100% Vegetarian?
2.3 - Do I Have to be 100% Vegetarian?
In his book Whole, Dr. T. Colin Campbell notes that a strict 100 percent whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet isn't necessary for seeing positive results unless you are managing specific diseases. This flexibility might seem appealing, but in the long run, you may actually discover it’s easier to go fully WFPB than, for example, 90 percent WFPB.
The challenge lies in human nature. Allowing occasional "treats" such as animal products or high-calorie foods like cookies or ice cream can trigger cravings for more. These treats are hyperpalatable, stimulating dopamine signals in your brain and making you crave more due to their caloric density. This dopamine response served a critical purpose during our evolution, helping us seek out greater caloric density to survive periods of food scarcity. However, food scarcity is no longer an issue for most of us, and the excess calories we consume is stored as fat. Also, most people today have far more sedentary lifestyles than our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
Many people transition to a 100 percent WFPB diet once they see how good they feel and how easy it can be. Others transition more slowly as they learn more about this way of eating. The benefit of transitioning 100 percent is that you no longer tease your body with hyperpalatable foods. As Dr. Campbell explains, again in Whole, going completely plant-based allows your taste buds to adapt to new flavors and reduces the psychological burden of craving unhealthy foods. As he points out, you wouldn’t tell someone trying to quit smoking that they should treat themselves to an occasional cigarette.
Book: Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, with Howard Jacobson, PhD
In his book Whole, Dr. T. Colin Campbell notes that a strict 100 percent whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet isn't necessary for seeing positive results unless you are managing specific diseases. This flexibility might seem appealing, but in the long run, you may actually discover it’s easier to go fully WFPB than, for example, 90 percent WFPB.
The challenge lies in human nature. Allowing occasional "treats" such as animal products or high-calorie foods like cookies or ice cream can trigger cravings for more. These treats are hyperpalatable, stimulating dopamine signals in your brain and making you crave more due to their caloric density. This dopamine response served a critical purpose during our evolution, helping us seek out greater caloric density to survive periods of food scarcity. However, food scarcity is no longer an issue for most of us, and the excess calories we consume is stored as fat. Also, most people today have far more sedentary lifestyles than our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
Many people transition to a 100 percent WFPB diet once they see how good they feel and how easy it can be. Others transition more slowly as they learn more about this way of eating. The benefit of transitioning 100 percent is that you no longer tease your body with hyperpalatable foods. As Dr. Campbell explains, again in Whole, going completely plant-based allows your taste buds to adapt to new flavors and reduces the psychological burden of craving unhealthy foods. As he points out, you wouldn’t tell someone trying to quit smoking that they should treat themselves to an occasional cigarette.
Book: Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, with Howard Jacobson, PhD