Everything you wanted to know about your health

Digestive problems:

• IBS
• GERD
• Coeliac Disease

Irritable Bowel Syndrome – IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome is a group of gastrointestinal symptoms which may include diarrhoea and/or constipation, abdominal pain, flatulence and bloating. The treatment can include diet modification, stress management and sometimes medications. Proper treatment can lead to great improvement of symptoms and improved quality of life. It is recommended to consult a gastroenterologist to rule out other causes. It is also important to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian that specializes in gastroenterology in order to get a personalized meal plan, dietary supplements, guidance regarding eating behaviour and support. There are different possible dietary approaches, one of the most popular being the low FODMAP diet, which is a temporary exclusion diet that can be adjusted for a vegan lifestyle. Until you see a dietitian here are a few tips to help manage IBS symptoms:

1. Keep a food journal with symptoms — this can help pin-point problematic foods and will be very helpful in your consultation with your dietitian
2. Reduce intake of some common “trouble-makers” — cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), mushrooms, onions, garlic, wheat products, and beans
3. Go for the easy protein — focus on tofu, tempeh, edamame, rinsed canned chickpeas or lentils, mung beans that are double-boiled after soaking and/or sprouting, in small servings during the day
4. Avoid polyols/sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol, which are common in sugar-free products such as gums and candy
5. Stay organized — try to keep regular meal times, chew your food thoroughly and avoid distractions while you eat

Reflux/gastritis/GERD

If you suffer from reflux/heartburn/gastritis, the first step is to consult your physician in order to find the underlying cause. If the underlying cause is H.pylori infection it requires treatment with antibiotics and PPIs. However, it’s important to find the cause and to get proper treatment, even if there is no H.pylori infection.
Regarding your diet, it is recommended to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian. In the meanwhile, there are a few things you can do to reduce the symptoms:

1. Eat small and frequent meals and avoid large meals and/or high-fat meals (such as fried foods, large amounts of nuts, and seeds, and so on).
2. Avoid spicy food and/or highly seasoned food.
3. Avoid lying down for at least one hour after eating and try to sleep with your head and upper back raised to a 45-degree angle.
4. Avoid or minimize intake of alcohol, coffee, tea, spearmint, and mint.
5. Avoid smoking.
6. In case you are overweight — weight loss may help significantly.
7. Try to minimize/avoid foods that are common triggers for symptoms such as tomatoes, peppers, raw onions and garlic.

Good luck!

Coeliac disease

There is no problem being vegan and gluten-free. You can eat:

1. Protein-packed plant foods: legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, fava beans, lentils), soy and soy products (tofu, edamame, tempeh, TVP, soy milk, etc.), quinoa.
2. Gluten-free grains (especially whole grains): teff, rice, buckwheat, corn, millet. You can also add potatoes and sweet potatoes.
3. A variety of vegetables and fruits.
4. Nuts, seeds, and their spreads (such as peanut butter and tahini).
   It is important to avoid gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye, barley), seitan, vital wheat gluten, and mock meats that contain gluten.

Metabolic problems

• High cholesterol levels
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes

High cholesterol levels

Your cholesterol levels are determined by both your genetics and your lifestyle choices. While we can’t change the genes we are born with, lifestyle modification can be helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. It is recommended to consult a vegan friendly dietitian for a personalized meal plan and follow-up. A few helpful tips:

1. If you are overweight or obese, weight loss is important to reduce cholesterol levels.
2. Base your diet primarily on whole plant foods such as legumes, tofu, tempeh, vegetables, and whole grains, plusfruits, nuts, and seeds in moderate amounts.
3. Minimize your intake of snacks and junk food, commercial high-fat vegan cheese and mock meats, cocoa butter, margarine, and other products that have a high content of trans fatty acids and/or saturated fatty acids.
4. Be physically active.

High blood pressure

A balanced vegan diet can be a great way to reduce blood pressure. It is recommended to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian for a personalized meal plan and follow-up. In the meanwhile, a few tips:

1. If you are overweight or obese, weight loss is important to reduce blood pressure.
2. Base your diet primarily on whole plant foods such as legumes, tofu, tempeh, vegetables, and whole grains, plus fruits, nuts, and seeds in moderate amounts.
3. Minimize your intake of snacks and junk food, and sodium-rich foods such as salted nuts, sauces, commercial vegan cheese, mock meat, and canned food.
4. Be physically active.

Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes:

A vegan diet can be a great way to improve your health and balance with diabetes. It is highly recommended to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian to help you with a personalized meal plan, suitable to your needs, preferences, and medication regimen.

A few helpful tips:

1. Carbs — the trick is to eat complex carbohydrates from fiber-rich, whole, plant-based foods — legumes and whole grains — divided into small portions throughout the day.
2. Enjoy low carbs food — tofu, TVP, and seitan can balance your carb intake during meals and allow you to eat low carb meals when desired.
3. Pack up the veggies — eat plenty of vegetables with and between meals (this does not include potatoes, sweet potatoes, or peas)
4. Eat small portions of fruit between meals, with some nuts or seeds to allow for a slower blood glucose rise.
5. If you monitor your glucose levels with a glucometer, keep a food journal with glucose measurements to learn how your dietary choices influence your glycemic control.

