Going vegan has truly changed my life, and for the better. Here are just some of the dozens and dozens of ways that my life was enriched by a vegan diet and lifestyle change.
1. I lost weight
Weight loss typically happens after one switches from an omnivorous diet to a vegan one. However, I would never advise someone to go vegan specifically to lose weight, as consuming a vegan diet is a lifestyle change, not a fad diet plan. And after all, Oreos, potato chips and soda are vegan. Eating a plant-based diet normally causes weight loss as it cuts out many of the foods that typically cause weight gain. Though I wasn’t overweight, going vegetarian caused my body to drop around 10 pounds over the course of a year, and then upon going vegan, I lost another 10 pounds, with no other lifestyle change besides a vegan diet. My weight has remained consistent ever since, almost two years later.
2. More energy
I cannot stress this enough. The difference in my energy levels after going vegan for merely a couple of weeks was colossal. Plant-based proteins are digested much more easily than animal-derived proteins, which offer an explosion of energy, followed by a crash. Plant-based proteins such as legumes, seeds and dark leafy greens have energizing properties and take less of your body’s energy to digest them.
3. Mental Clarity
Sometimes, as compassionate human beings, we begin to feel ominous guilt of merely being a human being. We know we are rapidly destroying our planet and our own health, without any real remorse. However, sometimes that guilt overcomes us and punches us right in the gut. For me, this guilt was almost too much to handle prior to going vegan. A vegan lifestyle has truly taken a metaphorical weight off of my shoulders and allowed me to feel at peace with my lifestyle decisions. Just to hit you with some facts:
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Research has shown that vegans have a 41.7% smaller carbon footprint than meat eaters!
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Over 1,000 gallons of water are required to produce 1 gallon of milk.
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One hamburger requires 660 gallons of water to produce. That’s the equivalent of 2 months’ worth of showers!
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82% of starving children live in countries where food is grown to feed animals in the west.
(All facts are sourced from http://www.someveganfacts.com/ )
4. My 14-year battle with chronic migraines came to an end
Last, and most importantly, my 14-year battle with chronic pain was nearly flat-lined. Between the ages of 6 and 20, I had around 4 migraines a week, on average. I had been to all types of doctors, eliminated certain foods from my diet, tried every home remedy in the book, went to chiropractors, allergists, acupuncturists – you name it, I’ve tried it. Nothing ever worked long-term. After going vegan, I maybe get one migraine a month, sometimes every 2 months. The pain of my migraines has also significantly decreased from unbearable, tear-jerking pressure in my head to a bearable discomfort. Many non-vegan foods are listed as migraine triggers, such as meat products that have inflammatory properties. Eliminating foods such as chicken, beef and other animal products also helps, as they are injected with artificial hormones.