8 Benefits Of Switching To A Vegan Lifestyle
By a spokesperson from www.Mashufaa.co.
Research in 2016 found that there are as many as 540,000 vegans living in the UK, a big jump from the 150,000 that were reported in 2006. Many factors affect the reason why a large number of Britons are turning to a vegan lifestyle, with the majority choosing to be a dietary vegan and many more choosing to be a lifestyle vegan.
There are many benefits to leading a vegan lifestyle and the team at www.Mashufaa.co.uk have looked at a few key benefits below . . .
1 Veganism helps the environment
The production of meat and various other animal products has a large negative impact on the environment, from creating greenhouse gases, destroying habits and even depleting the world’s fresh water supply. A soy burger is known to use just 158 litres through the production process, less than 7% of the water required to make a beef burger (2,350 litres).
2 It encourages you to be creative with food
From a non-vegan point of view, it is hard to believe that vegans eat anything other than beans and salad, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When switching to a vegan diet you will be forced to move away from your comfort zone and try all sorts of things you wouldn’t have tried previously, from meat substitutes to various other products that have been tweaked to be vegan.
3 You are likely to live a longer, healthier life
Pic: iStockphoto
Switching to vegan has been proven to contribute towards a longer and healthier life. The main reason behind this is because vegans consume less fat, reducing the risk of heart disease, kidney failure and, according to the World Health Organisation, as many as one in three cancers can also be avoided.
4 Vegans are happier, fact
It has been found that many vegans are happier than those who eat meat. There is a level of freshness that comes with vegan and most plant-based dishes which is thought to purify your minds and encourage positive thoughts, with many vegans and vegetarians found to have lower scores on depression tests and with their mood profiles.
5 A vegan diet is a nutrient powerhouse
Pic: iStockphoto
A key myth surrounding veganism is that people don’t get enough nutrients, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Vegan diets tend to provide more fibre, antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds and they’re typically rich in potassium, magnesium and vitamins A, C and E.
6 Being vegan can aid weight loss
Pic: iStockphoto
One of the simplest ways to lose weight is to consume less animal products. A vegan diet really helps contribute towards weight loss, with no need to reduce portion sizes, something meat eaters would need to do in order to consume less calories.
7 Increased collagen means better skin
Vegans tend to have much better skin, with the diet being so rich in vitamin C – this increases the levels of collagen which in turn shows itself as clearer skin.
8 Hormones will be better balanced
Pic: iStockphoto
Animal fats have been proven to increase levels of oestrogen in the body which is a contributing factor towards breast cancer. With vegans cutting out animal fats and consuming a much lower fat content than non-vegans, their levels of oestrogen will be much lower and hormones will be more balanced.
One last thing – if you do choose to make the switch, don’t beat yourself up if you slip up every now and then. It will take time to get used to and old habits really do die hard!
Moira Chisholm
I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!
