Consideration for your health is a major decision point for many who contemplate a vegan diet and/or lifestyle. Below is my experience with enjoying each a vegetarian diet and subsequently a vegan diet. I am always interested in hearing your experiences, please feel welcome to share them in the comments section.

Vegetarian to Vegan

Prior to enjoying a 100% plant-based diet, I consumed a vegetarian diet for many years. During that time I ate both eggs and dairy products, but no meat (including seafood) of any kind. Also, during that time I gained about 40 pounds, suffered from frequent panic attacks and several years of nearly debilitating depression. My blood pressure was high and I was diagnosed with hypertension.

Within 2–4 months of choosing to eat only plant-based food the anxiety and depression disappeared. To be completely transparent, I also enjoyed a life-changing spiritual change during that period and in what way the diet change and the attitudinal change were related I can not say. Over the first 2 years of eating a vegan diet, I lost 62 lbs and now at age 57 (after approximately 10 years of vegan eating), I am in the best physical condition of my life. I work out 5 days a week and over the past year have taken up running. This past March I enjoyed running my first 5k with my Granddaughter. My blood pressure now measures between 107 to 125 over 60 to 72.

Bottom line - for me the best evidence of the health benefits of a vegan diet is created by living it and seeing the results. For more scientific evidence you may wish to review:

NutritionFacts.org | The Latest in Nutrition Related Research

If you have other questions about the potential health impacts of enjoying a vegan diet please feel welcome to contact me at vegangently@gmail.com, or leave a question on our social media pages. They can be found near the top of this page.