How to make the switch
Plant-based diets can offer both health and global benefits
WOLFVILLE, N.S. — Eating fresh, plant-based meals is more than a diet trend on the rise throughout the province.
More people are simply trying to eat less meat and more plants, whether they consider themselves vegan or vegetarian or not. Others are committed to the vegan or vegetarian lifestyles for a variety of reasons, including a positive impact on the environment and health benefits.
Natalie Weekes, digital communications co-ordinator at Acadia University in Wolfville, made the choice several years ago to become vegan.
“I’m now in full vegan mode. I’ve been vegan for about four years and I was vegetarian before that,” she explains. “I’ve always been an animal lover, but I think I just closed myself off from that. I’m a big fan of the environment and I realized that I had to change my diet to align with what I believe. I really started to understand the impact meat and dairy had on the environment.”
Weekes is used to answering questions from naysayers.
“People always ask, ‘How do you get your protein and calcium?’ But really, if you make the move to eating more plantbased eating, you don’t lose things in your diet. You start to care about what you’re eating,” she says.
A vegan diet makes you more connected to your body, according to Weekes.
“You become more aware of what you’ve eaten and how you feel after you’ve eaten. Maybe it’s not a steak you’re looking for, if you take the time to unpack what your body is telling you.”
Making the switch to a vegan lifestyle was a team effort for Weekes and her husband.
“We could support each other. He did great and had lots of energy, but I realized that I was always tired at first and I realized I wasn’t eating enough,” she said.
“Now, I feel great. I’ve managed to keep the same healthy weight and I run a 10k a couple of times a week.”
Weekes’s husband does most of the cooking.
“He’s a great cook. If it were up to me, I would be eating hummus and salad all the time,” she kids.
But, she points out, really taking a hard look at what you need to eat is important.
“We’ve been force fed that we need meat for protein and dairy for calcium. I have a science background and it’s interesting to see where the science stops and marketing starts. There’s a huge vested interest and money behind the dairy and meat industry.”
Weekes doesn’t push her dietary choices on friends or family, and says she usually waits until someone asks her to explain her ethical choices.
“I’m from the U.K. In Britain, people believe if there’s no meat, there’s no meal. But if you can nail the equivalent — like a vegan chili — no one minds.”
HEALTH CONCERNS
Brian Keezer’s switch to the vegan lifestyle began with a frightening diagnosis.
“In September of 2009, I was diagnosed with T1 C highly aggressive prostate cancer and was scheduled for surgery Oct. 16.”
Keezer, who lives in Kentville with his wife and works part time as a pastor and full time in the private sector in finance, travelled to Barrington with his friend to attend a naturopathic healthy living presentation. He then began a cancer nutrition diet based on a vegan diet and added regular exercise and time outdoors.
“Each day, we walked 45 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon and consumed two litres of water. For over six years, we ate an 85 per cent raw food diet. We did not eat any dairy, chicken, meat or fish. We ate green smoothies, juicing, raw vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts and greens in various combinations,” said Keezer.
Keezer credits his switch to a vegan lifestyle with his continued good health.
“For the last 10 years I have had my PSA monitored and remained in the watch-and-wait mode by my urologist. I lost 45 pounds and my wife lost 20 pounds. We feel better — more energetic and healthy,” he said.
“In the last two years, we have added chicken and fish to our diet from time to time but remain predominantly vegetarian. We are probably 55 to 60 per cent raw vegan now,” said Keezer.
Both Weekes and Keezer are passionate advocates for plantbased diets. Keezer believes the vegan lifestyle is a basis for healthy living.
“A plant base detoxifies the body, increases energy, builds the immune system and helps with digestion. It defends the body from disease,” said Keezer.
Weekes’ focus is on the positive environmental impact of a plant-based diet.
“I’m a much bigger advocate for people cutting down on their meat and dairy consumption than just a few people going vegan and cutting it all out,” she said. “With our various social and economic differences, or with families and that whole work-life balance, it is often difficult to commit to something full time. But, if the vast majority of us simply cut down on meat and dairy, the world and our environment would be in a much better situation.”
Being open to the possibility is important, she adds.
“People put up a wall when they hear vegan or vegetarian. And that doesn’t get us anywhere. Small choices collectively can make a huge global impact.”