Gentry Rosario

Thanks so much for this lesson. It contains a lot of great information and gives people a comprehensive package to help them start plant-based eating if they aren't already. I particularly love the visuals, and I found the course got better and better with each module. I also appreciate that being healthy was truly about plant-based eating and was not protein obsessed. The smoothie section was really good, as was the prep and grocery advice. I have a few notes of feedback that could help amend and add to this presentation. Saying that flaxseed oil is an anti-nutrient is false. Raw flax oil is a great form of omega 3 fatty acids and can also help lower cholesterol. Of course, we don't cook it. Calories are not bad. We need to be careful with this language. We also need to stop thinking we can "reset our bodies" with a detox. That's not how detoxification nor gut health works. Telling people to be careful about tofu and soy is baseless, especially blaming it on being "processed." In most health circles, tofu is considered a whole food, and is one of the best plant proteins we can eat, along with tempeh, lentils, beans, and legumes. Unless you make it, oat milk is a carbohydrate that contains unnecessary oils, sugars, and additives. If fortified unsweetened almond milk and nutritional yeast are staples, then you do not actually need a B12 supplement. "Don't take anymore vitamins and supplements." Nutritionists cannot tell people to stop their supplements when (a) they aren't qualified to give medical advice and (b) haven't offered food source recommedations for specific nutrients, like iron-rich foods. Some people will still need an iron supplement and some may need Vitamin D3 (with K2). Just because you can't pronounce something doesn't make it harmful or that your "body can't recognize" it. Everything is comprised of chemicals, even whole foods. Also, there are plenty of foods that contain more than five ingredients and can be included in a healthy diet. Erythritol carries a cardiac risk. Maple syrup, dates, and honey are best sweetening options. I agree that smoothies are a great way to consume large quantities of nutrients, but we do not need "toxin flushing" drinks. We hydrate with water and it literally does "flush" toxins and waste. "Junk food, poisonous toxic, carcinogenic things" is not informative. "All kinds of crazy stuff in the body" does not explain metabolic processes to back this claim. Judging by the amazing grocery prices, I have a feeling this presentation is a little dated, thus also making sense of why some nutritional info needs updating.
- Review by Tamara Graham on The Plant Based Diet & Nutrition Masterclass