Ask a Question


I'm here to help you. If you've got a question about food, vegan fitness, nutrition – or anything at all – don't be afraid to ask! I've been through it all, I've learned a lot, and I love helping people who are making a shift to the vegan lifestyle. I also appreciate compliments, praise, and a little flattery.

The best way to get a question answered is to leave a comment on this page below. The second best way is to write it down on a scrap of paper and bury it in a shallow hole in your backyard on the next full moon. The eleventh best way is to email me.

contact [at] lifelongvegan.org

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 1, 2022 at 7:44 PM

    I've been vegan 8 months or so now and was wondering if the vitamin B12 deficiency was real? If so what supplement would you suggest?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DeanMay 1, 2022 at 11:55 PM

      You do need to supplement B12 because you won't find reliably sufficient quantities in plant based foods -- even nutritional yeast, it can be difficult to know for sure how much B12 you're getting. It's best to supplement with B12 from cyanocobalamin. It's easy, cheap, and you know exactly how much you're taking. My favorite source for B12 intake recommendations is Jack Norris RD. For people aged 15 and up, he recommends between 5-100mcg taken daily as one possible dosing strategy. I personally take a daily multivitamin that has 50mcg of B12.

      If you're new to your vegan diet, it's a good idea to get your bloodwork done every year or so -- sooner if you're experiencing any health problems. It's challenging to adopt a new diet without making some mistakes, and many new vegans learn the hard way that they're not getting enough iron, B12, or even calories. Eating a balanced, nutritious vegan diet is not complicated, but it takes some experience, so I recommend doing a little research, and tracking what you're eating for a while on Cronometer to make sure you're eating enough calories and that you're not neglecting certain vitamins or minerals.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Should We Condemn Hampton Creek and Impossible Foods for Animal Testing?

Image
PETA is at it again. It recently emerged that both Hampton Creek and Impossible Foods had tests done on rats to ensure the safety of new food ingredients. As PETA reports it , these tests were completely optional, and they can’t wrap their minds around why they'd have to be done in the first place. They go into grisly detail as to how these rats are typically treated, and common practices for disposing of them after the tests are concluded. Obviously, this is a problem, and no one who supports the end of animal suffering wants these tests taking place. Not Technically a Legal Requirement As it turns out, PETA was not sharing the whole story . It’s true that Hampton Creek and Impossible Foods were not legally required to test their new ingredients on animals. However, these tests appear to at least be an unofficial tacit requirement in order to attain Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) approval from the FDA. In other words, while it’s not technically a legal requ...
Read more

Here's the Skinny on Why Vegans Are Weak

Image
There is a misconception that, on average, vegans are interminably underweight or weak. This misconception exists for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that the vegan diet is both fairly new to most people (though the term “vegan” was coined in the 40s) and is quickly gaining in popularity. This means that there's a widely popular trend toward the vegan diet, while at the same time basic knowledge on the subject is not so widely available. The dietary restrictions for vegans have become common knowledge – no animal products – so most people can follow along in that area, but knowledge on balanced nutrition is less accessible. This all-or-nothing attitude for many new vegans leads to sudden and drastic restrictions in their diet before they’ve had time to figure out what they can eat and what meals they can prepare – as you might imagine, this approach often falls short in the nutrition department. Newbies Doing Newbie Things There are new vegans so hyper-focu...
Read more

Low-Volume, High-Density Vegan Meal Plan, With Easy Recipes

Image
I can't be the only one who gets tired of eating massive plates of food and feeling stuffed all the time. I love salads and roasted veggies as much as the next guy, but sometimes I need a break from all the big meals. At times like these, it's handy to know what to eat to keep meal sizes down without dropping your calories too significantly. To that end, here's a 2500 kcal meal plan for a full day of vegan eats . Jump straight to the vegan recipes or the meal plan . The meals consist largely of wholesome, homemade snacks that greatly reduce time spent cooking each week. I'll be sharing my spin on the classic peanut-buttery energy ball, I call them "power bites." These little morsels have been a lifesaver for me; I whip up a single batch and I've got snacks for a week . Not to mention they're healthier and cheaper than buying boxes of Clif bars – they're not filled with brown rice syrup, for one thing (arsenic begone!). Mmmm ... Tasty, Del...
Read more