It’s been a crazy year and one that has underscored the importance of being healthy. Even though health trends seem to come and go like the hottest fashions, one trend in health and nutrition that has grown steadily over the years is the vegan diet. Every year, more people are giving it a shot for different reasons, but one thing that seems universal is that people who go vegan tend not to turn back.
So, what is it about veganism that has health and nutrition enthusiasts going crazy? Is this a trend that we can expect to continue to grow, or will it fade away like the Atkins diet and so many other health fads? Can a vegan lifestyle make your life better, and how? All of these questions and more will be answered in this short article.
What does it mean to be vegan?
Ever since the age of the hippies, there’s been a movement in America of people trying to get others to put the meat down for their own sakes and the sake of animals. Even though it was a relatively small movement for a long time, it’s grown exponentially in recent years.
We all know what vegetarians are, but there’s been as much talk about veganism as vegetarianism in recent years, if not more. Of course, a vegetarian is anyone who doesn’t eat meat, but vegans take it a step further than vegetarians by not consuming any animal byproducts whatsoever.
That means that vegans not only have sworn off meat, but they don’t eat dairy products or anything else that comes from an animal either. Some even include their clothing choice as part of their vegan lifestyle and won’t wear anything that comes from animals.
Why veganism?
Of course, like most trends in nutrition, the main reason that the vegan lifestyle has been garnering so much attention lately is that it’s a great way to lose weight and get back into your petite clothing. Because most vegan diets focus on eating alkaline foods, which are foods that nutritionists believe work better with the body’s natural chemistry, the foods in their diet break down easier in the digestive system and are easier burned off as energy. Of course, burning calories is one of the most important components of weight loss.
Another reason for the massive switch to veganism is the health benefits of becoming a vegan are phenomenal. It’s kind of commonsense that cutting meat and dairy out of your diet will help you lose weight, but a vegan diet’s health benefits are out of this world. This isn’t to say that a vegan diet will make it so you never have to see another doctor. But, eating vegan could help solve many food-related health issues like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.
How will a vegan diet affect my athletic performance?
One of the things that many fitness enthusiasts worry about is getting enough protein to get the fitness results they’re looking for. Whether you’re trying to build lean muscle or really bulk up, you need protein to do it.
One of the dietary myths that have persisted for a long time is that the only way to get protein is from meats and dairy products. In truth, green leafy vegetables are some of the best sources of protein there are. In fact, some vegans argue that veggies are the only true source of protein because even the proteins that we get from animals come from plants.
The thing that makes animal flesh such an appealing source of protein is that the animal has already done the hard work of digesting and processing the proteins for you. That does make for quicker absorption of the proteins, but that doesn’t make meat the only or best source.
Can a vegan diet help in the bedroom?
One of the most common questions about men’s health issues is about sexual performance. At some point in their lives, most men will wonder what they can do to improve their sexual performance, and the good news is that the answer may be in your diet.
Studies have shown that vegans tend to have a higher sex drive than people who eat meat. Not only do they have a higher sex drive, but a vegan diet could also help with erectile dysfunction. In many cases, erectile disorders are caused by unrelated blood flow problems. Eating a vegan diet is one of the best ways to purify your blood and get it flowing like the Missippi. Not to mention, with all of the extra energy you’ll have from eating vegan, a vegan diet may be a performance enhancer in the bedroom as well.
Going vegan is good for business.
Due to the rising health consciousness in the United States, health and wellness businesses are popping up all over the country. If you’re considering starting a wellness brand, then you would do well to make sure that at least a portion of your business caters to vegans.
There are many stores that serve different food products and miss out on a lot of business because it’s too hard for vegans to find the food and snack options they’re looking for. Doing something simple, like adding a vegan aisle to your store, could exponentially increase your company’s revenue. Building a successful wellness brand means keeping up with the latest wellness and nutrition trends, and there aren’t many trends bigger than veganism.
There may also be spiritual benefits to veganism.
Many people who practice holistic forms of medicine and spirituality also see a vegan lifestyle as a prerequisite to spiritual awakening. They believe that animals’ trauma in their last moments before being slaughtered for food can be passed on to the people who eat its meat in the form of the animals’ traumatic energy. This belief is based on the old saying, “You are what you eat.”
It’s also a commonly held belief that alkaline foods are better conductors of electricity than meats, meaning that a vegan diet is more conducive to energy-based spiritual practices. Some practitioners believe that eating a vegan diet also makes you more self-aware, helps you feel connected to all things, and activates your life force energy.