A vegan diet or otherwise known as Veganism is a diet that abstains from the intake of foods from animals such as beef, chicken, fish, and any other animal related product (dairy, eggs). Not only should it be naturally made, but also processed foods should be avoided as well as they conform and came from living beings.
Being on a Vegan Diet does not only restrict what you should and shouldn’t eat, but also on every aspect which involves the use of animal produced items such as fur, leather, and wool. You should be strict and keen on really being specific on those details when on this kind of a diet. Some people choose to be vegan by diet, while others maintain a vegan lifestyle.
It is believed that the reasons behind why a Vegan Diet has been adopted by many is because faith or religion, ethics, and the effects on our health. Strictly speaking, beans, grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables are what consist in a vegan diet. Eating foods in their raw and natural or “living” state is the best way to consume them, as their vitamins and minerals haven’t been removed yet.
Why do we need to have a Vegan Diet?
Among the reasons mentioned for this, it is believed that the most important and main reason would be its beneficial effects on the health of the human body. It serves to be therapeutic on conditions such as disease of the heart, type 2 diabetes mellitus, stroke, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, allergies, hypertension, hemorrhoids, lately found out to be significant in the treatment of cancer, and many more. Adapting to this kind of diet will not only prove to be therapeutic against all these health problems, but more importantly it helps to prevent these from ever occurring at all.
So how does one be eligible for the diet regimen or in other words become a vegan? It is not an easy transition going from what you’ve always eaten your whole life to foods you haven’t fully appreciated to eat nor even tried them once. Expect to encounter a difficulty when you begin with the diet. But along the way you’ll eventually get used to it as long as you stay committed and remember the reasons in the first place why you chose this diet as you move along with your daily life. One fun and interesting fact about eating vegan is that once you start eating massive amounts of fruits and vegetables, you’ll start to crave fruits and vegetables. I have been vegan for 1 1/2 years now (and my transformation from animal foods to plant foods was “cold turkey”) and I can tell you that I don’t crave “junk food.” I don’t crave processed chocolate or white sugar. I LOVE juicing whole foods such as fruits and vegetables. Adding spirulina, chia seeds, rice protein to my smoothies and juices gives me an even extra boost in energy and fuel. I have lost 35 lbs since being on this diet. It has been the best change I’ve made in my entire life!
Take note that even though vegans don’t eat animal food products, they can still get all (or more) nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from plants. Did you know that spirulina contains 3.5 TIMES as much Vitamin B12 than animal liver? It also contains 3 times as much protein as beef! Other green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are high in calcium, iron, protein, and more.
Feel like you’ll never be able to give up chocolate? Check out this “Chocolate Bliss Smoothie” recipe:
