Let’s be honest: no one can tell you what will make your life better. People may try. They can share what worked for them. Some will offer advice while others deliver admonitions or prescriptions. You may be tempted to listen to well-meaning family or friends, gurus, or doctors, but as Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said, “The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well.” Everything you need to live a healthy, happy life resides within you. When you turn inward and learn how to differentiate swirling, inner noise from authentic wisdom, you are on your way to living your best life.
5 Reasons Why a Vegan Diet Will Make Your Life Better
When it comes to your diet, start by asking yourself a few questions: What kind of a diet feels right for me? What are my values? What’s important to me? What do I enjoy eating and why? What’s best for my body? For the planet? For animals? Let your inner knowing and life experiences guide you. Listen deeply, and then open your mind and heart to other people’s ideas and opinions. Try them on for size. See what fits and ignore the rest. Be genuine and stay true to yourself, which includes being mindful of your body, mind, and spirit.
I adopted a raw, vegan diet to holistically heal chronic stomach problems. I ate a 100 percent raw,vegan diet for five years. Hippocrates also said, “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.” This has worked for me. Today I eat a 100 percent vegan diet, with as much raw food as possible.
Here are 5 ways my vegan diet has made my life better, and how this kind of diet may help others, too:
1. Improved Health
I stopped getting my annual cold and/or flu and my digestion is much better. I used to suffer from Gastro Reflux, but since a raw vegan diet is alkaline (as opposed to acidic), I no longer suffer from GERD (Gastroesophageal reflex disease). Meat produces an acidic environment in the body as opposed to the alkaline environment vegan foods create. Acidic foods contribute to inflammation, which is the first stage of many diseases.
All diseases come from the same source: toxemia. When the lymph system is overburdened with toxins, it can’t do its job of keeping the body healthy.
Another health benefit was that my bad cholesterol went way down while my good cholesterol went up. Before going on my raw, vegan diet, my doctor was about to put me on medication for high cholesterol, but after, he was pleasantly surprised to see that I no longer needed it.
Studies show that eating meat can lead to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and other diseases.
2. More Energy
Vegan food is easier to digest than meat and diary products, and leaves me feeling energized! Eating fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds, I need less sleep, and feel vibrant, enthusiastic, and well-nourished. A little raw, vegan food goes a long way. I never feel bloated after a meal. I’ve learned that the best test of a great meal is how I feel after eating it. Of course, you want it to taste great going down, but how do you feel after you eat? I feel perfectly satiated after a good meal, but never have that uncomfortable, stuffed feeling.
3. Weight Loss
Not everyone wants or needs to lose weight. When I ate a 100 percent raw, vegan diet I was very thin. I prefer having a little more weight on my body, and a vegan diet keeps me at a slimmer weight than a non-vegan one. Before I went on a vegan diet I was gaining about ten pounds per year. I ate sugar and carbs for energy, which created a downward eating spiral, because I was consuming empty calories, which left me hungry and craving more junk food. Once I discovered that dark, leafy greens eliminated sugar cravings, I never looked back. It makes sense to nourish myself with whole healthy foods that satisfy, rather than deplete it with edible rubbish.
4. Heightened Consciousness
The first time I became aware of the life force in food I was seated in my back yard and had just finished eating my first plate of raw zucchini pasta. Traditional pastas left me feeling bloated, and I never felt satiated. The raw pasta satisfied me completely. Not only that, I felt high. My backyard came alive. Ivy leaves sparkled. A breeze cooled my skin and the sweet aroma of grapefruit blossoms filled the air. I felt energized, light, and—no doubt about it—buzzed, as if I could feel the life force of the food. I felt connected to the earth through the food I ate. Even though this felt like a physical—visceral—connection, it was also spiritual, because I felt connected to life force.
5. Inner Peace
I am content knowing that no animals were mistreated, drugged, tortured, or killed in order for me to eat. I like not being part of this violent cycle. Many animals suffer, are given strong antibiotics, and live in horrific conditions.
The slaughtering of animals is cruel, senseless, and unnecessary. It gives me peace knowing I don’t subsidize the mistreatment and slaughter of animals. What we take into our bodies has energy. I can do without the energy of animal suffering. I can do without their hormones, antibiotics, adrenaline, and terror.
My life feels lighter and richer as I enjoy my vegan diet. It’s much easier today than ever before to eat this way. There are wonderful vegan cheeses, meat substitutes, and more. It’s been decades since I’ve eaten meat or dairy products, and I don’t miss them at all.
But don’t choose your diet based on someone else’s story. Figure out for yourself what makes sense. Let meals be both nourishing and pleasurable. When you sit down to eat, be present. Be grateful. And enjoy your food!