Holistically Katie

Hi friends. I wanted to update you all on the recent diet changes I’ve made and how I’ve been feeling.

I have been doing a lot of research recently into cutting down plant foods and increasing the amount of healthy animal foods in my diet. As it turns out, doing so provides a plethora of benefits for your health and well-being.

My recent grocery haul for example, included lots of grass fed meat, butter, cream and cheese. Four years ago, I never would have thought I would be eating so many animal foods. I was vegan for about a year, and my health deteriorated. My skin broke out, I had serious digestive problems, and I felt more bloated than I have in my entire life. I wrote about this in a prior post.

What are the reasons behind this dietary shift from eating salads, smoothies, nuts, grains and fiber all day long?

1. Plants contain high levels of lectins and toxins. This is because plants actually have a lot of defense mechanisms in them (provided by nature) to make it harder for us to eat them. Examples of this are the coating on nuts, the skin, and seeds for example are very hard to actually get out of the plant which is why most people buy seeds from Whole Foods, where the difficult process is removed from this. But if you really think about it, why are the seeds so hard for us to get to? Could it be because we aren’t really designed to eat high amounts of them?
2. Plants contain high level of oxalates. Going off the above point, oxalates are basically a chemical weapon to prevent against animals(us) eating them. Oxalic acid is the naturally occurring chemical compound that are there as a defense mechanism to prevent against infection, and being eaten. Oxalates are unfortunately high in items such as leafy greens, nuts and seeds.
3. Plants can cause digestive issues for people with weakened guts and less healthy gut bacteria. Taken antibiotics recently, or are you under more stress than usual? This likely means your gut microbiome is damaged in some way. Unfortunately, high amounts of plant matter in the diet causes a lot of stress in the stomach since it is difficult to break down. This is why soaking your legumes, nuts, seeds and grains is highly recommended if you choose to consume these items. It can take away a lot of the work that your stomach would try and do. All that fiber can wreck havoc on the gut because the body can not properly digest fiber, so it can end up making you feel bloated all the time and not light or energetic.
4. Plants do not contain critical nutrients that meat/animal foods contain. This is a crucial point. Vegans often recommend supplementing the diet with B12, Algae D3, Iron, and so on. I find this highly counterintuitive. In my eyes, a healthy and nutritious diet should contain everything you need without having to take tons of pills. Additionally, high quality supplements are expensive, and if you have to take it everyday, that’s a hassle and can end up costing you per month. All of the above nutrients…B12, iron, D3, etc can be found and easily absorbed in high quality animal foods.
5. I don’t have to eat as much. There is a reason that people salivate over a juicy steak and crave eggs or cheese or butter. It is because these foods have been consumed and enjoyed for decades longer than highly processed grains and legumes have. The foods are also more satisfying and leave you fuller for longer, therefore you do not have to be constantly eating because you never feel full. Fat takes much longer for the body to breakdown than carbs, so eating a diet rich in animal foods leaves you feeling energized and satiated.

This post contains a lot of helpful information about our evolution and the science behind using this kind of diet for longevity.

So does that mean you only eat meat…?

No, not yet. While I do want to try an experiment for 1-2 weeks to go completely carnivore (literally only eating animal products), for right now, I am still incoporating some greens and fruits in my diet still. Hopefully from my posts it is easy to gather than I am a believer in balance. I do not believe all plant foods are bad. I enjoy blending a banana in my smoothie, adding avocado to my eggs, and enjoying arugula in my salad. With all of that being said, I think it is important to be aware of both sides of the coin and not blindly believe a way of eating just because it is the trendy thing to do. I have moderated my plant intake in the past couple of months, and I feel better than ever. I used to blend several bananas into my Vitamix to make “ice cream”…now I’ll just eat real ice cream and feel way more satisfied. I used to pile on vegetables because all my meals had to contain green food to be “healthy”…now I can have some fish on its own and feel full without worrying about this.

But have you seen “game changers?”

To be completely transparent, I have not seen this film and have no intention to. This is because without even seeing the film, I believe a majority of it is propoganda, without a lot of facts. Based on what I’ve read and heard about the film, the main technique they use is fear-mongering to get people to become vegan. I would highly recommend considering several things before going plant-based. It can be easy to see an inspiring movie with high production value and want to join a “movement” but as someone who fell for this trap and still experiencies problems with my digestion from it, I’d like to make an argument against this movie, and against for what it stands for.

debunking the film and the truth behind “the game changers”

I’ve done my fair share of research into this film and I would say the most helpful content I’ve found to “debunk” is this: Food Lies Game Changers DEBUNKED (The Film) Just the Science. It turns out that James Cameron who is the Director of the film invested 140 million dollars in plant based proteins, including a company that produces pea protein which is a key ingrediant in Beyond Meat.

So if more people demand Beyond meat and plant based protein, the more money the investors in the film we make. Therefore this film is definitely pushing an agenda.

Let’s look at something pretty straightforward:

Ingredients in Beyond meat ground: Water, Pea Protein Isolate*, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein, Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Pomegranate Fruit Powder, Beet Juice Extract (for color).

Ingredients in beef: Beef.

Get the idea?

I don’t know about you guys, but I would rather be eating high quality animal protein which contains protein, fat, iron, minerals, B12 and so much more, than a high-processed packaged product that contains cellulose, man-made protein, and canola oil (I mean really…most people know canola oil is no good.)

Ultimately, this film tries to have you believe that we do not need animal protein to be healthy. We can get all our protein from plant based foods, and enough protein. Unfortunately, if you try and get all your protein from plants, you need to eat a lot of food. All the time. As I’ve said in the past, I personally believe that eating all the time because you constantly feel unsatisfied and hungry is not good for your metabolism or fat burning capabilities.

Additionally, eating animal products supports healthy hormone balance and beautiful skin. Much of my journey with health has revolved around dealing with my skin issues and finding natural ways to resolve it from the inside out. When I was plant-based, my skin was irritated, red and dry. I broke out in bumps around my nose and mouth area. Now with eating lots of animal fat, good protein and collagen, my skin is more plump/ healthier than it ever has been in my life.

Again I like to think I take a pretty balanced approach to life, so I am not trying to shut you down or insult you if you choose to follow a plant-based or vegan diet. If you like it and it works for you, that is great! For me, I remember being so emotionally involved in being vegan that I ignored my health symptoms and continued to do it until I reached a breaking point in my confidence. I would encourage you all to remember to always listen to your body, listen to your intuition and do what works for you regardless of what you hear or read on the Internet. This post offers a different perspective, and I hope you all can appreciate it!