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Ep 33: Part 2 - Building a Healthy Vegan Diet: What Your Body Really Needs
38 Plays1 month ago
This is Part 2 of our conversation on vegan diets. In Part 1, we explored why vegan doesn’t automatically mean healthy. In this episode, we go deeper into how to make a vegan diet truly supportive for your body.
We break down the essential pillars of a healthy vegan diet (whole foods, adequate protein, mineral-rich plants, healthy fats, and variety) and explain why many people struggle when these foundations are missing. We also discuss common pitfalls like ultra-processed vegan foods, low protein intake, and trend-driven eating, and why vegan labels don’t guarantee hormone support, gut health, or blood sugar balance.
This episode is about education, flexibility, and learning how to nourish yourself in a way that supports your hormones, nervous system, and long-term health, whether you’re fully vegan or simply eating more plant-based.
Where to find us:
IG @whatsmyageagain.podcast / FB - What’s My Age Again Podcast
Email us at: wmaapod@gmail.com
Where to find Tanya:
IG @tlcholistic / FB @tlcholistic
Book with Tanya: https://tlcholistic.janeapp.com/locations/tlc-holistic
Join the TLC Community: https://www.patreon.com/tlcholistic
Where to find Kim:
IG @kimdesmarais.nutrition /FB @KimDesmarais
Book with Kim: Complimentary Connect Call
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to What's My Age Again, the realest podcast for women who are done chasing trends and ready to feel empowered. Hi, I'm Kim. And I'm Tanya, holistic nutritionists and childhood best friends who've been there, done that, and bought the collagen.
00:00:16
Speaker
more than once.
Mission and Goals
00:00:17
Speaker
Each week we provide actionable steps that you can start today to help you thrive through every decade to come. We're cutting through the wellness noise to bring you honest conversations about aging, hormones, health, beauty, mindset, and everything in between.
00:00:33
Speaker
You see, we're also on a mission to age gracefully one WTF moment at a time. Backed by research and real life, we're here to share what actually works, what's a waste of time, and how to truly thrive through the messy, magical midlife transition.
00:00:49
Speaker
We're so happy you're here.
Veganism and Plant-Based Diets
00:00:51
Speaker
Let's dive in. Hi, everybody, and welcome back to What's My Age again. Tanya's excited about this podcast today, and so am i hi Tanya. Hi, Kim. I am literally so excited. Just before we hit record, I'm like, I'm so excited for this. And I am. um So let's preface. If you haven't listened to last week's episode, this is a part two.
00:01:15
Speaker
It probably can stand on its own, but it's going to make a lot more sense if you listen to part one of our Veganary, where we actually ran out of time and made it into a two-parter because we have so much to dive into still and to dig into in terms of adding more plants to your diet, what a vegan diet can look like. And I also want to talk about some of my experiences shifting diets, you know, in the last like 10 to 15 years.
00:01:49
Speaker
Yeah, love it. We have a lot to get into today. And I'm excited too, because you know what, that's a lot. There's a lot of questions around the vegan diet and how to do it well, right? How to do it healthfully. So we're going to dig into that. But yeah, Tanya, I loved what you just said. Why don't we start with your experience? Because I think that's a great way to start.
00:02:08
Speaker
Yeah. um So I actually had zero to do with being plant-based or let's be honest, knowing anything, any aspect of food affected my health in the early parts of my
Benefits and Challenges of Plant-Based Diets
00:02:21
Speaker
life. Like why would food affect my health? um So when I started to work with a nutritionist, um I was exceptionally amongst other issues estrogen dominant. um And it was a product for me personally of a lot of things, but dietary was that I had a diet that was heavy in meat, not any meat, but conventionally raised meat, any meat basically, you know,
00:02:50
Speaker
the cheapest of cheap meats and deli meats and all of those things, um as well as dairy. So again, when we give that framework, we know, yes, that animals are living beings, so they will have their own set of hormones. And as an extension to this, when they are in stressful situations their whole lives, such as feedlots,
00:03:14
Speaker
and conventional farming, their cortisol also and their other hormones are through the roof. So we are getting... extra, extra hormones as opposed to- Not to mention, though they're likely not like, we all know what high stress and constant stress does to our immune system. We therefore get sick. Same thing with animals. Then there's antibiotic use. Then there's you know more medications. It's just, it's horrible.
