Vegan nutritional deficits oh my!

With a diet this varied and this full of nutrients, vegan have the upper hand on nutrition!

Look at you sitting there with your super-sized mega meal, oozing with fat-laden cheese, riddled with death, telling me about nutrition. Aren't you just special? 

That's how I feel when some people speak to me of vegan nutritional deficits. Of course, that's not what I say. I can't help what comes into my brain but I can certainly filter it before it comes out of my mouth. And filter it I do, because my brain can be a real ass-hat sometimes. I'm guessing that comes from many years of being forced to defend my choices.

But that's a blog for another day.

Back to the subject at hand. You see, the thing is that no matter what diet or lifestyle you choose, you have to be careful to get all your nutrients. Vegan or not, nutrition is important. And vegan or not, you need to take your B-12. Did you know that? You also need to be sure you get enough (but not too much) protein, vitamins, minerals and more.

About that B-12.... There isn't enough in our soil any more. Animal agriculture has depleted it. So, even non-vegans, who used to get B-12 (from the meat they eat grazing and pooping on the grass that USED to contain plenty of B-12) need to be taking a B-12 supplement. It's not just a vegan thing. It's a world wide nutritional deficit.

But of course, it's so much easier to point the finger at vegans and claim that their diet is inferior. That way, being an omnivore looks better. And of course, it's all about who's better these days, right?

Working together on solving problems and not following the “let's bash the other "side" all day just for fun” crowd is just too difficult. 

For omnivores, admitting that vegans are healthier would also mean giving up “their” meat and dairy, right? You know, the meat and dairy that actually belonged to someone else before they killed them (or caused them to be killed through supply and demand) and took it from them? 

Oops, forgot my filter there for a minute. Ah, well, it may be blunt but that IS the truth.

Yes, vegans have some nutritional deficits. So do omnivores. What's more, they're usually the same deficits. And sometimes, omnivore nutritional issues are worse. Because guess what? Along with being nutritionally deficient, omnivores are continually eating meat and dairy. In fact, many of them make meat and dairy a larger part of their diet than it needs to be. Therefore, they put themselves at a much higher risk for, well, everything.

And about that protein. It should only be about 10-15% of our total dietary intake. Most non-vegans consume way more than that. Doing so puts a strain on all our vital organs. Excess protein in your diet can cause kidney failure, cancer and much more. But you don't have to believe me. Look it up. Here's a link to get you started.

So, yes, as a vegan, I have to be careful about my nutritional needs. However, not any more so than anyone else, including omnivores. We ALL have to be sure we eat right, vegan or not. An omnivorous diet is not a magic bullet. Neither is a vegan diet. However a nutritionally sound diet is much easier to achieve with a vegan diet. Because not only is it chock full of nutrients, it's missing all the bad stuff.

But you know what the funny thing is? When you load up on the good stuff, you feel so great that the bad stuff starts to show it's true colors. You don't really want it any more. Ya, it's about as appealing as, well, let's not go there. Just picture eating the grossest thing ever. Garbage? Sewage? Something worse? That's what eating meat feels like to a vegan. Because that's what it is. Garbage.

Garbage in – garbage out. So think about that, next time you speak of vegans wasting away or missing their protein. We're not missing anything that an omnivore diet could better provide us with. Except maybe lies, half-truths, brainwashing and nutritional delusion.