Ashley Grace
Veganism as a lifestyle is many times considered controversial. It’s because the vegan diet excludes all products deriving from animals, such as meat, eggs, and dairy products. This means that vegans don’t consume all the nutrients, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for a healthy body.
But, that’s not entirely true. In fact, most vegan foods are highly nutritious. There are plenty of nutrients in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. However, there are some nutrients that can be found only in meat, such as B-12. So, in order to receive them, vegans have to take supplements.
Veganism may seem like a hard-to-follow diet because the food you consume is limited. But it’s not. There are plenty of foods you can eat and countless meals you can prepare. For example, instead of eating milk-based ice cream, you can buy or prepare dairy free ice cream. It’s still delicious and will refresh you in the summer days. And the best thing about veganism is that it’s healthy. Here are some of its health benefits.
Healthy Bones
To have healthy and strong bones, we need a lot of calcium, vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and potassium. Although milk and cheese are their main resources, you can still receive all these nutrients because many vegan foods are rich in those.
As first, you can receive calcium from spinach, kale, turnip greens, figs, and black-eyed peas. Second, there are vegan alternatives for milk and cheese, such as almond milk, soy milk, and vegan cheese. Third, you can receive vitamins D and K, magnesium, and potassium from fruit, soy, and some vegetables. So, when it comes to these vitamins, you are fully covered.
No Animal Fats
One of the best things about veganism is that you don’t consume animal fats. Animal fats are related to numerous health conditions and illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. They are also related to several types of cancer because they can transfer some industrial chemicals and toxins that are related to cancer.
By not consuming animal fats, you greatly reduce the risk of the above-mentioned diseases and conditions. nonetheless, you can replace these fats by using plant-based oils and fats, such as olive oil. They will provide you with the fatty acids your body needs without affecting your health.
Healthy Heart
Vegan products, such as whole grains and nuts, are good for your heart. It’s because they contain fewer calories, which leads to lower body mass index and lower risk of obesity. These foods also lower the amount of harmful cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. This is beneficial because it improves the heart’s health, reduces the risk of heart disease, and prevents developing type 2 diabetes.
Helps with Weight Loss
A vegan diet can also help with lowering your weight. The reason for this is the food vegans eat. All of the products they consume are plant-based, are rich in nutrients and don’t contain sugars, starches, sodium, fats, and food additives. Therefore, vegan food is natural and doesn’t contain any of the ingredients that cause weight gain.
As we can see, vegan food is beneficial for our health, opposite the traditional belief. It not only is healthy, but it’s also nutritive and contains most of the vitamins our body needs for proper functioning. However, if you want to go vegan, you need to plan that carefully. You shouldn’t stop eating everything you ate until yesterday, but your transition should happen gradually. Moreover, you need to learn about vegan food, its nutritive value, and plan how you will receive all the essential nutrients.