00:03:44
Speaker
It is. And that's why I just wanted to make that distinction between because again, this is a podcast about plant based eating. It's not a podcast to demonize meat, but to draw that quick distinction between a free range, organic poultry and grass fed and finished beef.
00:04:04
Speaker
versus commercial feedlots, which I knew nothing about back then. So you better believe my meat was all commercial feedlots. So needless to say, estrogen dominance amongst many other things. And my holistic nutritionist at the time suggested I go more plant-based. And like my face was like,
00:04:22
Speaker
Pardon. thank you now I'm sorry, what do I have to put on my plate? What exactly am I going to be eating and how am I going to be doing it? So long story short, that was the beginning of my transition into plant-based. And it's interesting because looking back,
00:04:42
Speaker
Yes, I ate meat my whole life, but I always had a little niggle that I didn't love it because I'm such an animal lover, if you know me. and like um such i can't even I could cry just talking about how much love animals. So there was always that niggle.
00:04:57
Speaker
So, and my mom always said the earliest memories, I would come to the counter while she was preparing meat for dinner. And I would ask her what that is and where it came from. And I was just, it's very weird that that was in there. You were a little vegetarian, vegan back then. Yes. Still eating McDonald's
Personal Journeys and Experiences
00:05:15
Speaker
burgers and KFC. Yeah.
00:05:17
Speaker
Well, and probably, I mean, we're talking about your experience here, but I can relate because i also was very much like that as a child and just wouldn't eat the meat. So what would I would eat on my plate, only the sides, whatever else, you know, usually in my house, it was ah a starch, a vegetable and a meat. So I would eat the white rice and the vegetable or the but mashed potato and the vegetable and and skip most of my meat.
00:05:45
Speaker
Which sounds like a well-rounded meal in itself. Well, this is what we're going to get into today. is but How to do it right. Because I wasn't, yeah, exactly. i was seven. You're like, I was not doing it right. now i All kidding aside, exactly. That's a very important point we're going to get into. But so I initially... um reduced meat and eventually stopped meat for um health purposes for this sake right now. And it you know it was just for a time. It was just for a time and stage in my life. My nutritionist, like Kim and I, both believe that diets are not forever and they're not static. They need to change and ebb and flow with Various needs, not only personal needs, health needs, et cetera, but I digress. So anyways, started with less and fast forward. And I ended up actually transitioning as my life changed, as my health changed, um, into full vegan. And I actually practiced a full vegan diet and lifestyle, even though we're not talking lifestyle for a good five, I think even to six years, um,
00:06:53
Speaker
And then there was another transition. And I think that's something important that we need to dig into a little bit because transitioning from diets can be not only hard decisions emotionally, but energetically, especially when we're talking about reintroducing animal products. So for example, I have reintroduced in the last couple years, um eggs eggs.
00:07:19
Speaker
and salmon. And there's a lot that has come to that, not only to be completely honest from others, from people that were avid followers of the TLC community or my social media pages and the fallout there, which I totally understand. And you know, i but it doesn't mean that it's not difficult. So that stigma too, for everybody listening, that might be in a completely plant-based diet like I used to be.
00:07:50
Speaker
And their body's asking them or their body's telling them, the niggles there, that they might need some grass-fed beef or they're really craving eggs. And that's what was happening with me. And that's super, super important because I had to then learn what it meant to reintroduce these and maintain a balance in what my physical body needed and emotionally and energetically and made it okay. And Kim, I know knowing you for a long time that you've also experienced these big transitions in your diet as well.
00:08:27
Speaker
For sure. And I mean, just to recognize here for a second, because you even mentioned that it affected your business because of people who are, you know, coming to you for a vegan diet And veganism is quite an identity.
00:08:40
Speaker
It is a difficult, as you said, not just making that decision to add and change your diet, which is no matter what, when you're changing your diet, it can be challenging, but also changing that identity piece, the energy piece.
00:08:55
Speaker
it's There's a lot of stuff that's involved in there. And yeah, I i too, i was not ah a full vegan, but I was vegetarian for many, many years. Thinking back to when I was a child, I was like, hmm, meat didn't really work resonate with me. I also changed my diet before coming becoming a holistic nutritionist actually as well to support my health. um So went vegetarian for years. And then like you said, Tanya, I had cravings for the first time probably in my life for meat. um I started incorporating bone broth and then I started feeling better. i also have Hashimoto's. And so there's a lot of hormonal, you know I was also dealing with a lot of hormones and
00:09:38
Speaker
fixing my gut health and all of that. And, you know, I think the whole point of all this is finding a diet that works for you because Yes. You know, as we said, of course, veganism, like we said, is a, is a lifestyle piece as well. It's, it's all encompassing, not just a diet, but when we're just looking at the diet piece, it's not one size
Whole Foods vs. Processed Vegan Products
00:10:03
Speaker
fits all. And as you said, Tanya, they could, it could benefit you at different stages of your life.
00:10:10
Speaker
So thank you for sharing your story. A thousand percent. And I should go to say as well, is that my transition over the last couple years as well with my diet and whatever, has also served to have some very positive impacts again, within my business, within my life, people coming forward and saying, thanks, because I'm experiencing those same feelings. Thanks. I've actually been vegan for so long and now I'm eating beef and chicken, but I'm hiding it. And now I feel like I don't have to. So that's I think that's just such an important part of it all. But when we're going back to kind of also the essence of this episode here and not being like little Kim and eating her white rice and carrots. When when it is appropriate and we're feeling it and our body's calling for it, whether we want to fully take out meat or just get a lot more plants in there and really reduce meat consumption, veganism as a diet can be exceptionally healing when it includes food.
00:11:11
Speaker
Like all diets, basically, that can be healing, whole foods, which include mineral-rich foods, and which include all not only the macronutrients, so the protein, the carbohydrates, the fats, but the micronutrients, the phytonutrients. And again, this is inherent of a whole food vegan diet because we're eating these whole foods designed for us by nature.
00:11:41
Speaker
Absolutely. Vegan diet can be extremely anti-inflammatory, detoxifying. like It can really be a supportive diet. But like Tanya said, we need to focus on those whole foods.
00:11:54
Speaker
And the thing is, is that when we look at veganism, it has changed dynamically and drastically, not only, let's say, in the past couple decades, but I would venture to say even more so in the last five to seven years with the rise of these ultra processed plant-based everything meats, fish, like shrimp, like you name it. And this is when veganism can be so damaging because this is not a whole food plant-based diet. This is just a plant-based diet of ultra processed foods.
00:12:39
Speaker
Exactly. And it's interesting. we We got into this a lot in the last episode. So again, if you haven't listened, it's a goodie. but But we really talked about how, you know, companies health wash products, right? We talk about greenwashing when companies want to be, and look like they're environmentally friendly. Well, there's a lot of health washing as well. And vegan seems to be one of those words like natural. Yeah.
00:13:07
Speaker
That everyone likes to use to kind of show health. Where, as Tanya mentioned, vegan can be extremely healthy. But when we look at the ingredients, that's where we we understand if this particular product is healthy or not.
Understanding Vegan Nutrition
00:13:24
Speaker
Absolutely. Everything's popping up. Vegan bake shops. so We'll take a little vegan latte. None of this equates to being healthy. It comes down to looking at those actual ingredients, which kind of brings us to like, let's talk about, let's talk about the pillars of a healthy vegan slash, you know, plant forward diet, what they should be and what they need to be.
00:13:50
Speaker
If you're looking to add this into your lifestyle. Yeah. Absolutely. And actually, Tanya, one quick thought came to my mind as well as we were talking about this, because even in your example, I think one thing, you know, everybody always comes to me and you, I'm sure it's like, what diet should I have? What diet, what diet, what diet?
