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RE: My Journey to a Plant-Based Diet, and the Benefits I’ve Experienced
Did you notice a large shift in how you felt after you cut out dairy? I have heard that dairy can take a while to "get out of your system" but after you go a few weeks without it your body goes to "superhuman mode".
Also, a little bit of devils advocate here. I have heard from many sources that it can be challenging to get all of the vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids on a strict vegetarian/vegan diet. Do you ever go to the doctor to have these things checked out?
Hey @metama. Great questions!
I used to drink a lot of milk, in cereal, in my coffee, in ice cream, in casseroles, all sorts of places. But when I got introduced to Almond and Coconut milk I found that it was quite easy to cut out milk. I don't drink coffee anymore, but when I was, adding coconut milk and some honey to my coffee was so divine! And then, like I said in the post, the cheese happened once I was in Asia and there was a big lack of cheese. It was hard, but eventually the cravings passed (and luckily there is enough amazing food around here to keep me satisfied).
Now that I off of dairy products, it's really interesting... my body rejects milk and dairy products now. I heard a statistic once,: "Approximately 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy." and once I got off of dairy, I became lactose intolerant as well. My body had gotten used to processing the milk and fat when I was forcing it down there day in and day out, with when I got off of it I felt so much better. My digestion is so much better, my skin is clearer, and I don't get sick nearly as much. Drinking milk and eating dairy creates so much mucus and blockages in your nasal and throat passageways (If you ever have a cold, you've probably been told to avoid dairy...this is why.) It CREATES congestion. So I noticed much clearer sinuses now. I used to take allergy medicine on a daily basis, but now I have zero need for it! And it think it has something to do with no more dairy!
Now about the vitamins and minerals. Did you know that ALL protein comes from plants? People always say they need to eat meat to get their protein, but the protein we get from animals is only because the animals are eating plants!! You can get every vitamin and mineral you need from a plant-based diet, as long as you are eating a VARIETY of vegetables, legumes, and grains. Broccoli and brown rice are great examples of good sources of protein and nutrients. The only thing you CAN'T get from a plant-based source is B-12 vitamins. But nutritional yeast (a vegan's best friend....or at least it's my best friend) is the main ingredient to most vegan cheese that makes it "cheesy" and it's JAM PACKED with B-vitamins.
If you are going to make a switch though, it may be a good idea to get a blood test done to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need. I personally haven't done that though, because I feel actually 10x better and healthier now than I ever had before. But, it would still be a good idea to check!
:) thanks for sharing. I'm currently trying out the dairy free... The struggle is real though. I'm going to aim for one month without dairy and see how my body reacts.
Really like the content you make, glad you are a part of the steem community
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If you eat plant based you are getting more vitamins and minerals than a standard diet, I'm far healthier than my meat and diary eating peers who are nutrient deprived. Whilst they are eating flesh and fat with little nutrional value im eating the rainbow filled with anti oxidants, anti inflamintary foods. My peers get sick and I don't. There is a different between vegan and plant based vegan. Plants have everything we need especially when eating in combination with each other we get more protein calcium and iron from beans but must be eaten with vitamin c for full absorption. U can look at my recipes and get an idea of how nutrient dense my good is.