Yep! I can only remember one time I came across someone advocating a vegan diet which struck me as unhealthy. I forget their name, or the name of the book. But as I recall, the recipes, etc were very short on protein- and even calories: very little in the way of grains, legumes, or nuts and seeds. This book included some photos of the author, and I admit he didn't look anorexic.
Lou
Forum Legend
IMHO, the unhealthiest vegan diet is still better than an unhealthy carnist diet.
Lou's rule*: if you are getting enough calories you are getting enough protein.
So was this mostly vegetables and fruit diet?
"Didn't"?? Did he look obese?
One of the vegan doctors we often quote here... maybe Edelystein.... claimed that all those charts for obesity and healthy weight were skewed or biased. He said they were based on averages - and the average person is overweight. when you look at the pictures of most of those guys - they do look skinny.
* I didn't make that up. But I can't remember where I first heard it.
@Lou I've also heard that if you're getting enough calories, you're getting enough protein- and I also have forgotten where or how I first heard/read it. 
He looked to me like he was a healthy weight (however you define that)- neither even slightly obese nor skeletally thin. But keep in mind that appearance was all I had to go on when I was reading through that book- and that does not give a reliable indication of health. I also don't recall how long he had been eating that way. But yes- IIRC, it was mostly veg and fruit.
He looked to me like he was a healthy weight (however you define that)- neither even slightly obese nor skeletally thin. But keep in mind that appearance was all I had to go on when I was reading through that book- and that does not give a reliable indication of health. I also don't recall how long he had been eating that way. But yes- IIRC, it was mostly veg and fruit.
Lou
Forum Legend
I have to refer you to that article, Protein for Vegetarians (& the myth of incomplete proteins), that I cited earlier. You can see from those charts that if you are eating enough calories of Plant Based Whole Foods, you are getting enough of ALL the amino acids.
He even explained that even if you all you ate was lettuce, as long as you ate enough calories, you would get enough protein (and all all your amino acids). you would have to eat like 14 heads of lettuce daily which is not practical - but he was trying to make a point.
Oh sure. you can create a special diet of junk food with plenty of calories and very little protein. But as. long as you are eating healthy foods you'll meet your protein requirements.
If anyone is having doubts about their diet, just keep track in Chronometer for a week. And although Chronometer can do a good job with all the macronutrients, it can only track things like amino acids if it's in the database. When I was relying on cronometer, I found that some processed foods don't include amino acids in the DB.
He even explained that even if you all you ate was lettuce, as long as you ate enough calories, you would get enough protein (and all all your amino acids). you would have to eat like 14 heads of lettuce daily which is not practical - but he was trying to make a point.
Oh sure. you can create a special diet of junk food with plenty of calories and very little protein. But as. long as you are eating healthy foods you'll meet your protein requirements.
If anyone is having doubts about their diet, just keep track in Chronometer for a week. And although Chronometer can do a good job with all the macronutrients, it can only track things like amino acids if it's in the database. When I was relying on cronometer, I found that some processed foods don't include amino acids in the DB.
I'm not arguing, just wonder about it as it's typical which ones come up short
then there's this to make me feel better-
"Our body maintains pools of free amino acids that can be used to do all of the complementing for us, not to mention our body’s massive protein recycling program. Some 90 grams of protein are dumped into the digestive tract every day from our own body to get broken back down and reassembled, so our body can mix and match amino acids to whatever proportions we need, regardless of what we eat, making it practically impossible to even design a diet of whole plant foods that’s sufficient in calories but deficient in protein. Thus, plant-based “consumers do not need to be at all concerned about amino acid imbalances…from the plant-food proteins that make up our usual diets.”
From Dr Greger
then there's this to make me feel better-
"Our body maintains pools of free amino acids that can be used to do all of the complementing for us, not to mention our body’s massive protein recycling program. Some 90 grams of protein are dumped into the digestive tract every day from our own body to get broken back down and reassembled, so our body can mix and match amino acids to whatever proportions we need, regardless of what we eat, making it practically impossible to even design a diet of whole plant foods that’s sufficient in calories but deficient in protein. Thus, plant-based “consumers do not need to be at all concerned about amino acid imbalances…from the plant-food proteins that make up our usual diets.”
From Dr Greger
@silva I had heard or read someplace that amino acids remain in the body for sometime after they're consumed. That's a main reason why people don't have to consume a variety of proteins/aminos at the same meal so they can "complement" each other, as was often believed in the'70s. I think there are still a few essential amino acids which we must consume ready-made, such as lysine, tryptophan, and methionine. But this isn't nearly as hard as it was once thought to be.
I just look at the vegan areas like Loma Linda and Okinawa. The traditional Okinawa diet is 60% purple sweet potatoes. Active people in 90s climbing up steep hills. Not a walker or motorized scooter in sight. Same for Loma Linda.
I look at the longevity and health of groups, not the data. I live in a 55+ building, and about 75% are using walkers or scooters, even the relatively young ones. At least 4-5 medications per day. And central Wisconsin is a major meat and dairy area.
I've been a vegan for 45 years. My blood pressure yesterday was 122/78. All without any medication.
I never really pay much attention to those blood tests, unless something is really off. I think they are estimates that are constantly being revised, especially protein.
If you are a whole foods vegan, then I don't think you need to worry.
I look at the longevity and health of groups, not the data. I live in a 55+ building, and about 75% are using walkers or scooters, even the relatively young ones. At least 4-5 medications per day. And central Wisconsin is a major meat and dairy area.
I've been a vegan for 45 years. My blood pressure yesterday was 122/78. All without any medication.
I never really pay much attention to those blood tests, unless something is really off. I think they are estimates that are constantly being revised, especially protein.
If you are a whole foods vegan, then I don't think you need to worry.
I think the only ones that have problems are the ones that follow those extreme vegan diets like the Fruitarians and Clean Eating, that seems to mimic anorexia.
Anytime somebody restricts food down to two or three items; they aren't healthy.
I have an entire cabinet that is devoted just to beans and grains, and am constantly looking for new ones.
There are groups of plant based that eat a very unhealthy diet. I think some of these studies purposely pick the unhealthy plant based to try and prove that plant based is unhealthy and skew the results.
Anytime somebody restricts food down to two or three items; they aren't healthy.
I have an entire cabinet that is devoted just to beans and grains, and am constantly looking for new ones.
There are groups of plant based that eat a very unhealthy diet. I think some of these studies purposely pick the unhealthy plant based to try and prove that plant based is unhealthy and skew the results.