Final VVC 2013 Recap: Dinner at Blossoming Lotus; Nutrition Trends and Activism

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Here we are, at the last of my VVC 2013 recaps. I’m happy you’ve been enjoying them!

Sunday was our last day of conferencing, and it was to be my final day of presenting, too. The panel I was on was originally called “hot topics in vegan nutrition,” but it evolved to become “How Hot Topics in Nutrition Influence Vegan Advocacy.” My co-panelists were Ginny Messina, R.D., whose work you’ve undoubtedly heard me discuss in superlatives, and Jasmin Singer, who is the Executive Director of Our Hen House. OHH is an organization close to my heart, not only because I’m a member of the advisory committee, but also because I believe in the non-profit’s commitment to showing people how to find their way to help animals.

The panel was originally conceived of as a discussion of fads and trends in vegan (and non-vegan) nutrition, but as we discussed the panel, we kept returning to the issue of activism. That is, we weren’t only interested in sharing our opinions on such topics as oil, paleo diets, and antioxidants–though any of us would be happy to address these things–but we also wanted to address how these movements help and hinder efforts to share vegan ethics.

Of course, we did talk about some trends and fads in the nutrition world. I talked about my history of extremism, and how learning to appreciate veganism as a whole lifestyle helped to pull me out of my eating disorder. Because I’ve had this experience, I’m wary of any eating style that is especially restrictive, focused on things that are off limits, or characterized by stark rules. I don’t tend to think that such black and white thinking is necessary if one is already eating a plant based, vegetable-centric diet, and I think it’s often the case that the stress that results from obsessing over one’s food choices is less healthy than whatever occasional treats or indulgences you might want to enjoy.

As far as activism goes, I think it’s important for us to remember that eating a hyper-health conscious diet, regardless of whether or not it’s beneficial, is not really what veganism is all about. It’s wonderful to be conscious of the health properties of one’s food–I take delight in considering how different ingredients are nourishing my body–but the real defining characteristic of veganism is that one is eating with compassion for animals. This can include a huge range of food, not all of it ultra-healthy, and that’s fine. Veganism offers something for everyone, and vegans who are particularly focused on health are not better than vegans who aren’t. What unites us all is our choice to abstain from animal foods, and we create a strong common ground from this place.

We had a bunch of great reader questions, but one that stuck with me was a reader who asked how we respond to stories of people thriving on paleo diets, or other non-vegan diets. Does vegan activism mean that we have to counter these accounts?

I say no, of course not–being vegan doesn’t mean trying to minimize or deny other peoples’ experiences. I think it’s entirely possible that many people feel their best eating paleo (I tend to think that this is not because of the presence of meat or other animal foods, but rather, the absence of processed foods). Regardless, this has nothing to do with the power of veganism as a means of exercising compassion. Veganism is not the only healthy diet–there are probably a great many healthy diets, so long as they include a lot of vegetables and not a lot of processed stuff. For me, the important question is not, “is veganism the only way I can be healthy?” but rather, “is veganism the best way for me to be compassionate–and can I do that while also maintaining good health?” My own experience has given me a strong answer of “yes.”

So that was sort of how the panel went. I’m sure it was a disappointment to those who were expecting something a little more nutrition-focused, but it was a worthy and important discussion.

In the morning on Sunday, before my panel, I watched one of my vegan heroes, Laura Beck, moderate a panel on body image.

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This panel, however unrelated to our nutrition panel at first glance, was in my mind later as I spoke. The crux of the panel was a discussion of how certain types of bodies tend to be associated with vegan diets, and how unfair this can be. Unfortunately, fat shaming and health shaming (heaping guilt upon people who develop health problems) seem to be more rampant than ever within the vegan community. On this panel, Laura, Gabrielle, Chelsea, Nicole Sopko, and Michele Truty discussed their experiences with body image challenges as vegans. The takeaway (similar to the trigger words panel) was that body shaming of any kind is not acceptable, especially within our community, which should be a safe space for anyone interested in vegan living.

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After this thought provoking day, I went back to my hotel for a little rest and to change for my last PDX meal. Once again, I was dining with my friend JL and her husband Dave. We went to Blossoming Lotus, one of my favorite Portland destinations.

I’m so glad that JL spotted pickled seasonal vegetables on the menu! Had she not, we’d have missed this amazing appetizer, which I loved. Peaches pickled with cardamom, anyone? The asparagus was my favorite:

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I also got a cup of seasonal soup, which was potato, tomato, and corn. So hearty, yet summery: 

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And for my entree, I got my favorite Blo Lo dish: the Green Goddess bowl (steamed kale, mixed greens, and cucumbers, with roasted garlic balsamic vinaigrette and avocado goddess dressing, over your choice of brown rice or quinoa, sprinkled with sesame seeds). Comfort food. I passed on the vinaigrette, cuz you know me and garlic…

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After dinner, it was hard to say goodbye to JL and Dave. They’re such good friends, and I truly consider my life so much richer because of JL’s wisdom, humor, and support. But we had a pretty great parting photo op.

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And that was that — VVC 2013 was over. It was a great experience, and I so look forward to the next one. A huge thank you to the amazing organizers, Janessa, Michele, and Jess for creating this incredible event. You ladies are amazing!

