Positive (side) effects of going vegan

[starlight]

Right On Starlight - tell your mom how happy we all are to hear of her choice!

And what a wonderful influence her daughter has become - hooray for you both!

Thanks tachcha.

(But I think I should point out I'm of the male persuasion, before this goes any further. lol)

[tahcha]

OMG Starlight - I am so sorry and meant no offense - I never even thought - how selfish of me!!! Please accept my humblest apologies - along with my adoration for your ability to positively influence those around you.

jain

[starlight]

OMG Starlight - I am so sorry and meant no offense - I never even thought - how selfish of me!!! Please accept my humblest apologies - along with my adoration for your ability to positively influence those around you.

jain

No worries

[bradders]

my skin is softer and complexion improved

[squigaletta]

need less sleep
have stronger nails
have much better fitness levels without even trying (used to not be able to get out of bed after kickboxing, now I barely notice it)
dont feel 'heavy'. I used to do day fasts to make myself feel 'lighter' now I have that feeling pretty much all the time.
get a warm smug glow every time I buy soy milk at the super market (bad I know but true! I've started judging other people's baskets!)

one unpleasant side effect is feeling very at odds with the majority of the world, and everyone I know, I just don't get why they can't see it the way I see it and thats a little depressing.

[mariana]

(bad I know but true! I've started judging other people's baskets!)

Hehe, I didn't even notice other people's baskets until I was in the supermarket the other day with my friends and looked in their baskets and all they had was ice cream, cookies, cake, etc. They looked at mine in shock--I had carrots, onions, beans, pasta, nuts, apples.

[Enchantress]

We only ever buy alcohol and junk food at the supermarket. Feel free to judge us .

[squigaletta]

the people who I tend to judge badly are the ones with cheese and cheesy ready meals and stuff like that, I kinda wanna shake them! and people with kids who are buying a weeks worth of junk, that makes me .

[mariana]

We only ever buy alcohol and junk food at the supermarket. Feel free to judge us .

Haha, well I didn't judge them, I just thought it was funny, especially given how completely shocked they were at my basket. (Btw, in addition to all the healthy food, I also had vodka in my basket. ) And trust me, I would have had some junk food in there too but the supermarket near me is really small and doesn't stock much vegan junk food (it mostly only has preprepared omni food ).

[Enchantress]

Just to make things clear we (that is Risker and I) don't live off junk food and beer, it's just that his mum pays for most of our food out of our rent money, so we just use the supermarket for picking up a few extras.

[helen105281]

one unpleasant side effect is feeling very at odds with the majority of the world, and everyone I know, I just don't get why they can't see it the way I see it and thats a little depressing.

That is exactly how I feel especially at work. But I would not change my decision to become vegan for the world. One unexpected effect of my veganism is my ability to stand up for my beliefs has improved a lot.

[vava]

i feel more strongly about vegan issues as I become vegan for longer. I went away for the weekend and we ate out quite a bit and i saw childrean being fed animals and all I could think of was how sorry i felt for them and that they were being fed 'death'. I think I am now a fully fledged vegan weirdo. Hurrah!

[~Lyns~]

Best unexpected side effect .. New found happiness and inner peace. I thought i was happy and held inner peace before but its just nothing compared to that of which i feel as a vegan. Being 100% CF has just made me find a new sense of inner peace knowing i in myself am completely peaceful and my existence doesn't arm any other living being.
Hmm i hope you are able to understand what i mean its hard to write down exactly what i mean.

[~Lyns~]

need less sleep
dont feel 'heavy'. I used to do day fasts to make myself feel 'lighter' now I have that feeling pretty much all the time.
get a warm smug glow every time I buy soy milk at the super market (bad I know but true! I've started judging other people's baskets!)

one unpleasant side effect is feeling very at odds with the majority of the world, and everyone I know, I just don't get why they can't see it the way I see it and thats a little depressing.

^ *nods* .. I feel the same way ^

[hiddenfromview]

^ *nods* .. I feel the same way ^

me too! 100%
defo need less sleep too...and have plenty more energy during the day

[starlight]

butter smells really, really bad

[Nyphur]

butter smells really, really bad

Chicken too. After a few months of being vegetarian, I began to gag at the smell of cooked chicken. It smells like what I imagine a corpse smells like.

