A greenie and a dietician walk into a bar

Ok fine, it was a coffee shop. The point is, after Veganuary, I thought it would be a good idea to retroactively talk to a professional about my new diet. Sure it’s healthy for the environment to stop eating animal products, but what about my body? I caught up with registered dietician and master of nutrition, Katie Surnow, to get the deets on how I can keep the planet and my body happy.

“Sure it’s healthy for the environment to stop eating animal products, but what about my body?”

Let’s get the most important question out of the way. As a dietician, are you sick of people asking you about their number 2s? 

Not as many people ask about that as you’d think. Most of the time, people come to me because they need help crafting a plan to help them live more healthfully. Really though, we should all be talking about poo more. It can tell you a lot about what’s going on inside your body.

So would you recommend the book What Your Poo is Telling You? 

To be honest, I haven’t read it. But it sounds like a good place to start!

Oh, it’s one of our favourites. But let’s get to talking about going vegan.

Let’s do it.

There is a lot of talk about how plant-based diets impact the environment. But how do they impact the ecosystem inside of you? 

A plant-based diet is really ideal for nurturing a healthy gut microbiome. What you eat has a huge impact on your gut bacteria – specifically, eating prebiotic and probiotic foods is essential to maintaining gut health.

We have all probably heard of probiotics by now, but probiotic foods are foods that actually contain live bacteria that can help colonise the gut. These foods are typically fermented (i.e. sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi). Prebiotic foods are also critical because they provide the “food” (certain types of fibre) for the probiotics to consume and thus thrive and proliferate.  Prebiotic foods include asparagus, onions, leeks, garlic, beans, oats, etc.

All of these prebiotic and probiotic foods are plant-based.  That said, the key to gut health (and overall health generally) is diversity. The more variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains you consume, the more variety of nutrients and pre/probiotics you will intake – which is always a good thing. 

“Don’t be afraid to start small. Veganism doesn’t work for everyone, so you have to find a balance that is sustainable for you.”

SO MY PICKLES ARE ALIVE?! 

In so many words, yes. They are crawling with healthy bacteria. 

That’s amazing. What do you think people should know before trying a plant-based diet? Besides the fact that some vegan foods are actually living. Which I’ll never get over.

Haha. I think people should know that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to plant-based eating. The definition of a plant-based diet varies person-to-person and you should do what works best for you. You can still be plant-based and include some animal products in your meal plan (ideally organic, free-range).  Don’t be afraid to start small. Veganism doesn’t work for everyone, so you have to find a balance that is sustainable for you.

Also, I want people to know that plant foods aren’t always healthy. For example, many of the meat-alternatives on the market are highly processed and contain additives and preservatives.  It’s important to focus on eating not only plant-based, but eating plant-based whole foods – which means, foods that are as close to their original form as possible.

But are there risks to a vegan diet? 

One risk is that plant foods are deficient in vitamin B12, so anyone who is on a vegan meal plan needs to supplement or eat foods fortified with B12. Otherwise, there are only risks if you have a specific medical condition that would be affected by nutrient intake.  For example, someone with advanced stage chronic kidney disease needs to closely monitor their intake of phosphorus, sodium, and potassium, so jumping into a plant-based diet without the help of a registered dietitian might be risky.

So there are people who need animal products for their health? 

This question touches on a super hot debate in the nutrition community right now.  Is veganism the ideal eating plan? Maybe we should be vegetarians and include eggs and dairy? What about the Mediterranean Diet, which includes lots of fish?

I don’t think we have an answer to whether or not we “need” animal products, but I believe that it truly varies for each person based on their individual needs, preferences, and lifestyle. What we do know is that plant-based whole foods are good, supplementing those with animal products is up to the individual.

“There is no one size fits all diet, so listen to your body and do what works best for your lifestyle and goals.”

Ok, but should vegans be concerned about a lack of protein or calcium? 

Not really. There are plenty of plant-based options to choose from that have high levels of these nutrients. Most foods contain some amount of protein and you can get plenty of it from grains and vegetables.  Our culture has created this idea that we need tons of protein but we really only recommend that protein makes up 10-35% of your total calories.  You also don’t need to worry about calcium. There are plenty of plant foods that are packed with calcium, including tofu, soybeans, navy beans, seeds (sesame, sunflower, chia), almonds, broccoli, and dark leafy greens.

However, like I said, if you are going to start a vegan meal plan, you need to supplement with vitamin B12. Your body cannot make it and you don’t get enough of it from plant foods alone.

What changes in the body might one experience after taking animal products out of their diets? 

Anytime you are increasing your fibre intake (which you are doing if you are increasing your plant-food intake), you want to do so slowly and increase your water intake as well. Side effects can include gas, cramping, and bloating as your body adjusts to the dietary changes.  Another thing that may happen is a "diet flu" (feeling "off," nauseous, dizzy, etc) when you change your diet too rapidly from one extreme to the other.

What suggestions might you have for someone who wants to eat a more plant-based diet, but doesn't want to commit to veganism? 

If you’re just starting out, you might want to set small goals – for example, try eating 1-2 servings of vegetables at each meal.  From there you could try swapping out a meat/dairy item for a plant-based option, eventually eliminating animal products completely (if that’s your goal). I recommend jotting down a list of the things you regularly eat that contain meat/dairy products, and week-by-week eliminate one of the items. Ultimately, there is no one size fits all diet, so listen to your body and do what works best for your lifestyle and goals.

Where do you like to find your vegan recipes? 

I love Forks Over Knives, Cookie and Kate, Deliciously Ella, and A Couple Cooks. But there are TONNES of amazing sites out there. You recently did a round up of vegan recipes too, didn’t you?

Haha, we did! Thanks for the plug. And of course, your time. 

No problem! Happy to help.