Has being veg*n made you healthier?

Question

I didn't become a vegetarian for health reasons, but going veg has made me a lot healthier....I have more energy, I have lost weight, etc.

It has also inspired me to become healthier in other ways. Since I have so much energy now, my husband and I bought bicycles last week and have been riding them every day (if it's not raining).

Has being a veg*n inspired you to be healthier in other ways, too?

Answer 1

Sure has. I have a lot more energy, I sleep better. I find myself getting sick less often. I've lost a few inches here and there and my skin looks fantastic.

I'm lovin the change and I'll never go back.

Answer 2

yes when went vegetarian i was only 8 and my parents noticed a big difference in how much energy i had. when i went vegan not that long ago my P.E teacher noticed that i could run for longer and faster than other people and i had more energy and got put down for a lot of things in sports day

Answer 3

I'd have to say yes.

Since becoming vegan, I've quit smoking, taken-up yoga, and I use alternative therapies for health maintenance and treatment for nagging ailments (rather than just popping pills all the time).  

It's also made me more eco-healthy, too. (Ecoholic, if you will.)  I use vegan earth-friendly products, I buy organic as often as possible, I use less electricity at home, I cancelled my TV service, and I bought a bicycle to use for my commute to work in the spring/summer/fall.

Answer 4

My answer is a resounding YES!

-I have lots of energy

-Lost my unwanted weight (when I was 8 my legs were chubby!)

-My skin has never been clearer

-I am happy with my dietary preferance

-I have a clear conscience

-When I went meat free, I knew it was a compassionate thing to do. I try to extend that compassion to all my loved ones (and my online friends on YA) by helping them out and informing them about my alternative lifestyle. So in a way, I feel healthy on a spiritual/emotional level too (not just physical). It's hard to describe, I just feel really good about my decision.  

Thanks for letting me share =)

Answer 5

Yes it has. I have all but eliminated processed foods from my diet. I do eat them from time to time, but not very often. I don't eat junk food anymore either. It's nice to not have all the empty calories and the huge amounts of fat that are found in that food.

Answer 6

Yes my body fat is lower, my skin looks better , I sleep better

and have a better overall mood.

Answer 7

I was vegan for a while, but I was not very good at eating properly.  This took a toll on my immune system and I came down with Scarlett Fever!  So, my veg lifestyle actually made me less healthy.

Answer 8

yup.

Answer 9

Yes, without a doubt.

For instance, I didn't realize how much the artificial chemical compounds in a lot of meat, dairy and eggs affected my skin,  until I cut them all out - I used to have oily, uneven skin tone and get breakthrough acne to the point of being prescribed Accutane in the 90's. But as soon as I changed my diet, my skin began to clear up and within weeks I was down to only getting a pimple or two during my period (which proved once and for all that they were being caused by hormonal fluxes - on my period it's natural, because of food it isn't).

I don't experience the same tiredness I used to when exercising. I used to hate P.E. in school because I couldn't keep up with the better sprinters in class, I was always lagging during runs and really underachieved.  When I went vegetarian at 13, I no longer struggled to keep up - in fact, my name's still on the wall of my high school for a few P.E. class records I personally beat that nobody has been able to top since.

Cutting out eggs and dairy and relying on fresh, whole foods and making most of my own food happened once I was living on my own, and the changes in everything - how much energy I had when I woke up, the fact that my "mid afternoon slump" was virtually gone, the fact my menstrual cycle and digestive system activities regulated. I've since served in the military and have excelled physically in every challenge. I don't wear out or get tired as easily so while normally I'd be quitting about 30 minutes into some heavy cardio, I can push through it and go on for much longer now.

I'm the first woman in my family that didn't gain way too much weight during her pregnancy, and I'm the only one that shed all her baby weight within 3 weeks of giving birth - effortlessly. I was breast feeding and eating well over 2,000 calories a day, but even I was shocked when I stepped on the scale three weeks after birth at the ob/gyn and saw my weight was the same as before I got pregnant. And believe me, for 9 months I gave into cravings like nobody's business, I was eating chocolate soy ice cream and pickles and parfaits in the middle of the night like every other pregnant lady out there.

When I was 12 years old I remember having to take these big fat iron pills with some orange juice every morning and hating it. When I went vegetarian my parents were freaked out that I'd become severely anemic. Well, that was unnecessary because I have not had a problem with anemia since. I know because I gave blood regularly and had my iron levels checked all the way up until 2-3 years ago when blood donation rules in the USA changed (since I lived in Europe for more than 5 years since the 80's, they don't accept my blood any longer - it sucks, especially since the reason is Mad Cow Disease, which of all things is the last thing I'm likely to have, LOL).

I did NOT lose weight as a vegan, but I was never fat to begin with. I have maintained my weight, the only thing that made my weight drop was eating too little or exercising too much. Eating a balanced vegan diet had no effect on my weight as of yet. But cutting back on calories and exercising did help me shed the 5 pounds I gained over the 2007 holidays, that's for sure.