Meat, dairy, and eggs may not seem like a big deal to many of us if we have grown up eating them. Despite what we’ve been taught to believe is ‘normal’ and even ‘essential’, it doesn’t mean it’s a wise choice for our health or the world as a whole. With cancer and heart disease on the rise, along with climate change’s obvious risks, it’s a no-brainer.
It is not all doom and gloom. Plants are one way. Millions of people today rely on fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains for sufficient nutrition, including protein, and thrive on a plant-based and even fully vegan diet. But what is veganism exactly, and why should you consider giving it a shot?
Veganism is one of the biggest dietary trends to emerge in recent years, involving avoiding all animal products. Even if the pros and cons of going vegan remain a matter of debate, it is still worthwhile to attempt a vegan diet for at least one week as a lifestyle goal. Putting yourself on a vegan diet for just seven days is a quick fix and long enough to make a difference.
For a week, try vegan and reap the benefits!
1) A taste-bud adventure!
Smoked tofu, flavorful maple syrup, nutty almond milk, or hearty seitan burgers: plant foods offer more than just a replacement for animal products. It tickles our bored and dormant taste buds and opens up new taste sensations. If you love diversity and small pleasures, why not try an egg-free cake or chickpea spread once in a while?
2) You will lose weight.
In a vegan week, you’ll likely lose one or two pounds because vegan diets are naturally lower in calories. As a result of their fiber content, plant-based foods fill you up and provide sustained energy. They empty slowly from the stomach, allowing blood sugar and insulin levels to rise slowly.
3) Consuming too much meat is unhealthy.
Fat and salt are often excessive in meat dishes, contributing to cardiovascular disease, obesity, and high blood pressure. Minimizing these risks would be possible by consuming vegan food once a week.
4) Make your wallet fatter.
If you eliminate meat from your diet once a week, not only will your health improve, but you will also save money. Beans, vegetables, and grains form the basis of meatless meals, which are significantly less expensive than animal protein products.
5) Less livestock farming is better.
An omnivorous diet, for example, requires around 15,000 liters of water per day; a vegetarian diet requires 4,500 liters, while a vegan diet requires just 1,100 liters. Also, fattening feed production areas destroy the rainforest, generate vast amounts of waste gases, etc. Unlike meat, eating plants directly conserves resources and the environment.
6) Treat your skin well.
Avowedly, your skin is your largest organ, so treating it right from the inside out can help. You can nourish your skin with antioxidant-rich foods, shielding it from free radicals, maintaining its natural oil and moisture levels, and simply glowing from the inside out. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts all contain antioxidants, but animal products rarely do.
7) Give yourself a mood boost.
Study after study has shown that a vegan diet can enhance mood, meaning a heightened sense of well-being. A plant-based diet, including flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, collard greens, and spinach, has mood-boosting properties.
8) Menu variety.
Plant-based diets are often criticized for being too restrictive. But is conventional nutrition always balanced? Despite shelves upon shelves of choice, most of us in industrial nations still lack certain nutrients. This month, how many different vegetable varieties have you tried? Have you ever eaten walnuts or lentils? Why do you always put olive oil on your salads? By eating vegan once a week, a person will be exposed to a variety of various foods, as relying too heavily on animal products soon becomes boring.
Now that you know about the benefits of a vegan diet, you should give it some thought. Veganism does not restrict your diet or limit your options. As we walked to a diner earlier, we had to choose between iceberg lettuce or fries. Bland veggie burgers and unseasoned tofu were common. But vegan restaurants today offer an array of plant-based items, along with vegan ice cream, yogurt, and milk. Keep the planet beautiful, eat humanely, and live kindly.
