So, I recently read a blog post that referred to veganism as an extreme diet and here is my response:
I have to say that I don’t think of veganism as an extreme diet. While some people do try to go vegan in an effort to lose weight, the likely reason they lose weight on such a diet is that is probably cuts their calorie intake. While a vegan diet seems strange to many people, it is more healthy than the way that the majority of Americans eat and can do a lot to reduce cholesterol and help improve people’s health in other ways (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc). Most Americans eat far more meat than is healthy for us and while veganism might be a tad far to the other end of the spectrum, most of us could learn a thing or 2 from our vegan friends, who typically know quite a bit about eating a balanced diet, since veganism really brings that into your consciousness if you are going to practice it healthily. I practice veganism each year for Lent and after 40 days, I typically lose a few pounds (which is healthy amount of weight to lose over a 40 day span), and feel more energetic during that time. Other people (mostly my omnivorous mother, who was extremely worried when I first started practicing veganism for Lent) comment on how my skin and energy levels improve and says I look “radiant” during Lent. Granted: switching to veganism from a meat-heavy diet will likely play some digestive tricks on your body for a short while, but smart veganism is a quite healthy lifestyle option. I am vegetarian (not vegan) 365 days a year and have much better Dr. visits than most people I know. I have naturally high cholesterol and during Lent it lowers significantly. My doctor told me I should write a book. In any case, I just wanted to defend the vegans, even though I’m not one. Beyond whatever moral motivations one may have for switching to a vegan diet, it is a healthy lifestyle as long as one eats a balanced diet and doesn’t, say, try to subsist exclusively on pasta or vegetables or something. My 2 cents. I hope I am not being obnoxious; I truly love reading your blog.
