COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — January marks a time where people oftentimes focus on getting their health in check. While some make resolutions to hit the gym or give up alcohol, others decide to better their eating habits.

In 2014, “Veganuary” began as a United Kingdom nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the vegan lifestyle. Local registered dietitian Julee Christie with Piedmont’s John B. Amos Cancer Center sat down to discuss how vegan diets may help prevent cancer and other health conditions.   

“When you’re eating a wide variety of beans and legumes and nuts and seeds and vegetables, you are getting all the elements of a complete protein,” Christie said, explaining its still possible to get enough protein in a diet without eating animal products.

Vegan diets require practitioners avoid consuming any animal products. This includes meat, fish, eggs, milk and more. This dietary regimen also involves cutting out honey and, for some vegans, also figs.  

However, getting enough protein requires eating a variety of the elements Christie listed in order to consume what is known as a “complete protein.” Complete proteins, which are in all animal products, are made up of nine amino acids which can be obtained by eating a mixture of plant sources and eating what Christie calls a “healthful” vegan diet.

“You have to do it’s in a healthful way, or else it could be detrimental, right?” said Christie. “You’re technically vegan if you’re eating potato chips all day long, but that’s not healthful.”

According to Christie, people also tend to misunderstand how much protein they actually need.

“We generally don’t need as much protein as has been perpetuated by the media and the [dairy and meat] industry,” said Christie.

She noted there are some situations which warrant increased protein consumption, like when a person is recovering from an illness or injury. This higher level of protein is still achievable with a vegan diet, she confirmed.

But eating more plants all-around can be beneficial and even prevent disease. According to the Mayo Clinic Health Center, antioxidants and carotenoids – two of the phytochemicals contained in plant-based foods – can lessen the likelihood of having severe health issues.

Antioxidants can make cells more resilient to damage, which can prevent cancer. Eating more carotenoids may decrease the likelihood of having heart disease, cancer and more. Christie herself adopted her current ovo vegetarian diet, in which she avoids eating all animal products except for occasionally eggs, after surviving cancer.

“The more plant-based foods I eat, the more likely I am not to have reoccurrence of cancer,” said Christie. She now works with cancer patients to create plant-focused diets, which may contain meat, depending on the dietary preferences of the patient.

For those looking to adopt a plant-forward, vegan or vegetarian diet this year, Christie has some advice.

“Start off slow,” said Christie. “This would be a hard change for somebody who’s got a meat focused diet to do, you know, all of a sudden – all at once.”

The registered dietitian added the planning and preparation to make sure one eats a healthful vegan diet can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be expensive, simple swaps liked dried beans instead of canned can make a big difference, she said.

Plus, most fruits and vegetables tend to have steady prices while the cost of meat, dairy and eggs has risen in recent years. In 2019 the average cost of a gallon milk was $3.04, but by 2022 it had risen to $4.09, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator.

Christie suggests swapping one meal a week to a vegan dish or swapping out meat in other meals for a vegan alternative like veggie burgers, tofu or tempeh.

“I always recommend people have a back stock of frozen vegetables that they can use and make quick stir fry,” Christie said, offering a simple meal idea.

For more information about getting started on going vegan, Christie recommends visiting the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine at pcrm.org to access their “vegetarian starter kit” and recipes. She also recommended looking into the American Institute for Cancer Research website at aicr.org for additional information about plant-based diets and cancer prevention.