When it comes to the health and diet industry, a lot of people are talking about veganism. It received a big boom, especially in the last three years. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Natalie Portman, and even Virat Kohli promote veganism.

Firstly, let’s understand what veganism is.

Veganism is a form of diet that involves plant nutrition only. Therefore, all the food items are only made from plant sources. There are types five types of vegan diets:

1. Dietary Vegans – These vegans do not consume any animal food, but they will continue to use other products like clothing and cosmetics.

2.  Whole-food Vegans– These individuals opt for a vegan diet rich in whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts and seeds.

3. Raw-food Vegans – These individuals only eat food that is raw or cooked at a temperature below 480C.

4. Low-fat raw food Vegans limit high-fat foods like nuts, avocados, and coconuts and go for fruits. Their primary goal is to reduce weight. 

5. Junk-food vegans – These people heavily rely on processed vegan food, such as meat, fries, frozen dinners, and desserts.

Now let’s get into WHY people opt to be vegans.

Well, you might be thinking, why are so many people into veganism nowadays. Is it a Fad?

You are not wholly wrong. So many people get into it for different reasons, but the vast spike is the “branding.” Yes, this concept has been branded by so many athletes, celebrities have resulted in so many people falling into this.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not against this. But the point is, what is your why. Why do you want to start a vegan diet? Is this because you are just blindly following a schedule of a person you admire, or do you genuinely want to create a vegan diet?

People who genuinely imbibe a vegan lifestyle are against animal cruelty. They believe that animal safety is paramount, and hence they only want to focus on plant nutrition. 

This is a great initiative. But there is another side to the story. There are both pros and cons to veganism as well.

Here are the benefits – 

• No Bad Cholesterol – Vegan food doesn’t have any bad cholesterol, which is present in vegetarian and non -vegetarian food products. 

• Say bye-bye to chronic diseases – Vegan food products are easy to digest as compared to animal food. Hence, they keep your intestine healthy and keep you away from chronic diseases like diabetes.

• Weight Loss – Since a vegan diet has fewer carbs, it automatically reduces your body weight while maintaining muscle mass.

These great benefits can keep any human fit and healthy, but there are specific cons to it.

• Reduction in protein – There are vegan protein sources like tofu, soya milk, and nuts, but the amount of protein is less than animal food like beef, chicken, and buffalo milk.

• Iron Deficiency – Most of our iron elements are consumed via animal food. Hence, the diet must contain beans and lentils to manage the diet.

Well, as you can see, there are pros and cons to being vegan. There is not one correct answer. It ultimately depends on your body. Being self-aware about your body and what suits you the best is the solution.

Now the question is how to decide whether you should be vegan, vegetarian, or even eggetarian?

The answer is simple. Try each one out for a week. But firstly, let’s understand the difference between vegan, vegetarian, and eggetarian.

A vegan diet consists of strictly plant nutrition. While in the case of a vegetarian diet it also consists of dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese. The eggetarian, as the name suggests, also eats eggs along with fruits and vegetables. Hence, if you want to start a vegan diet, go for it. But don’t do it because others are doing it. 

I will let you in on a secret! I am not a vegan. I consume vegetarian food. Yes, but this is because I recognized what works for me by being self-aware.

So, if you want to lead a healthy lifestyle, find out what diet suits you the best, and get there with a structured diet plan, connect with us for a 30-minute consultation call that will transform your physical and mental health. 

Click on this link to book your slot with Dr. Sheenu Sanjeev.