GO VEGAN - To make up the nutrients in a milk-free diet

As we have covered in Parts One and Two of this series, the idea that milk is an essential element in our diet is untrue. Rather than being an essential component, dairy products are seen as a poor food choice with studies now show that high milk consumption has links to poor heart health, diabetes and some cancers.

However can you get adequate essential nutrients from other sources in your diet? The answer is a resounding YES! Nutritious vegan diet is delicious, healthy and has all the nutrients needed for a healthy lifestyle. Yet it contains no dairy products!

Let's look at this a little more closely and see how a vegan/vegetarian diet contains all essential nutrients that dairy contains, without the harmful side effects.

Protein

While milk is rich in protein, the daily requirements can be found in a range of vegetable products. It is easy to make up a delicious and nutritious vegan diet which contains all your protein needs by including the following: beans, nuts, chickpeas, tofu, peas, grains such as quinoa and leafy greens such as kale and spinach.

Calcium

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, “Calcium is a mineral that the body needs for numerous functions, including building and maintaining bones and teeth, blood clotting, the transmission of nerve impulses, and the regulation of the heart’s rhythm.”

The calcium can be found in many sources. These include: dark leafy greens such as kale, broccoli or collard greens, tofu or dried beans, blackberries, dates and oranges.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential in helping our bodies to take up dietary calcium. However again there is a wide range of other sources of Vitamin D. For a vegan diet though, food sources include oranges, mushrooms and soy milk. However the answer may also be to get out in the daylight more as Vitamin D is produced naturally by the body as it is exposed to the sun. The usual recommended dose is around ten to fifteen exposure to direct sunlight.

As evidence continues to show that a diet high in dairy products is actually harmful to our health with the present high sugar versions ofthe traditional milk product implicated in modern day epidemics such as obesity and Type 2 Diabetes, it is clear that a dairy-free diet is necessary for our health and well-being.

So if a sensible vegan diet can supply all the nutrients, vitamins and goodness that milk contains without the potential bad side effects, why not consider changing?

Syndian Natural Food Products specialises in a wide range of vegan products that would replace the nutrients that a diet high in dairy products contains. Our ethos is to provide our customers with quality, nutritious (and delicious!) products that can be introduced seamlessly into your diet.

See our range of products to find out how we can help provide you with the basis for a sound and healthy vegan diet.