Test driving veganism: the month of Veganuary

Veganuary, or the act of trying veganism for the first month of the year, has been underway for almost three weeks. Veganuary was originally started by an English charity of the same name, and the movement has been growing steadily since 2014.   

The Tropolitan spoke to two individuals passionate about nutrition about how to guide those interested in pursuing veganism long-term.  

Dr. Teresa Johnson, professor and nutrition program coordinator for Troy’s School of Allied Health, says veganism is a very healthy diet when done correctly.  

Johnson said people who follow vegan diets tend to weigh less, have less heart disease, and less GI problems. Overall, they just feel better.  

“Think of veganism as a funnel,” Johnson said. “At the top, you have what we call plant based, meaning that most of what a person eats is plants.  

“In the past, it was called flexitarian. That means you're eating mostly things that grow out of the ground in a recognizable form.  

“So instead of tomato sauce, maybe you're eating tomatoes, or instead of veggie chips, you're eating vegetables without them being highly processed. At the bottom we get down to what we call pure vegan.  

“No meat or meat products.” 

Johnson said the potential danger lies at the very end of the funnel, with a very restrictive form of veganism. 

“You can go even further down,” Johnson said.  “There are some people who only do fruit and nuts.  

“Now we're getting into kind of the danger zone here, but their diet is just so restrictive that it can actually cause big time problems.” 

Johnson explained that even going pure vegan can have its struggles, continuing to say many people aren’t aware of the vitamins they need to intake from food.  

“Pure veganism can cause problems if you're not informed, because as wonderful as a vegan diet is, it's got a couple of pitfalls,” Johnson said. “If you're an athlete, pregnant woman or growing child, there's some things that you would have to educate yourself on. 

“Talk to a registered dietician, and say, ‘Hey, let's look at this and make sure we're not missing anything,' because we put a lot of added needed nutrition in our flour and our milk that you would be missing if you really narrowed your diet down to not eating any bread or milk or other things.” 

Johnson also recommends those interested in veganism to start small. 

“Try it for a day, try it for a week,” Johnson said. “I would encourage them to clean up the diet and move as much as they can.  

“Instead of some sort of processed food, try an apple or a banana or some raisins. Little things really do add up.” 

Abby Carr, president of the Nutrition Club and a junior nutrition major from Newnan, Georgia, said paying attention to vitamin intake is vital for successfully staying healthy while practicing veganism.  

“The biggest nutritional issue with the practice of veganism is nutrient deficiencies,” Carr said. “Some of the most common nutrients that are voided from the vegan diet are Calcium, Vitamin D, and Iron, but there are many others. 

“These deficiencies occur because certain vitamins and minerals are not as bioavailable in plants as they are in meat sources. Obviously, each deficiency has its own health problems that come with it.  

“Nutrient deficiencies also tend to put our immune system at a greater risk, so veganism can be very dangerous for those that already have compromised immune systems.” 

Carr also highly recommends speaking to a health professional first.  

“It is very important that any diet maintains the specific nutritional needs of the individual,” Carr said. “Diets should never be rigid, and being educated on your specific dietary needs is very important.  

“Just as we all have different body types, we should have different diets.” 

Carr said individuals can stay healthy when trying veganism by becoming educated on their specific dietary needs to maintain a healthy, working body and doing what is necessary to meet those needs, despite the broad terms of the diet. This might include supplementing fortified vitamins and minerals oreating a greater quantity of food to meet caloric needs. 

She also included that all food items are okay to eat in moderation. Practicing mindful, intuitive eating has greater benefits than a strict diet.  

“It is so important that we learn about our bodies and how to fuel them properly.” 

For more information on veganism and healthy vegan alternatives to various foods, visit veganuary.com.