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Philip Boucher Hayes - What Are You Eating? ( 30 Days of Veganism).

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  • 22-10-2018 6:55pm
    #1
    TheFortField
    Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭


    I would be very interested in hearing people's thoughts on Philip's programme which follows his experience on the vegan diet for a month.

    For those of you who missed it, it's available on the RTE Player (until November 17th).
    https://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/what-are-you-eating-30003938/10954000/

    I thought it was an extremely poor programme. I couldn't help feeling if this programme was your first introduction to Veganism it would frighten the life out of you and would most definitely turn you off the lifestyle.

    At the end of the month, Philip remarked that this was the first diet he had tried where he felt he was actually harming his health (he has made programmes about other diets in the past - Keto etc.) He concluded that the diet had left him feeling weak and depressed.

    What is alarming, is, at the end of the month his nutritionist carries out a review and confirms that Philip has lost 2 Kilos of muscle (or 3% lean muscle mass in a month). She claims that a 3% loss would usually occur to most people aged 30 years+ after a decade of being inactive or doing very little exercise. Philip also lost 2% bone mass.

    We know that Philip didn't take any supplements for the month and he consumed 600 less calories per day. He appeared to have purchased nuts and seeds but we were given no insight into what his typical daily food plan was or how much exercise he took.

    I feel the programme was a missed opportunity to educate people about a plant-based diet. It would have been interesting to see how he would have fared if he had taken his supplements and planned out healthy and nutritionally balanced meals with aid of a dietitian.


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    #2
    DoozerT6
    Registered Users Posts: 2,589 ✭✭✭DoozerT6


    Yeah, it looked to me that PBH played it very much like ' ah sure we'll give this auld faddy vegan diet a go for de telly, and then draw the conclusion that any red-blooded viewer would, that of course it's not healthy or sustainable, and then go back to eating rasher sandwiches for breakfast and forget about it'.

    I too noticed we weren't shown what he actually ate on a daily basis (is that the case in the whole series of programmes, or just this one?). Of course, you'll get the naysayers saying that if he was able to get all of his nutrition from plant foods, then he shouldn't NEED to supplement etc, but ffs, how many carnivores have to take supplements because they're deficient in something? A quarter of an aisle in my local Dunnes is taken up with supplements and vitamins of various kinds.

    TBH, I think unless RTE commissions a fully vegan cooking series showing how nutritious and versatile non-meat options can be and highlights some vegan restaurants nationwide, then veganism will continue to have a longer struggle to reach the mainstream here. Although, it is much more 'known about' and accepted that it was even a decade ago.

    But yes, this programme was biased from the get go.


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    #3
    davidjtaylor
    Registered Users Posts: 755 ✭✭✭davidjtaylor


    RTÉ can’t offend advertisers!

    Indeed, from the two comments above, some people might get the impression that this programme was influenced by the need to keep advertisers on board - or even was directly influenced by one or more advertisers.

    Of course, I’d never suggest such a thing. :rolleyes: Just thinking out loud.


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    #4
    gozunda
    Registered Users Posts: 18,996 ✭✭✭✭gozunda


    TheFortField wrote: »
    I would be very interested in hearing people's thoughts on Philip's programme which follows his experience on the vegan diet for a month...

    FortField

    The topic has already had a long and interesting discussion in this very forum. Perhaps you havn't seen it....

    https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057850370/1/#post106399553

    That thread remains open ....


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    #5
    TheFortField
    Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭TheFortField


    Many thanks Gozunda. I wasn’t aware there was a thread but I look forward to having a read through it later on tonight. I thought the programme was the first episode in a brand new series but it turns out it’s a repeat of a programme which first aired in March.

    I’m in agreement with Doozer, I’d love to see a proper Vegan cookery series on RTÉ, instead of that utter sh1te ‘Meals in Minutes’ with Donal Skehan, my 12 year old knows more about cooking than he does. I must admit, I love Rory O’Connell’s programme, he has a lovely calm way about him.


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