Plant-Based Diet Gaps These Supplements Can Easily Resolve Now

Brian Strickland  00:06

Hey everyone, welcome back to Nutrition Made Simple a video series that we created that takes a look at natural health topics and then we break them down into easy to understand and actionable steps that anybody can take. And for the month of April, we have actually been focusing on plant based diets and some of the challenges that comes with that and some of the benefits too. And today, I actually have Brianna here with me, she's a new face on this series, but we're happy to have her. She's our office manager and one of our new health coaches as well. And she is our expert as far as plant based diets are concerned. I am definitely not. So if you tuned in last week, or read the email, that was Brianna's contribution, just about a practical approach on how to implement a plant based diet, what meals look like from day to day. So we hope that was informative and helpful for you. But today, we're actually going to be taking a look at one of the challenges that occurs when people follow plant based diets, and that's nutrient deficiencies. Obviously, anytime that you're eliminating a whole food group, there are going to be some difficulties that come with that. And one of those is nutrient deficiencies. So, Brianna, in your experience, how about you give us your top five nutrient deficiencies that you might be concerned about?

Brianna Taylor  01:28

Okay, so I have gotten bloodwork pretty periodically, since I've started being vegan, mainly because I worked for a doctor that was able to take levels on me at a normal basis. But the first one that's pretty important is vitamin B 12. So we get some of our B vitamins from the soil, and we get some of our B vitamins from animal products. But our soil is so sanitized now and so different. So we're not getting a lot of the B vitamins, just from our vegetables and our produce that are grown in the soil. So vitamin B 12 is a big one. A lot of times when people have a vitamin B 12 deficiency, they don't feel super well, they're not super energized. But I I just take a B complex that's methylated. That way, I don't know if I had the genetic mutation that MTHFR mutation, but I'll just assume that I do, because a lot of people do have it. So bloodwork that I get kind of on a yearly basis would be like a vitamin B 12 level, homocysteine, or methylmalonic acid. Homocysteine is great, because if that number is super high, it means that you have a Vitamin B deficiency. So I just take a B complex just to be safe. And we have a couple at the store that are methylated.

Brian Strickland  02:53

Yeah, absolutely. And if you're not familiar with methylation, or what that means, or the genetic mutation, we have plenty of resources that you can find, just search our website, visit our YouTube channel, we have plenty of information on that subject. So to start out B 12.

Brianna Taylor  03:09

Yeah. And the second one, I mean, a lot of people talk about being deficient in protein. But the truth is, if you're eating enough of the right foods, then you shouldn't be deficient in protein. But for myself, I wouldn't call myself an athlete, but I'm super active. So I do start my morning with a plant based shake. And I know I'm getting 20 grams of protein off the bat. I use a really clean one made by Truvani that I know that has about five ingredients, it doesn't have a lot of extra in there. But other than the beans and the nuts and the seeds that I'm eating, I'll just add in a protein shake once a day. And I feel that my protein needs are met for what I need.

Brian Strickland  03:54

Alright, so in on the topic of nuts and seeds, while while we're talking about it. I know magnesium was another one that you mentioned. And there are nuts and seeds that are really, really really good sources of magnesium, some of the highest that you'll find naturally. But let's talk about magnesium deficiency for just a minute.

Brianna Taylor  04:12

Yeah, so I didn't know this, but 80% of the population is deficient in magnesium and medications deplete magnesium. Stress and fatigue deplete magnesium. So you know it's while we do get a little bit of magnesium in our diet, I know that I carry a good amount of stress in my life. I don't sleep the greatest all the time. So it's easy for me to take a magnesium supplement at night. You know citra-mate is one of my favorite it's a blend of citrate and malate. And citrate helps with relaxation and sleep. It also keeps you regular. So it's a great supplement just to take every day. If I have a client who needs no help in digestion whatsoever, glycinate is a great option. And just to take, you know, 400 milligrams at night is just super easy to do just to incorporate in your supplement regimen.