00:14:08
Speaker
And like you said, for the vegan diet, but this can apply to all diets, when we focus on whole foods, we're going to feel better. So even yourself, Tanya, going from a processed, you know, um feedlot meat diet, processed foods, changing to whole foods, whether it was vegan or not, you're going to find healing there, right? And same with me. So it's like...
00:14:35
Speaker
At the end of the day, the pillars that we're talking about really apply to all all diets as well, but we're going to focus on vegan here. Also, you know, one of the things to consider in terms of that um a vegan diet and when we're adding those foods is a lot of sort of typical, you know, proteins like soy is highly, is one of the top GMO foods around, right? the types of foods we're looking into too, making sure that we're eating organic. So some some of the top GMO foods could be like corn, soy, papaya, rice, canola, which we talked about before, tomatoes, potatoes, dairy, which is not vegan, but, and peas.
00:15:26
Speaker
I love this. Thank you for bringing this up because this list contains so many ingredients or foods, I guess I should say. i say ingredients because my mind jumps right to these ingredients, koi, corn, soy, um the canola oils, peas, because pea protein is rampant when you're vegetarian you or vegan. These are so dirty and so laden with pesticides, herbicides, poisons that, yes, this also becomes a huge pillar in considering what you're putting in
00:16:00
Speaker
yourself in a plant-based diet and what you're picking organic or not. And I know my clients right now are like, o they know that I say, if it is not organic soy being like an Eden soy milk, which is just organic yeah soybeans and filtered water or organic tofu, organic tempeh,
00:16:20
Speaker
I'd rather you not eat it. Call me. i will help you find your protein in another way. So that is such a good point, Kim. Thank you for bringing that up. So, so important. And so, yeah, just so relevant to what we're going to talk about.
00:16:34
Speaker
Totally. And now, sorry, I cut you off from before. You wanted to talk about the pillars and I think let's, let's go there. Yeah, let's go there for sure. Because the pillars again, um the trouble is when people go more plant forward or vegan is that a lot of us do not understand where we get some of these pillars from now when we're removing things like meat and dairy, which were so foundational as protein as you know other things in our diet. So in this case, I always tell people who want to go plant-based that whether it's actually a choice, this is a big one, I think, whether it's actually a conscious choice or...
00:17:19
Speaker
Maybe it's part of their big yes and their very, um perhaps a sorry, not yes, their big why, and they're very apprehensive about doing it, but they know that they need to for this season in their life. We need to focus not about the things we can't have or the things that are being air quote taken away, but we need to really focus and learn about all of the new things we can have and how to use them effectively in this diet.
00:17:50
Speaker
Totally. And I think one of the biggest things we hear in the vegetarian or vegan diet is, how do you get your protein? And you see that like gorilla talking to somebody in the forest, like, how do you get your protein? And they're all muscular. um And I think the confusion here is because many plant-based foods ingredients, I should say, whole foods, don't have complete proteins. And what I mean by that is proteins are broken down by the building blocks and the building blocks are amino acids.
00:18:24
Speaker
And I don't know if you've heard the term not um and essential amino acids, but so when you hear the word essential, like essential vitamins, essentialdi essential amino acids, it means our body can't make them. So it's essential to get them in our diet. And so there's nine amino acids that our body can't produce that we need from diet.
00:18:44
Speaker
And so that's why, you know, meat, dairy, they're complete proteins. And when we're eating plants, Each plant contains amino acids and a different complement amino acids, but they're not complete proteins. And so that's where this whole confusion about protein usually comes from.
00:19:04
Speaker
A thousand percent. And also to add to that, um meat, animal forms of protein are very concentrated protein. So we've talked about that in past episodes about digestion, how when we have compromised digestion... Concentrated proteins are hard because there's a lot of effort that is required to break down. Picture a big Lego.
00:19:28
Speaker
Kim, we haven't had an analogy for a while. here go go Here we go. Picture a big Lego, a big, huge lake Lego you know that one of your kids has put together, the ones that make me want to die because I can't imagine how hard it is. And your stomach needs to break all of that down because every single block, every single thing is a separate amino acid, which your body needs to utilize.
