This week we are talking about veganism and health. Although many of us who subscribe to a vegan diet realize that a whole-foods, plant-based vegan diet is the healthiest diet on the planet, there are still lots of people this information has not yet reached. For this reason it’s important to keep working to get [...]
This week we are talking about veganism and health. Although many of us who subscribe to a vegan diet realize that a whole-foods, plant-based vegan diet is the healthiest diet on the planet, there are still lots of people this information has not yet reached. For this reason it’s important to keep working to get good information out there. In light of our theme this week we asked a few of the experts we have had the pleasure of working with here on the Vegan Mainstream blog this question:
Why is veganism, in your opinion, the ultimate healthy lifestyle?
Here are their answers:
Photo courtesy Rip Esselstyn
Rip Esselstyn
There is a quote from Jack Lalanne that goes: “Exercise is King, Diet is Queen, combine the two and you have a health kingdom.” Personally, I would reverse the two: “Diet is King, exercise is queen.” After all, nothing can touch fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds when it comes to foods that ensure the body receives an abundance of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, water, complex carbs, healthy fats, plant proteins, and fiber. A plant-strong, whole food, vegan diet should be the foundation of everyone’s lifestyle.
Rip Esselstyn, author of the Engine 2 Diet, is a former professional triathlete and firefighter. Now Rip (who is featured in the amazing film Forks Over Knives) spends his time teaching people the irrefutable connection between what they put in their mouths and their ability to reach their ideal weight and their ideal health.
Lani Muelrath
Lani Muelrath, M.A., the Plant-strong fitness expert
Health means soundness and vigor of body or mind, and freedom from disease or ailment. These qualities encompass a definite free-flow between the physical, the mental, and the energetic bodies of any entity. “Soundness” implies integrity of purpose, a harmonious confluence. An ‘ultimate healthy’ lifestyle then integrates the highest ideals into practice and action. Veganism, when incorporating the ultimate healthy whole foods vegan diet, combined with exercise and a commitment to the well-being of the other sentient beings and the environment, presents the optimal potential for soundness, freedom from physical and mental disease, and vigor of body and mind.
Lani Muelrath, M.A, CGFI, CPBN, the Plant-Strong Fitness Expert for Vegan Mainsteam and Dr. John McDougall’s Health & Medical Center, specializes in helping people transform their lives with a whole-foods, plant based diet and a simple exercise formula. Go to http://www.lanimuelrath.com to download Lani’s Free Fitness Kit.
Leslie Ashburn
When I teach about a vegan lifestyle, a large part of my focus as a chef is placed on eating whole unprocessed plant-based foods, including a wide variety grains, beans, land and sea vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Health in America has declined significantly due to the corporate food system that encourages large portions of inexpensive and heavily processed food. With a higher calorie intake and less physical activity, we have become afflicted by problems like high rates of obesity. Nutrition-related disorders,including both micro-nutrient deficiencies and nutrition-related chronic diseases (i.e. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer), have become serious health problems. In contrast, a varied and nutritious vegan diet focused on whole unprocessed ingredients is extremely health-supportive and I believe creates greater overall well-being, including a more optimistic outlook on life as well as strong and vibrant health. Not only does research consistently support the health-related aspects, but I observe this to be true with my customers who for example, start sleeping better and find they have more energy. In addition to this, when we cut out animal foods, we are making an impact on Mother Earth, loving her better by reducing our carbon foot-print.
Leslie Ashburn lives in Honolulu and is the Owner, Chef, and Teacher at Macrobiotic Hawaii. When not cooking, she can be found at the beach. www.macrobiotichawaii.com
Deb Gleason
We are all born with the innate wisdom to do no harm to ourselves and others. Marketing and myths have gotten in the way of that and too often we make decisions that fall outside of those innate values. We choose to eat cheap, heavily processed foods from factories and factory farms and disregard the impact they have on our planet, the animals we share it with and our own bodies. Choosing veganism is choosing to stand up for ourselves and all of the living systems our choices impact. Veganism is the ultimate healthy lifestyle because it connects us to our inner wisdom and when we are connected we are the healthiest we can be.
Deb Gleason is the Co-Founder of Wellness Warrior Coaching, a Holistic Nutritionist and an expert in plant-based living. Find out more at www.wellnesswarriorcoaching.com.
Robert Cheeke
The vegan lifestyle is the ultimate way of healthy living for a variety of reasons backed by science and logic. A diet that is based around the fundamental concept of eating real foods will naturally provide real nourishment for optimal health. The primary sources of nutrition, which are essential in sustaining life and contribute to a thriving existence, come in their original forms from plant-based whole foods. These required nutritional components including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and glucose originate from fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and other plant foods. Eating exclusively plant-based foods also means you’ll avoid the consumption of cholesterol, and will likely consume lower amounts of saturated fats, antibiotics, and hormones, which are all likely to be found in today’s animal-based foods because of how modern agriculture is cultivated and harvested. Choosing to reject animal-based foods in favor of plant-based whole foods not only ensures you’ll attain higher levels of health, but your lifestyle will also require fewer global resources. This will naturally be a more compassionate and sustainable way of living, creating a better world for all of us.
Robert Cheeke is a Vegan Bodybuilder and Author of the book Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness – The Complete Guide to Building Your Body on a Plant-Based Diet. Learn more at
www.veganbodybuilding.com.
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