The Holistic Performance Institute

6x short on protein. 2.5x short on calories. Zero omega-3s.

That's the vegan diet I was sent when I challenged people to feed an 85kg masters athlete with systemic nickel allergy syndrome and Crohn's disease.

I give full credit to the one person who actually responded - nobody else did. But good intentions don't change the numbers.

If someone followed this plan, we'd be looking at hormonal collapse, severe anaemia, gut dysfunction, and chronic fatigue.

This isn't about being anti-vegan. It's about being honest that for some people, a vegan diet isn't just difficult - it's medically contraindicated.

Nutrition has to be built around the individual. Always.

Think folate is just for neural tube defects? There’s more to the story.

Our latest Nutripaedia Living review reveals folate does even more than we thought - like boosting offspring cognition and potentially lowering neurocognitive and genito-urinary risks.

But the type matters. At pregnancy doses (800mcg+), synthetic folic acid can leave high levels of unmetabolised folic acid in the body.

The safer bet? Switch synthetic folic acid for a active, methylated folate like L-5-MTHF.

Stay up to date with the science. Click the link to sign up for Nutripaedia and read the full review! https://www.holisticperformance.institute/courses/nutripaedia

There's a statement circulating online that says there is no medical condition for which a vegan diet is contraindicated.
I actually got into a debate about this - because I have one.

Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome (SNAS) is a condition where the immune system reacts to dietary nickel. The problem? The foods vegans rely on most for protein - beans, lentils, soy, nuts, and wholegrains - are among the highest nickel-containing foods in the diet.

For someone with SNAS, even small amounts of these foods can push nickel intake well beyond the threshold that triggers a reaction.
The workaround suggested to me was to just eat low-nickel plant foods like white rice and cauliflower. But to hit an adequate protein target from those sources alone would require eating literal kilos of food per day - which the gut simply can't handle.

This isn't an argument against plant-based eating for everyone. For many people, a well-planned vegan diet is a genuinely healthy choice. But nutrition is not one-size-fits-all, and individual medical conditions matter.

This is why as compassionate and evidence-based practitioners we need to assess the individual in front of us, not prescribe an ideology.

Does folic acid actually support brain health?
Research links low folate to poorer cognition and mental health - and recent 2024 meta-analyses show real benefits for mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's, and memory.

But here's the catch: in countries with mandatory folic acid fortification, those benefits disappear.
Why? Because when your diet already provides enough folate, more isn't better.

The takeaway for practitioners - context matters. Before recommending a supplement, look at what your client is actually eating. Supplementing on top of an already replete diet adds no benefit.

More isn't always better.

Check the full living review (and many others) on Nutripaedia - https://www.holisticperformance.institute/courses/nutripaedia

Nearly 30 years prescribing ketogenic diets and a PhD in ketosis - and my biggest critics are the carnivore bros. 🤣

Why? Because I say this: a carnivore or keto diet is not the best approach for everyone...

Here's what the research actually shows:

Plants are not trying to kill you. If they were as harmful as some claim, we'd see it clearly in long-term data. We don't.
People eating more vegetables, fruits, and berries consistently live longer and healthier lives.
The "fibre is useless" argument falls flat when isolated fibre and resistant starch supplements also show real health benefits in controlled trials.

The truth is nuanced. Some people genuinely improve their symptoms on carnivore, and it's an area I'm actively researching. Just because something works well for one person doesn't mean it's the best approach for everyone. The truth is a lot more nuanced than that!