This could be from going vegan or it could be just a coincidence but my sleep has gotten a lot more potent. It's not that I need less but I can sleep to get over illness much faster than I used to. I'd say the regenerative stages of sleep are working much more effectively than they used to. Colds that used to last a week or more are cured in a few days. I know it's the sleep because when I am sick and don't sleep I am just as bad. When I'm sick and wake up after 14 hours sleep, I feel a lot better.

The biggest negative side-effect is how people treat you when you tell them you're vegan. Sure some people are nice and genuinely interested (even though they all ask the same questions) but for most people it's like they take personal offense. I don't talk about it unless someone brings it up of course, I'm not pushy and don't try to convince people they should be vegan too. Some people just take a personal interest in picking you to pieces when you mention off-hand that you can't eat something because you're vegan.

[bradders]

about how quickly you get over colds etc, I'd certainly agree with that. Hardly had a cold since being vegan and they normally seem to last about a day and a half now rather than a week and a half. My sleep has improved a bit too in every way.
With some people I find the best way to introduce the subject of being vegan is to show that you have a sence of humour and say something like (in the right tone) "I'm one of those vegan, it breaks the ice on the subject, shows that you're not a completely humourless robot and helps get the conversation going on the subject in a positive air. This has got a few people I know thinking seriously adopting the vegan way of life and one person has already adopted it now. Keeps veganism mainstream, whilst showing that we are still normal people who can have alaugh.

[Quantum Mechanic]

I find when I have a sore throat, it isn't as bad as it used to be. There's no more mucous from the dairy!

I stopped getting my sinus headaches for a while but they are coming back. I get a headache almost every day now.

Yeah, I was always told as a child not to have milk and cheese and ice cream when I had sore throat / mucous / cold, and I remember one day reaching for a yogurt and not even realizing that that was also dairy like milk.

I gave up dairy about a month before being vegan for health reasons (I have probably a dairy allergy that while not life threatening or anything can make it harder on breathing and stomach troubles). That mostly cleared up. Also sinus infections recurring, that I kept going to the doctor, then after being dairy free for awhile it mostly has cleared up. Still have a bit mucous though, and asthma-like symptoms I've had since a child. In the last month gotten slightly worse, though I would put that down to the colder weather/climate and increased exercise.

After a couple months I mostly have had my acne cleared up, even though I don't wash nearly enough as I would like. This may just be a temporary coincidence, but it may be related to the exclusion of dairy and other animal products.

First I gained a couple pounds because of my enthusiasm for vegan convenience foods like soy ice creams and stuff like that, but after that I lost more weight and went to the higher end of healthy weight. Though I've gained some on holiday. But I'll be eating much better and doing more exercise in another week. Those chocolate chip pancakes were good though...

I feel slightly less need for sleep, which in my case is not so good because I already have the tendency for my body to think that bedtime is between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., and since I've been vegan I tend to go to sleep at least 5 a.m., often 6 or 7. Which isn't good when I have to get up NO LATER than 8 a.m. to get out the door (and that's if I just change clothes without breakfast or brushing hair or anything, and I feel nasty the whole day even though I try to shower the night before).

And yet, I can still be mostly productive and alert and attentive in class through until 5 p.m., as I have loads of energy. But I am terribly sleep-deprived and that can be seen sometimes at the end of the week when the weekend I crash for 12-hour sleep times, and especially at the mid-quarter and at the end of the quarter when I am in class and intermittently falling asleep (though I am fortunate that I have trained myself to not fall asleep in a way that my head dips down and it is apparent, but my eyes are open and I am sitting up, but my mouth hangs open and I may drool a bit ;p ). Then again I've always had that problem, it's just gotten a little worse lately, even though I follow good sleep hygiene almost all the time (except when I'm on holiday).

I get very uncomfortable just at the sight of animal products, and unfortunately most of the time I wear my emotions on my face and my own personal disgust could easily be mistaken as me trying to actively be judgemental towards someone else, so I try to monitor my facial expressions, which is no easy task. If I see someone has taken my disgust especially personally, I might launch into a clumsy explanation, knowing that it probably won't make a difference, but just in case I'd like to explain that I'm not trying to be actively critical. Haven't encountered as much of the "vegan police" (whether omni or vegan) as I expected.

