Is veganism a healthy lifestyle?

Answer 1

my roommate in college is a vegan. she also dances and keeps a pretty active lifestyle. she eats a lot of granola with soy milk, veggies, seaweed, and hummus (for protein) among other things. it's not easy, but she is able to do it, even on dining hall restrictions. but please understand, i worry about her health. she is able to dance and doesn't seem to get too tired, but i always worry about how much food she is eating and if she is getting enough protein.

life isn't always easy because you would be surprised by what she can't eat. for example, sour straw candy and pure dark chocolate are ok, but jello isn't. she can have Act II Butter Lover's Popcorn (there really is NO milk or butter in it) but she can't have a lot of types of bread. she could be healthy, but until she is on her own and can cook her own vegan friendly meals, i can't imagine her being all that healthy. (she does take some supplements but i know she forgets and those are really important to staying helathy) also, we can't usually go to many restaurants because most places dont have anything she can eat. or she asks for something like a plain baked potato and the server can't figure out why she doesn't want butter or sour cream. then she has make a big deal about getting a potato. most of the world doesn't understand the choice. it's even taken her parents awhile to get used to it. it took them two years before they broke down and got a tofurkey for thanksgiving.


so if you or someone you know is thinking about making that choice, just remember it is really hard to do unless you can do all your shopping and make all your meals and you are really limited when it comes to going out places to eat.

Answer 2

Not if you are militant about it and let it take over your life. I find the best balance to be all vegetarian and mostly vegan. I have icecream once in a while in the summertime and eat a cheese containing dish at a restaurant when I can't face another salad.
Over time I have replaced most of my recipes with vegan versions. It is a healthy lifestyle if you eat wholefoods and a balanced diet. (Fritos and diet coke are vegan, but you won't live long eating just that)
www.veganoutreach.org See the article "How vegan"
www.vegsource.com for health related info
www.vegweb.com for recipes
www.supervegan.com for news.

Answer 3

It depends on who you ask. I would say vegans are probably healthier than a lot of people here in the U.S. They are usually health concious and eat the kinds of foods that the rest of us in the U.S. really need to! However because they need to keep an eye on the amount of B12 they get (they don't get enough without supplement or careful diet) I would say having some eggs, milk, or fish in your diet at least occasionally would be a good thing.

There are also social ramifications to being a vegan, versus being an ovo-lacto vegetarian, or fish eating person. The more things you cut out of your diet, the harder it is to go to a restaurant or to someone else's house to eat. When food is so intertwined with social gatherings, it can be difficult as a vegan.

Answer 4

It is the healthiest option, if well-planned. You definitely can't be a picky eater, since your food options are already limited. You have to be willing to try new foods, like soy foods, tofu, vegetables, etc. Some people actually feel liberated when starting a vegan diet, because they try a lot of foods they've never had and actually have more variety in their diet than before. On top of that, you have peace of mind knowing you are doing what is best for your body, the environment, and the animals. There are lots of great substitutes out there for the foods that you like. People who are vegan live longer and are much less likely to get certain types of cancers (meats are loaded with carcinogens and other nasty chemicals).

Please email me if you want to discuss further.

Answer 5

It can be perfectly healthy if well planned, however, it is not the healthiest lifestyle there is, like someone suggested. Vegans can get all the nutrients they need without eating meat (although they can't get Vitamin B12 naturally), but thats not to say it's inherently any healthier. Many of the benefits come from eating a wide range of fruit and veg, and being health conscious, as vegans usually are (and both of which are beneficial), not from not eating meat, so you could get those benefits without omitting meat. Similarly, meat is only unhealthy if you eat too much, as it does contain fat and cholesterol, and too much of either of those can be bad (that's 'too much' can be bad, not 'any' can be bad, as you need both of those in your diet ). However, most people don't need to worry about how much meat they eat at all, mainly only those who have heart, cholesterol or related problems. Exercise is a much healthier way of getting rid of cholesterol and fat anyway. Meat has very many benefits itself, and there are very few health advantages to not eating meat at all.
Research has actually shown that a high fish diet is the healthiest diet in terms of disease and longevity.

Answer 6

The healthiest lifestyle there is. But only if you pay alot of attention to the foods your are eating to make sure you are getting all of the protein and vitamins and minerals you need. You can get every single nutrient you need in a vegan diet.

Answer 7

It's fine as long as you supplement all the nutrients you're missing out on by not eating meat. You might have to take protein supplements, and especially iron tablets. Anaemia sucks! I'm an omnivore but I'm naturally anaemic and when your iron levels go down you just feel really queasy and faint and tired, it's horrible. Be sure you know how to manage a vegan diet if youre going to go for it.

Answer 8

If you stick to organic foods, eat mostly fruits and veggies, drink a lot of water and exercise you'll be healthy... I think its important to have some meat in your diet. Beef for Iron, etc. Many Vegans just don't like the use of animals because its a living creature that has feelings. (well... pain, care for its youngs, etc)

Answer 9

yes and its a good reason why only 2 percent of the few vegans out there are obese, my friend lossed lots of weight the healthy way.

Answer 10

It all depends on whether you eat right and drink enough water. Make sure you take a multi-vitamin as well. Just do some research.