Frequently Asked Questions

Vegan is about avoiding animal products... To me, it's more of an ethical/moral stance and mostly about animal welfare. You could eat french fries and Oreos and drink Diet Coke and call yourself a vegan. Not exactly a healthy diet. WFPB is also about cutting out animal products but is primarily about human health and what we are ADDING to our plates: the focus is on eating a large variety of unprocessed natural foods - fruits, vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds... avoiding processed sugar, salt, oils... Lots of FIBER (not present in animal products or heavily processed foods), without the saturated fat... plants are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants! Eat the rainbow!

Carbs have been villified for too long!! If we eat them in their complex, un-processed, natural form, fruits, vegetables, starches, wholegrains, they provide our bodies with the fuel and FIBER we need! Carbohydrate-rich foods are key to good health. They provide glucose, which is the main fuel for your body and brain. Carb-rich foods are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, which are all beneficial for our health. Choose whole grains over refined, processed foods. The WFPB way of eating provides around 80% of your daily calories in the form of complex carbs, they will fill you up and satisfy you as they are so nutrient-dense and you will have amazing energy!

There is such a huge focus on protein in the West... most Americans are actually getting way too much protein, more than the human body needs, and we cannot store excess, so it has to be expelled, which puts pressure on the kidneys. We only need to get 10-15% of our daily calories from protein. There is a misconception that high quality protein has to come from animals... this is not the case! Plants contain protein and we get plenty of protein from a well-balanced plant-based diet! Include beans, wholegrains, leafy greens, and you will get lovely fiber-rich protein without all the saturated fat in animal foods! Nobody in the West is protein-deficient, if they are getting sufficient daily calories... we should be focusing on FIBER instead! (over 95% of Americans are not getting enough of it) - it's essential for GUT health, which is important for so many of the body's functions! 

Everyone knows calcium is important for strong bones. Lots of calcium can be found in "greens and beans" and foods fortified with calcium, such as cereals, and some plant milks. By eating a varied plant-based diet, you'll get all the calcium you need to build strong bones. Dairy is associated with many detrimental effects, laid out in T. Colin Campbell's 'The China Study'... casein (milk protein) has been shown to feed tumors... there is more osteoporosis in the West where people consume the most dairy... Lots of saturated fat, acidity, dairy is inflammatory, leading to many digestive issues... check nutritionfacts.org for more info on dairy.

I like to keep my cooking simple and tasty. Wholewheat /cinnamon toast (find one with the simplest ingredients), oats, fruit for breakfast, wholegrain pasta or rice for lunch with beans & greens, soup or salad for dinner. There are thousands of great recipes out there to get you started. For me, it's worth a bit of extra effort (chopping, meal prepping)  because the results and benefits are so powerful and I just love eating this way!

Plant-based staples like rice, beans, oats, bananas and potatoes are all inexpensive. Buying produce in season, shopping in bulk, and meal planning are all great ways to save money. Remember that frozen fruit and veg are just as good for you as fresh!

For me, it was easier to go vegan overnight because that's just my personality type - all or nothing! However, most people like to ease into it gently, try swapping out dairy for plant-based milk & yogurt to start with, start adding more wholegrains, more veggies with every meal, fruit for dessert, veggie versions of favorites like chilli, lasagne, burgers etc... you will find some you love! Give it a try for 3 weeks... In just 3 weeks you can break old habits and start new ones, revolutionizing your health. You'll probably shed a few pounds, too, when you cut out dairy, refined sugar and processed foods. In that time you will likely see many positive changes and find new foods and routines that work for you. You might be surprised at how many healthful vegan meals you eat already!

The benefits are incredible - I highly encourage you to dip into Dr. Greger's 'How Not do Die' book... nutrition plays a huge role in prevention of so many diseases and conditions, including our biggest killers (heart disease, cancer)... and can even reverse them (Type 2 Diabetes, even heart disease - see books by Dr. Barnard and Dr. Esselstyn). In addition to disease prevention and reversal, eating more plants will help with digestion, blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, even your skin, mental clarity and your sleep quality are very likely to improve! Not to mention your energy levels. I feel so invigorated and energetic since I went plant-based, everyone comments on it!

Yes! Variety is  important. If you eat a large variety of legumes, wholegrains, fruits & veggies, you will get an abundance of beautiful vitamins & nutrients, not to mention the all-important FIBER. Do be sure to include a reliable source of vitamin B12 (I use a sub-lingual vegan supplement in spray form); we need more as we age, and some health conditions require a larger dose - please check with your health care provider if you're unsure.  Vegan sources of Omega 3s include flaxseed, nuts etc. Iron is abundant in plants, especially in beans, dark green vegetables, dried fruits, blackstrap molasses, nuts and seeds, whole grain breads. The only other vitamin I supplement is vitamin D, especially in the winter months - make sure you choose a vegan one, as many of the standard brands contain gelatin!

Follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram for cooking demos, grocery shopping tips, how to add flavor to your meals using spices & herbs, and come to a Food For Life cooking class!

PCRM offers a great 21-day Vegan kickstart app, which you can download for free. Dr. Greger also has an app for the 'daily dozen', which helps remind you to include those in your daily meals & habits... There are a lot of great apps and meal planning helpers out there! (check out the Forks Over Knives website). 

Some classes will be offered free (with donations welcome, to help cover the cost of the food, my time etc!)... if I'm teaching a whole Food for Life series, the first one might be free, then the rest of the series I'd charge for... it will really depend on the venue and the series, but some classes will cost in the region of $15-20 per head, as I need to buy ingredients for 3 recipes, many venues charge a room rental fee, plus there is a day of shopping / cooking / prep involved! Please contact me for the cost of teaching  a private class in a home or at a business venue. If it's not a Food for Life class, if there's no cooking demo involved, just a talk/presentation, price is negotiable!