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Easy Resolutions for a Healthy Vegan New Year

Happy 2013! There is nothing like a brand new year to inspire health-related resolutions. And while it’s tempting to resolve to make all kinds of big changes, sometimes a few little tweaks here and there are all we vegans really need. Here are ten ideas for vegans—mostly easy ways to fine-tune your diet and lifestyle. One of two of them might help to make your new year a little bit healthier.

1. Give some attention to calcium. It’s simple enough to get enough calcium from plant […]

By Ginny Messina|2013-01-01T09:57:35-05:00January 1st, 2013|Tags: Beans, Calcium, detox diet, Fat, glycemic index, Supplements|29 Comments

Goat’s Milk Soap, Happy Chickens, and Ellen DeGeneres

My local spay/neuter group (I’m on the board of directors) has been discussing the idea of selling animal-shaped soaps that are locally-made from goat’s milk as a way to raise funds. Needless to say, I’m opposed to this. I briefly expressed my concerns—which I know always raises a few eyebrows—and will wait to see what happens. Suffice it to say that I personally will not be promoting the sale of any goat’s milk soap.

The discussion arose at about the same time that Ellen DeGeneres casually mentioned on her TV show that she uses eggs from a neighbor’s backyard “happy chickens.” […]

By Ginny Messina|2020-04-30T11:17:14-04:00December 3rd, 2012|Tags: eggs, Ellen Degeneres, happy meat|65 Comments

A Healthy Start for Vegan Children

Casual recommendations regarding vegan diets can and do take a toll on the health of some vegans. There is no reason why vegans should ever be at risk for nutrient deficiencies. But if they don’t have access to good advice, or don’t follow it, deficiencies can certainly happen. And as one reader of this blog (a vegan mom) mentioned to me after reading a somewhat alarming article on feeding vegan children, “all of these issues are magnified tenfold when children are involved.”

Vegan kids have some clear advantages; their diets are low in saturated fat, free of […]

By Ginny Messina|2019-03-04T10:11:18-05:00November 5th, 2012|Tags: children, infants|35 Comments

Veggie RD Event and Gift Copy of “Vegan for Life!”

Vegetarian nutrition became a bona fide specialty back in 1992 when a small group of RDs established a practice group within the ADA (now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). It all feels like yesterday to me, but in a couple of weeks—on October 5-6—our group will be celebrating its 20^th anniversary in Philadelphia with some fun and informative events. If you live anywhere near Philly, I hope you’ll consider attending.

On Friday night we’ll be screening the movie Vegucated, followed by a Q&A with Reed Mangels, Ph.D, RD and Sharon Palmer, RD. I won’t be at this event […]

By Ginny Messina|2012-09-24T18:54:17-04:00September 24th, 2012|4 Comments

Ten Tips for Staying Happy and Healthy on a Vegan Diet

There is a long list of reasons why people fail on a vegan diet and return to the world of cheese sandwiches and fish fillets. They might have developed overt deficiencies or vague symptoms of poor health. Some ex-vegans say that they experienced depression or foggy thinking or fatigue without animal foods. Others struggled with challenging social situations or with cravings for animal foods.

The following ideas for staying happy and healthy on a vegan diet are all things I’ve written about before, but I wanted to condense them into a sort […]

By Ginny Messina|2017-11-01T17:14:47-04:00September 12th, 2012|Tags: Beans, convenience foods, Ex-vegans, Fat, glycemic index, Health, Iron, legumes, Mental health, Nutrition, Omega-3 Fats, Resources, Supplements, Umami, vitamin B12, Vitamin D|77 Comments

TheVeganRD on Facebook (Plus Pinterest, Presentations, and Podcasts)

Always slightly behind the curve in the world of social networking, I have finally managed to create a facebook page for this blog and my other vegan projects. If you’re on facebook, please “like” TheVeganRD. And, while you’re over in that part of the world, don’t forget to “like” Vegan for Life, too.

I’ve also made some changes on Pinterest, where I’ve combined my personal and VeganRD accounts. So, if you enjoy really decadent vegan recipes, vintage kitchens, vegan knitting, and pictures of adorable cats, please follow me on pinterest.

I also updated my

By Ginny Messina|2012-09-03T15:42:35-04:00September 3rd, 2012|3 Comments

Be a Vegan Mentor, Find a Vegan Mentor

One of the (very few) things I share in common with Oprah Winfrey is that we were both mentored by our 4^th grade teachers. Mine was Mrs. Kellogg, who worked extra hard to bring me out of my shy-kid shell, encouraged me to write, and made efforts to build my self-confidence. She had a profound impact on me in just a few months.

Over the years, other people, including college and grad school advisors, mentored me as I explored academic and career options. Without a doubt, my most important mentor in nutrition has been my husband Mark Messina. He’s […]

By Ginny Messina|2012-08-27T12:35:25-04:00August 27th, 2012|Tags: Vegan activism|25 Comments

The Plant-Powered Diet and Best Resources for Vegans

I’ve been a quiet blogger lately. Yesterday’s post on eating disorders was probably my first in a couple of months. It’s mostly because I’m in workaholic mode these days—lots going on in my personal life (nothing bad) and professional life (all good). The big thing that has me glued to the computer some 60-70 hours a week right now—and waking up at 3:00 a.m. to email myself ideas and reminders—is a book that is due to the publisher later this year. I’m excited about this book for a number of reasons, not the least is that it’s going to include […]

By Ginny Messina|2012-08-09T11:41:08-04:00August 9th, 2012|Tags: Resources|33 Comments

New Research on Weight Control, Vegetarian Diets and Eating Disorders

A new study on “vegetarian” diets and eating disorders was published in the August 2012 issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.(1) The findings suggest than women with a history of disordered eating are more likely to have been vegetarian for weight control reasons than women who had never had an eating disorder.

As in most studies on this topic, the term vegetarian was poorly defined. Subjects were simply asked “Have you ever considered yourself a type of vegetarian (eg, not eating beef but eating other meat; not eating any meat at all)?” Obviously, many of the […]

By Ginny Messina|2012-08-08T13:09:05-04:00August 8th, 2012|Tags: Eating disorders|7 Comments

Vitamin D Supplements Are Still Important for Some Vegans

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is recommending that healthy postmenopausal women avoid low-dose supplements of vitamin D (up to 400 IU) or calcium (up to 1,000 milligrams) because evidence is lacking for a protective effect and there may be a small increase in risk of kidney stones.

It’s not really clear whether these supplemental doses are too low to have an effect (the evidence was lacking for a recommendation regarding higher doses) or whether it’s just that supplements are unnecessary if your diet already provides enough of these nutrients. The preliminary draft report makes no mention of […]