578: Why I Stopped Being Vegan - The Nutritional Perspective

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Mar 19, 2025

Discover a personal journey from a long-term vegan diet to a more balanced approach due to health challenges. The discussion highlights the critical role of essential nutrients often missing in plant-based diets, like vitamin B12, iron, and protein. The speaker shares insights on sourcing vitamins from natural foods rather than synthetic supplements. Emphasizing the value of listening to one's body, the conversation encourages open dialogue about dietary choices while questioning nutritional norms and individual needs.

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ANECDOTE

Veganism Journey and Cancer Diagnosis

Hal Elrod adopted veganism after attending Tony Robbins' seminar in 1999, initially feeling energized.
After a cancer diagnosis and blood tests revealing B12 deficiency, he questioned veganism's adequacy.

INSIGHT

B12 and the Vegan Diet Paradox

Vitamin B12, vital for bodily functions, is primarily found in animal products.
Elrod questions why a natural human diet would lack such a crucial nutrient, challenging veganism's premise.

INSIGHT

B12's Importance

Vitamin B12 is crucial for red blood cell formation, brain health, and DNA synthesis.
Its absence in plant-based foods raises questions about veganism's compatibility with human nutritional needs.

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For over a decade, I ate a "mostly" organic vegan diet and believed that I was fueling my body with the most nutritious food available. I say mostly because I didn't believe in inconveniencing people to accommodate my dietary preferences, so I was pretty flexible when other people were involved.

However, I experienced some health challenges including low energy and brain fog, and I realized that there were some vital nutrients that I was deficient in, which were missing from my vegan diet. Although I could supplement them, I wondered why they weren't prevalent in what I thought was the diet nature intended. That’s when I started questioning everything I thought I knew about nutrition.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing my journey of transitioning from vegan to a more balanced diet loaded with organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fats, as well as local pasture-raised, ethically sourced meats and eggs.

To be clear, this is NOT to convince you to change your diet but rather to encourage you to consider what our bodies truly need to thrive. This episode isn’t meant to be preachy. There’s no one-size-fits-all diet. It’s about listening to your body, questioning nutritional norms, and making informed decisions so that your diet contributes to optimizing your energy and lifespan.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The role of vitamin B12 and why its absence in plant foods made me rethink my diet
The challenges of getting key nutrients like iron, protein, and vitamins from a vegan diet
How human history and evolution explain why meat has been a dietary staple
Nutrition isn’t one-size-fits-all. Listen to your body and get your blood tested regularly

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To get full access to today's show notes, including audio, transcript, and links to all the resources mentioned, visit MiracleMorning.com/578

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