My Blood Panel Results After Three Years Vegan
But where do you get your protein? Your iron? What about your Vitamin B12 and your calcium?!
These are common questions for someone who follows a plant-based or vegan lifestyle. It’s my believe that most people are under the assumption we simply have to consume meat & dairy in order to meet all of our nutrient requirements. But…do we??
I went all-in whole-foods-plant-based at the start of 2018 for health reasons. After years of not feeling my best and digging into the scientific literature, I decided a whole-foods-plant-based approach to my food choices was the most optimal way to eat for health & longevity. Amidst this journey, I became a passionate animal rights & environmental activist as well.
However, the nay-sayers were there. Many have engrained in them - mostly from society and marketing campaigns - that it’s imperative we eat “meat” for protein & iron and consume “dairy” for calcium. In actuality, plants contain all of these things in abundance. The exception? Vitamin B12. This nutrient is actually not produced by plants or animals. It’s found in soil. Our predecessors received Vitamin B12 naturally from slightly soiled fruits & vegetables. You’ll find it in animals because they consume bits of soil while feeding. In fact, most farmers give B12 supplements to their cattle, and it’s widely known that both herbivores and omnivores alike should consume a Vitamin B12 supplement regularly.
Although a vegan favorite of mine, nutritional yeast, is packed full of Vitamin B12, I still opt to take a supplement. Twice a week, I take one liquid dose of Vitamin B12 and one Vitamin D3 capsule. That’s it! No other vitamins, no medications.
The rest of my diet includes organic whole fruits & vegetables, organic raw nuts & seeds, a plethora of legumes such as chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, and lentils, whole organic grains such as oats, quinoa, sorghum, and whole wheat, and organic tofu & edamame. I also include both fresh and dried spices & herbs, plus sea salt and black pepper. My meals are colorful, flavorful, and FULL of amino acids and antioxidants. They are health promoting, not health deteriorating.
After three years on a whole-foods-plant-based-vegan diet, I decided to have a full blood panel done annually to ensure I am reaching all of the adequate nutrient levels so my body can function as optimally as possible. And, maybe to quiet the nay-sayers, too. ;)
I wanted to be fully transparent and share my results! So…let’s go!
CHOLESTEROL LEVELS
An HDL between 30-64 is standard, but above 50 is ideal. I’ve soared passed that with a heart healthy value of 79.
An LDL between 60-130 is standard, but lower than 100 is ideal. Mine is a very healthy 48!
Total cholesterol is in a healthy range at 140. My doctor commented that my “cholesterol is protective against blocked arteries.”
IRON LEVELS
Am I meeting the appropriate iron levels? Absolutely am! All iron levels are in the healthy, standard range.
A tip for my fellow plant-based eaters: Consume your iron rich plants with Vitamin C! It helps with the absorption of non-heme plant iron! I do not take an iron supplement so these values are representative of plants alone.
CALCIUM AND PROTEIN LEVELS
I don’t consumer yogurt, milk, or cheese, and yet my calcium level is excellent! And what about that protein everyone is so concerned about? Yeup! Getting plenty of that too with a healthy level of 7.4G/DL.
Vitamin B12 LEVEL
And finally, my B12 results! As I do get small amounts of B12 in some fortified plant foods and nutritional yeast, a supplement twice a week ensures I stay at an optimal level. Again, even those who consumer plants and animals should be supplementing this vitamin. I love my Vimergy liquid supplement as it’s easier absorbed by the body than a tablet.
I hope this information was insightful and helpful to those who have been hesitant on going fully plant-based. I wanted to be open and share concrete proof that a whole-foods-plant-based lifestyle, one that is protective against heart disease and cancers, beneficial for the environment, and free of animal cruelty, is an excellent step forward for a richer, longer life.
Thank you for being here and listening, friends.