My sweat does seem to smell better, sweet smelling almost. But I thought that was because of the new, natural deodorant I was using (even though it is odor and fragrance free), I figured it was interacting with my skin or something.

[helen105281]

I have definitely had less colds etc since becoming vegan. Though I have a horrible one at the moment which I have now had for a couple of weeks. I work in an office where everyone was coughing and sneezing for weeks and the bugs constantly get spread around the office thanks to the air con so I had no hope really though it did take longer than most for me to get it. My partner has always had an excellent immune system but it is even better since he went vegan, have been coughing and spluttering around him for the past 2 weeks and he feels fine.

[bradders]

people with good immune systems make me sick

[Buddha Belly]

people with good immune systems make me sick

Hee hee. it annoys her i never get ill as well.

[bradders]

you people need to be made ill so you know what we go through. We could do some sort of programme where we feed people like you various poisons to make you sick for a month and then you can apologize to us for being well all the time and recognize the true scale of our plight!

[Buddha Belly]

you people need to be made ill so you know what we go through. We could do some sort of programme where we feed people like you various poisons to make you sick for a month and then you can apologize to us for being well all the time and recognize the true scale of our plight!

If it is any comfort to you: last night i developed Helen's cold and spent the night snivelling and sneezing. Today i am fine!!
As for the poisoning... I had two Linda Macartney sausages today and have awlful stomach cramps because of it.
I know the pain of being ill as i have to listen to Helen's contant moaning about it.

[bradders]

mwa HAH HA HA HA HA HA HAAA!
that's what you get for boasting about how you never get ill

[BJJNick]

need less sleep
have stronger nails
have much better fitness levels without even trying (used to not be able to get out of bed after kickboxing, now I barely notice it)
dont feel 'heavy'. I used to do day fasts to make myself feel 'lighter' now I have that feeling pretty much all the time.
get a warm smug glow every time I buy soy milk at the super market (bad I know but true! I've started judging other people's baskets!)

one unpleasant side effect is feeling very at odds with the majority of the world, and everyone I know, I just don't get why they can't see it the way I see it and thats a little depressing.

I always judge other people's baskets. I love being smug. It's funny.

And I agree with Bradders. I'm rarely sick, and when I am it lasts for maybe 2 days. Awesome.

[Elahiya]

I always judge other people's baskets. I love being smug. It's funny.

HAHA, LOL!!! me, too!!!! an i always see the same shitty stuff, like sausages, sandwiches with meat or fish, crisps, jellies.... rarely fresh fruit or vegs. oh, maybe an apple.

[pavotrouge]

I only feel smug when it's obvious they shop for themselves. I want to slap people that only buy rubbish for their kids.

[BJJNick]

I think I feel disgusted more than smug.

[buttons]

I only feel smug when it's obvious they shop for themselves. I want to slap people that only buy rubbish for their kids.

I hate it how some people load their kids up with sugar, bad fat and preservatives, then expect their school to take care of all of the consequences of their kids' shitty diet, e.g. needing even more sport time at school* (can't have 'em reading, can we?), hyperactivity, fluctuating blood sugar levels, etc.
/curmudgeonly rant

*I'm not against sport, but in my school years (90's to early 00's) we did some every day anyway, plus devoted PE time. Now they've increased that to deal with the results of (IMHO, what is largely) parents' choices, theoretically cutting into academic time.

[bradders]

the school day should be longer, say 8 hours rather than 5-7 and should include an hour of PE but without the compulsory specificsport element that often happens at break times (we were made to play football (gaelic), soccer or basketball during our lunch period at primary). Nothing wrong with p.e. just don't make kids play competitive sports they don't want to play. There should be more swimming in school too. Should be about a well rounded education, not just the academc but also the physical and practical too.

[buttons]

I didn't intend to come across as anti-PE (although I would have liked to have been able to swap volleyball netball for some other sport at the time!), I was just questioning the approach the assorted authorities here in Oz have chosen in response to the obesity issue/crisis/pandemic.

[buttons]

Not exactly unexpected but my already small consumption of cakes and bakery goodies has reduced dramatically. Hasn't helped with the insomnia, though (it's 5:18am here!).

