5 Health Benefits Of A Vegan Lifestyle

Being Vegan has slowly become a life choice of mine after being a Vegetarian that used vegan cheese, vegan butter, rice, oat and coconut milk and rarely used eggs, so it seemed like a natural progression to approach the vegan lifestyle.

I have started reading into the benefits of being vegan and have found that the environmental benefits almost completely outweigh the health benefits, making it an even more aspiring lifestyle change to commit to.

Combined with a regular fitness routine, the visual benefits are easier to see and the way you look and feel will start to become apparent to others. Although I am mainly a vegetarian, because I still eat quiche occasionally and there are no vegan options at any of the restaurants where I live…I still have a lot of vegan meals and as a result, have still reaped the benefits.

1. Better Skin

Good skin is one benefit that I have definitely noticed. My skin is a lot clearer and using natural based products to remove make-up and cleanse helps me maintain it.

I have noticed that my skin has a natural glow and when I wake up in the morning, which used to be the worst time for my skin, it is now clear and I would happily leave the house make up free. Its super soft too and my breakouts are nowhere near as common as they used to be.

2. More Energy

I wake up in the mornings full of energy and am ready to workout and get sweaty! I no longer have my lethargic hit mid-afternoon and I feel energised all day, whether I am on a day off or working 8-5. I have noticed that I don’t feel tired after working out either so can stick to my plans and still get everything done.

3. Better Sleep

Sleeping well is something everyone needs and since opting for a vegan lifestyle, I have noticed I sleep extremely well. I hardly to seem to have memorable dreams either and sleep deeply.

I start to feel tired by 10pm and fall asleep by 11 and wake up at 8am feeling fresh and ready to start the day! I always used to be tired even after waking up and used to find it hard to sleep until after 12, but being vegan has put me in a natural sleep pattern.

4. More Determination

Because I feel better in myself and am sleeping so much better, I feel healthy enough to stick at it because I can already see the benefits.

I want to work harder with my workouts and push myself and it is no longer hard to steer clear of the cake shops and the biscuit tin.

I used to be a real pudding girl and now I opt for vegan dark chocolate covered strawberries a few nights a week. I am determined to get my body to where it needs to be and the vegan treats are often just as nice as the normal stuff.

5. All The Medical Stuff

Being vegan helps maintain a healthy body, alongside regular workouts. Vegan diets are said to help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, often common in western diets.

A vegan diet is rich in many nutrients, vitamins and minerals which help maintain healthy skin, hair and nails and it also helps eliminate bad breath and bad body odour.

You will naturally see the weight drop off because of the lack of unhealthy food and drinks you may have used to consume, but it will help in keeping body fat to a minimum, making it easier to tone and define when working out.

So whether you opt to go vegan one day a week or go for a full blown lifestyle change, you will start to notice that with so many great alternatives out there, being vegan is not all that bad.

Start small and make a few simple changes, swap your chocolate to a vegan version and change your milk to either rice, oat, almond or coconut but steer clear of soya.

Change your butter to a vegan approved brand, such as a sunflower butter…you won’t notice the difference and then slowly cut out eggs if you are a big lover of them.

Start looking into making your food fresh and completely avoiding anything pre-packed or frozen.

See how you go and hopefully you will feel good enough to continue!