Becoming Vegan. The Complete Reference to Plant Based Nutrition

851 Pages·2014·8.13 MB·English

by  Brenda Davis

PRAISE FOR BECOMING VEGAN: EXPRESS EDITION
“Registered dietitians Davis and Melina cover every aspect of the vegan life.
Their clear, detailed, and practical coverage of the benefits is supported by easy-
to-use, remarkably informative charts, and propelled by expertise and
enthusiasm. This is the go-to book for understanding and practicing healthy and
enjoyable veganism.”
American Library Association Booklist
“Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina are authoritative and influential leaders in
nutrition, and this is one of the most useful guides you will ever own. A plant-
based diet provides tremendous power for health. Becoming Vegan: Express
Edition gives you everything you need to put that power to work for the very
best of health.”
Neal Barnard, MD, adjunct associate professor of medicine,
George Washington University, president of PCRM
“Nutrition pros Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina have written the definitive
work on vegan nutrition. To all who want a clear, authoritative, and readable
guide to this increasingly important subject, Becoming Vegan: Express Edition
will prove to be a seminal and benchmark work.”
Michael Klaper, MD, consultant, educator, and physician
with True North Health Center
“Every so often a book comes along that you feel should be on every vegan’s
bookshelf. Becoming Vegan: Express Edition is one such book.”
Paul Appleby, senior statistician, Cancer Epidemiology Unit,
University of Oxford, England
AWARDS FOR BECOMING VEGAN: EXPRESS EDITION
Honorable Mention, Health, INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards 2013,
Foreword magazine
Canada Book Awards Winner, 2014
also by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina
Becoming Raw
(with Rynn Berry)
Becoming Vegan: Express Edition
Becoming Vegetarian
The New Becoming Vegetarian
The Raw Food Revolution Diet
(with Cherie Soria)
by Brenda Davis
Dairy-Free & Delicious
(with Bryanna Clark Grogan and Jo Stepaniak)
Defeating Diabetes
(with Tom Barnard, MD, and Barb Bloomfield)
by Vesanto Melina
Cooking Vegan
(with Joseph Forest)
Cooking Vegetarian
(with Joseph Forest)
Food Allergy Survival Guide
(with Jo Stepaniak and Dina Aronson, RD)
Food Allergies: Health and Healing
(with Jo Stepaniak and Dina Aronson, RD)
Raising Vegetarian Children
(with Jo Stepaniak)
BECOMING
VEGAN
COMPREHENSIVE EDITION
the complete reference to plant-based nutrition
Brenda Davis, RD
Vesanto Melina, MS, RD
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Davis, Brenda, 1959-
Becoming vegan : the complete reference on plant-based nutrition / Brenda Davis, RD, and Vesanto
Melina, MS, RD. — Comprehensive edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-57067-297-2 (pbk.) — ISBN 978-1-57067-900-1 (e-book) 1. Veganism—Health aspects. 2.
Veganism. 3. Nutrition. I. Melina, Vesanto, 1942- II. Title.
RM236.D38 2014
613.2'622—dc23
2014018034
Cover art: Julia Ruffles, http://www.juliaruffles.co.uk/
Cover and interior design: John Wincek
© 2014 Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, except for brief
quotations in reviews, without written permission from the publisher.
Printed in Canada
Book Publishing Company
P.O. Box 99
Summertown, TN 38483
888-260-8458
bookpubco.com
ISBN 13: 978-1-57067-297-2
19 18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Printed on recycled paper.
Book Publishing Co. is a member of Green Press Initiative. We chose to print this title on paper with
postconsumer recycled content, processed without chlorine, which saved the following natural resources:
133 trees
4,164 pounds of solid waste
62,207 gallons of water
11,470 pounds of greenhouse gases
60 million BTU of energy
For more information, visit greenpressinitiative.org.
Paper calculations from Environmental Defense Paper Calculator, edf.org/papercalculator.
To the visionaries before us and beside us, who have dedicated their lives to making this world a
kinder, gentler place:
■ Donald Watson, Dr. Frey Ellis, and the founders of the vegan movement;
■ Jay and Freya Dinshah, and others who started vegan organizations throughout the world;
■ Bob and Cynthia Holzapfel, and the hundreds of courageous plant-based pioneers at The Farm;
■ Jane Goodall, John Robbins, Albert Schweitzer, and all those who have guided our paths to
compassion;
■ Michael Klaper, Neal Barnard, Michael Greger, William Harris, and the many other physicians
who have dedicated their lives to assisting others toward healthful vegan lifestyles;
■ Virginia Messina, Reed Mangels, Sue Havala, Jack Norris, George Eisman, and the countless
dietitians who laid the foundations of vegan dietary wisdom.
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
CHAPTER 1 Widening the Circle of Compassion
CHAPTER 2 The Great Vegan Advantage
CHAPTER 3 Protein Power from Plants
CHAPTER 4 Balancing Fats
CHAPTER 5 Carbohydrates: The Whole Story
CHAPTER 6 Minding Your Minerals
CHAPTER 7 Vitamins: Vital for Life
CHAPTER 8 Clean, Strong Vegan Eating
CHAPTER 9 Expecting Vegans: Pregnancy and Lactation
CHAPTER 10 Growing Vegans
CHAPTER 11 Prime of Life: Nutrition for Seniors
CHAPTER 12 Weighty Matters
CHAPTER 13 The Vegan Athlete
CHAPTER 14 The Vegan Plate and Menus
APPENDIX: Recommended Intakes of Vitamins and Minerals
RESOURCES
REFERENCES
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We’re most grateful for our brilliant and dedicated colleagues at Book
Publishing Company, including publisher Bob Holzapfel, editors Cynthia
Holzapfel and Carol Kroskey, and marketing and support team Anna Pope,
Thomas Hupp, John Schweri, and Rhiannon Wolfe.
Our deepest thanks go to the insightful colleagues and friends who provided
invaluable feedback, thoughtful commentary, support, and inspiration: Reed
Mangels, Jack Norris, Ginny Messina, Paul Shapiro, Mark Rivkin, Margie
Colclough, Margie Roswell, Andres and Lily Vallejo, Heather Waxman, John
Pierre, Ruth Heidrich, James Chicalo, Carolyn Johnston, Andrea Frisque,
Stephane Lahaye, and Daneen Agecoutey.
Many thanks for the time and expertise of our gracious advisors: Paul
Appleby, Luciana Baroni, Winston Craig, Michael Greger, Michael Klaper,
Kristen Yarker, Joe Millward, Melvin H. Williams, Ricardo Uauy, Ailsa Welch,
Jagoda Ambroszkiewicz, Francesca Crowe, Undurti N. Das, John Davis, Jill
Wallace, and Freya Dinshah.
We appreciate the supportive energy of our research assistants: Renee
WebbPelchat, Deanna Ibbitson, Carole Douglas, Katherine Jassman, and Hana
Tahae.
Boundless love and gratitude to our partners, Paul Davis and Cam Doré, for
their continued dedication and support. Special thanks to Cam for his brilliant
and ongoing assistance with technical challenges.
Richest blessings to our cherished and supportive family members: Brenda’s
mother, Doreen Charbonneau; her mother-in-law, Linda Davis; her children,
Leena Markatchev and Cory Davis; and her son-in-law, Nayden Markatchev, and
to Vesanto’s children, Xoph Crawford and Kavyo Crawford; her son-in-law,
Stefan Shielke; her dear grandson, Chance Shielke, and to Claire and Audra
Doré.
Photographic credits and appreciation go to Kevin Trowbridge