Going full vegan is not as easy as most people think it is, but becoming a partial vegan is achievable. A lot of people consider going vegan because it has a lot of benefits for your health. Not only can a vegan diet help you lose weight, but it will help your heart, kidney, and help with diabetes and even some cancers. It can be hard to go full pledged vegan, especially for someone like me who loves cheese, or for others who love meat. But there are small changes that you can make to become a partial vegan, or just to have a better diet.
You do not have to go all out and cut meat from your diet for the rest of your life if you do not want to. That is not what this article is about, but rather considering one of your meals of the day to be meatless and non-dairy. And if you want the cheese, there are some vegan cheeses you can consider. I know, vegan cheese? Gross! But I assure you, I’ve had it and it is surprisingly delicious! Let’s talk about the health benefits of a vegan diet, and what changes you can make.
Benefits
Vegan diets can help people who are dealing with some serious health issues. Vegan diets are full of a lot of vegetables, which means it is rich in nutrients such as fiber, magnesium, potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins A, C, and E. The diet improves kidney function from the nutrients listed, lowers your risk of heart disease, and can even protect you from cancers.
Heart disease is lowered from this diet because of the fruits, vegetables, and fiber your body is receiving. It helps lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which in turn helps your heart from having to pump harder than it should. Blood flow increases throughout your body, and the chance of blood clotting lowers. Your risk of colon or rectal cancer can be reduced by almost 18%, and lower your risk of dying from cancer by 15%. Vegan diets consist of soy products, which can help protect a person from breast cancer.
Studies have shown that a vegan diet produces more energy, and we all would like some of that. It may not necessarily just be a full vegan diet that produces the energy, but a healthier diet will. Avoiding sugary treats and processed foods will help your body regulate your glucose levels more, and prevent blood sugar from spiking or crashing. This helps your body produce more energy, and prevent diabetes.
A vegan diet speeds up your metabolism, which aids in weight loss. It even helps with arthritis pain. Certain vegetables and fruits contain nutrients that help reduce inflammation within the body. This happens mainly by getting rid of the bad bacteria in your stomach, and increasing nutrients.
Small Yet Powerful Changes
Making small changes is easier than trying to just cut off meat and dairy from your diet forever. As stated before, becoming a vegan is not as easy as some may think. However, you can take some steps into a healthier diet. Try cutting out meat and dairy from your diet for one of your meals. Over time, you can increase it to two meals if you want. Some people go vegan one week every month.
Taking these small steps will help your body absorb nutrients better. You will see the change in your body, mind, and overall health when you begin eating one vegan meal a day, a week, or every other month. Your face will glow, your energy will increase, and you will even begin to make more health conscious decisions when cooking or ordering food.
Vegan diets are becoming very popular, especially with all the research to back it up on why it is great and preferable. You do not have to say goodbye to meat forever if you do not want to. However, I do recommend you to consider adding a vegan meal in your day, and see how you feel over time. If you feel better (which I think you will) then great, and if not, then you can stop. Better to try something that will benefit your body greatly, than to just dismiss it.