The caricature of the pale, weak, sickly vegan is sometimes attributed to a perceived lack of protein in the diet, but it can also come from a perceived lack of iron, which most people think is only found in red meat. Iron is the mineral that the body needs to produce red blood cells…
Even if a woman consumes a balanced, nutritious diet full of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, it can be difficult to get all the nutrients it takes to grow another healthy human and to take care of her body during the process.
The importance of Omega-3 cannot be overstated – these fatty acids are a crucial part of any diet, vegan or otherwise, and have been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, protect against inflammation, and decrease the risk of heart disease and even cancer.
TV advertising can lead us to believe that yogurt has the monopoly on probiotics, or that these helpful organisms are only present in special dairy products. However, this simply isn’t true – humans have been consuming probiotics for healthy digestive systems since the beginning of time…
“Food first, then supplements.” While we don’t want the nutritional focus and responsibility to be on multivitamins alone, the convenient little pills can help plug nutrition gaps in a diet that are otherwise rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Let anyone know you’re vegan, and you can put your money on the fact that the first question you’ll be asked is – “but where do you get your protein?” If read our entire article about vegan protein sources you’ll find out why I feel the obsession with protein is unnecessary…