How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?

[steven1222]

I must admit that I have noticed no change to my health or sense of well-being since replacing animal products with other things. I definitely benefited physically from the elimination of dairy products, but some real foods cause the same problems for me. The lack of health benefits to this time is unimportant; I am certain that it is healthier in the long-term, and it is enough to know that my eating habits harm only one animal: me.

[Hemlock]

I also feel a stronger relation to my God and Goddess.

Blessed be:)

[~*Sarah*~]

skins cleared up, eat less crap, feel better as im doing more, getting more involved in animal rights

however, its alot harder for me to eat out. alot less choice in shops and supermarkets- not just restaurents. people generally react ok to veggies but veganism is still quite "freakish" to some people. feel depressed about all the crap goin on in the world.

good far outweighs bad :)

[xrodolfox]

Nothing changed that much. :|

[blondemummy]

Bowel movements like clockwork. Somebody had to say it, may as well be me.

I was going to say it, but thank you!! OH my gosh! -- I have never felt better in that respect!!!.......I am a newbie vegan (2.5 months) and I have never felt so clean! :)

[angelamc]

Before going vegetarian I was really, really sick and in and out of the hospital with all kinds of ulcers and digestive problems. Then I became a vegetarian and it 'mysteriously' cleared up. But after being veggie for a couple years, my illnesses started to come back. I was eating ALOT of dairy when the illnesses started coming back so I decided that it was probably because of my diet. I slowly became vegan and I slowly got better. Now, I'm the healthiest person I know!:) My father has also had dramatic results from changing to a vegetarian diet. I'm still working on turning him into a vegan, though!

[EcoTribalVegan]

It almost feels like a spiritual awakening. I feel more attuned with nature and animals. I love it. I think I would kill myself before I ever reverted back to a non-vegan.

[Haniska]

I just noticed the other day that I don't get stomach aches like I did when I was a child.
Of course, I eat better now *grown and responsible* , and when I feel like I've ate too much sugar I eat something wholesome and then eat more sugar (within the course of three hours) Never throw up after some bad chinese food though..just the flu etc.
I've also improved in that I realized that I have a few food allergies that cause ear infections, acne and eczema. I don't know if I would have noticed it if I stayed omni.

[fondducoeur]

I also notice that my hair is so soft. I don't even need conditioner. I love it!


I have noticed this too, but hadn't connected it to a vegan diet. That is probably it though...I had just assumed I had used conditioner unnecessarily for years.

In general, I have not lost a ton of weight, but I look better. I feel better in general, and I genuinely feel like my awareness about the world in general has increased (for better or for worse). I believe I am more compassionate towards others. It's the best thing that has ever happened to me (almost 10 months, yay!)

[Klytemnest]

What effect have switching to a vegan diet had on you?

I have had a lot of problems with upper respiratory problems this year. I have always had such issues, but since January of this year, it's been worse. I have no idea whether my veganism has anything to do with it.

On the other hand, however, ever since I became a vegan and started eating more fiber, I have been much more "regular". I feel lighter, even though I have not lost any weight.

I've been wondering... Do you think all of this fiber is flushing out nutrients we actually need out of our systems before they have had a chance to get absorbed? This probably sounds totally moronic, and I apologize in advance for asking it... But I was just musing... Any profound thoughts?

[Jippia]

It is an interesting question. I have no idea. You can get too much fiber from your diet. That is all I know.

As for the poll question: I do notice some improvement, but not as much as some others here. I still have acne and I still get flu whenever a colleague or someone else has it, too. Several times a year. I eat a lot of oranges and other fruits and I drink orange juice and other fruit juices. I do not always feel very energetic and I even gained weight instead of losing it. This year I have made the resolution to try and find ways to improve on these points.

The improvement for me is that I used to have a bowel ailment that I have not had since I went vegetarian. And my hormones are more stable. I think that is due to the amount of soya milk and tofu/tempeh I consume and that I consume more grains and oils such as linseed oil. I turned vegan in September 2006, so maybe I am not vegan long enough to experience the many health benefits I read about on forums and other websites. The idea that I limit my chances of getting the diseases that run in my family (diabetes, cancer, and some more) by a vegan lifestyle makes me feel good, because I see how it affects my aunts and uncles.

[~*Sarah*~]

when i first went vegan i was going for alot of number 2's but think that was just my digestive system adjusting to it, and i think i was eating a bit too much salad at the time.

ive been vegan for nearly a year now and i would describe my health as excellent- im rarely ill, and if i do get a cold it only lasts a day. i dont get hangovers, i never seem to catch all the bugs and colds that everyone else does. i really appreciate my health and i attribute it completely to my genes and my diet.

only problem i have is bad skin, but thats due to a double whammy of bad genes from my parents not from my diet, and it improved dramatically when i went vegan. My mum was absolutely amazed at the difference.

[Rutabaga]

My stomach has gotten a lot happier too. I also feel a lot better just in general, learning how to cook, paying attention to what I eat, and knowing I'm not feeding off the deaths of others goes a long way!

[JC]

i never seem to catch all the bugs and colds that everyone else does.

there's a horrible flu-type cold thing going round my family. we were at a family friend's party the other week, where 2 of them had had the bug. now they've all had it, as have my dad and brother since being there, and my mum's coming down with it now, yet i haven't had anything :D yet.

