| A
month on my vegan diet brings healthy benefits
By Jamee Hutton
October 22, 2007 | Making the decision to become a
vegan is very personal and can have a big impact on
your life. There are many reasons why someone chooses
to become vegan. The reasons range any where from the
fact that you do not like meat to animal rights and
everything in between.
Before I converted to a vegan diet I had an image
of strict vegetarians as the animal rights activists
that would throw things on men and women who wore fur
coats out in public. After doing some research on the
subject I have realized that this is not the case. There
are levels to being vegetarian and not every one who
is a vegetarian is interested in animal rights.
I made the decision based on the fact that eating
fruits and vegetables is supposed to be healthier for
you than consuming meat. I have always liked eating
meat and dairy products, but I was curious what it would
be like to live without these foods. So I challenged
myself to try a vegan diet for one month.
A common question you will come across when someone
finds out you do not eat any animal products at all
is "what do you eat?" It seems unfathomable to even
consider eating a meal that lacks meat and cheese. While
it does take more time and creativity there are plenty
of options out there for the noncarnivores. Your meals
will be filled with legumes and vegetables rather than
meat and potatoes, but they are just as filling and
every bit as delicious as a huge steak. The food industry
has also started to take notice of the vegetarians out
there and there are whole sections in most grocery stores
devoted to the vegan diet.
There are also many health benefits that go along
with being vegetarian. According to the American Diabetic
Association vegetarians have "lower rates of death from
ischemic heart disease; … lower blood cholesterol levels,
lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension,
type 2 diabetes and prostate and colon cancer."
It is also very common to hear that people just feel
better. They have more energy in their everyday activities,
their skin looks better and are more radiant and for
the most part they are mentally more alert than before.
Another major health concern is obesity. According
to Dr. Deborah Wilson "the only weight-loss plan that
has been scientifically proved to take weight off and
keep it off for more than a year is a vegetarian diet."
Dr. Dean Ornish calls it the "eat more, weigh less"
diet. Research has shown that overweight people tend
to consume the same number of calories as slim people;
the difference is that they eat different kinds of calories.
In an article written by Dr. Wilson she said "animal
products contain much more fat than plant-based foods
-- animal flesh, after all, is designed to store calories,
which makes it one of the worst things that a dieter
can eat."
With all the research out there on vegetarian diets
vs. meat diets it is surprising you don't find more
options for vegans when going out to eat. You are still
able to eat at most places; it is just that much harder
for you. You must do your research before hand.
While a vegetarian or even a vegan diet is not going
to suit everyone it is a topic that is rather interesting.
My curiosity got the best of me and so I decided to
try being vegan. I never expected myself to stick with
this kind of diet for more than a day, but I have been
pleasantly surprised with myself and with the changes
this diet has made in my life.
NW
RB
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