Should I take supplements?

 
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ABOUT US HEALTH PROGRAMMES RECIPES RESOURCES
 
 

From the desk of Dr Nandita Shah

If you are on a plant-based diet, chances are that people are asking you if you’re getting enough nutrients. We have been bombarded with the myths that we need milk for calcium and meat or at least dairy products for proteins. Many people think multivitamins are insurance for good health. Added to this we are hearing about superfoods, prebiotics, probiotics, etc. The supplement market is huge and is growing every day. It needs us to believe these myths and buy its products.

Nature is always abundant. Very few people who eat well are protein-deficient. A lack of calcium intake is almost unknown. However, people get osteoporosis even though they have been consuming dairy, a ‘source’ of calcium, all their lives. Could it be because this same dairy is acidic and calcium is leached out from the bones to neutralise it? 

So instead of asking whether you need a supplement, it is better to ask ‘why would I be deficient in protein/calcium/iron/other nutrients’? If we live according to nature’s laws and eat and drink what is natural for our species, there is no doubt that we will have an abundance of all the nutrients that we need. The reason that we recommend checking and supplementing only vitamins B12 and D is that these nutrients are not always easily available due to our modern lifestyles. Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria. And vitamin D is a hormone produced by the action of the sun on our skin. If we aren’t exposed to enough bacteria and the sun, we may lack them. These are the only two supplements that might be required by those on a well-balanced whole food plant-based diet.

Our health is in our own hands. A special free talk in Hindi has been curated for all women – Importance of Pelvic Floor muscles this Sunday. Register here

 
 

I am really into fitness. Do I need to take protein supplements?

https://youtu.be/salJFJ1nxR8

Raw Zucchini and Beetroot Salad with Lime Avocado Dressing

High-quality, whole, organic raw foods are bursting with nutrients. Be sure to consume foods in all the colours of the rainbow every day.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

  • ½ a yellow zucchini, julienned
  • ½ a green zucchini, julienned
  • ½ a beetroot, julienned
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • ½ avocado, chopped
  • 2-3 kaffir lime leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp lemongrass paste (lemongrass stalks ground to a fine paste), optional
  • 1-2 tbsp lime avocado dressing
  • A few walnuts, chopped, for the garnish

Method:

Place all the ingredients (except the walnuts) in a mixing bowl and toss gently. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped walnuts.

Serve chilled.

Food For The Mind

FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP

If you love Facebook, then join us to be supported on your plant based journey. We are offering two possibilities

1. SHARAN India is SHARAN’s main Facebook page which you can like and follow for getting useful daily updates and news from the plant based health world. You will also get news about the latest SHARAN events, see testimonials, and more.

2. SHARAN’s Vegan Support Group is an open support group to know more about vegan/plant-based lifestyle. Here you can ask questions and share inspiring stories, tips, recipes, etc.

All our doctors and presenters will be here to answer your questions and give you tips. If you have attended our events join this group to be a part of our family.

Please like the main SHARAN page and join the group(s) applicable to you.

 

Supplementation can be harmful
 

In nature, nutrients and minerals are available in different foods in balance. Having too much of a good thing can, in reality, be bad. If there is a deficiency, instead of supplementing, we should ask the question why do I have a deficiency and what should I change in my lifestyle to solve it? Resolving the root cause will help maintain the balance. Remember that high-quality, whole, organic raw foods are bursting with nutrients. Include green smoothies and salads in your meals every day.

Here are some reasons why unnecessary supplementation is harmful.

1. Excess is as harmful as lack

Too much vitamin C can reduce the available vitamin B. Too much calcium can reduce iron absorption. People take large doses of vitamin B12 thinking that it’s a water-soluble vitamin and the excess will be flushed out. However, that is a load on the kidneys. We should never take doses that are more than the RDA (recommended daily allowance), but supplements often have really high doses. On the other hand, whole foods have these nutrients in balance with others.

2. Supplements may contain other ingredients

The ingredients of the tablet, its capsule or filler, or the preservatives and colouring materials may all be unnecessary chemicals.

3. They are a load on the liver and kidneys

The supplements and their ingredients are broken down by the liver and excreted by the kidneys. These are an unnecessary and avoidable load on these organs.

4. They prevent our bodies from working efficiently 

Our bodies work to extract nutrients from our foods. If we always have an excess of them this process will stop working.

5. Supplements cost a lot

It is better to spend money on good-quality, organic whole foods than on supplements.

 
 
https://staging.sharan-india.org/people/reyna-rupani/

This newsletter was compiled by SHARAN Head of Mumbai, Reyna K Rupani. She facilitates the Six Weeks to Health Gain & Weight Loss program and also conducts health talks for schools, groups, corporates and more.

Edited by Seema Nayak, who has benefitted a great deal by going on a whole food plant-based diet.

Sanctuary for Health and Re-connection to Animals and Nature (SHARAN) is a social enterprise with the goal of spreading awareness about holistic health and an ecologically sustainable compassionate lifestyle.
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