Brian Strickland  05:09

Yeah, the biggest thing with magnesium and we preach this all the time is just to stay away from magnesium oxide. That's a particular form of magnesium, that you will find really, in most supplements on the shelves sadly. This is a really poorly absorbed magnesium. And really, it's better used as a laxative than anything else. So if you're wanting the benefits magnesium, or you think you're deficient, some sort of chelate like Brianna mentioned, like a glycinate, or we have bisglycinate, malate, anything, those that are ending in "ate" those are really kind of the ones that you're searching for, because they're formulated to absorb the best. Alright, so magnesium, hands down one of the easiest and best nutrients that you can find, and take on a daily basis. What's next?

Brianna Taylor  05:58

Alright, so the next thing would be an omega three. And omega three index, you know that I think the national average is something like a four. So obviously, we want to do better than a four. And that's just letting us know, kind of the ratio between EPA and DHA. So you can easily get that tested. There's a website called omega quant, and you can get your omega three index done, you know, through the mail, you pick your own finger and send your blood test off. But we don't eat fish. So while you can eat a lot of flax seeds, and things that you think would be kind of rich in omegas, it's kind of hard to get that level up. So we carry algae based omegas up a store, which are wonderful. But I would just suggest, if you don't want to take an omega three, like made from actual fish, just to double that plant base dose, just to make sure you're getting those adequate omega threes in your diet.

Brian Strickland  07:00

Right. And one of the big contributors here is make the ratio between omega sixes and omega three. So that's really important. So especially as a vegan, you do have the possibility of those elevated omega six levels, which can lead to a lot of unwanted inflammation and some other health issues. So getting your omega threes is really, really important. Alright, so we have one more, what's the last on the list?

Brianna Taylor  07:22

Yeah, so the last thing on the list would be vitamin D, which we know we get a lot of sunshine, we think but not really, you know, mushrooms are very rich in vitamin D. I tend to eat a lot of mushrooms, but I just I've decided to supplement with vitamin D probably for the rest of my life. And there's two types there's vitamin D: D2 and then there's Vitamin D3. D2 is always going to be vegan or vegetarian but D3 super beneficial. So there are a ton of vitamin D3s out there that are not derived from any animal products we carry a lot of them at the store I think the Enzymedica one is great. So um, you know they're printed on the bottle. They just say vegan at the bottle. And I take a D3 for my D3.

Brian Strickland  08:13

Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, Enzymedica actually has a formula that is fully vegan, and it's a D3 and K2. So anytime that you're taking D3, we will always encourage you to take a K2 as well, just because the D3 increases your calcium absorption, but the K two is actually directing that calcium where it needs to go which is in your bones. Otherwise, you could have the potential for calcium forming in the arteries or other places in your body that you really don't want it. And that one. I think the D3 is actually from shataki mushrooms if I'm not mistaken. Yeah. So US grown shataki mushrooms. It's a really, really great option for people following a vegan lifestyle that want to take a D3. Alright, is there anything else do we cover everything?

Brianna Taylor  09:01

I think we covered everything. Iron is another one potentially. But I will say as a vegan, I donate blood a lot like every 45 days. Because that's one little thing I can do and my hemoglobin level what they check when they prick your finger. It's never once been below the recommended level. And I think it's because I just I eat a good array of good vegetables and I mix beans and tofu and seeds. They're all rich in iron. So I personally haven't had a problem but getting an iron total or a ferritin level checked every now and then would be a good idea for anyone that doesn't eat a wide array of array of like whole food items.

Brian Strickland  09:44

Yeah, absolutely. And just like everything else or any other diet, you want to stick to the outer perimeter of the grocery store, find the whole foods that are actually going to give you the nutrients you need. Try to stay away from the center aisles as much as possible. There's nothing wrong with them. You can get those things but if you're concerned about getting the nutrients you need as a person who follows a plant based diet, then this whole foods are really going to be your best bet. So, thank you, Bri. We appreciate your input as always, and thank you guys for watching. We really hope this was helpful. As always, if you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out. You can ask us here on YouTube, you can visit our social media. Nutritionw.com is our website or you can visit us in store and we're always happy to help in any way that we can. We'll see you next guy. We'll see you next time guys. Have a great week. Take care.