Nutrition: Bill ‘the herbivore’ Clinton

Ms. Sherman is a registered nurse with an interest in natural foods and wellness. She is the former owner of Greeny’s, a natural food market on the Island. The information in her articles is for general interest and is not intended to replace medical advice or attention.

I was blown away the other night when I heard former President Bill Clinton announce to David Letterman and the rest of the world that he has gone on an all plant-based diet. Finally, someone with some clout is speaking out for the vegans of the world.

Let’s start with the word “vegan.” What exactly is a vegan? A vegan is a person who chooses not to eat anything that is made from animals, fish or fowl. I’ve know some vegans who won’t even eat honey because it is made by bees. Yes, I know bees are not quite animals, fish or fowl, but they are a life form that has a mother, so some very strict vegans have put them on the “no” list.

Now, to what extent a vegan is a vegan seems to depend on why exactly they became vegan in the first place. If people choose to become vegan because they hold a high respect for the other creatures that inhabit this planet, they will be the bee-protecting, non-leather-wearing, wouldn’t-touch-an-egg-with-a-10-foot-pole type of vegan. If they have turned vegan because of health reasons, they might be a little more relaxed.

I have a lot of respect for the “higher purpose vegans” but I want to talk about the health reasons and not the moral ones.

Many of you old-schoolers out there might still think that vegans are all thin, pale, frail and lack muscle definition. You are partially correct. Some do not pay attention to exactly what they are eating. As long as it does not come from a thing with a mother, they are okay with it. Unfortunately this ignores our bodies’ need for balanced nutrition.

What most people don’t realize is that they have an alternative to eating meat or other animal products for getting the protein needed in a balanced diet. You can get all the protein you need from a plant-based diet as long as you are willing to eat a good variety of legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit.

Most plants do not have complete proteins like meat does. What that means is they only have part of what is needed to make a protein amino acid strand. But the body knows what it needs. If you eat part of a protein strand with one meal and the second part a few days later, your body will still combine these partial proteins to make a complete one. Just like that, you’ve met your nutritional needs for protein! If you eat rice and beans in one meal, you have the right combination to make a complete protein —  no need to eat that piece of meat.

By eliminating the animal products from your diet, you are essentially eliminating bad cholesterol and fat from your world. No cholesterol, heart disease less likely. No fat, obesity less likely. No obesity, diabetes less likely. Take a minute to think about your diet. How often do you eat butter, cheese, a hamburger, ice cream, coffee creamer, bacon, creamy salad dressings, pizza or a sandwich? All of these are animal products and all are high in cholesterol.

I have just finished a book called “The China Study,” which takes a different look at animal products and the relationship between animal protein and cancer. Fat has always been blamed for these types of afflictions, not the almighty protein. The huge study considered different villages in the Far East and showed that the more affluent people were, the more meat they could afford and the more cancers they developed. Some of the poorer villagers ate 0 to 7 grams of animal protein per day on average and they had almost no cancer history. Hmm, makes you think, doesn’t it?

There is one thing I wanted to bring to light after watching Bill Clinton talk about his new lifestyle. President Clinton had just had a new stent put in and had been on a crash diet to look good for his daughter’s wedding. He looked weak, pale and frail. So, the next time you hear him talk about this, I would like you to listen closely but with your eyes closed.