Being vegan can be tough. People do it for many reasons, whether ethical, environmental, health or all of the above and it’s challenging to maintain the lifestyle at times, so we wanted to share a reminder with 11 benefits of being vegan.
Benefits of Being Vegan
- Fruits and vegetables take center stage – A vegan diet restricts many of the items that we are so used to having as a main part of our everyday meals in the Western diet, so you’re forced to eat more fruit and vegetables and get creative. This makes it much easier to get the daily recommended amounts and if you’re unsure about getting the right nutrients just eat the rainbow.
- Reduce and reverse heart disease – Diets that cut out animal products and emphasize fruits, vegetables and legumes are likely to reduce or even reverse heart disease, according to studies.
- Helping to reduce climate change – Have you seen Cowspiracy? If not, you should watch it
right now. One of the main insights from the documentary (and website) is “Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation.” By reducing your intake of animal products, you are doing your part to decrease the emissions hurting our environment.
Source: Cowspiracy
- Reduce the amount of water you use – It takes an insane amount of water to be able to produce meat and dairy products with over 2,500 gallons of water needed to produce 1 pound of beef [source: Cowspiracy].
- You’re likely to live longer – A study is starting to show results that a vegan diet may help you live longer, with a vegan diet having a 15% reduced risk of death.
- Reduced allergy symptoms – Vegan diets are commonly linked to a reduction in allergies and asthma, often due to no longer eating foods that trigger allergies like meat, dairy and eggs while eating more fruits and vegetables which can boost your immune function.
- Relief from migraines – Many people who experience regular migraines have noticed a reduction in the frequency and intensity of their symptoms after switching to a vegan diet — at times even better results than a supplement.
- Increased energy – To the old adage, “You get what you put in,” the quality of the foods that you consume is representative of the energy you’ll get out of it. A vegan diet is found to help increase energy for people, as (if eating a proper, nutritious diet) you are eating lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes that is less processed, full of nutrition and can be more easily converted into fuel for your mind and body.
- Increased awareness of what you’re putting in your body – As you switch over to a vegan diet and lifestyle, you begin to see how meat, dairy and egg products are everywhere and often hidden in foods. With increased education and awareness through research online, learning from others and constantly asking questions, you begin to gain a better understanding of what exactly is in your food. If you didn’t have to check the ingredients list for milk all the time, you may not have seen all the chemicals or sugar packed in that little snack.
- Increased self-discipline – With every meal comes a choice when you’re vegan, you can take the easy route and eat something “just this once” because there’s nothing else, you miss cinnamon buns or you’re tired of not finding options. Or, you can continue to hold true to the diet and lifestyle that you’ve chosen for the reasons behind it — environment, ethics, and health. Every day is a practice in your discipline and like a muscle, you’ll strengthen it every day as a vegan.
- Feeling proud in doing your part to help the world – Our world is facing some extreme challenges right now and many of the top ones are increasingly becoming easier to work towards a solution through a vegan diet.