Type 1 Diabetes (+ insulin):

It is highly recommended to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian to help you with a personalized meal plan, according to your needs and insulin regimen. Generally speaking everything stays the same except for the fact that your protein sources now may contain carbs as well – legumes are great sources for protein but contains carbs so you need to take that into account and divide them properly. You don’t have to eat them at the same meal with grains to get whole protein, so you can maintain the same glycemic load you are used to in your meals. You can also enjoy low carb options: tofu, TVP, seitan and unsweetened soy milk. It’s important to keep track of your glucose levels, especially during transition phases, by keeping a food journal with glucose measurements and insulin units used.

It is highly recommended to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian in order to get the most out of your surgery and maintain a healthy diet. A general tip would be to make sure you emphasize protein-rich foods in most, if not all, meals. These include: legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, fava beans, lentils), soy and soy products (tofu, edamame, tempeh, TVP, soy milk, etc.), seitan, quinoa, nuts and seeds. In addition, make sure you take your supplements as instructed by your physician/dietitian and a sublingual B12 supplement.

Treatment of anemia can be divided into 5 steps:

1. Finding the underlying cause with the help of your physician.
2. Treating the underlying cause, if possible.
3. Supplements – getting a B12/iron/folic acid supplement according to what type of deficiency you have. Note that you should take B12 even if you are not B12 deficient and that iron supplements should be prescribed by your physician/dietitian.
4. Emphasize diet – A balanced vegan diet with a vitamin B12 supplement should not cause anemia, but you should make sure to get enough iron in your diet. There are many plant-based sources of iron, including legumes, soy products, certain leafy green vegetables, broccoli, iron-fortified cereals, whole grains, whole sesame tahini, blackstrap molasses, and dried fruits. Iron absorption is increased markedly by eating foods containing vitamin C (fresh vegetables and fruits) along with foods containing iron, soaking and sprouting legumes, and avoiding drinking coffee, tea, and herbal teas at the same time as eating foods containing iron.
5. Follow-up in blood tests.

If you suffer from allergies to specific foods, it’s not a problem to omit them and eat a variety of other vegan foods. If you suffer from allergies to multiple foods causing you to avoid whole food groups, it is recommended to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian in order to create a meal plan that can provide all your nutrient needs without the foods you are allergic to. It’s important to differentiate allergies from intolerances, since if you suffer from an intolerance you may be able to eat these foods with some adjustments.

Various factors determine your risk of developing osteoporosis, among these genetics, smoking, weight, race, gender, certain chronic medications, alcohol intake, and physical activity. Whether you are in a risk-group to develop osteoporosis or already suffer from osteoporosis or its milder form osteopenia, here are a few things to take into consideration regarding your diet. A vegan diet can provide all of the required nutrients for bone health, including protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium and protein. Calcium-rich foods include soy products (especially fortified products like tofu and soy milk), fortified plant milks and yogurts, green vegetables, unhulled tahini, almonds, and white beans. It is also important to check your vitamin D status and, in case you have a deficiency, to take a supplement under the supervision of your physician or dietitian. Vitamin D deficiency is not a dietary one and there are vegan vitamin D supplements are available. In addition to diet and supplements, exercise, especially resistance training, is also very important.

Studies show that vegan diets are associated with a lower risk of obesity and lower BMI levels. Therefore, a vegan diet can be a great way to lose weight in a healthy manner. A few tips for a healthy weight loss:

1. Consult experts — losing weight is not an easy task and it requires a cognitive, emotional, and behavioral change. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a vegan-friendly dietitian who can help you work on your nutrition and habits.
2. Make sure you eat without distractions like TV and cellphones. Eat slowly and chew well.
3. Clear your house of any unnecessary temptations.
4. Prepare yourself — from shopping to cooking to taking a packed lunch, planning is a key to success.
5. Choose whole plant food over processed foods. For example: whole wheat bread over white bread; brown rice over white rice; oatmeal over processed cereals; legumes over mock meats; etc.
6. Eat a variety of vegetables with and between meals.
7. Put emphasis on protein-packed foods: legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, fava beans, lentils), soy and soy products (tofu, edamame, tempeh, TVP, soy milk, etc.), seitan, quinoa.
8. Cut down on vegan snacks, candy, and vegan junk food.
9. Eat moderate amounts of high-fat foods such as nuts and seeds.
10. Don’t go overboard with high-calorie “healthy foods” such as shakes, granola, and fruit juice.
11. Take baby steps and set small, achievable goals.

Binge eating is a complex condition which requires proper treatment and support — psychotherapy, nutrition and possibly treatments from other fields as well. It’s recommended to take things at your own pace. Even if you binge on foods that contain animal products, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s a process and it’s not always that simple to transition cleanly even without an eating disorder, so it’s needless to mention it can be more complex when you do have an eating disorder. Take things gradually if it helps, and get help from professionals.