My health and/or sense of well-being is strongly reduced
My health and/or sense of well-being is a little reduced
No change
My health and/or sense of well-being has improved a little
My health and/or sense of well-being has improved a lot
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
Blessed beSonicJMC
Silent but deadly :p
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
Nothing changed that much. :|
context is everything
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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!
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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!
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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!)
tabbouleh-bouleh
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected 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?
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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!
watch me make up my mind, instead of my face - sleater-kinney
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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 anythingyet.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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
hope u didnt catch it
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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!!!
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
Am I noticing a theme of improvement with sugar reduction?
it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
in my case it's a reduction in the affects of sugar levels low and high
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I've been vegan for coming up on four years now, and I must attest to my health greatly improving. In particular, my respiratory health has seen real benefits. I've always been very active, doing lots of running and other cardio. However, I used to get colds so often. In school, I remember missing so much because of illness. Since, I can count the number of colds I've had on one hand. When I'm being active, I feel much more vital, too. My stamina has improved and my lung capacity seems to have grown.
I attribute this to the fact that I ate so much dairy and processed grains and sugars; all of which can cause problems like the ones I had. I feel fortunate that I went vegan when I did, before the ramifications of my poor diet to fully realized. Now, I am infinitely more aware of what I'm putting in my body. It's nice to take pride in my health and know that my diet is positively impactful.
X
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
my post (176) up there was a bit OTT. I am just a bit stressed about my general health. However, to be honest i think i am probably much healthier than a lot of people my age or younger who aren't vegan. I think sometimes i just feel, as a vegan, i ought to be a shining beacon of health and when i don't feel so great i blame myself for not being 'good enough'.
Hope that makes sense.
Didn't mean to knock veganism, i love it really
I'm currently working on getting a properly balanced meal plan together on a sensible budget.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I'm not very 'healthy' either Cobweb as far as my diet is concerned. I just eat what I feel like and I do eat a lot of sweets too! I still think though that I'd rather be vegan and eat 'unhealthy' things sometimes than not be vegan and eat 'unhealthy' things too.
Vegans don't eat animal products and that fact alone makes our diet healthier than non-vegans.
Overall though, I do feel healthier being vegan as I've said before (I know I go on about this too much) I had a lot of stomach problems before I was vegan and they have all gone now. I can now eat whatever I like and not suffer horrendous indigestion and stomach pains and I don't need constant medication like I did before........ or hospital investigations.
I think I'll follow your example though and try to follow a more sensible eating plan.............eating more fruit and veg etc and only drinking water.............I doubt it will last though...........as I'm only vegan because of the animals.........I couldn't really care less about being vegan for health reasons.
I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
i'm a lot like that Sandra but i am beginning to care more about my health, and my weight!.
also i feel a bit 'lost' sometimes, cannot decide what i want to eat, so i have drawn up a plan with set meals for every day. I need to get organised!.
p.s it's great that your stomach problems are gone.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
My health is probably much the same although I have read way more about dietary requirements since becoming vegan so am more conscious of when I am not eating healthy! being vegan doesn't stop me being sad n binging or eating too much chocolate ... I just feel more guilty these days!
'Spring will soon pounce [like a floppy kitten]'. Whalespace.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
i can't remember if i said this before but i used to get bad mouth ulcers, and they seemed to pretty much disappear when i went vegan. i'm more aware of how to get the necessary nutrients than i was as a veggie so i'm probably a lot healthier now (on top of the lack of animal products) especially as i used to get anaemic sometimes and i'm not any more. my diet hasn't affected my depression though.
'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
on the point of mouth ulcers I have noticed quite a reduction in frequency and severity
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
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
I was wondering to myself if I was not getting all these awesome benefits because I didn't reduce my sugar like some people did. Good point to everyone who mention they were more educated now. I very much am too.
it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
my complex carb intake has increased but as my chocolate intake has decreased my fast acting sugars has also decreased which would explain a lot
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
It took years for me to put on weight and for quite a while I felt less healthy than I did before I became vegan but it balanced out eventually and Im sure I feel a lot healthier now than I would have had I not turned vegan but as has already been said, I didn't do it for health reasons but for love and thats what makes me feel so amazing being a vegan, in my head and all through my body.
holding onto the dream that we imagined and painted forever more: elvinridge.co.uk
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
that's nice, rianelf, i too am vegan completely for love (love of animals that is) and that keeps me warm at night, too. x
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I don't actually know if being vegan has made me more healthy. I was vegetarian for most of my life before becoming vegan and so I can't really remember how eating meat made me feel.
I feel now that I couldn't eat meat without it affecting my mental health in a negative way. I also feel fitter than ever.
