I'm BACK and my latest experiment was with the vegan diet. Integrative nutrition, the school that has changed my life and taught me so much, constantly discusses the health benefits versus non-benefits of the Vegan diet. Being very curious, I set out on a journey to figure things out for myself once and for all. Even though I had every intention of becoming vegan I had no clue how I was actually going to do this and not starve to death. While contemplating my plan of attack, I came across a movie called 'Vegucated' in which three random meat-eating/loving New Yorkers were challenged to go vegan for six weeks. I even went to a free screening of the movie in Whole Foods Tribecca, met the participants of the challenge and was fortunate enough to hear them explain how much easier it is to go Vegan than it seemed. At that point I was inspired and was ready to give this vegan thing a real shot .
I became vegan on February 2 and even though I set out to be vegan for only six weeks I actually stayed vegan for six weeks after that. That's right folks I was vegan for thee whole months! Why may you ask did I decide to stick with it for that long? Simply put I just felt too good to go back to my old eating habits. My skin was clearer, softer and shinier than it has ever been. I felt more energized even though I was sleeping less (I just didn't need to sleep as much). Physically, I lost three pounds, I was able to run faster and longer and I was more flexible in my yoga practice. I was in a steady over all good mood and my issues with PMS all but disappeared!! Additionally, things were great with the hubby enough said :) Basically, living on fruits vegetable, nuts, seeds, sprouts and some soy products made me feel vibrant, healthy, and alive! Coincidentally, I had a doctors appointment six weeks into my experiment in which blood was drawn and I asked the doctor to test my Iron level and over all minerals etc. Guess what? it came back completely normal. In fact my healthy fat otherwise called High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) came back extremely high. This means that my chances of developing heart disease was close to nil. Coming from a family that has been plagued by obesity, diabetes, heart disease and premature death, finding this out meant more to me than words can describe. Despite what people think you can be vegan and get all the vitamins and minerals that you need to stay healthy.
So why do you ask did I not remain Vegan? For a few reasons. First, my husband, who even though ate a mostly vegan diet while I was on the challenge, was not vegan and had no desire to become vegan. My relationship with my husband (the most important person in my world) and the closeness we share when it comes to eating and sharing the same foods, for me, superseded sticking to a diet that set us apart. So unless the hubby decides to go full force, I am sticking to a mostly vegan diet with the sprinkling of local cheeses, cage free eggs and the occasional wild fish. So far a mostly vegan diet is definitely still working for me. Another reason I decided not to stay completely vegan was because I found it to be a very extreme lifestyle. After keeping kosher for most of my life, which I always thought was strict and annoying enough, I found being vegan to be even stricter. I believe that everything in life should be in moderation and staying vegan no matter how you look at it is subscribing to an extreme way of living because after all eating is everything. I prefer to keep my options open and if I feel a need (or a craving te he he) to eat something none vegan I am free to just go for it.
In the end, I give a lot of credit to people who are and remain vegan they are really doing good for themselves (their body and mind), for our fellow animals, and the planet with which we all live on. They are truly choosing a diet of love and compassion, because after all my vegan challenge proved that we do not have to kill animals in order to survive. So why then should they have to die in order for us to live? We are all creatures of the earth and gods creations. So I thank them because if we were all able to become vegan the world would surely be a better and more compassionate place.
If you or someone you know would like to know more about becoming vegan feel free to get in touch with me, it is definitely easier than you think and you will reap health rewards greater than you have ever imagined.
Love Always,
Nelly
