Could You Do a 'Veganist' Diet?

Feb. 8, 2011 — -- In her new book, "Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World," Kathy Freston offers an approachable step-by-step guide to becoming a vegan.

Freston didn't always tout the benefits of this plant-based diet. In fact, she grew up eating deliciously meaty chicken-fried steaks and barbeque and dairy-filled cheesy grits and vanilla milkshakes. It wasn't until adulthood that she discovered the benefits of the vegan diet, not just for her general wellness but for the health of the planet as well.

In this book, Freston combines compelling facts with guidelines on how to embrace this lifestyle. So, if you've thought about veganism and have some questions about the transition process, this book could help you find the right path.

Read an excerpt from "Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World" below, then check out some other books in the "GMA" library

THERE ARE SO MANY MYTHS AND MISINFORMATION AROUND FOOD,so I suspect you might have a question or two. Here are theones most commonly asked, answered by Dr. Neal Barnardof the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Andif you have more questions, you might want to consult theirwebsite.

1. Where do I get iron if not from red meat?

The most healthful sources of iron are "greens and beans."That is, green leafy vegetables and anything from the beangroup. These foods also bring you calcium and other importantminerals.

Vegetables, beans, and other foods provide all the ironyou need. In fact, studies show that vegetarians and veganstend to get more iron than meat eaters. Vitamin C increasesiron absorption. Meanwhile, dairy products reduce iron absorptionsignificantly.

To go into a little more detail, there are actually two forms of iron. Plants have nonheme iron, which is more absorbablewhen the body is low in iron and less absorbable when thebody already has enough iron. This allows the body to regulateits iron balance. On the other hand, meats have hemeiron, which barges right into your bloodstream whether youneed it or not. The problem is that many people have toomuch iron stored in their bodies. Excess iron can spark theproduction of free radicals that accelerate aging, increase therisk of heart disease, and cause other problems.

So while it's important to avoid anemia, you also do notwant to be iron overloaded. It's probably best to have yourhemoglobin on the low end of the normal range. If your energyis good and your hemoglobin and hematocrit are at thelow end of normal, that is likely the best place to be.

Having said that, you will want your doctor to review yourlaboratory results and to track them over time. If your hemoglobinand hematocrit are dropping, that may be a sign ofblood loss. That can be from benign causes, such as menstrualflow, but can also reflect more dangerous health issues,such as intestinal bleeding.