It’s January 1st and that can only mean 1 thing… VEGANUARY!

Veganuary is an annual 31 day vegan challenge that encourages people to add more plants to their diet over the month of January. A well-planned vegan diet can be incredibly healthy. According to a 2021 systematic review involving 48 studies and a total of over 12,000 participants, consumption of a vegan diet was correlated with a reduced incidence of colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease.

This is due to the significant reduction in dietary acid load. A higher dietary acid load is linked with an elevated risk of the chronic diseases listed above and is often higher with high animal protein diets. Having a low dietary acid load has been shown to lower inflammation and be supportive of healthy ageing.

What does a vegan diet look like?

A vegan diet is a diet that excludes all animal products including meat, fish, dairy and eggs and includes the full range of plant foods including beans, legumes, tofu, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The main thing to remember is that not all vegans foods are healthy (I’m looking at your Oreos!) and to focus instead of eating foods as close to their natural state tp obtain all the health benefits that comes along with a plant based vegan diet.

What nutrients should I focus on when eating a vegan diet?

Although a vegan diet high in plant foods can be incredibly healthy, in order to get the most health benefits from this diet it is important that we know and understand its pitfalls. Nutritional deficiencies can occur on any diet that is not varied or well planned and vegan diets are no exception. It is important that we acknowledge where vegan diets may be lacking so we can better plan to avoid these pitfalls. My job as a vegan naturopath is to identify in each of my patients diets where they may be lacking so I can best support their overall health with targeted nutrients for their individual needs.

Studies have shown that those who follow a vegan diet have significantly lower omega 3 intakes, namely DHA & EPA, protein, calcium, iodine and zinc and on blood results, lower levels of vitamin D, iron and vitamin B12.

With 42% of Aussie choosing to reduce their animal protein intake in some way, it is important that we learn how to properly fuel our bodies when eating more plants. Dietary planning and a tailored supplement routine is the best way to avoid these common nutritional deficiencies on a vegan diet.

Where should I start?

The best advice I can give is to take it one meal at a time. Trying to overhaul your diet all at once is a recipe for overwhelm and makes it a lot harder to stick to. Look at what you are eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner and search for recipes that veganise what you are already having. Start with breakfast and once you have a few recipes that become part of your normal routine you can work on lunch and dinner recipes. By the end of the month you will have slowly added in a heap of new recipes and it will make going vegan a much smoother process.

If you are thinking of trying Veganuary and would some tailored support along the way, book in for a FREE 10 minute Exploration Session and we can explore how I can best support you.