I thought it would be good to switch things up a bit and discuss veganism from a lighter point of view. Typically, when the topic of plant based living is discussed, there is oftentimes an undertone of dread attached. So, it’s time to shake things up and talk about some of the great benefits of vegan living!

You can still eat and enjoy food!

Yes, it’s all about the remix and who doesn’t love a great remix? As I mentioned in a previous article, you can still enjoy meals that you like by just “veganizing” them. Putting a new spin on pasta by upping the veggie quotient or giving a burger a new name by swapping out the meat for beans or a Portobello mushroom cap can certainly make you a believer in the veggie lifestyle.

Experimentation is key and this can be done not only in your own kitchen, but while dining out as well. With veganism moving more into the norm, you won’t have to do as much explaining to your server. I have been treated to delectable meals on several occasions by the kitchen staff reinventing one of my favorite pre-vegan dishes. This way of eating also opens you up to trying new things! I hadn’t even heard of jackfruit before I became vegan and I tried a jackfruit curry dish from an Indian restaurant and was floored! It was simply divine and I’ve even found recipes to try at home. So, get out there and start exploring!

Weight Loss

Now before you start pulling out those jeans from college, pump your brakes a bit. It is very possible to be an unhealthy as well as an overweight vegan, so you must still be mindful of your plate. However, in general, adopting a plant-based diet and doing so nutritionally can certainly help you shed and keep off unwanted pounds. Focusing your veggie diet on whole living foods will not only keep you from being anxious about the scale, it will keep you full, satisfied and feeling light on a regular basis.

Interacting with new people

Just like with exercising, a little help can go a very long way. Personally, when I have a workout buddy, I tend to push myself a little further than I do when exercising alone. The same can be said when transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. Grab a little help from the ever growing vegan community. There are a plethora of vegan blogs and groups out there that you can reach out to for ideas, tips and yummy recipes to try out. It is very motivating when you meet and interact with people who are on the same page and with whom you can relate. So, find a community of people that you like and start interacting, it makes the journey easier and that much more enjoyable.

Relief from some common annoyances

PMS: Many women have experienced the reduction of some common Pre-Menstrual Syndrome symptoms when switching to a vegan diet. Eliminating dairy has been linked to relieving women from PMS and I happen to be one of them. Prior to adopting my vegan diet, I used to suffer from cramps to the point of being bed-ridden. This has been a thing of the past since changing my way of eating.

Allergies: The reduction of dairy, eggs and meat has also been linked to alleviating allergy symptoms such as a runny nose and congestion issues.

Blemishes: Vitamins A and E from vegetables plays an integral role in healthy skin. So, if you are eating a plentiful amount of greens, you will experience great skin health and notices a reduction in blemishes.

So, are you a believer yet? Are you excited? This list merely scratches the surface of all of the enjoyable benefits of plant based living. I always encourage people to think of what they can have, eat, do, and experience versus what they can’t. I think this is good advice to remember for switching to a vegan diet and in life in general. So, get out there and eat your veggies and have some fun!

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10 Comments

  1. Thanks for tips. Vegan living runs so counter to everything we’re taught growing up. Where is somewhere to meet new vegans in real life not just the cyber world? I live in the South, where everyone is about his pig and game.

  2. Veganism is easy once you start seeing all the ways its community has lobbied bureaucrats to have its products everywhere. Prospective vegans shouldn’t have a hard time eating, dressing is the hard part of it. Most vegan clothes are for middle aged people who could care less about fashion. Furthermore, I don’t know anyone that would want to hang out with VegaNazis. They take life way too serious. I like vegans who don’t push their lifestyle on everyone similar to Evangelical Christians. Where do you find those vegans?

    • @Scott:

      You find a very fashion-forward, lighthearted one right here. And, while I’ve never met another vegan or vegetarian that has tried to “push” their lifestyle on anyone else, I constantly run into to omnivores who judge the way I choose to eat. If you do run into a “VegaNazis,” do what I do with the ill-informed omnivores: smile and nod till they go away.

    • @Scott: It’s not that serious Scott. Vegans don’t push anything more than our society at whole. There barely any vegan products pushed in the mainstream and most of the activism comes from PETA, which does not speak for the whole veg community

  3. It is really sad that you have to convince people that you won’t die if you avoid meat.

  4. As being a vegan chef and using food to help reverse diabetes and help my clients find peace with themselves, I’m just glad to see more people taking control of there life. I was 350 pounds at on time and now I’m 175 and feel great. A lifestyle change has to start with yourself. My new book 47 Tips To Reverse Your Diabetes can help you overcome a lot of health related issues.

    Chef Timothy Moore
    The Plant-Based Chef

  5. I’m a believer because I have experienced first hand how radiant my skin has become from going vegan 🙂
    I used to have so much trouble with blemishes and now I NEVER get any – can’t believe the transformation that my skin has had! 😀

  6. I love being vegan. There are so many delicious and nutritious options. It is definitely a superior lifestyle if better health is a priority!

  7. I can attest to the PMS and blemish relief after going vegan. I hadn’t really thought about it until recently, but my PMS-related cramping and mood swings have lessened significantly and I no longer have problems with acne. Just two more reasons why a vegan diet is awesome.

  8. I just started my Vegan journey and wished I would have done so at an earlier age, but I will not go there… As a marathoner, I see many of the health benefits of being on a vegan diet. I feel better look better and am happy…it’s amazing how much poor food is in the black community and we consume this stuff daily. We have so many people now a days that suffer from diabetes, cancers and mobid obesity. They continue to consume these process food poisons and it appears as though the foods are addictive and people can’t help themselves to break away from eatting this stuff even after the weight gain and health scares…

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