12 Really Great Health Reasons to Go Vegan [At least a LOT more often]

I often get asked... "So, what do vegans eat?" ... wouldn't it be a lot easier to ask "What DON'T vegans eat?"

I just got a new cookbook, Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. I've been thumbing through it for the last 45 minutes or so and I stumbled across this article tucked inside the Soups section. The recipes are really, really enticing, but I also really like how great a resource this book is. And she not only lists her reasons, she lists quite a few sources for the claims. Now, I am not a true vegan. I do have cheese on pizza, sometimes, but I reduce the amount by at least 50%. Most of the time I leave the cheese off. Sometimes I eat frozen yogurt, or Stonyfield Organic yogurt. And you bet your bottom dollar if there's birthday cake, I'm probably eatin' some. Or if someone brings in bagels at work, I'll eat one with a bit of cream cheese.  I don't buy other dairy products or eggs anymore. I just don't want it going bad and growing disease in my refrigerator. I haven't purchased those products in over a year now, and the last year I have become healthier and more energetic than I ever was. No turning back!

Here's the list. Although I'm again, not a true vegan, it is helpful to be reminded of the true nature of these foods that can supposedly be enjoyed in "moderation"... most Americans could not identify this so-called "moderation" if it hit them in the face.

Enjoy. [My thoughts are italicized in brackets.]

1. A vegan diet has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, adult-onset diabetes, and osteoporosis. [That could easily be because it is low in saturated fat and cholesterol free!]

2. The Journal of the American Medical Association has reported that a vegetarian diet can prevent 97 percent of coronary obstructions. [Ben's grandfather had a heart operation earlier this year and for one of his first meals, they gave him turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes.]

3. Osteoporosis is a disease of protein excess. The protein in milk actually inhibits the body's ability to absorb the calcium from milk. Many plant-based sources of calcium are easily assimilated into the body. [You know what I say... the only people that say milk is good for you are the people that make it... and profit from it... and the people who buy into their b/s...]

4. Dairy consumption as been linked to heart disease, cancer (especially breast cancer), allergies, sinus trouble, migraines and psoriasis. [It is not natural to drink cow's milk!]

5. Dairy foods can create excess mucus in the body, which can host cold and virus germs in the respiratory tract. [That's kinda gross... I have no other comments.]

6. Vegans and vegetarians tend to be slimmer than meat-eaters. [I do know meat-eaters slimmer than I, but not many that are fitter than I ;-) totally bragging... hey, I'm allowed! I work my butt off!]

7. Studies show that a plant-based diet can increase your life expectancy by 7 to 15 years. [Heck, even one year would be worth it! Ben and I are counting on 100!]

8. The feed given to livestock is sprayed with pesticides. More than 90% of the toxic chemical residues found in foods consumed by Americans comes from animal products. [This actually makes me scoff when people criticize me for not buying eeeeevery stinking fruit and veggie organic.]

9. More than 60 million pounds of antibiotics per year are fed to livestock. These are passed on to people in meat and dairy products. This results in a diminished effectiveness of antibiotics used to treat human illnesses. [Anybody care for a dose of MRSA?]

10. Meat also contains bovine growth hormone, which can cause early sexual maturity in children. Statistics show that 100 years ago, American girls reached puberty at the average age of 17; today girls as young as 8 are beginning puberty. [Puberty began veeeerrry early for me!]

11. A vegan diet can reduce the risk of food poisoning. According to the Centers for Disease Control, campylobacter infects up to 90% of all chickens. In addition, each year up to 20,000 Americans become ill from E. coli found in meat. [Not to mention listeria that can grow rampant in your refrigerator if you store chicken in it!]

12. Cornell University's long-term study of diet and health, called the China Project, showed that 80 to 90 percent of all cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented by adopting a plant-based diet. [Other degenerative illnesses include Alzheimer's, MS, and others!]


I'd say those reasons are more than enough to keep meat and dairy out of the center of my plate, for sure. What do you think?