Till tomorrow, xo

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    21 Comments
  1. “is veganism the best way for me to be compassionate–and can I do that while also maintaining good health?” My own experience has given me a strong answer of “yes.”

    Thank you for this quote Gena. Going to school for holistic nutrition as the only vegan can be tough and I find my diet coming under attack fairly often. This is exactly how I felt but I was having a hard time articulating it. This is perfect and I lok forward to going to school again armed with it 🙂

    • You’re welcome, Gabby.

      I’ve been through the same, many times over. Within the holistic world, I have often witnessed an assumption that veganism is misguided, or that it somehow contradicts what’s “natural” for the human body. I’ve seen far more support for paleo/primal an hypoallergenic eating styles than I have for veganism. This saddens me, as one would think that the holistic world offers us a respite from some of the judgments and rigidities of a more conventional outlook on health. To be honest, I’ve gotten far more support of my veganism from my various physicians (who all applaud my diet) than I ever did from acupuncturists, NDs, or holistic practitioners (as I write this, I am well aware that I am speaking only from personal experience–don’t want to suggest that this is always the case). I never argue that veganism is the “best” diet, or the diet most aligned with our primal origins — that wouldn’t be true. But I think science indicates that it is a diet that can allow us to thrive if we find the right approach for our bodies, and meanwhile, I think it offers so many other advantages and benefits for the world around me. I don’t expect everyone to agree or eat vegan as well, but I do expect acceptance — especially within a community that is ostensibly dedicated to open-minded, creative approaches to healing.

      Stick to your guns, lady.

      G xo

  2. Hi Gena,

    I have been a vegan for 21 years and lately I have noticed that younger vegans are describing veganism as being all about the animals. For me veganism has always been a triangle of 3 equal sides health-animal welfare-healthy environment. I am constantly surprised by the lack of environmental discussion in vegan communities. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you so much, I love your blog and I appreciate every thoughtful post.

  3. Gena, I’m so, so glad you put together this post because there is a lot of wisdom here. I was unable to attend this seminar because I got a coveted spot at Isa’s writing workshop which happened at the same time.

    The bottom line is that I love the theme of veganism being as much or more about compassion than about health, because, there ARE many ways to be eat healthfully, yet veganism is ultimately the only choice that incorporates as much compassion as possible.

    I also really love that you shared your experience with being overly restrictive as a vegan because that is something I struggle with. Since my future career lies in the field of public health, I feel very strongly about being educated about these issues so I can be the best advocate for healthy and compassionate living as possible.

  4. “Veganism offers something for everyone, and vegans who are particularly focused on health are not better than vegans who aren’t. What unites us all is our belief that eating a vegan diet allows us to help and respect other living beings.”

    This is quite the smug statement and completely untrue. Interesting that you did not flip this statement re. health motivated vs. animal rights motivated – who are you to proclaim one “class” of vegans any “better” than the other? So, there’s a hierarchy of “goodness” within the vegan community? So, are those folks who chose to eat a vegan diet for health reasons not worthy of belonging to your your elite society?

    • Ah, it’s true that it’s untrue! What I meant (what should have been said) is that we’re united by our choice to abstain from animal foods, period, no presumptions about motivation. Statement edited — thank you.

  5. I have really loved reading the recaps because there are so many sessions I was unable to attend (like the body image session). I thoroughly enjoyed the conference but found the unrelated social time, like dinner with you that last night, to be some of my favorite moments. xo

  6. I have very much enjoyed your VVC 2013 recaps. Thank you so much for sharing them!

  7. I wish I could have sat in on both of those discussions. Being what feels like the only two vegans in our little town we get a lot of probing questions about choosing to be vegan. I appreciate your rational approach to answering those questions, especially in the wake of so much paleo press.

      • I had two undeveloped thoughts in my first comment. I shouldn’t hit ‘submit’ when half my attention is else where 🙂

        The health benefits of a plant based diet made my partner consider being vegan. Watching Earthlings made him irrefutably say there is no other choice. Compassion for life trumps all.

        We eat well, lift a lot of weights and often hear “You’re really robust for a vegan”, but as soon as either of us falls sick, is run down or fluctuates in weight our community rallies the virtue’s of paleo. Though it’s irritating to get that from non-vegans I’m sad to think a similar kind of health shaming exists within the vegan community. It should be a safe place for all.

        Sorry this is long. Thank you for giving me so much to think about.

  8. I’ve been thinking more and more about how veganism is activism lately and how I can be a better advocate for animals. Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember that being vegan is as much an ethical choice as it is dietary, especially with all the nutrition trends and information bombarding people today. Thank you, Gena, as always, for gently reminding me of that!

    • There is SO much nutrition noise right now — some of it very good, a lot of it (I think) on the alarmist side. Glad you liked the post.

  9. been trying to leave a comment on posts and it keeps giving me database connection errors. lets see if this one goes through.

    more often than not even without getting into the nutrition/health aspect, that is where everyone always drags a discussion too and that argument can never be won. We forget the reason for our diet choice too soon. It is for the animals and that argument can never be lost. thanks for the vvc posts Gena!

    • Thanks for reading Richa! I’m sorry about the error messages 🙁 My host has been a little touch-and-go lately.