Vitamin B12#

Vitamin B12 is required and is not usually found in plant based foods, you need to have it to prevent multiple health issues including neurological damage, anemia and increased risk of dementia. Supplementation is fine and probably the easies option for most. Some foods such as milks, plant based meats and nutritional yeast have B12, however you will probably need to eat them consistently and multiple times per day. It could work, however you should not be afraid to try supplements and may find it easier and cheaper to do. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends "people over 50 should get most of their vitamin B12 from fortified foods or dietary supplements".

Too few calories, too much fiber or food volume#

Whole plant foods are usually low in calorie density. If you plan to maintain or increase your weight you might need to eat more volume. This may be challenging for your digestive system. In time, your body may habituate to the increased volume and fiber. However, other tips and tricks you may consider are:

• Fats contain 2.25 times the amount of calories than carbohydrates and proteins. Try introducing more fats into your diet. Almost in general, unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats, if your are going to add, add unsaturated fats.
• Shakes and smoothies are a good way to introduce calories and nutrients fast with a lower satiety response
• Creatine may help if one of the problems is reduction in muscle, specially when combined with resistance training.
• If you find yourself doing cardio, but not resistance training, consider using some exercise time for lifting weights.
• You may also introduce processed foods which typically contain less water, fiber and, in some cases, added calories. Most of the time you don't want to eat processed foods, but they can be helpful in some cases. Tempe and plant-based milks and burgers are processed usually healthy. They also could help when traveling or to reduce cooking time. In general, reading nutrition labels is a good skill to have.

Processed Foods#

Sugary drinks, cookies and chips can be vegan and still be unhealthy. Not all processed foods are bad, however you may have to be careful and read the nutritional label to make sure they are what you expect.

Tropical oils: Palm and coconut oil

These oils are very high in saturated fat that raises LDL cholesterol. They are different from saturated fats like Stearic acid, found in cacao, that do not raise LDL. Being from plants does not mean these fats are healthy compared to other mainly unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds and their oils.

// TODO: fat composition for palm, coconut, olive, avocado, soy, sunflower, peanut and almond

Raw Foods and Very Low Fat#

Nutrient Absorption

Some nutrients and antioxidants are more easily absorbed when cooked and accompanied by fats. Examples are vitamin A and lycopene.

Ease and Joy of Eating

You may need to eat an increased amount of volume and fiber, since they contain unprocessed fibers, more water and are usually of lower calorie density. Of course this could be good if you want to lose weight, however it may become a problem in the following years or if you exercise (which you should or at least be active) and struggle with a calorie deficit and low energy. Fats and textures found by cooking also improve the enjoyment of the food, which will be better for the long term sustainability of this lifestyle. In general, one should not do diets, one should change one's lifestyle.

Limited options and omission of healthful alternatives

Many cooked foods such as grains and legumes show healthful results in nutritional research and provide important nutrients, fibers and resistant starches that may be difficult to obtain otherwise. The same can be said of high fat foods such as nuts and seeds. Legumes, nuts and seeds are the primary whole food sources of proteins in a vegan diet.

Psychology, reasons to stop being vegan#

Social Isolation

Events and Invitations

Vitamin D, Creatine and Omega-3#

Supplement these nutrients if it's a concern for you. Most people, vegan or not, should probably do it. If you have access to blood test you can do them to inform proper dosing, specially for vitamin D, which is fat soluble. However, it's improbable that low doses will present problems for most people. Creatine has other brain benefits at high doses, but for the typical muscle related benefits you want to do combine it with resistance training.

Protein, Zinc, Calcium, Iron, ...#

Eat a variety of foods including legumes, nuts, seeds and vegetables.