00:19:49
Speaker
and to be broken down, right? And to be assimilated into your bloodstream and to do all of the things that they're there for. um So that is a complete protein. It's ah you know very, very complex. So to couple with the the whole thing about having a complete protein is by nature, plant-based proteins, they just also have less, it's less concentrated. So you know when you're looking at a cup of chicken, that has so much more protein, let's say, than a cup of black beans. So sometimes it's very difficult also when people are asking where to get your protein because there's a lot less protein.
00:20:26
Speaker
um grams of protein per serving in a lot of plant-based foods. And that's where the idea of combining our foods when we're eating a plant-based diet becomes so important, not only because it will help you get more protein in terms of grams of protein for your meal, but it's also going to help you get the full spectrum of amino acids. Because as you just said, different plant-based foods have different amino acids. But I think the problem with this
00:21:02
Speaker
is that it's been overcomplicated for so long. And it seems to come off exceptionally confusing for people. Like, is it a scientifical equation? Do I have to combine this bean with this rice? Do I have to do it in every meal? And the truth is, it's not. It doesn't have to be tricky. It's basically calling us to eat a variety of plant-based foods proteins and foods every single day. And I promise you, you're going to get if you're eating the quality, the amino acid acid profile that you need.
00:21:43
Speaker
And you know what? I think you hit the nail on the head too when you said variety. I think I've talked to every one of my clients about variety. And to be honest, even me, it was hard. Variety sometimes is hard in the diet. When we are busy with life, you have your go-to meals. Sometimes it's easier. Maybe you have picky eaters in your family's.
00:22:04
Speaker
It's hard to bring in variety to our diet when we're just operating, unless we love being in the kitchen and we love to cook, you know, it's sometimes hard. And that is a key piece in every diet. But also when you're trying to get, as Tanya said, a complete protein is building that variety.
Essential Nutrients in Vegan Diets
00:22:23
Speaker
And when we're talking about proteins, plant-based proteins, we're talking about things, yes, like soy-based, organic, like tempeh, edaname beans, tofu, soy milk, all of these things. But we're also talking the legume family as well. We're talking things like lentils and there's so many different kinds of lentils, right? There's black lentils, French, red, yellow. We're talking split peas, yellow and green.
00:22:51
Speaker
Think of all the beans from chickpeas, avoan from chickpeas to fava beans, to black beans, to black eyed peas. So the protein components are there, but you're right, we get our go-tos. You're always grabbing for the chickpeas because that's just more mainstream. You know, you're always grabbing for the tofu. So I think what's been really helpful for me in terms of plant-based proteins is always having all of those on hand. And I actually keep them in little glass jars in the fridge. um I do have a separate fridge in the garage. I'm lucky for that. So that might not be feasible, but somewhere cool, you know, and dry in your cupboard.
00:23:34
Speaker
And make a point to use them all. Not all at once. That's going to be a bean party catastrophe there. But like, you know, okay, last, yesterday, I did the French lentils to so today, going to go with a chickpea like, and when they're in front of you, and when you make small batches of each during the week, like I'll make a batch of like, let's say black lentils, and I'm just talking the proteins right now, nothing else. And, you know, a batch of green split peas and a batch of um tofu, right? And then they're there. Then it becomes a little bit more easy to, at lunchtime, go, okay, I'm gonna have a salad. So my base is spinach. Let me throw in all these different things. And it's going to be the same when we talk about, in a second, fats as well, to get that variety there. So when you have things in front of you, and you understand what the protein foods are, then you can kind of incorporate different ones and stop reaching for the same one to get that variety in protein.
00:24:32
Speaker
Absolutely. Preparation is key. Preparation and planning. And I think, Tanya, we are due for a meal planning episode. Yeah, we really Seriously. Because it applies, I think everyone, you know.
