiency", my skin, energy level and general wellness are fine. Every year I get a physical and have my doctor check all the major biomarkers - everything falls within the normal ranges. My physician has no objections to my vegan diet (he is not vegan btw). I also do not take any supplements. I am 5'-11" tall and weigh 180lbs and have a perfect BMI.
And for the record, I'm the rule not the exception. Dr. Clouthier, your blog and position shows an incredible cognitive bias.
I'm sensing some strange similarities here. Here's my question: are non-religious people who spend time earning a PH.d more likely to be a vegan? That would be an interesting survey to construct.
Honestly, veganism is backwards. Why do I say this? Our teeth. The irony.
