30 Days Vegan – 6 Reasons Why You Should Give This Diet a Try
Yesterday I began my 30 day vegan kick. I’m not eating dairy or eggs or meat. I’m focusing on eating whole grains, fresh fruits & vegetables, nuts & seeds and legumes. I’ve cut out coffee and am trying to avoid sugar in any form. I’m trying to reduce inflammation in my body as I’ve been getting joint pain, my sleep quality has been poor and my energy has been low.
I’m keeping track of my protein, fat and carbohydrate intake with MyFitnessPal. I want to make sure that I am getting enough protein without heading to my usual salmon and egg fix. Plant-based foods have a lot of protein in them but they are often not the first thing we think of when we want to increase our protein intake.
Veganism has been around for years and is just one of many ‘diet’ plans that people use to achieve health and fitness goals. Vegan eating can be achieved with many different foods, healthy and not healthy, so it is important that you choose to eat foods that are not processed or refined and are as nutrient-rich as possible.
Over the next 30 days I will share with you different tips on eating vegan – from how to make sure you are getting enough daily protein from plant-based foods to nutritional values in different foods and making sure that you are getting enough vitamins/nutrients from the foods you are choosing.
Here’s why you should consider a vegan diet!
6 Reasons Why You Should Try Veganism (and do it right!)
- It’s environmentally friendly. Unfortunately the cost to eating meat is high – not only is eating meat expensive but it also is more damaging to the environment due to the large amount of greenhouse gases created by feeding and growing livestock and transporting meat.
- Your risk of cancer, heart-disease and diabetes are reduced . Just by cutting out meat your risk of heart-disease is reduced. Eating an increased amount of fresh fruits & vegetables and whole grains increases the amount of fibre in your diet which in turn lowers your risk for certain cancers and supports healthy blood sugar levels.
- You can lower your body weight. Eating a vegan diet has the benefit of reducing your risk of obesity. Obviously, at the end of the day, to achieve this, you need to exercise and choose nutritious vegan foods, and not overeat. It’s not magic, but it has been shown that vegetarians are 6-10 pounds lighter than non-vegetarians and this alone has had many famous athletes choose a vegan diet as a reduced body weight contributes to speed and increased endurance.
- It’s economical! Meat is expensive. Choosing to eat nuts, seeds, legumes, grains and beans is not only cheaper, but it also a great way to get your daily protein intake!
- You will broaden your food knowledge! Eating differently can challenge you to try new recipes and different foods that you have never eaten before. Instead of reaching for the eggs & bacon for breakfast try Tempeh Scramble (a soy-based, protein-rich, plant-based food) instead. Instead of reaching for your typical white bread look for a kamut sourdough bread or Ezekiel bread to get some more nutrition, protein and fibre. There are so many different foods out there that are healthy, delicious and nutritious.
- You will improve your overall health. I mentioned earlier that you reduce the risk for certain diseases by eating a vegan diet. Remember that the food choices you make while eating vegan are extremely important. Increasing your intake of foods high in fibre, rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein are a massive step towards great health. People who choose to eat vegan find themselves with increased overall energy, clearer skin and decreased inflammation in their bodies. Why not give it a try?
Stay tuned over the next 30 days as I share my 30 day journey of eating vegan by following me on Instagram @thenatural.health.knowitall !
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