One of my favorite hobbies is freediving. When I did my course a couple of years ago they said that not eating dairy was advisable beacause it could cause your body to produce too much mucus and this can block your eustation (sp?) tubes and make it hard to equalise.
Lots of freedivers (perhaps 50%) have problems with equalising, but I find my ears are very good. This could be because I don't consume any dairy. Then again it may have not made any difference.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
One thing I've noticed, is that when I still had some dairy in my diet, I had a lot of lines in my nails, and they were very brittle and thin. Now that I've been a vegan for about a month, my nails are much smoother, stronger, and seem to grow more.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I feel much better now! I've only had eating disorder relapses a few times, but nothing like I used to have.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I figure this is a good place for my first post.
I have been vegan for almost five years and I feel better for it. I actually weigh 30 more pounds now than I was right before I became vegan. Veganism was my first step into a healthy lifestyle. I have always thought about how worried people get about me getting enough nurtients. As we know there really aren't any nutrients vegans can't get that non-vegans can. Becoming vegan introduced me to a big world. I began to read about how to be healthy in general. Healthy in body and mind. My vegan diet was a starting point for where I am today. Before I was vegan I smoked, drank alcohol and did drugs. Since becoming vegan (and a little earlier) I have quite drinking alcohol and never smoke anything. I realized that diet isn't enough so I started exercising and found that I really enjoyed it. I credit veganism for my physical fitness now. I may weigh a lot more but I am in such better shape. I have a job that requires tons of endurance and strangth and being vegan hasn't been a disadvantage. I can keep up with and often preform better than my "bacon-n'eggs" co-workers.
Veganism has also helped me mentally. I know that when I eat a meal it has much less of an impact than most people (though pleanty of an impact). I know that I am not supporting suffering of animals. I feel good that at least I am trying to do something good for the earth, which is in turn good for me and everyone else.
Being vegan can be tough because most people have weird misconceptions about it and assume they know more than you about your lifestyle. So, being a vegan has definitely had a positive effect on my life and I can't imagine living any other way.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
What a great story burl
Ifeel much calmer as a vegan, perhaps it's knowing I'm not contributing to a lot of the suffering that goes on in the world
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I pretty much feel all these effects and more now. Like you, I have been on and off physically training since the late nineties, but since becoming vegan and especially since working full time and staying busy thus combating my pseudo-depression I get now and then, I feel like I can be more physically fit and have much more bodily stamina and not even have to work out as much as before to be at the same level. Naturally, I work out even more, when I can, and so my energy levels are through the roof. And lung capacity, as you said. I very rarely get out of breath doing anything.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
i'm starting to go down to a more suitable weight and i've noticed my sleep pattern is becoming more natural too
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
my thyroid really seems to have stabilized recently, largely due to diet, so this is a really great benefit, no pills, no harmed animals, less food needed, yay
If I sink to the bottom I can run to the shore.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
Oooo that's great news Bradders!
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I'm really happy about it. I like my food, don't get me wrong but I'm really glad not to eat so much at the same time not be losing weight and not be so incredibly restless, oh and not risk early onset demensia LOL
If I sink to the bottom I can run to the shore.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
Well I have cfs for 14 years. I was vegetarian when I got sick. Going vegan didn't improve the cfs, but dairy and eggs did give me diarroeha
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
I feel like I have more of a purpose in life and I'm really proud of being a vegan coz I'm taking a stand for what I believe in and also doing my bit for the animals and the environment.
Physically, I don't really remember what it was like eating meat (coz I was veggie for 3-4 years before I turned vegan 8 months ago and I'm only 17) but I'm sure I feel a lot better coz I have seen photos of me even at 15 and I've definitely lost weight! (thank goodness to that
I also feel like I'm more disciplined because being a vegetarian means you can still eat at restaurants mainly and food is easier to find, plus you can still eat dairy so all deserts were tempting! But now I have resisted going to restaurants (except vegan ones of course) and i can say no to junk food like icecream etc so i feel like i have more willpower.
That was a very long answer to a very short question lol.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
Having eaten too much rubbish over Xmas, I had indigestion for what must be the first time since I went vegan (Sept 06). I hadn't really noticed that I hadn't have indigestion in that time. It was horrible and has motivated me to be a lot more conscious of what I am eating in terms of my health.
Re: How has the change to a vegan diet affected you?
How has it affected me? Well, this is not so much the diet as the principle, but it's made me angrier because every time I talk to a non-vegan, they want to argue with me about how it's purely a matter of personal choice. I can't blame them. Either all parties are guilty or no one is. I can't even tell someone that veganism is not a joke without them turning on me to suggest that I'm a snob.
"To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana." - Buddha
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