HEATHER Fat There are two types of fat: saturated ‘bad’ fat and unsaturated ‘good’ fat. We don’t need saturated fat at all and yet it is in a vast range of foods, increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems. We do need some unsaturated fats, particularly those called essential fatty acids – omega3 and omega-6. Scientific research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids can help keep your heart healthy. Vegans obtain their omega-3 from nuts, seeds and green leafy vegetables and by adding 1–2 tsp of flax seed oil to their food each day. Flax seed oil is on sale in many natural food and grocery stores and should be kept refrigerated and not used for cooking as heat destroys the omega-3 oils. Foods often referred to as high fat such as nuts and seeds and their butters (eg almond butter, Brazil nut butter, peanut butter), avocados and small amounts of organic vegetable oils, especially canola (rape) and virgin olive, all go to make up a healthy diet. “I could never go back to eating meat, fish or dairy. The effect that our diet has on the rest of the world was brought home to me by an African woman at the Live Eight concert. She explained that in her home country children starved alongside fields filled with lush crops destined to be exported to Europe to be eaten by farmed animals. Viva! then joined up all the dots by explaining how livestock production is destroying the environment and the effect that dairy produce has on human health. Essentially it ain’t healthy – for us or the planet!”
Vitamins Vitamin A Vegetarians and vegans get plenty of vitamin A from foods containing betacarotene which our bodies convert to vitamin A. It is found in green vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli and watercress, as well as red and orange vegetables such as carrots, yams and sweet potatoes. Vitamin A has antioxidant properties and so protects against many diseases including cancers and heart 17