What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words vegan or plant-based, for me it was what are the benefits of veganism, and are Jammy Dodgers vegan?
Let’s be honest, by now we’ve all heard a lot more about veganism in the last 2 years. It’s one of those controversial words that can trigger a lot of different reactions.
The fact is, everybody has their own view on the vegan lifestyle. Here’s my story and why I adopted a mostly vegan diet that I call Vegan-ish.
So how did the Vegan-ish lifestyle start?
Let’s turn back time for a quick moment. The year is 2018 and I was working on an awesome transformation project for a corporate client.
Because this was a complex project in another city, my schedule didn’t look very exciting. Just to give you an idea, this is pretty much how my days went by:
- leave the house at 6:00 for a 90-minute drive
- spend the day running from one meeting to the other
- drive 90 minutes back home
- collapse on the sofa to eat a pack of Jammy Dodgers for a couple of hours before going to bed
The next day this whole process repeated itself. But the consequences of this kind of lifestyle soon started appearing, and let me tell you, they weren’t fun. I was putting on weight, and I felt tired all the time.
And I can’t even say this was a secluded event. Like many of us, I’ve had my share of periods of intense work, which brought fantastic professional results, but took a great toll on my body. In 2009, my career and working life became so overwhelming, that I got into a state of anxiety, I was hospitalized with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Then I got offered a contract role as an interim MD 90 minutes away in a different city again in April of 2019, I knew I had to change something. I couldn’t spend three hours of my day on the road anymore, so stayed in the city three nights out of the week and proposed to myself to eat vegetarian food for 3 days.
Let me tell you, the more I tried vegetarian food, the more I liked it. I would find myself looking forward to cooking veggies even over the weekends.
Here’s the Game Changer
Was I eating mostly vegetarian food? Yes. But I would still indulge in the odd meat pizza, lamb stew, or Polish Kiełbasa.
That is until I saw The Game Changes. There, Patrik Baboumian made a comment that made me rethink and change my whole diet.
When Patrik was asked “How did you become as strong as an ox without eating meat?” he replied with, “Have you ever seen an ox eat meat?” That small comment made me rethink my lifestyle once again. In the end, I decided to ditch dairy and meat and try being vegan for a two-week trial.
It had now been three weeks, and I’m starting to notice a real difference. Now understanding the benefits of veganism. I became better at running, I felt more energetic, and I was sleeping better. Of course, all of these made me more productive in all areas of my life.
And now, 18 months in, I’ve never been happier with my vegan-ish balanced life. I have a lot fewer inflammation problems in my bowel which in turn reduces my anxiety.
But guess what I noticed, at a gathering where they’re eating meat, I would join in and end up with a food hangover, leaving me bloated and tired.
So what are the Proven Benefits of Veganism
We all know that different people have different needs. Just because a mostly vegan diet worked wonders for me, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will perform just as well with you.
Let’s have a look at some of the benefits research proves that it gives us, and the impact a vegan-ish diet can have on your body and your mind.
1. Get More Nutrients
In a vegan diet, we have more fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, and seeds, giving you the opportunity to get more nutrients. You get more fiber and antioxidants. Vegan food also seems to be richer in potassium, magnesium, folate and vitamins A, C and E.
But although you’re getting a diet that is richer in all these nutrients, you might also be missing out on vitamin B12, which usually can be found in meat.
But why is it important too? It keeps the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy, helping in the process of creating DNA, thus preventing megaloblastic anemia. To make up for the lack of vitamin B12, vegans are encouraged to take B12 supplements and/or include foods fortified with B12, such as marmite ?
All in all, getting balanced nutritious meals to ensure your body has all that it needs to thrive is vital.
2. Lowers Blood Sugar and Chances of Heart Failure
The fact is that veganism makes you lose weight and protect you against obesity, Research also links it to type 2 diabetes. Research shows that vegan diets, among other plant-based diets, have been associated with a lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
When it comes to heart failure, a UK study shows that non-meat eaters have up to 22% lower rates of ischaemic heart disease, but their chances of having a stroke increase due to the lack of vitamin B12. This is why getting B12 supplements is a necessity in most cases.
3. Boosts Your Mood
Having a healthy diet that incorporates mostly fresh plant-based produce will definitely help you feel more energized. Not only that, but it will also trigger better sleeping habits and it will make your body feel better altogether.
Once your body feels healthier, lighter, and more energized, your mind will follow this pattern and you will notice being happier and more productive.
So what is it about the Jammy Dodgers?
Many years ago, Jammie Dodgers were vegan but those on a plant-based diet were heartbroken when dairy was added during a recipe change. Luckily since the middle of last year, the recipe had been changed to make them 100% free of animal products, but still just as delicious. So now they can be enjoyed on a plant-based diet again.
Bottom Line
These are just a few benefits of veganism. But being vegan is more than that, and adopting a vegan lifestyle has many more benefits than just the ones pertaining to your own body.
Some of the major changes that veganism brings include the decrease of the carbon footprint and pollution, and the prevention of animal cruelty, which are changes that we all know the planet needs.
I can tell you more about veganism, my journey, or perhaps you just want to improve the quality of your life? then you’ve come to the right place!
Contact me today and allow me to be your life coach. You’ll see that life coaching, just like having a mostly vegan diet, will exponentially improve your personal and professional life.