Considering Vegan as a Lifestyle of Wellness
Did that title get your attention? I thought it might and I’ll reveal its significance shortly. Let me just say for the record, I am NOT comparing you to a cow.
I am sure you have heard the term Vegan. But do you know what it really means?
Very simply, to eat vegan is to eat only plant based foods; nothing being of or from an animal. That includes eggs, dairy, fish/seafood and yes, you might be surprised, honey as well!
Now this may throw you off tracks immediately. Born and raised in a meat and potato society, the mere idea of no meat or dairy, especially at dinner, is, well, frightening and certainly foreign. It seems near impossible, insurmountable and overwhelming. So how can Vegan possibly be a viable, authentic element of a lifestyle of wellness?
Allow me a moment to share a snippet of my own journey to vegan living in answer to that question.
In my 20’s, now too many years ago for my liking, I was diagnosed with stage 4b lymphoma. After a few years of chemo and radiation, that advanced to Large Cell Lymphoma, also stage 4b. If you are unfamiliar with such terms, stage 4b is the final stage before death to the disease so suffice to say, I was walking a very thin line between life and death.
After 5 years of this battle, having finally entered remission for the 3rd time, I was desperate for answers. I had determined to live and I had determined not to do so with chemo or cancer either one as elements in my lifestyle of wellness. Truthfully, wellness wasn’t even really a valid word in my vocabulary but it certainly was my goal and dream.
One day, about 3 months after remission and while counting down the days for my next diagnosis, I was at lunch with a client. His wife was absent and I inquired of her wellbeing to which he replied by sharing her story of healing from colon cancer. My answer to prayer had just arrived.
Keeping a long story short, they paid for my tuition to learn about Vegan as a lifestyle of wellness, a means of healing and restoration. Two weeks later, I was on my way.
Immediately upon making this change in my nutritional habits, I began to see profound results. Within a month, cancer was quickly becoming a memory. 15 years later, I remain cancer free.
Now, I’ll be honest. I am no longer a strict vegan. I do now include some animal products into my nutritional plan, however, the foundation of vegan as a lifestyle of wellness remains a strong thread in my nutrition and it always will.
Whether embraced as a strict lifestyle of wellness or an element with in it, Vegan is a powerful element, I think particularly so in cleansing, healing and restoring the body which is precisely what I experienced. And it must be considered, in part or in whole, by anyone seeking to live free of illness, disease and obesity.
But you, like I did at the time, may have many concerns when considering Vegan nutrition. One common misconception is a lack of protein, thus the title of this post. Yes, cows are vegan and look at the muscle mass they carry simply from eating grass. And they are not alone. Apes, elephants, giraffes are just a fe more of the muscle bound critters that live exclusively on plant based foods.
Plant based foods are rich in proteins among all the other critical nutrients for your lifestyle of wellness. Grains, dark leafy greens, legumes, seeds and nuts are among the best sources for protein. And those are just the primary protein sources. You certainly are not restricted to grass and twigs like cows and apes! You have a bounty of incredible foods from which to choose daily and they all combine to empower your journey to a lifestyle of wellness!
The keys are variety, quality and quantity. As I quickly discovered and as remains true for me, I eat many times more volume on vegan foods. Without the heaviness of meats and saturated fats, the body quickly assimilates and applies the nutrition provided. So, the good news is, you get to eat a lot more without the negative results! J
And that leads me to the benefits of vegan as a lifestyle of wellness.
- All Natural Weight Loss
- Natural Healing
- Increased Energy
- Increased Vitality
- Just to name a few…
And there is, of course the cost factor. Pound per pound, vegan foods are far cheaper than animal products.
So, all of that to say this: Vegan is a powerful lifestyle of wellness that deserves great consideration. I am typing this today because of a Vegan lifestyle. And my wellness continues to thrive because of the impact of a rich and predominately plant based diet. Yours will as well.
That is why I wrote Simply Good Vegan, a new e-cookbook with more than 30 incredible recipes on 41 pages. It is also why I offer It’s VEGAN Friday, a free weekly offer that delivers a fresh and exciting menu with recipes each week. Be sure to take advantage of both of these opportunities to introduce the power of Vegan nutrition into your lifestyle of wellness.
So what are you waiting for? Are you ready to give vegan a try? I’d love to hear your thoughts, questions and concerns so leave your comment below and let’s chat Vegan! And don’t forget to sign up for these 2 great opportunites!