[~*Sarah*~]

there's a horrible flu-type cold thing going round my family. we were at a family friend's party the other week, where 2 of them had had the bug. now they've all had it, as have my dad and brother since being there, and my mum's coming down with it now, yet i haven't had anything :D yet.


hope u didnt catch it :D

[a7xaddiction]

No No No No No You Guys Want Some Real Improvement Of Your Health And Wellbeing Go Raw Vegan Seriously Its The Best Thing You Could Do!!!! Amazing!!!

[yum]

i had a blood test to check my iron levels as they were low when i was vegetarian. Got the results and i have excellent iron apparently, unusually so the doctor said for a girl of my age. I said it was all the tofu i eat.

[Klytemnest]

I have had a lot of problems with upper respiratory problems this year. I have always had such issues, but since January of this year, it's been worse. I have no idea whether my veganism has anything to do with it.

Since the time I wrote this post I caught one more cold, in December 2007. And since then I have been 100% healthy. And that is very unusual for me. I always catch at least two colds per winter, and often times I get sick in the spring and the summer as well. So, for me to have been healthy for over six months borders on the miraculous! And thus at a time when dozens of people around me were afflicted by the flu, colds, and even pneumonia!

I figure, we are bombarded by germs all the time, so this period of good health must not be just a matter of good luck. I must be doing something right.

I think the biggest difference is that I now eat a nice, healthy breakfast every morning. It's my favorite meal of the day now. I heat some unsweetened soymilk, add a couple of sprinkles of Stevia, three sprinkles of cinnamon, then, right before it all boils, I add one cup of rolled oats, raisins, currants, almond slivers, goji berries. I turn the heat to low and then wait 5 minutes. I then mash a banana and add it to the mix with about 5-6 frozen strawberries, and some apple slices. It is to die for! This way you start your day off with a nice serving of grains, nuts and fruits - and it is absolutely delicious! I do some kind of a variation on this theme every day. I wonder if having a nice healthy breakfast like this plays an important role in keeping our immune systems functioning at full speed...

Rami

[songlife]

Ahh it's nice to see that curve.

Well I'm not someone who has ever played into placebo and I was skeptical about how it would affect my health, even if I "did it right" ...which I did.

I did it for ethical reasons, and would not go back to non-veganism even if it meant my death, no joke.

However, I love my health (not as much as I love ethics evidently) so I decided to do lots and lots of nutrition research which is actually very complex and controversial as lots of you guys know. I get all my nutrients. ALL of them, and very easily too.

After a year of veganism, my back problems (which were getting quite bad, I'm only 21 but had an accident when I was 7 that hurt my back and ever since then it's sucked) were GONE. I don't mean greatly reduced, I mean gone, as if my body has finally been able to heal itself. I'm sure my back isn't perfect but I have not had a single day where I have to push pain to the back of my mind, like I used to do every day.

I don't know if it's from not having the drugs that are in meat and dairy, or that I eat organic as much as possible, or that I don't eat GMO soy when it was in my foods as an omni, or what. I don't know. Maybe it's not that I'm vegan but that I take a multivitamin!? Though I can't see a multivitamin miraculously healing someone's back.

I have slightly more energy and sleep very well. My digestive system is much better and I have better mental clarity and don't get headaches like I used to.

[cherob]

I feel so much cleaner- in body and mind. I was always conflicted with loving animals and then having them on my plate- no more conflicts. I feel veganism has helped me to examine my life more closely and focus on what is important. In terms of health, everyone around me has been ill- I used to always get a few colds and one bout of flu in winter- so far no colds (despite my hubby having one as I write) and hoping for a flu-free winter. My blood pressure and cholesterol are also much improved. I can only feel relief and gratitude for having embraced veganism, it has changed my life in so many ways.

[bradders]

honestly my health has improved massively, I have far more energy than I ever did, get ill less often and feel happier. I get fewer sugar related problems and I'm tired less often.

[vorpal]

I picked 'My health and/or sense of well-being has improved a lot'.

Since I went vegan in February:

-No colds, not even one! I used to get at least one per month
-No migraines, usually had one every two months or so
-No constantly irritated bowel, by far my favourite change as I used to have cramps and runs every other day at least. Now I am super regular (and *ahem* nicely solid) and only excessive drinking or very fatty foods upsets my stomach
-No bloating
-Glowing skin, a customer at work asked me how I always look so healthy; I bet she wished she never asked now hehe
-I can be friends with non-human animals without feeling like I have something to hide
-I get up more easily in the morning
-SAD symptoms seem to be reduced this winter but time will tell on that one

So when someone tells me being vegan is bad for my health I find it hard not to laugh in their face :S

[Haniska]

Am I noticing a theme of improvement with sugar reduction?

[bradders]

in my case it's a reduction in the affects of sugar levels low and high

[cobweb]

Am I noticing a theme of improvement with sugar reduction?


to be honest i have way more sugar problems as a vegan :(.
i eat far too many carbs and sugary foods now.
it only just hit me the other day that, up til i went vegan i never had a weight problem and never suffered with depression to a point where i needed treatment. I also never had teeth that were sensitive or broke/cracked.
Now all these things could be just the effects of ageing, or my own personal vegan diet might be very unbalanced, but it occurred to me that maybe i shouldn't go round telling people how 'healthy' veganism is :o.