Vegan Nutrition with Marty Davey

Marty Davey is a Registered Dietitian and has a Masters degree in Food and Nutrition from Marywood University. She became a vegetarian in 1980 when she discovered that the chemicals in American meat made them unsellable to Europeans. She and her husband have raised their son as a vegan. She teaches nutrition and has a private practice specializing in assisting clients transitioning to a plant-based regime step by step. Her website is martydavey.com

I am an overweight vegan and realizing that I might have a thyroid problem. I was told to get more iodine and stop soy. I have stopped all soy, but maybe once a month and am using real salt. My symptoms really got worse since I have not used any Real Salt (brand) for the last month. I would really like to see this addressed and some ideas on how to help my symptoms.....cold feet and nose, very low morning temperatures, tired, and not losing weight. My diet right now is extremely low fat. I don't get enough exercise and that is the only thing I can think of for the lack of weight loss. I do have way too much stress in my life too.

Article continues below

Guessing that you have a thyroid problem is not a great idea. Get a test to be sure. A lot of vegans do not get enough iodine. Speak to your healthcare practitioner if your test shows that you are low. You do have some classic iodine deficiency symptoms, but self-diagnosis is very dangerous.

Now, ?splain me this one. You feel okay using a product containing iodine. You stop using it and feel worse. And you don't know what to do. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, maybe you should use the product again. But then, I'm just full of crazy ideas. Or you could add seaweed to your diet. An ounce of kelp or wakame has more than 200% of the daily recommended iodine intake. Not only do they give dishes a wonderful flavor, but dulse's flavor enhancing properties were what prompted extracting MSG from the plant. It is yet another example of using the symbiotic properties of a whole plant versus yanking an active ingredient and thinking it will have the same effect on the body.

I did research on the product you use and found no adverse information. Again, I would have your iodine level checked, and add seaweed to your diet.

I've read a lot about the soy/thyroid issue. Why do you need soy in your diet?

There is absolutely no reason to have soy as a part of your diet. There are a number of grains which have all of the amino acids you need. There are other milks you can use with your cereal, coffee or cooking. There is no soy in fruits and vegetables, so you are covered with these foods which should be the bulk of your daily menu. Soy should never be looked at as the ultimate in protein intake. There are a myriad of other sources.

The grains quinoa and kamut are fabulous in the protein department. Quinoa does have a significant amount of iodine. Everyone should be including whole grains into their diet on a daily basis.

If your weekly menu includes different grains and legumes your fiber and proteins needs are met. You do not need to do that silly bean/grain combo at every meal. Just eat them daily. Variety is a great thing. [Legumes also have iodine in small amounts, so adding them is a great idea.]

Now, your weight loss. You may have a thyroid issue, but let's take it from the idea that you are in control of your health.

Weight loss is a lot easier than we think. Complicating it makes us able to eschew the work involved. Weight management is calories in equals calories out. If you are not expending enough calories to equal your intake then you are will either not lose weight or gain weight.

You mention that you have a very low fat diet. I don't what that means. Some people think 25% of their foods coming from concentrated fat sources, such as olive oil or canola oil, is low. I consider very low to be around 5% to come from concentrated fat sources. I include nuts and seeds in that concentrated fat sources.

I hope you are including walnuts and other nuts and seeds in your diet. You need those essential fatty acids. You do not need concentrated oils such as olive oil. You may want some for flavor, but you do not need it as long as you have adequate nuts and seeds.

In addition to the nuts and seeds, B12 should be on your list of supplements as well as vitamin D2. Many people are low on vitamin D because of our indoor lifestyles.

You are right to mention physical activity. Getting active can not only decrease weight, but give you energy and stamina.

The last point you bring up is stress. On my DVD, Why do I have Stubborn Belly Fat when I do a Million Crunches a day [to be released September 2009], I explore the stress-weight gain factor. The skinny on this is that stress raises cortisol levels. Cortisol is released when the body is stressed, and any type of stress will do. So, when your evil boss wants to ?have a word with you?, cortisol is released.

If you get through this tete-a-tete relatively unscathed, you can function through the adrenaline rush and recover. However, this leads to feelings of exhaustion and increased hunger sensations. The result can be weight gain. Epel et al, showed that women with increased abdominal fat had higher levels of stress. Abdominal fat excess has been a risk factor for heart disease.1

What's the take home message? Get your iodine and vitamin D tested, and talk to your primary care practitioner about the results. Cut out the soy and bring in lots of legumes and whole grains. Add seaweed to the mix. Of course, have 9 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Take 1000mcg of B12 twice a week. Keep an ounce or so of walnuts and other nuts and seeds in your daily regime.

Lastly, you'll be kicking up the physical activity to at least 45-60 minutes a day to round out a very healthy lifestyle that will be with you in long term.

Get your own personal nutrition consultation with Marty here.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

See full index of questions

Sponsors: