Now
just a disclaimer: in NO WAY am I a doctor or dietitian, this is just
an account of what I have found due to heaps of research on the subject
and my personal experience. You also don't have to take my word for it
because I have scattered links to multiple articles, research and videos
on the topic.
I've been a vegan for about 6 months now (Vegan means eating NO ANIMAL OR THEIR PRODUCTS) and before that I was a vegetarian for two years(eating NO ANIMAL), let me just say I am thriving eating like this, impacting not only my health but the environment and my connection with other living beings. In this post I'm going to share with you why you should go vegan, how to transition properly, and what I eat to thrive on this lifestyle. I will also include references from various sources, as well as informative books and documentaries going into deeper detail of the why/how to go vegan! I hope this post is informative to those who are interested in this lifestyle, so let's begin!
Why Go Vegan? There is three simple reasons; your health, the animals, and the planet. Now let me expand on each.
For Your Health
Studies show that vegans are less likely to develop heart disease, cancer, and diabetes (click
on each word to read the research). Eating a vegan diet high in
nutrients CAN PREVENT you from developing such illnesses. Vegans tend
to have increased energy, clear skin and are naturally thinner than non
vegans.
Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet:
57 Health Benefits of Veganism
5 benefits of veganism (video)
Neal Barnard, MD Vegan Diet Benefits
You
may say, "oh but animals give us protein", well 1 cup of lentils
provides 18grams of protein 4 oz of Tofu has 11grams, one cup of pasta
has 8grams, and one whole potato has 4grams. These are a few of MANY
vegan sources of protein with out all the chemicals and alarming amounts
of animal fat and cholesterol that comes with a slice of cheese or
a piece of chicken.
Why not to eat meat:
Cornell University professor T. Colin Campbell PhD speech:
Disturbing Facts about where your meat comes from:
Chemicals found in meat:
Meat and the environment:
Bacteria in meat:
Reasons to stop eating fish:
What
about Calcium? Cows are injected with hormones and chemicals in the
dairy industry so they can constantly produce milk. Now this milk is
MEANT to feed and grow a baby cow into a 400 pound adult cow, so why are
we consuming it for ourselves? Most Cows on these "factory farms" are
also filled with diseases, and all that puss goes straight into your
glass of milk. Healthy vegan sources of Calcium include greens such as
spinach and kale as well as beans and legumes. Still miss milk? Well
there are also tons of plant milk options such as almond milk, soy milk,
hemp milk and others that are actually beneficial to your health,
filled with essential vitamins and minerals.
Why not to drink milk:
John McDougall MD Speech:
Why Milk is bad for you:
Why to stop Drinking Milk:
The Dairy Industry:
And Eggs? Eggs are a chicken's period, yes it has protein but again is filled with disgusting amounts of fat and cholesterol, a contributing factor to obesity and other diseases in this country. Loads of eggs are also filled with Salmonella infection as well.
Why not to eat eggs:
Reasons to stop eating eggs:
The Truth about the egg industry:
Why Vegans don't eat eggs:
Ethical Reasons
Before
I begin this section I want to say these are my ethical believes that
attribute to why I am a vegan. I AM NOT saying that you are a bad
person if you eat meat, both my parents are omnivores and I love them
just the same. These are just the reasons that I think it is not
ethically okay to consume animal products.
In my personal opinion there is not "humane" way to kill an animal that has the will to live. Animals have feelings to. Most of you have pet cats or dogs or have came across them in your lives and by spending time with them you can see that have a personality and feelings, they like to play and be cared for. It's the same for pigs, cows, chickens, goats, sheep, turkey, and so on. They are all not on the same level of intelligence (fun fact pigs are actually more intelligent than dogs) but they all want to be free and live their lives in peace. Here are some stories of animals that escaped a tragic fate (click to watch).