[Topcat]

I lost weight when i first became vegan, have stayed at that weight since. The bonus for me tho was my stomach problems stopped , the bloating, swelling and pain all went away, suffered from this problem since i was a child, wish i had know it was dairy causing the problem.

[Verencemos]

I've only been vegan 6 months, but I feel like I've had a revelation, a really intense spiritual feeling without the drugs or the religion. I think the revelation was about realising the awful things that happen and realising I could do something however small about it, that what I put in my mouth, wore on my skin makes a difference
On the trivial side, definitely an improvement in all odours of the body and its wastes, and fab poo (if poo can be fab)
Stronger nails.
Yellower teeth (not good)
Less PMT
I like animals I thought I didn't eg slugs, spiders. Slugs are really beautiful. Still wish they didn't eat my veggies, but I don't kill them anymore.
Used to have to ram food into my mouth because it disgusted me and I just wanted to get it over with - not necessary any more
My husband and son are eating much more healthily. My husband is going veggie (hope he keeps it up) which means my son is too
My mind and body work better - after years of mood disorder and medication, I think my mood is more stable (early days though), my weight is stable (though still very fat), my memory and logic are improved I think. I still got a cold over Christmas, but I was much less ill, and was only one of two colleagues (out of 10) to not need sick leave. Not sure I can attribute it to diet - the other smug one seems to live on a diet of tinned meat and fish!
Have a sense of being part of a really important movement, small now, but growing.
And a similar sense of evolving personally, that I haven't reached the end of my adventure, there is more change to come.

[Verencemos]

and on the cholesterol front
before I went vegan on animal grounds, I changed my diet on health grounds - I had gall stones made of cholesterol and high serum cholesterol (5.9 in british units). I started eating porridge with soya milk every day, but I still ate cheese, the odd egg and butter (vegetarian for 25+ years, so not meat/fish). My cholesterol dropped to 3.5, just with that change, no medication. Cant remember the rest in detail, but my HDL/LDL ratio is now really good. I think both oats and soya protein have beneficial effects on cholesterol - might be worth mentioning to your Mum, though my anecdote is hardly science.

[TheAlterEgo]

Ever since I became vegan (about 3 or so years ago) I have noticed that my eczema has really died down. I also seem to recover from colds/flus faster, with exceptions to the one I'm currently battling which is hanging on for dear life because I'm so stressed at the moment. I told my doctor about my eczema calming down when he decided to give me a drill about my diet. He seemed rather interested and pleased at my declaration, which was nice 'cause they usually have something annoying to say like 'you need meat' &c.

[Adelina]

The only one unexpected effect of my veganism was that I made one of my best friends vegan, too. First when I told him that I am a vegan he said "Had you visited your doctor?" and "You are crazy. If you are not you will become", but later he changed his oppinion. Before 3 months he switched to the vegan diet, too. He said that I had "inspired" and "made him a complete personality" in some way. I hope that change will not be temporary.

[Sarabi]

I eat less junk food - that's for sure! I don't eat much fried food at all anymore. It just doesn't go well with salad, cereal, bagels, fruit, milk. I used to be a major junk food junkie. Got it from my dad, who died of a heart attack, which I have always assumed to be because he ate so much junk food and never exercised for years. He had heart disease for years without knowing it. And when he died I moved in with my mom, who had an unhealthy need for people to like her food. Since we didn't like her healthy food, she increasingly bought us junk food over the years, and she's the kind of person to say: "Eat, eat, eat! There are doughnuts on the table! I bought you 24 bags of chips! Cooking fried rice tonight! Look at this ice cream over here!!!!!! Do you want Taco Bell or Jack In the Box tomorrow night??????" When I went home over the summer, I wanted to kill myself. I can't imagine going back there. She'd never figure out what veganism is. ANYWAY, back on topic... I don't eat donuts anymore, THANK GOD. I very rarely find vegan cookies, brownies, cakes, etc... there's never vegan ice cream lying around. Being off eggs means less cholesterol, which I guess makes me feel better because I feel like shit if I ate something with eggs in it. I only occasionally eat small amounts of French fries or tater tots or hashbrowns (When other things are unavailable). And no more CHEESE and BUTTER, which ain't good. Jelly, nut butters, and vegetable spreads are things I have really learned to love and are better.

