Growing up, I never even heard the word “vegan.” The only similar diet I was aware of was vegetarian, and I had no desire to try it. Had I been made aware and understood the health benefits involved, or more importantly, the harsh reality of the animal abuse behind other diet choices, I would have never picked up that first cheeseburger. Regardless of your background, I believe that there is at least one reason for everyone to try a vegan diet, even if it’s just for a short detox. Here are three benefits of veganism that I experience myself.
3 Benefits of Veganism
Feel better
If you’ve heard of veganism before, then you have probably also heard about how it helps prevent numerous diseases; most famously, cancer. Not only can veganism help prevent disease, though, it simply just makes you feel better! You will find yourself having more energy, losing weight, having fewer headaches, etc. If you suffer from chronic headaches like I did for the majority of my life, you will be amazed at what simply cutting out animal products from your diet will do for you.
(photography: Megan Lightner)
It sounds cheesy, but so do all of your favorite scenes in “rom-coms” (romantic comedies,) and you still love them because they’re just plain good. The more time you spend as a vegan, the more at home you feel with nature. When you accept your environment and all of the species in it as an essential part of who you are and the world you live in, the more it welcomes you. Reducing meat consumption is also an eco-friendly choice- you can read more about that in Scarlet’s SCJ article.
Look better
So, your face is constantly breaking out; that weight you’ve been trying to lose just won’t go away; that workout routine is too tiring for you. A vegan diet naturally clears your skin up, naturally causes you to lose weight, and gives you the extra energy you need to get through your workouts. I haven’t added any extra workout time to my week or tried any special facial treatments since I decided to go vegan, but people ask me about what I’m doing all the time because it looks like I am!
The Food
For some reason, most people have a tendency to think of vegan food as bland. I find this to be considerably odd since the best meals I’ve ever tasted contained no animal products whatsoever (if you’re ever in Atlanta, go to Cafe Sunflower! WOW). If your vegan meal is bland, you are doing it wrong! One of my favorite parts about going vegan was getting to experiment with new vegan recipes. I had grown up having “specialties” that I cooked without ever really finding the motivation to experiment, because I already had a good thing going. When I switched to a vegan diet, it opened the door for me to try something new every day. It’s a good stress relief (for those who enjoy cooking) and could be a fun bonding exercise with your spouse or children.
If you are interested in trying out a vegan diet, you may want to see these tips for becoming a vegan to help ease the diet switch over. It will be fun trying new things like vegan sliders! Have you ever tried a vegan diet? What are some other benefits of going vegan that you’ve experienced?