To be Vegan or Not to be Vegan ?

To be Vegan or Not to be Vegan ?

That always seams to be the question at this time of year!  I get asked this the most when I am speaking at events or catering retreats.

My belief and experience is that the best diet is the one that suits your body and your gut microbiology! 

Everyone feels better when they start a vegan diet for a couple of reasons! One you are more mindful about what you are eating and make more of an effort to routinely eat well. You will immediately increase your vegetable intake that will improve your health straight away. Often you eat less which is actually the amount you need to eat as a human so your digestive system will be working better. All of these coupled with the sense of belonging you get by being part of the vegan community will give you a heightened sense of wellbeing.

However as the weeks and months go on you may find you feel less well as you begin to add more processed foods into your diet. In the form of fake fats and fake foods, this is no different to our western meat diet so no judgement from me here. But lots of vegan substitutes are processed and chemical so are very bad for the gut. I am passionate that we should all eat less processed foods and more real foods as we would as primal humans. So unless you are super organised and can prepare all your food form scratch vegan isn't always good. 

The best diet is the one that suits your gut and body the most! Everybody's gut microbiology is different and has different needs. It is all about feeling what you body needs and listening to it. So if vegan is suiting you and you feel full of energy and abundance then for sure stick with it. But please don't stick with it if you begin too feel rubbish as there are other more environmentally and gut friendly choices you can make.

I have to drink bone broth to keep well and I am mindful of where I get my meat from. For me an 85% plant based diet with 15% well sourced regenerative or organic grass fed meat is key to my wellbeing and also that of the planet. 

Check out our article by Always Grazing to read about Regenerative Agriculture or check out 'Kiss the Ground' for all the reasons why eating meat is art of the solution for saving the planet. 

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