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November, 1997
I don't even take juice because I believe so strongly in the whole food concept.
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Let's Talk Supplements
I have
read some of Andrew Weil's work recently and he
recommends antioxidants and some other supplements. What
do you think about the role of supplements in a vegan
nutrition program. Do you take them and what companies do
you recommend? The natural hygieniests seem to really
stay away from them, and there are others such as Gabriel
Cousens, M.D. author of Conscious Eating who recommend
many. I take some herbs and at times will take a
mutlivitamin and mineral. I try to take my nutrition out
of fruits, veges, nuts, seeds, and juices. I try to have
at least a quart of carrot/vege juice each week, apple
and orange juice regularly. My students consistently
bring up this question, please comment.
First off,
I take no supplements now. Fifteen years ago when I was
diagnosed with cancer and was going through the throes of
a major life shake-up, I went to see, among many others,
John McDougall, M.D. In the process of filling out my
medical history, I was asked if I took supplements and if
so, which ones. I remember thinking he'd be so proud of
me; I took EVERYTHING!
When I got to see him, he was impressed but not in the way I expected. He said, "WHY are you taking all of these supplements" Of course, my answer was that I was only trying to be very healthy and avoid cancer. He said to stop them all right now and that I'd get all the nutrients I needed from my new vegan, whole-food diet and, further, they'd be in the correct balance.
My book, "A Race For Life" goes thru the details of the calcium, iron and protein issues. I don't even take juice because I believe so strongly in the whole food concept. And I do eat a LOT of carrots. Juicing removes fiber which I know I need plus the teeth and jaw bones need the exercise, too.
Now I know that Weil, Couzens, etc. recommend supplements. Kenneth Cooper (THE Cooper of "aerobics" fame) wrote, among his many books, "The Anti-Oxidant Revolution." He's been following my case for years now and he write me up on pages 3 and 4. He describes my diet and then says that, "of course, most people won't eat this way. And since they won't, they should supplement." So it appears to me that the people who do recommend supplements either sell them, sell the books that recommend them, or refuse to eat the diet that gives them all the nutrients they need.
I also really don't think that it's bias on my part. When I went vegan, my race performances increased so much that I was really impressed. And, you can bet that if I thought a supplement would make me go even faster, I'd take it! By the way, I just had a two-race weekend, both first places with fast times. Saturday, a 5K and Sunday a half marathon. I couldn't believe how good I felt on Sunday when I kept expecting to feel the effects of fatigue from the race the day before. Today I swam a mile and ran 4, again, feeling great!
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