00:24:43
Speaker
It's a struggle for everyone. that's one of the next ones. Absolutely. And having those things ready And in your fridge where you just need to heat them up and throw them in, whatever you're making is key. You're right. It's one of my actually most asked questions. And that's why I try to share so much of it on my stories about how things come together. Because the time I go into the kitchen and I'm like, all right, Tanya, what the heck are you making for dinner? But as I start to open my fridge and I see the cooked lentils and I see the cooked rice and I see, anyways, I'm getting off track here, but variety and protein means not only first knowing what these plant-based proteins are, but having them available for you. And then you can start to use them in new and different ways.
00:25:29
Speaker
A hundred percent. And you you did not go off track at all because I think the meal planning component is key when you're introducing a new diet or you're trying to change things in your diet too. Because I'll be honest, as a holistic nutritionist, if I don't have my meal planned for the evening,
00:25:45
Speaker
I have a decision fatigue at the end of the day. I'm not coming up with a new plan. So like you said, being prepared is so key. Okay. Moving on from proteins. Let's talk about, let's talk about fats. You mentioned fats. Let's talk about fats. So here's another thing. Fun fact. If you open up my fridge, the whole top shelf is dedicated in all glass jars um to raw nuts and and raw seeds. That's what you're going to see for the most part, um which is not going to be different from someone who is not eating a plant-based diet and is eating a healthy diet that includes meat because fats are still going to primarily come from, especially more now, from raw nuts and raw seeds and healthy oils because we're losing a valuable source, let's say, in cold water fish, you know, sockeye salmon, those omega-3s. But
00:26:39
Speaker
Here's the preparation piece and variety piece. So when you open my fridge, this is what you're going to see. They're all raw. They're all organic. Shout out to you pick. That's literally not affiliated with them, but should be where I order everything. But you are literally going to see Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, chia,
00:27:01
Speaker
flax and hemp, probably all the things that you see in your fridge as well, Kim. And when they're there and in front of you and you've put together, let's go back to the salad example, you've put together your salad and you've put all your crumbled tempeh in there that you had prepped and all your veggies, then you're going to open and you're going to sprinkle on some hemp and you're going to sprinkle on some flax. I forgot the pumpkin seeds maybe and the sunflower seeds. Yes, sprinkle on some those.
00:27:26
Speaker
<unk> on some of those Here not only comes actually a little bit more protein because there is also protein in these, but here comes that beautiful essential fats. And then the other part is the oils, which we talked about in What the O, so we don't really have to go into the healthy ones, but those are also going to be an important part of your healthy fats and obviously a little avocado on top.
00:27:52
Speaker
Yeah, and you mentioned those omega-3s and you talked about the chia seeds, the flax seeds, the hemp hearts. Those three are daily for me. It's like there we talked about medicinal doses, two tablespoons of flax seeds daily. And actually for flax seeds...
00:28:08
Speaker
Flax seeds are one of those delicate, have that has the omega-3 oils that are delicate. So if you're buying ground flax seeds, what Tanya and I would rather is if you bought whole flax seeds and just blended it up during your meal prep at the beginning of the week and then keep your weekly supply in the fridge to keep those beautiful omega-3 oils intact.
00:28:31
Speaker
The other thing that's amazing with those with those plant-based um fats is that they also come with ah like mother nature knows best right they also come with a ton of fiber, like insoluble and soluble fiber, which one of the biggest benefits of going vegan and going vegetarian or plant-based is adding that fiber to your diet.
00:28:57
Speaker
Thousand percent. If your diet is whole food, plant-based, then you are likely getting way more fiber than the rest of North America because the stats are alarming. I listened to a podcast the other day, and please don't quote me, but it was in the 90s. 90% of North Americans don't have enough fiber, actually fiber deficient. And it's wild to me. So fiber is usually not an issue, but still, I mean, a pillar to consider and this brings me back for a second just to the vegan fake food diet is that here's the problem with these fake meats is that first off they're not replacing your protein so if you think you're going to go out and get like you know the fake chicken fillets
00:29:43
Speaker
take a look. There's not a lot of protein in there. It's going to be mainly refined carbohydrates. And yes, and not the right kind of fats, not the healthy fats, right? The saturated fats. And so that's a big issue as well. And take a look at the fiber.
