Is a vegan or a vegetarian diet REALLY healthy?

My response to an article “Cruising to Health” in Organic Spa Magazine.

Hello,

My name is Jodi Forsythe, and I am a Registered Massage Therapist (Canada) and the creator of www.WhyMassageTherapy.com. I wanted to first of all commend you on a fantastic magazine which combines two of my favorite things – organic living and spas.

Secondly, I would like to comment on the article in the August 2009 edition “Cruising to Health” by Judith Fein. I am always interested in hearing of new things which help people attain the highest quality of life possible, but I am concerned with the sweeping generalization in the article that a “vegan” lifestyle is the panacea for achievement of optimal health.

While I would not argue that there are numerous benefits to switching to a mostly plant based and/or raw food diet, I am concerned that in an article such as the one mentioned above, no further resources are mentioned which may help people make an informed and balanced decision. If I would have had proper information during my attempt at veganism 13 years ago, I would have done it a lot differently by consulting a health care professional who knew what she was talking about, or not at all. As it was, from the misinformation I read, all that I achieved was extreme suboptimal health which took a long time to heal.

During my healing process, I was struck by the reality that humans are omnivores, and that agriculture did not begin in earnest until about 5000 years ago, before which our species were hunter-gatherers. (notice that “hunter” comes first … ) I do not believe that a diet free of animal products is how our species has evolved over millenia, and I firmly believe that animal protein is necessary for humans to obtain optimal health.

Please note that I am not talking about the rampant over-eating and gluttony of processed and damaged food which is so pervasive in our society, including chemically processed and packaged food products. I am talking about eating food that is actually part of the food chain, which we can in theory “pick, hunt, gather, milk or fish” (Thanks to Dr. Diana Schwarzbein for that useful perspective). Our bodies recognize and assimilate the raw material as needed, and because we are receiving the nutrients that we require to thrive, we are not cursed with the chronic hunger and ill health which happens in an over-fed yet under-nourished society.

I firmly defend my decision to eat chicken, beef and fish, but I also believe in animal welfare and sustainable farming and fishing practices. Using animals for food can be done at far less of a humane and environmental cost than is currently occurring. For example, purchasing only meat, poultry and dairy products from farms and organizations which support animal welfare is the best way to start. I’m thinking grass-fed beef, which actually produces far less methane than their corn-fed counterparts, or free range chickens that are not factory farmed and stuffed with feed made from renderings of other dead animals.

On the flip side, if we are so concerned with the environmental cost of food production, we should also take a look at the prevalence of genetically modified crops such as soy, and the impact on human health and the environment. So recent is this scientific development that the gravity of our choices isn’t even beginning to be understood yet, and I am concerned for what is to come. And please, don’t even get me started by saying that switching to a plant-only diet would allow us to feed so many more starving people. It is a fact that food aid sent to impoverished countries often doesn’t make it to the intended recipients, but is rather diverted by hostile regimes for their own purposes. At this point in time famine has much less to do with a shortage of food than it does with politics, and that is the real crime.

In closing, while this piece was interesting and well written, I would like to see more articles with a balanced viewpoint on what a “healthy diet” really means; preferably from a variety of medical and naturopathic professionals who can then refer readers to accurate information and resources.

Regardless, I will continue to purchase and enjoy your magazine, and look forward to reading more interesting articles.

Sincerely,
Jodi Forsythe, BA, RMT
Registered Massage Therapist

http://www.whymassagetherapy.com

Massage Therapy – a tool for living well.

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