Definitions, common words and phrases, basic laws

[SwampNut]

I have limited time right now to post up details, but starting with this.  Let's put together the common language so we're always saying the same things.  Please add in other things or post questions, and I'll edit/copy them into this top post.

 

WFPB - Whole food, plant based.  This is always vegan when followed strictly, but vegan is not usually WFPB.  Oreos are vegan.  WFPB means zero or minimal processing and whole plants.  Flour is vegan, it is not WFPB because it's been stripped of much of its nutrition.  And also modified in ways that cause an insulin spike (glycemic index).

 

Vegan - There's a philosophy, and there's food.  The most accepted "true vegan" definition avoids all uses of all animal products that harm animals.  There is debate on whether honey production/collection is harmful to bees.  Milk production obviously is a shit life for those cows.  There is also debate on whether you can be "mostly" vegan, some claim you're either all in or you're not.  I disagree, and I am mostly vegan, but there's nothing like a high quality leather belt.  Yet the "vegan leather" in my car is actually better than cow leather.  And I mostly don't eat animal products.  Some people on WFPB will occasionally add animal, particularly the most nutritious ones like salmon.  Vegans say this makes then totally not vegan, at all.

 

Oil - This is often challenging because people think it means all fats.  WFPB avoids oil because again, it is stripped of all nutrition and of all other plant parts that factor into how good/bad things may be.  It is not a whole food.  There is good evidence that refined oils are inflammatory.

 

Salts - The evidence is overwhelming that Americans eat ludicrous amounts of sodium, and it's bad in so many ways.  WFPB people typically also try to reduce it, though it's not an intrinsic definition of it.  Also replacing sodium salts with other metal salts is fine.  Americans get too little potassium, and too much sodium.  EASY to fix with no penalty!  Potassium chloride works just like sodium chloride.

 

Protein - you have been lied to.  That deserves its own post.  Nobody needs to consume animal protein, and 90%+ of Americans consume too much protein.  This is tough on various parts of your body.

 

B12 - There is no way to be 100% vegan because right now we have no reliable, cost effective way to get B12 from non-animal sources.  Everyone eating vegan or mostly vegan must supplement this.