00:29:58
Speaker
because it's not going to be that high in fiber as well. So we can see again, just another example of the differences between looking at the pillars of a whole food plant-based diet, as opposed to the fast food, or I like to say not even fast food, the convey the fake, the fake food, vegan way of eating diet.
00:30:18
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. And you could say that with that like the same thing as if you were eating meat and choosing to eat a McDonald's hamburger instead of a beautiful grass-fed hamburger. organic beef burger that you make at home. They're two very different things. So same here. And so fiber, you know, so important for our digestion, for inflammation, for all the things, for hormone health, like for fiber is a key pillar of a healthy diet.
Digestive Health and Fiber
00:30:50
Speaker
A thousand percent. And we would be um remiss not to obviously talk about the other macronutrient, which is carbohydrates. So this is an also big one to pay attention to when you're going plant based because you can have a ah whole food plant based diet is going to be teeming with the complex carbohydrates that your body wants and needs for energy for blood sugar balance, like the carbohydrates found in whole grains, the brown rice, you know, the sprouted oats, all of these things that you're also having as part of your proteins, the lentils, the legumes, these are also all complex carbs.
00:31:32
Speaker
But it's a very slippery slope again, because bread is vegan, pastries can be vegan, you know, a French fries can be vegan. So not done properly, you're really losing on the pillar of carbohydrates and you you can have the potential to turn it into a diet that is loaded with refined flours and refined sugars.
00:31:57
Speaker
And this is where we get blood sugar imbalances. This is where we get inflammation. This is where we there's this is where the this diet that is super healthful can lead to disease and illness.
00:32:10
Speaker
um So yeah, looking at your carbohydrates, Tanya, and making sure they're full of fiber, where like the vegetables, the fruit, the leafy greens, the whole grains as you discussed.
00:32:22
Speaker
the complex carbohydrates that you discussed, the squashes, the yams, that sort of thing, um and making sure that that your diet is full of a variety, as Tanya said, um of those. Also, just in terms of variety, when we talk about our microbiome, when we when there was, there was um I forget what the study was, I'll have to I'll have to look it up, but they were talking about kind of populations of people who had variety in their diet and looked at the actual microbiome and the diversity of their gut bacteria.
00:32:59
Speaker
So much more robust, so much more diverse than that of a diet that's a traditional Western diet that has very little variety in their diet. So as we know, health is also begins in the gut and including all that variety in your carbohydrates and um can lead to a very, very, very diverse and healthy microbiome.
Universal Diet Principles
00:33:22
Speaker
For sure. Absolutely. And I think, again, we equate that these pillars that we've given you can slip into all whole food, healthy diets. Obviously, the protein part is really important. I think that's one of the most misunderstood parts, even when people have all of the efforts to go into a whole food plant-based diet, That can be a confusing part in terms of just maybe not understanding the foods and the variety to help them get enough. But all of the pillars we've just talked about, that is, again, the foundation of a healthy diet, period, at the end of the sentence that is based in whole foods.
00:34:03
Speaker
But the last couple things maybe we can consider, because talking specifically about a vegan, more plant-based diet, There are some things that can be a little bit tricky that you might need the help like I did um to transition and to learn more from a professional, from a nutritionist like Kim and myself.
Joy of Cooking and Key Ingredients
00:34:25
Speaker
um Like just little tips, you know, little things. The education is so important about doing things properly and what we can be missing. And not only that, but how
00:34:39
Speaker
to actually use these foods. Cause Kim, I don't know about you at the start. I was like, what the actual F like I was like cooking like brown rice with black beans and like the vegetable. I'm like, this is absolutely disgusting. The first time I tried tempeh, I was like, well, I'm never doing that again.
