i'm not vegan because i love animals; i'm vegan because i don't like vegetables

List: Best things about eating vegan

1. Reduce amount of fat and processed foods

So it is definitely possible to eat poorly on a vegan diet because you could technically get away with eating tons of bread, pasta, peanut butter, and “accidentally vegan” snacks (like oreos!). But for the most part, following a vegan diet will force you to remove a lot of fat and processed foods from your diet. When I first started reading ingredient labels I was surprised to find how many companies sneak milk and eggs into products that you wouldn’t guess would contain dairy.

2. Feel great

Both Zach and I feel like we have a higher, more consistent level of energy since we’ve changed our diet. Our digestive systems also seem happy, since we never get stomach aches and enjoy a very regular “schedule.” And an added bonus that I wasn’t expecting is clear, blemish free skin.

3. Prevent cancer and loads of other diseases

A diet high in vegetables and fruits and low in animal products has been proven time and time again to prevent most of the chronic illnesses that affect Americans. I won’t go into all of the data, but if you’re interested you should read Dr. Furhman’s book Eat to Live. Zach and I accept all of the data presented in the book as accurate, so it feels good knowing that we’re significantly reducing our risk for developing cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and more in the future.

4. Significantly reduce personal energy consumption

There’s really only one political issue that I’m really passionate about and that is protecting the environment. So an extra benefit to being vegan is knowing that by avoiding animal products (which have a significantly larger carbon footprint than vegetables), I’m doing my part to lower my overall energy consumption.

5. Make clean up super easy

Zach and I were pleasantly surprised to discover this advantage. You no longer need a special cutting board just for meat! There’s no more spoiled milk and moldy cheese! Once you get rid of animal products in your kitchen it’s a lot easier to clean up after cooking. And if you take oil out of your diet too, cleaning gets even easier.

Notes:

Being vegan has great benefits, but it’s not all a walk in the park. At times it can be very hard to eat in a way that is so opposite from the way everyone around you is eating (especially when their food smells so good!). It’s still worth trying though. If you’re interested just try the diet for a month and see how you feel. Then you can determine if the benefits outweigh the inconveniences.