March is Nutrition Month

March is Nutrition Month, where we like to focus on wholesome, healthy living and look at which plants are best able to support that. Whole food plant-based is the healthiest way to eat on the planet, with huge health benefits for all.

This year’s VIP Challenge
Every March we send out some VIP Vegan Challenges to persuade those with influence to take leadership in this important area. This year we are asking the Minister for Health, Simeon Brown to take the 21 day Plant-Based Challenge, for his own health

We are also going to challenge the Minister for Women, Nicola Grigg, to empathise with dairy cows who are forced to lose their babies for human milk consumption. We ask her to stand up for females everywhere on International Women’s Day (8^th March) and go Dairy Free for a week.

All things healthy and colourful
The most nutritious and cheapest way to eat plant-based is to eat mostly whole foods. This month we focus on all things good for you 😊 Singling out which vegetables pack the best nutrients and looking at recipes that give you great tasting, delicious, nutritious whole foods.

Looking towards autumn, March is a time of harvest, preparing for winter and making the most of the light before equinox and the clocks go back. Make sure you take extra care of yourself during this time and keep hydrated.

As vegan foods are higher in fibre than animal products, many people do better eating smaller meals more often. Keeping your calories up is vital to ensure good health and well being. It’s important to keep your intake of “good” fats up and most people will benefit from an omega-3 oil such as flaxseed. There is no harm in taking the occasional supplement, particularly of B12. Meanwhile, making sure that you eat a variety, a rainbow of colours, will ensure that you get a good range of antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and anti-carcinogenic compounds.

More reasons to go vegan
And finally, if you needed any reasons to go vegan, how about this? A study done by Nobel Prizewinner Elizabeth Blackburn found that a vegan diet caused more than 500 genes to change in 3 months turning ON genes that prevent disease and turning OFF genes that cause cancer, heart disease and other illnesses.