Posted on October 5th, 2011

Within three days of my last post, former President Bill Clinton announced to the press that he’d walked away from animal protein, largely for health reasons.

Coincidence? Perhaps. Or it could be that the former leader of our great country is yet another faithful My Yoga Online reader. If that’s the case, Bill, buddy, I’m a little troubled that when sharing your nutritional strategy with CNN, you mentioned the fact that you eat “almost no oil.”

With all due respect, Mr. President, I think you might want to rethink that. It’s common in Western society to vilify fat. Admittedly, there are good fats and bad fats, but new vegans often tend to throw the unsaturated baby out with the saturated bath water, allowing their fat intake to drop to unhealthy levels.

Fat is a vital nutrient, just like carbohydrates and protein. It helps with the digestion of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and it promotes a feeling of fullness after eating. It also plays an important part in the production of prostaglandins, hormone-like compounds that regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting and the nervous system.

How much fat you should consume really depends on your own chemistry, but most people should shoot for a diet where 20% to 35% of their total calories come from fat.

For vegans, great sources of fat include avocados, olives, and raw nuts. Oils are also a good source – but don’t cook with them. Frying, especially at high heat, tends to damage the nutrients in oil. You’re better off baking, steaming, broiling, or grilling instead. Save the extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, or grapeseed oil for drizzling, dipping, and salad dressing.

I’m not going to get too deep into the saturated fat versus unsaturated fat debate because it’s a nearly moot point with vegans. Saturated fat and cholesterol intake plummets when you stop eating animals. That said, there are produce-based sources of saturated fat, such as coconuts, so it’s worth a small mention. My take is that while recent research indicting that certain saturated fats aren’t bad for you is compelling, it’s overwhelmed by established research espousing the benefits of various unsaturated fats, so why take the chance? Furthermore, getting all your fat from coconut instead of a variety of sources makes for a nutritionally limited diet, which is never a good thing. Limit it to 30% of your total fat intake, which is the general rule for saturated fat anyway, and you should be fine.

Omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are something I’d like to spend some time on. As you’re probably figuring out, dietary fat exists in many forms. Fatty acids are one of those forms. While many fatty acids exist, there are two that are essential to the human body, meaning we need to consume them because our bodies don’t manufacture them internally: omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 acids. Omega-6s are easy to get. In fact, some experts feel that they’re a little too prevalent in the western diet. Omega-3s are a different story.

Omega-3 fatty acids help us with brain development, nervous system function and eyesight. Many experts also believe they reduce the risk of arthritis, some cancer, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Most people get their omega-3s from seafood. Obviously, that’s not on the table here (literally), so plan B would be seed oil: flax, hemp, and chia are especially good sources of omega-3s. Walnuts are another great option.

If you choose flaxseed as your primary source of omega-3s, you can either do it with seeds or oil. Personally, I’d go with the seeds because you get the added benefit of fiber. However, if you do this, make sure you grind them, as opposed to eating them whole, or your body won’t access the oils within.

As you continue on your vegan adventure, you’re probably going to hear people tell you that fish is a superior source of omega-3s to vegan sources. Technically, they’re right, but that’s okay. Let me explain why. Most vegan sources of omega-3 contain alpha- linolenic acid (ALA). The body needs two other omega-3s: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic (DHA). EPA and DHA benefit us for a number of reasons, a lot of them cardiovascular. The most efficient ways to get EPA and DHA are via seafood or free-range meat.

Fortunately, the body converts ALA to EPA and DHA, albeit not super efficiently. Most people can pull it off, but this is one of those areas where not all bodies are created equal. If you’re a practicing vegan and your health isn’t 100%, upping your omega-3s is one of the first things to check out. Get yourself a good marine algae DHA/EPA supplement.

But odds are, with mindful use of ALA, you’ll be able to lead a long, happy, cruelty-free life. So keep those fats in your diet, Bill! I understand your confusion. Brokering peace in Northern Ireland and expanding the economy were impressive accomplishments, but this is nutrition; it can be really tricky.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/18/bill.clinton.diet.vegan/index.html

About Denis Faye:

Formerly "weight challenged," Denis Faye shed 50 pounds following a 5-year jaunt through Australia, a trip that helped him become the extreme fitness and sports enthusiast he is today. He’s been a professional journalist for 20 years, writing for GQ, Men’s Journal, Men's Health, Wired, Surfer, Outside, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Los Angeles Magazine, and Pacific Longboarder. His sports include trekking, rock climbing, mountain biking, spelunking, swimming, scuba, swimming, and—most importantly—surfing. Denis currently writes for Beachbody, which provides effective home workout<a> dvds including the popular P90x program and exercise dvds for the new Insanity: Asylum workout.

Tags: Nutrition, Wellness, Diet, health, vegan, healthy fats, vegetarian, avocados, omega 3 fatty acids, flax seed, walnuts, coconuts

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