48 March 28 • 2019 jn Essential tips, especially for teens going meatless. health Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have found that the age puberty hits is based on the gap between the parents’ and child’ s ultimate height, not genetics. In the study, published in the PLOS ONE journal, Dr. Yehuda Limony and Dr. Michael Friger of the BGU Faculty of Health Sciences, together with Slawomir Koziel at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, discuss the significance of this “height gap” and their new pre- diction model for determining onset of puberty. “We found that the age a child reaches puberty is based on how the body responds to the child’ s individual growth needs,” Dr. Limony says. “When a ‘ tall’ child seems to be exceeding a parent’ s height, he may begin puberty earlier than his fellow peers to slow his growth and ensure that his final adult height is in the ‘ target’ range. “The opposite is also true: ‘ short’ children don’ t reach puberty until later than the soci- etal average because their bodies are giving them extra time to grow to reach a parent’ s height.” The researchers said that while there is a wide variation for what is considered a “nor- mal” age for puberty to begin, scientists have not been able to validate the prevalent assump- tion that genetics plays a major role in determining when an individual will begin puberty. “ A child who hits puberty ear- lier than his peers, but at a time consistent with a parental height gap model, should be consid- ered ‘ healthy,’ ” Dr. Limony says. “We believe having the ability to determine normal ranges more accurately will reduce the need for unnecessary diagnostic procedures and help doctors better explain the emergence of early- or late-onset puberty to concerned parents.” ■ Onset of Puberty Studied Essential tips, especially for teens going meatless. NO INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH STACY GOLDBERG/SAVORFULL IS INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SPEAK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TAKING ANY MEDICATION OR NUTRITIONAL, HERBAL OR HOMEOPATHIC SUPPLEMENT, OR ADOPTING ANY TREATMENT OR IMPLEMENTING NUTRITIONAL ADVICE FOR A HEALTH PROBLEM. B y definition, a vegan diet excludes all forms of animal products and focuses solely on plant-based foods and beverages. Fundamentally, vegan- ism is rooted in avoiding harm and cruel conditions for animals in food and lifestyle choices, including clothing and personal care items. Vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, tofu and tempeh are permitted; ani- mal protein, eggs, dairy, honey and animal fats as primary or additional ingredients to foods are not allowed on a vegan diet. Generally speaking, this differs from a vegetarian diet in that vegetarians often consume eggs, cheese and other dairy products. Vegan diets have gone main- stream as many well-known pro athletes like Venus Williams and celebrities like Beyoncé are now following strict ani- mal-free diets. The penetration into everyday lives reaches to younger generations more than ever with the connectivity of social media. Regardless of the reason and rationale, understanding crucial tenants of main- taining a well-rounded, calorically stable diet is essential to prevent adverse health effects — especially in young athletes. PROS AND CONS Vegan diets present many health benefits. A “cleaner” diet with increased con- sumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can assist in weight maintenance, enhanced digestion, restful sleep, and reduce the risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure and even certain cancers. Plant-based proteins can create a diet complete in all essential amino acids necessary for growth, devel- opment and daily function when well planned. Paired plant proteins create a complete protein option, such as combin- ing 100 percent whole wheat bread with peanut butter. Net protein balance must be achieved to compensate for the mus- cular breakdown and use during physical activities and the muscle growth from training in the athletic population. If teens do not consume enough protein, the body shifts to burn other body stores, which can result in weight loss and preservation of fat-free mass. With a proper plant-based diet, ideally there is an increased intake of antioxi- dants, vitamin C and E, as well fiber-rich carbohydrates. If vegan diets are not struc- tured and well planned out, there is a risk for deficiencies in protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, calcium and iodine. In either case, multivitamin supple- mentation is necessary. Omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood sources should be compensated for by intake of flaxseed oil or walnuts, or a plant-based supplement. Iron-based foods and supplements should be taken with or consumed with vitamin C to enhance absorption. For example, add an orange to your meal after eating a bowl of vegan bean chili. VEGAN DIET TRAPS When embarking on a vegan diet, there is often a tendency to increase carbohy- drates and empty calories. Many people mistakenly swap out protein for carbs and they increase foods such as pastas, breads/bread products, potatoes, rice and other snack foods. Some of these can be healthful choices, but many options that vegans lean on are empty calories, empty carbs and can pack on pounds. Additionally, many new vegans lean on “vegan junk food” such as frozen and packaged vegan foods as their new replacement diet options. They look to vegan sausage, burgers, patties, frozen meals and other prepackaged foods to replace their animal proteins and calo- ries. These foods can have high amounts of sodium, preservatives, added sugars and added fats that can also make it dif- ficult to lose or maintain weight. Lastly, some vegans equate a vegan diet with weight loss or lower calories. This is not always the case. People assume that because vegan options are “healthier,” they can eat unlimited portions of grains, veggies (especially starchy vegetables), nuts, seeds and any- thing else vegan. This can also contrib- ute to weight gain or lack of weight loss. In summary, it is possible to have a healthy vegan diet as a teenager. With proper planning, guidance and research, this can be an excellent dietary lifestyle. However, it is important to consider all the points mentioned above before hastily embarking on a vegan diet, just because your favorite pop star or ath- lete has had success. Consulting with a nutrition professional can also be of great benefit to evaluate if a vegan diet is right for you and your teen. ■ Stacy Goldberg is a nationally recognized nutri- tional consultant, registered nurse and CEO of Savorfull (savorfull.com), a Detroit-based com- pany that sources healthy, allergen-friendly foods and provides nutrition-consulting. Savorfull is part of the Quicken Loans Family of Companies. Stacy Goldberg Columnist Vegan Diets Vegan Diets