The Give It To Me Raw raw food community site is a little strange — a large portion of the members eat raw meat, eggs, fish, and dairy. During an exchange on the forum there, someone said something to the affect that it was obvious to them that vegan diets are nutritionally lacking. This is not the case. I pointed out that
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”1
This includes strict-vegetarian diets (i.e., a vegan diet). Unfortunately, there are many people in the world today who would readily go vegan if only they did not believe that they would die without consuming animal products. If you know one of these people, you might point them to the position paper of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada on vegetarian diets. It’s definitely worth reading.
References
- Abstract for “Vegetarian diets: position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada” on the American Dietetic Association website.
Five other resources that clear this issue up to refer people to:
Interview with Karyn Calabrese, age 62, vegan for 30+ years, raw for 20+ years. AMAZING!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJOzg_kvVRE&feature=PlayList&p=174450BD56FE4AB8&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4
(*Note: There are 4 PARTS to this interview, they can be seen at left, or if not, searched for easily).
http://www.veganbodybuilding.com – absorb the home page, then I highly recommend you click profiles, and prepare to be amazed!
http://www.veganathlete.com – clearly these people know how/are learning how to get their nutrition.
http://www.vrg.org – great online resource. I especially like the protein page (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm). There are also pages on calcium, iron, etc.
And finally, the book \"Thrive\" (aka \"The Thrive Diet\") by professional ironman triathlete – and vegan – Brendan Brazier. He explains how to get your nutrition thoroughly, and most definitely eliminates any doubt that it is possible. It\’s an incredibly informative book on nutrition, and I\’ve read that even non-vegans learn from it in that regard… I bought it when I decided to go vegan!