Just like the standard American diet (SAD), without proper balance and nutrition, one’s fitness goals can lack. Over the years of losing weight, gaining weight, and supporting muscle on a vegan diet, I have learned that it is more than possible to reach your macronutrient goals. No matter if you thrive on a ketogenic diet, a high protein, low carbohydrate diet or anything else, these are all possible ways of eating that can be maintained on a vegan diet. Doing so all comes down to convenience and what works best for you. I choose the protein powder and branch chain amino acid route to supplement my exercise routine and recovery. This does not mean you need these things, you can get the perfect amount of what you need just from a balanced diet consisting of whole foods!

Having low energy or unwanted weight loss on a vegan diet can often mean that your levels in iron and B12 are low as well as many other essential nutrients. You could simply not be eating enough.

When transitioning to veganism, you may experience a drop in energy just because your body is using more energy to break down food or you may not be getting enough nutrients in. Here is some information on low energy that could help you keep a clear mind if you do experience these things.

Taking supplements like a multivitamin and B12 vitamin or spray are great ways to combat this BUT eating foods high in these nutrients in conjunction with these vitamins will help you tremendously. Getting seeds in your diets such as chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds will help get omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein. I would recommend buying these in bulk because a tablespoon of each can be added to just about anything like smoothies, baked goods, oatmeal, pudding, etc. These are always good to combat low energy and low iron, as well as eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, kale, arugula, bok choy, and collard greens.

Feelings of low energy could also mean that you may be eating too much at once, causing the digestion system to be overworked and overloaded. Not meaning that you are eating too much entirely, but, when transitioning to veganism, eating more fibrous fruits and veggies in a higher capacity than your body was used to means more work for your body. Overtime (took about 1 month for me) it will adjust. You may experience being more gassy than usual, but that’s normal. These shifts in energy levels are expected and only mean that you’re body is adjusting to a new way of eating.

On the opposing side, low energy could also mean that you aren’t eating enough. A vegan diet is a lot higher in volume per calorie than a standard American diet. For example, I can eat two whole mangoes for breakfast, a bag of spinach with rice and tofu for lunch, and two bean tacos for dinner. If there isn’t any added healthy fats to these dishes, it could possibly be true that this day of eating only consisted of 1000 calories. I may feel full after, but that’s because of fiber and volume. I encourage adding a serving size of healthy fats like nuts, nut butter, seeds (sesame seeds, pepitas), avocados, grapeseed and avocado oil, tahini, and things like that to meals to increase calories per meal without feeling like you are overfeeding yourself in any way.

The keys to reaching your fitness goals on a vegan diet are the same as if you were on a regular diet with meat and dairy. The keys are to listen to your body and how it reacts to certain foods, whole, nutritious foods in abundance are always great when focusing on your fitness goals. A vegan can get as much protein in their diet as meat eaters as long as they don’t over consume high carb foods. Protein can be from beans, rice, seeds, nuts, vegan meat alternatives, protein powders, and so much more. Veganism is so sustainable when it comes to any aspects of your lifestyle.

What if one way to help the environment and improve yourself was to change the way you fueled your body? A plant-based diet provides you with the necessary nutrients and provides the world with less pollution and a much better chance of sustainability. These are five reasons why you should consider a plant-based diet. It is crucial not only to eat what makes you happy but also what makes the Earth and your body happy.

1. A plant-based diet helps the environment in huge ways by purifying the air, cleansing the soil, and conserving water. Many companies provide the world with animal products or products containing animal products, are responsible for the world’s environmental problems. Livestock is a large consumer of freshwater resources and is also the biggest polluters of freshwater. Imagine, if the world cut down to just half of the current animal product consumption, people around the world would have a higher chance of having access to freshwater resources. Raising livestock also leads to deforestation due to the need for land to raise the animals, this means the constant removal of plants that provide resilience and nutrients to the environment. Fun Fact: All of the world’s livestock causes more air pollution than cars, buses, and all modes of other transportation in the world combined.
2. Helps fight world hunger due to the amount of currency needed to support a diet of plants to a community being less than having to provide that same amount in meat. An article on the globalcitizan.org states that “70% of the grain grown in the US feeds livestock, and, globally, 83% of farmland is set aside to raise animals” meaning TONS of food are going to the conservation of livestock instead of the many communities around the globe that struggle with world hunger. As the Earth’s population grows, it would be ultimately impossible for the entire world to remain eating a standard American diet. There will not be enough land to clear out for livestock, and the amount of pollution it would cause would be unbearable. 
3. Increases your overall health. Studies show that a plant-based diet provides humans with more nutrients than the standard American diet. This means fewer health concerns in the future and a lower chance of a pricey doctor visit since veganism forces a person to be more conscious of the ingredients they are consuming. A standard American diet often includes highly processed foods that usually leave consumers feeling sluggish, a diet filled with fresher ingredients high in nutrients a can make consumers feel so much better.
4. Boosts your mood and increases dedication. When a person feels good about what they are putting into their body, it causes a shift in their attitude about food. To know that you are treating your body well and remembering that “you get out what you put in” adds another aspect of yourself that you can genuinely admire. Switching from a standard American diet to a plant-based diet needs an amount of dedication that allows a person to enjoy the experience and find what works for them thoroughly. 
5. A chance to improve cooking skills and have fun trying new dishes. There are SO many delicious meals to each on a plant-based diet, even those that mock your meat and cheese-filled favorites and taste just as good. Finding these new ingredients and finding out how to use them increases a person’s knowledge of cooking and expands their flavor pallet. Going plant-based can be a fun experience with necessary effort.

