34 Part I: “Ve-gan” at the Beginning Local vegan groups may be involved in political actions or animal rescue work, which can bring a new level of meaning to your vegan lifestyle Get involved and educated about the issues in your community so that your new theoretical lifestyle will have a real-world impact Getting involved also shows the people around you how the ethics of your diet play out in everyday life Many people are won over by the upstanding moral code of veganism after they see the passion and dedication their friend or family member pours into a local environmental or animal rights cause Focusing on the fun and adventure of being a vegan Eating can become a mundane chore if you aren’t careful By focusing on the celebration of life, as displayed in a well-planned meal, vegan dining offers you the chance to return to honoring nature’s bounty Focusing on the fun and joy of real, natural, cruelty-free food can turn every meal, no matter how elaborate or simple, into a party The fun of sharing food together and searching out the new and different menus available for vegans is one of the best parts of adopting this lifestyle A new world of tastes, products, and guilt-free meals awaits you Make it your intention to share the glorious natural foods with your friends and family (whether they’re vegan or not) Giving them the gift of healthy vegan recipes shows your love for them and all the world’s creatures Not to mention you’ll be helping them get their daily dose of roughage Get adventurous with your meals Even if you’re preparing a simple salad for yourself, you can incorporate homegrown herbs and tomatoes that connect you to the season When thinking of your family’s upcoming reunion feast, ask the local farmers at your farmer’s market what will be in peak season that week By bringing luscious, fresh produce, you can share the story of your trip to the market, explain what you chose, and reveal how you prepared it Not only will this show your own dedication to good food, it also may encourage those around you to try new, more sustainable fare Part II Building a Healthy Vegan Diet A In this part well-rounded vegan diet provides everything a human body needs for healthy growth and development and maintenance of proper body functions Yet living in this meat- and dairy-loving culture can confuse even the most well-read herbivore Vegans constantly are questioned about their nutritional wellness and the validity of their food choices That’s why this part is so important! These chapters not only lay the foundation for vegan nutritional wellness, they also detail how to make the most health-supportive choices when it comes to cooking, shopping for food, and ordering meals Chapter Essential Nutrients for Healthy Success In This Chapter ▶ Getting to know the B vitamins ▶ Discovering the truth about calcium ▶ Uncovering the solid facts about iron ▶ Finding out about vitamin D and zinc ▶ Maintaining good health with vegan supplements T he human body requires special nutrients to ensure healthy growth and good energy Vitamins and minerals are like the nuts and bolts that keep the human machine held together and running properly In this chapter, I discuss where to get the vitamins and minerals that may be lacking in plant foods B12 and B2, as well as vitamin D, are found readily in animal foods, so you may be concerned about getting enough in a vegan diet Iron, calcium and zinc are minerals that may, at first glance, be harder to get from vegan foods There are excellent plant sources of these natural minerals, and even some ways to help your body utilize them better The final section in this chapter also addresses whether vegans need to use supplements and if so, what types to try The bottom line for proper nutrition is that natural food is your best bet for all-around health Separating nutrients and vitamins into stand-alone sources of nutrition can lead to overdose or an inadvertent depletion of another necessary vitamin or mineral “B”-ing Healthy with B12 and B2 B vitamins often are referred to as a complex — this doesn’t mean that they’re difficult to understand and have a lot of emotional issues; it just means that they all need to be present in order for the body to use them properly While 38 Part II: Building a Healthy Vegan Diet most of the B vitamins can be found easily in plant foods, vegans need to be aware that two very important B vitamins — B12 and B2 — are a little harder to find in plant foods So be sure to include in your diet foods that have been fortified B12 is the most important of all the B vitamins when you’re a vegan Necessary for building blood and cell division, B12 isn’t made by any plants or animals — it’s actually made by bacteria Humans used to get their B12 by eating foods contaminated with bacteria that had produced the B12 However, because our food is so clean and sterilized these days, we don’t get a reliable source of B12 from bacteria The other main source of bacteria-produced B12 is animal flesh Food animals still eat bacteria, which accumulates the B12 in their flesh and muscles Research also shows that the bacteria in the human body make small amounts of B12 But, because the body may not absorb and use it, you’re still better off using fortified foods or B complexes B12 deficiency isn’t common, but can be serious, leading to nerve damage and anemia The body also uses B12 to protect nerve fibers and metabolize and use carbohydrates, fat, and protein The most common sign of B12 deficiency is fatigue, which can be avoided with a well-planned diet that includes B12-rich foods or regular supplementation B2, also known as riboflavin, is easier to find in plant foods than B12, but it’s still important to be aware of the vegan sources you can get it from Important for overall skin and eye health, B2 is also necessary for cellular energy production Deficiencies of B2 can lead to mouth and lip sores, a swollen tongue, and dermatitis I give you the lowdown on vitamins B2 and B12 in the following sections, including where to find them and how much to consume Finding B12 and B2 in vegan foods These days B12 is often added to a variety of vegan foods, so be sure to have these items on your weekly shopping list: ✓ Fortified cereals ✓ Nutritional yeast flakes, like Red Star ✓ Fortified soy, rice, and hemp milks ✓ Fortified fake meats made from wheat gluten and soy Note: Some fermented soy foods like miso, natto, and tempeh, as well as some sea vegetables, have been reported to contain vitamin B12 The amounts found in these foods are too small to make them reliable sources ... vitamins B2 and B12 in the following sections, including where to find them and how much to consume Finding B12 and B2 in vegan foods These days B12 is often added to a variety of vegan foods, so... — B12 and B2 — are a little harder to find in plant foods So be sure to include in your diet foods that have been fortified B12 is the most important of all the B vitamins when you’re a vegan. .. find in plant foods than B12, but it’s still important to be aware of the vegan sources you can get it from Important for overall skin and eye health, B2 is also necessary for cellular energy production