I'm more aware of what I eat now. I like veggies more now. I eat slightly more fruit than before. I've expanded my palate. I've learned about Fair Trade, local, organic, etc. food. Eating meditation is easier than it would otherwise. It's given me something to fight for... I was interested in issues like sexuality/gender, race, etc... but other than nonviolence and Buddhism, there's nothing that moved me deeply enough to really speak out the way veganism does.

[VegasBean]

My favourite affect has been, not the weight loss but the general feeling of being a vegan. Knowing that I'm contributing to a healthier lifestyle is probably the best thing I've done in a while.

[jomo]

My favourite affect has been, not the weight loss but the general feeling of being a vegan. Knowing that I'm contributing to a healthier lifestyle is probably the best thing I've done in a while.

I agree. The feeling of complete satisfaction with a meal, and knowing that it has come to me without the need to kill animals or contributing to dairy farms makes me feel even happier.

I mess up, have an omni meal from time to time, especially traveling or when going out sometimes it happens that there just isn't a vegan option, or perhaps I am a guest and the host has clearly gone out of their way and I just can't refuse...

I never feel guilty if i slip up, because it's more about the big picture. And if I do consume meat or dairy, by accident or choice, I never feel ill health effects. I reason that it's so infrequent now, that my body is in fact better able to deal with it. So I see the mishaps as a gift. a detour. So I just go with it, knowing that I can always come "home"

That's the thing, the important thing; the vegan diet feels like home.

For me it is very important to eat with other people. Being vegan can cut one off from being social, from going out with friends. That was an effect that I didn't like. And I didn't want to lose those friends. After all, they are my friends, vegan or not.

My strategy for eating with friends is to invite them over and cook meals that blow their minds, but are vegan, and they like it. Then it's just a matter of having a good bank of restaurants that have decent vegan options....

[Firefly]

Becoming more confident and outspoken about what I believe in, and refusing to let others belittle or make me feel stupid about my beliefs and opinions.

Becoming more aware of political, environmental and humanitarian issues, and more compassionate to both people and non-human animals.

Being able to hug my dog and say that I love animals without feeling like a hypocrite. I feel like I have more integrity for putting my values into practice.

Mostly, I feel more at peace with the world, and with who I am, knowing that no animal had to suffer and die for me to get through the day

[salatheel]

I have lost 20lbs in a month and my energy is through the roof. My mental outlook is so much better as well. Calmer,more peaceful,more focused,more tranquil mentally. And free from guilt when I eat.

[Vegan_Steven]

Mental clarity. I Attribute it to the absence of commercial hormones in my diet.

[shiny2008]

I gained 10 pounds! but it's pretty good for me, and glad friends suppoting me and some of then really quit meat for awhile...

[vegetarian_cat]

I was very pleasantly surprised to see that I can't lock the button on my jeans anymore!
I'm underweight so I could really do with the extra flesh on my bones.

I was worried i'd lose weight, like everyone was experiencing it seemed, but
it seems that eating all the yummy home.made vegan quick breads and cakes
and all sort of nice stuff is helping me gain weight.

My skin has a beautiful glow sometimes too.

Oh, i stopped getting bitten by mosquitos here when i turned vegetarian 12 years ago, but some maggots still get me!!

[Ross-P]

I can eat loads of food now and never feel hungry ( as an omni I felt hungry all the time ).

My weight is dropping as well !

And my abs are starting to come through again ! ( I haven't seen those in a while ! )

I have increased spirituality and sense of calm.

So all in all I feel great !

[squigaletta]

I have increased spirituality and sense of calm.

So all in all I feel great !

beware: 'zinc deficiency can cause a 'spacey' feeling that some vegetarians may mistake for the 'high' of spiritual enlightenment'

(I don't believe this, it's just one of my fave ever quotes from an anti veg*n article that was posted somewhere on this board)

[Cherry.Chops]

my digestion is SUPER speedy

[starlight]

The chef at work now puts a vegan option on the menu several times a week. There are four options on the menu, so about a quater of the company are eating vegan without even knowing it.