After last week’s newsletter, where I ripped the carnivore diet a new one, someone asked me a great follow-up: “Well, what about the opposite? What about the vegan diet?”
I don’t think I’m going to give the answer most people have come to expect in the age of social media.
Veganism is significantly more complex and multidimensional than the carnivore fad, and whether it’s “healthy” depends entirely on how you navigate it. Since I like to be long-winded, I’m going to attempt to give a multidimensional answer.
What You Believe Matters
We have to acknowledge the importance of personal beliefs and how they affect our physical well-being.
Case in point: If you believe meat is murder—perhaps you’re a practitioner of Buddhism who believes all life is sacred—then eating meat is inherently unhealthy for you.
Imagine the psychological toll of sitting down to every meal thinking you’ve just committed an atrocity. That stress and misalignment are toxic.
In that context, a vegan diet is absolutely the healthier choice.
Now, I’m sure that’s not the answer the original question was asking. To help segue to what I assume was intended, I’ll start with my own question:
“Compared to What?”
When we discuss nutrition, we have to move away from one-dimensional “good vs. bad” thinking and ask: Compared to what?
I discussed this concept in depth in my article Is This Healthy, where I even make an argument of how Dr. Pepper can be a health food.
If you compare a well-followed vegan diet to the Standard American Diet (SAD), the vegan diet kicks its butt every day of the week. Most people on the “SAD” aren’t getting nearly enough fruits, vegetables, or fiber, and they’re over-consuming processed sugars.
However, if you’re asking if a well-followed vegan diet is healthier than a well-followed omnivorous diet, the answer is: they are both healthy. If you are getting all the nutrients your body requires to thrive, you are winning.
The “Calculus” of Plant-Based Performance
There is a stigma that veganism automatically leads to nutrient deficiencies. While it’s true that you have to be more intentional, it is entirely possible to thrive and perform at an elite level.
Look at Alec Blenis, a bodybuilder and ultra-runner who has been vegan for over a decade. He is one of the most fit, high-performing individuals you will ever meet. He isn’t fit despite being vegan; he is fit because he has mastered the “calculus” of his nutrition.
For a vegan athlete or enthusiast, the equation just has different variables to consider. You have to be more purposeful about things such as:
- Complete Proteins: Combining sources to ensure you get all essential amino acids.
- Essential Omega-3s: Often requiring algae-based supplements.
- B-Vitamins (specifically B12): Which must be addressed through fortified foods or supplementation.
The Bottom Line
Is a vegan diet healthy? It absolutely can be. Just like I advise people against “blindly” hopping into any way of eating, I advise against “blindly” going vegan just by removing meat. Most people eat day-to-day without focusing on key nutrients, and that is always ill-advised.
Whether you choose plants or a mix of everything, the goal is the same: be intentional, get your nutrients, and align your diet with your values.
If you’re thinking about making a change and want to ensure you aren’t leaving vital nutrients on the table, we can help you build a plan that works for your unique biology.