7 steps to starting a plant-based diet in Singapore by Yuan Oeij

Taking first steps to a healthy lifestyle? Vegan pioneer Yuan Oeij reveals how to embrace this food trend for your holistic wellbeing

Text: Yuan Oeij

Chairman and owner of The Privé Group, Yuan Oeij became a champion of a plant-based diet two years ago. His extraordinary journey saw him go from a chicken rice-loving carnivore to a vegan connoisseur as he made it his personal mission to educate himself about animal cruelty within the cattle and dairy industry.

When he started to introduce vegan-friendly dishes to his restaurants including Empress and the Privé outlets they were an instant hit, making Yuan one of the pioneers of plant-based eating in Singapore today. Here, he speaks about how the diet works and shares his advice with The Soothe on how to embrace a plant-based diet yourself:

Is plant-based eating considered an unhealthy or healthy lifestyle?

Being on a plant-based diet is not automatically a passport to good holistic health if you’re also consuming lots of refined or processed foods. However, the fact that you’re cutting down on animal proteins, which have been shown to lead to cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases, is already the first step to a healthier you. 

Does your body really get enough nutrients on a diet like this?

Whole plant-based foods contain all the protein, iron, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that work in unison to nourish the body and allow the body to perform optimally. They are also the food known as pre-biotics, which are essential for good gut health. 

What are the biggest myths about plant-based eating?

People think that vegans do not get enough protein, calcium, or iron. As long as you’re eating a balanced diet containing sufficient whole foods, this should not be a problem. If you’re an athlete training hard or someone looking to build muscle, I’d recommend ensuring that your diet contains a higher number of protein-rich plants such as legumes (including tofu or tempeh) or grains. 

Should you also consider taking supplements?

Definitely supplement a plant-based diet with Vitamin B12 because modern farming methods have removed this from plants. Omnivores get their B12 from the meat they eat because B12 is fed to animals in factory farms. In addition, just like omnivores, vegans should also look into supplementing with vegan Omega 3 (I recommend those made from algae) and Vitamin D3. iHerb is a great place to get your supplements and other health products.

We’ve read about your journey to a plant-based diet. Please share your step-by-step guide with The Soothe:  

·      First, find your ‘why’. It’s important to understand why you’re taking this step to a heathy lifestyle, be it for compassion, ethics, health, planet, or sports performance because it helps you progress and keeps you on track. It will also help you to stay strong in the face of any friends or family members who are unable to understand what you’re doing and allow you to articulate your reasons for doing so. 

·      Taking first steps, even small ones, is key. Everything worth doing always begins with the very first step. There is no need to rush in; remain patient.

·      Do what is comfortable for you. Some people can switch completely to a plant-based diet overnight whilst others have to do it in stages (like me!). It could be Meatless Mondays, plant-based food for a day, a week, or a month, or just try cutting out certain food groups in stages. Take a test drive, see how it feels, and progress in little steps.  

·      Give it time to change habits. Whether getting rid of an old one, or acquiring a new one, it takes approximately 30 days to ingrain a new habit. Keep going and revisit the reasons you made the decision in the first place. Over time, you should start seeing benefits: you’ll start to feel better, be in better shape, have a better complexion. Your gut microbiome will also be adapting to your new diet, and there’s lots of scientific evidence that your gut microbiome is key to holistic health and also affects your moods and food cravings. 

·      Maintain perspective. As with everything in life, focus on what you’re getting rather than what you’re missing out on. Enjoy your journey and seek out ways to enjoy plant-based foods by doing some research. Most vegans used to love meat, dairy and eggs (like me) and end up thoroughly loving plants in a very short time. Another way to approach this is to focus on eating more plants rather than focusing on eating less meat and animal products.

·      See the bigger picture. It’s not just about going on a plant-based diet. By making a healthy lifestyle change for yourself, you are empowering yourself to take control of your life and that will lead to more. For me, once I realised how possible and how easy it was to make such a major milestone change in my life, I knew my possibilities were endless. I was able to subsequently make other changes to my lifestyle relating to alcohol, work, and relationships, and I feel extremely confident that I can embark on any challenges going forwards.

·      Never say never. You never know what you’re capable of, so always dream big. My wife, who understands how attached I am to food, used to say that I would never be able to switch to a plant-based diet, much as she would have loved me to. At one point, I myself thought it was too high a bar for me to set. But once I found my ‘why’, embraced taking first steps, gave it time and adopted the right perspective, the ‘never’ became ‘forever’.

About the author

Yuan is the chairman and founder of The Privé Group, overseeing 10 Privé all day dining  and drinks venues, Empress, Bayswater Kitchen and Privé Grill. Since his dad passed away from colon cancer in 2007, Yuan started learning more about health, wellness and the cruel realities of our food system, and over time has gained a passion and deeper insight into how lifestyle, in particular food, exercise and mindfulness impacts upon one’s wellbeing. Apart from introducing more plant-based, vegetable-forward options and healthier choices in his restaurants to encourage people to dine more responsibly, Yuan is also taking steps towards making an impact on reducing the suffering of animals and humans in this world.

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