Consider these reasons and know that even if your diet isn’t completely plant-based, even the slightest decrease in the consumption of animal products can cause a change in the betterment of our environment. Change starts with you! You can find some great tips and tricks to going vegan and more plant-based in my e-book which can be purchased here.

If you’ve read up on my About Me page, you would know the reason that I went vegan and when I decided to make the change. The decision was made due to a feeling of depravity and to seek out what seemed to be a phenomenon to me. When I was sixteen, I was introduced to the idea that health is wealth and food is medicine. So many studies show that swapping foods have impacted the health and lives of so many people. There are an innumerable amount of benefits to eating a plant-based diet, but here are 6 of my personal favorite and most impactful ways veganism has changed my life for the better. 

1. I am even more creative in the kitchen.

Growing up, I always was making some type of “creation” in the kitchen. I loved to cook and eat ever since I can remember. I grew up the southern classics, such as ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, smoked neck bones, cornbread, etc. (I could go on) and I genuinely LOVED those foods. Going vegan didn’t make me miss the foods, it made me excited to see how I could recreate my favorite dishes in the kitchen. I love cooking with meat and dairy substitutes to create cruelty dishes that everyone loves. Anything can be “veganized”. When I say anything, I mean that. I also love trying new foods and have found a new passion for visiting vegan restaurants and trying as much as I can.

2. I’m regular.

Let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room. It is so common for vegans to have healthy bowel movements. A diet rich in fiber, healthy fats, and adequate water intake in addition to water from fruits and veggies results in a healthy relationship with the restroom (if you know what I mean). When one first goes vegan, they are likely to notice they are gassier and have to use the bathroom more, these are all healthy functions. As you eat these plant-based foods more consistently, your body becomes used to the fiber, water, and nutrient intake. Read more about why a vegan diet produces health bowel movements in this article.

3. My health has improved.

As previously mentioned, growing up, I had a terrible diet that lacked vitamins and nutrients. I didn’t even know what was considered a healthy eating pattern until my 8th-grade year of middle school. Having colds and sour stomachs every once in a while becomes my normal. I was used to being irregular. When I became more health-conscious, the number of vitamins in foods was so intriguing to me. I knew it was important to take vitamins and such, but the fact that these vitamins were found in food and could do so much good for your body was so amazing to me. It still is. Including high vitamin foods have made my health so much better overall. Mind you, when a person gets sick, many of the foods recommended to intake are plant-based. Why be reactive to dis-ease when you could be proactive and give your body the nutrients it needs each and every day? In addition to getting sick less, I no longer feel cold all the time. Getting nutrients such as vitamin c and iron in your diet is so vital for healthy functioning and, especially, for those who suffer from anemia. Eating certain foods and taking vitamins in abundance has helped me to stay warm and prevent vitamin deficiencies.  

 4. I have gained so much knowledge. 

After four years of veganism, I still learn something new every day; whether it be a new recipe, a new way to store fruits and vegetables, or a new way to practice sustainability, there is never a dull moment. I love the abundance of the life of veganism has. Not only in food, but in learning moments. There is much power in plants, from nutrient content, to how the foods work together in your body to help your muscles stay strong and to keep you healthy, one can clearly see from the research that food truly is medicine. 

5.  I have reached a healthy weight. 

I was always a pretty heavier queen. When I lost a drastic amount of weight from restrictive eating habits, veganism is what saved me and helped me gain healthy weight back (and then some). I don’t feel weighed down, I feel lighter and stronger than I did when I felt like I had reached my ideal weight of 104 pounds. Any diet can help a person reach their goal weight, but, in my experience, veganism is what brought me to become more inclined to gain weight the healthy way and in a way that benefitted me in a plethora of ways. 

6. Feeling good has become normal for me.

I dealt with a lot of sadness, insecurities, and overall depression in my preteen years and early years as a teenager. I had a large feeling of anxiety and discomfort about my body and how others perceived me. Going vegan has opened me up to a new way of eating that makes me feel good about treating myself well while treating the environment and its inhabitants with care and consciousness. I feel good. I don’t feel good just when someone compliments me, or gives me an outside reflection of myself; I feel good because I don’t consume dead or disturbed energy anymore. I consume light and love, an energy that flows directly from mother earth and never dies. The Beet has a great article here on the great benefits of veganism, including the improvement of mood and why it occurs.

These are a couple of my favorite benefits of veganism and I know of so many other common benefits such as clear skin, healthy weight gain/loss, and curing diabetes, cancer, and many other diseases. Veganism is so much more external than internal but the internal benefits are so clear to see.