00:35:03
Speaker
This tastes like utter garbage. Not properly knowing because you might not have the experience about cooking plant-based foods. That's also a big part of it because we talk about joy in food. So yeah, we need the diet to be nutritional, but we need not to hate it Well, I think one of the biggest mistakes is people will just replace that piece of chicken with a slab of tofu. Like they're looking at like our old way of thinking, like, here's the, here's the carbohydrate, here's the fat, here's the protein, and I'm going to replace this protein with ah And, you know, the vegetarian vegan diet can, or the the meals that you can prepare are so, it's just a different way of cooking, right? Flavorful with variety. And it's just, it's a different way of cooking. You're not just taking away a protein and slapping on like something else.
00:35:55
Speaker
It's such a different way of cooking. And once you learn about the pillars, I've i've learned this over the the course of 14 years and now I'm still cooking, I am still cooking. I was to say primarily plant-based, like I'll do a whole chicken on the side or you know, stuff for my husband. But like, for me, it's plant-based and it is so different in 14 years than it was before. And it is so delightful. And it's, again, these little tips and tricks, ingredients you might not even know. At the start, I was like, what in the F is nutritional yeast?
00:36:26
Speaker
Now we know. Now, you know, nutritional yeast, that's your cheese. That's like that punch, that cheesy thing, but it's also a huge source of vitamin B12. It also adds extra protein.
00:36:38
Speaker
Amazing to know. It actually is one of the very few complete plant-based proteins, but I didn't know to sprinkle that on
Education and Supplementation
00:36:46
Speaker
at the start. I didn't know how to make a cheese sauce with that. So this is where these little tips, these little tricks, these little refinements come. This is where it does help to work with, you know, a professional in the field.
00:36:59
Speaker
Yeah, the education piece is so important um because you're right. And actually, Tanya, you mentioned, you know, at the very beginning, you were talking about how there can be things within the vegan diet that, you know,
00:37:13
Speaker
for example, vitamin B12, it's difficult to get vitamin B12 in the vegan diet. So adding that nutritional yeast can be so helpful and potentially working at with a practitioner to see if you might even need to supplement that. So working with somebody about your diet and also your supplement needs when any changes to your diet is so important, that education piece.
00:37:37
Speaker
Right, because the last thing you want to do is go on this journey and start, you know, this beautiful diet that is more plant forward, vegetarian, vegan, whatever it is for you, and not even know that slowly you're depleting yourself on a certain vitamin or mineral, even when you're eating that variety, because your body just metabolizes something different, or, you know, something needs to be tweaked for you. So that individualization, that customization,
00:38:08
Speaker
always comes back to being key. Totally. I completely agree, Tanya. One of the biggest mistakes I see when people come that have switched over, usually the first person few months, like it could be six months even, the first while these they feel so much better. Why? Because they've taken the processed foods out, right? They've they've changed their diet to a whole food based. But maybe the after those six months, if they're if they're not educated or they haven't been working with something, sometimes things do go missing and they do start feeling...
00:38:45
Speaker
you know, symptomatic or not feeling as great. And so working with someone and getting that education can be the key.
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:38:53
Speaker
Right. You guys aren't all sitting there, professional holistic nutritionists. We're not all in the field. That's why we have experts in every single field. And that's exactly what we should be doing is utilizing the experts. So we are doing things right for our bodies.
00:39:10
Speaker
Yeah. Well, I hope that you all enjoyed this episode. We certainly love talking about, as you know, food. And um so thank you, Tanya. This is great. So fun. So delightful. And we'll talk to you all next week.
00:39:27
Speaker
Sounds good. Bye. guys Hey guys. Thanks so much for hanging out with us today. If this episode resonated with you, we would love it if you would hit like, subscribe to the podcast and share it with a friend.
00:39:39
Speaker
We love to hear from you because let's be honest, this show is for you. If you have a topic you'd love us to tackle or want to learn more about something we talked about today, send us a message. We got you.
00:39:52
Speaker
Stay connected with us on social media at what's my age again dot podcast for even more knowledge and inspiration between episodes. Kim and I aren't doctors or your healthcare practitioners.
00:40:05
Speaker
Everyone's body is unique, so always consult your own healthcare care provider before starting something new.