The reality is that MILLIONS of animals are suffering and being killed daily (click
to watch video), that DO NOT NEED TO BE. Cows on dairy farms ARE
NOT living in huge fields free to roam around, they are crammed into
tiny spaces, injected with hormones, and killed if they do not produce
milk. It is the same situation in the egg industry crammed quarters,
slaughter, and suffering.
Videos on ethical Veganism (all non graphic):
What Vegans See
Why I became Vegetarian
Ethical Vegan (skip to 5:05)
Environmental Reasons
Animal
agriculture accounts for at least 50% the amount of greenhouse gases
produced, greenhouse gasses harm our environment and cause global
warming. Massive amounts of fossil fuels are burned and energy is used
by feeding, killing, transporting, storing and preparing slaughtered
animals. All that energy could be conserved if the process didn't
happen all together. Eating vegan reduces your carbon footprint, by
going vegan you are literally saving this planet.
Facts on Veganism helping the planet:
Fighting climate
Eating meat harms the environment
Transition To Veganism
Now
that you know the reasons to become a vegan you may have questions
about the transition. For some it's hard and others it's easy, but you
want to make sure that you are doing this right so you can STAY vegan
for life. Before anything research research
What
I would say is the easiest is to take steps, first go vegetarian.
Remove all meat from your diet completely. Learn to cook vegetarian
and mostly vegan meals. If it's available to you purchase replacement
meats and cheeses (they sell them at most health food stores),
these products are perfect for people who still crave animal products
because the taste and texture is similar. Also triple the amount of
fresh or cooked fruits and veggies in your diet, these will eventually
make up the bulk of you diet when you are a full vegan! Have fun trying
new vegan recipes, get used to the food and you'll notice increased
energy and better digestion right away! Something you also will see
after not having animal products lets say for a week, then you have
a piece of real cheese is that your body will react negatively. Your
body will be thriving on plant foods and not accept the animal foods
anymore.
Remember
it can take time for you to get used to the new foods, soon your
cravings will go away and you will crave food like watermelon
and cauliflower haha! I was vegetarian for 2 years before I went full
vegan and my transition period was about 6 or 7 months of those two
years, (now mind you I never thought about veganism until 1 year into
being a vegetarian) but anyway, for some it takes time just focus on
your goal and constantly remind your self of why you are doing this!
Now 6 months being a full vegan I focus on more whole foods rather
than processed vegan food because honestly I prefer the taste, freshness
and abundance. Maybe once a week I'll have a vegan dessert or vegan
pizza, but that's just how I like to eat. You
could have vegan mac & cheese with a side of veggies most nights
and still reap the benefits of veganism. Even vegan "junk food" is
pretty healthy because it's made from plants and no HORRIBLE animal
products!!! You can lean towards the more processed vegan food or the
whole vegan food but either way your helping the animals and your
health. But, I will say the "whole food approach" will give you even
more health benefits if done correctly.
During your vegan transition period and the rest of your vegan life you must remember that CARBS ARE YOUR FRIEND!! Now by this I mean whole grains; whole wheat pasta (if your not gluten free like me), quinoa, brown rice, or potatoes and also all fruits. These are the foods that will give you energy, carbs do not make you fat!!!! THEY ARE GOOD FOR YOU! If you are experiencing any sickness, carb up! Remember vegans have to eat more food than the standard americans because our food is lower in calories, eat until you are full and never restrict!
The
last little thing about your transition is dealing with your family.
Now personally my parents were open to the idea for me and couldn't
really reject as I volunteered to cook my own meals. I told them the
facts, and they saw how much better I felt cutting out dairy and eggs.
Even two years before when my sister and I went vegetarian (me 14 and
her 12) they accommodated and learned to cook vegetarian meals.
We discovered new fun fruits & veggies together and have fun making
weird dishes! I kinda rubbed off on my parents as they eat more fresh
food now (even though neither of them are even vegetarian).
My tips would be to show your parents the facts, tell them why you want to go vegan, volunteer to make food shopping lists and learn to make your own meals! If they see this is something you are passionate about and you will make it easy on them they will most likely agree to your new lifestyle. For more tips I included helpful videos below!
