The Question I Get Asked Most Often

I love sharing about Lifestyle Medicine. Five of the six pillars are straightforward and generally well-received -- exercise, sleep, stress management, etc. There is one pillar of health, however, that elicits hesitation when I bring it up in conversation: a whole food, plant-predominant diet. The question that usually comes next is “So is this a vegan program?”  

In short, no. There is a significant difference between a whole-food, plant-based eating pattern and a vegan diet. Here are a few key differences:

1. “Vegan” doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy.” There is such a thing as a vegan junk food diet. A meal consisting of coconut ice cream, potato chips, and soda is technically vegan, but is clearly not at all healthy. There are lots of processed vegan foods on the market that are detrimental to one’s health. Vegan butter, for example, can still be full of saturated fat. Imitation frozen meats can still be loaded with sodium. And so on. 

I have heard several doctors report that they’ve treated lots of vegans for heart disease. Unhealthy vegan products like those listed above may contribute to this problem. Incidentally, these foods tend to be pricey and may influence the perception that healthy eating is expensive.   

2. People often choose vegan diets for ethical or political reasons. This means that for many people who choose veganism, nutrition is not necessarily a priority. This position in turn facilitates the consumption of unhealthy vegan foods as described above. 

3. Vegan diets are defined in terms of what a person cannot eat. The emphasis is on the exclusion of all animal products. 

Whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diets, on the other hand, are healthy, nutrition-focused, and defined in terms of the wide variety of foods people can eat. This type of eating pattern majors in foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. Animal and heavily processed foods are consumed sparingly if a person chooses to retain them in his or her diet. That said, the emphasis is on a plethora of delicious whole food, plant-based recipes and the health benefits they yield. 

There are a host of recipes available to explore online. In my experience, many sites do not distinguish between WFPB and vegan, so the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Regardless of the way the recipe is categorized, just make sure it’s made with clean, whole food ingredients. That designation is the key distinguishing factor between vegan and WFPB.

People who adopt WFPB diets are often pleasantly surprised to learn how many food choices are available to them and how great the food tastes. The old idea that healthy plant-based eating consists of celery and rice cakes is far from the truth. Try out some new recipes and see for yourself just how good -- and good for you -- it is.