Tips on dealing with non vegan parents:
Parents won't let you be vegan?
Unsupportive parents
Vegan Food I eat/Recipes
So
the last part of this post I am going to share some of my favorite
meals/what I generally eat for each meal, giving you a little food inspo
to kick off your vegan journey! At the end I will include some of the
Youtubers I follow for vegan information, food inspiration, and all
around positive vegan vibes!!
So my rendition of a vegan diet is mostly whole food, high carb and low fat. Here is what I generally eat for each meal!!
Breakfast
I ALWAYS ALWAYS start my day off with a raw fruit meal, it's refreshing and gives me that boost of energy to start my day! I will have my fruit in smoothie form, just chopped up, or in a "nice cream" (thick banana smoothie eaten with a spoon) form! And no, I actually never get tired of fruit in the morning, I crave it every time plus this is my main serving of fruit each day. Now the only exception would be if I feel ill and can't hold down anything, then I eat brown rice all day long haha.
Lunch
Lunch and dinner for me are pretty similar, but lunch I lean more towards salads/raw fruits and veggies paired w potatoes rice or pasta (but mostly potatoes). Then again if it's a really hot day and I've been running around/working out I may like another fruit meal or a HUGE salad.
Dinner
is usually heaps of cooked veggies paired with potatoes rice or pasta,
but sometimes I will do a "lunch repeat" and have a big salad
and potatoes. If you can't tell already potatoes are my love! I
lovvvee making mashed potatoes for dinner as well as sushi bowls and
pasta dishes!
My Vegan Instagram to see more of my food pics: @vgnchlo (click to see)
Vegan Youtubers to watch
So my rendition of a vegan diet is mostly whole food, high carb and low fat. Here is what I generally eat for each meal!!
Breakfast
I ALWAYS ALWAYS start my day off with a raw fruit meal, it's refreshing and gives me that boost of energy to start my day! I will have my fruit in smoothie form, just chopped up, or in a "nice cream" (thick banana smoothie eaten with a spoon) form! And no, I actually never get tired of fruit in the morning, I crave it every time plus this is my main serving of fruit each day. Now the only exception would be if I feel ill and can't hold down anything, then I eat brown rice all day long haha.
 |
Nicecream (blended frozen banana) with a mango |
 |
Blended banana & blueberries layered with fresh blueberries |
Chopped Strawberries Mango Berries Apple and Oranges
Nicecream (blended frozen bananas) w strawberries
Snacks
Since during the school year my lunch is so late I will have lots of snacks to hold me over such as cold pressed juices, berries, Lara bars, and other types of fruit!
 | ||||
Orange Grapefruit Lemon Juice
 |
Lunch and dinner for me are pretty similar, but lunch I lean more towards salads/raw fruits and veggies paired w potatoes rice or pasta (but mostly potatoes). Then again if it's a really hot day and I've been running around/working out I may like another fruit meal or a HUGE salad.
 |
Potatoes Strawberries Cucumber and Romaine
Salad- romaine spinach cucumbers carrots chickpeas
Dressing- blended beets and peppers
Dinner
|
Brown Rice Black beans Broccoli Zucchini Carrots
Cauliflower & PURPLE Potatoes
Brown rice a little salad w beets cucumbers & romaine
Papaya topped with strawberries
Raw salad- cabbage romaine spinach tomato cucumber & raw corn
Bowl of brown rice pasta x2
PLUS a dressing / pasta sauce blended celery avocado and lemon juice
Brown rice Sweet potatoes Cauliflower Kale Peas Corn & Carrots
What I eat in a day video I made
My Vegan Instagram to see more of my food pics: @vgnchlo (click to see)
Vegan Youtubers to watch
Nina & Randa https://www.youtube.com/
I hope you enjoyed this guest post!! Have anymore questions? Be sure to Tweet me @beautyybychloe (click to view), check out my blog beautyybychloe.blogspot.
