What You Need to Know About a Vegan Diet

V egan diets have grown in popularity, partly due to their health benefits. People choose a meat and dairy free diet out of respect for animals, to lose weight and or to stabilise their blood sugar levels. Here's everything you need to know if you're planning to go vegan.

What Can I Eat?

Vegans choose to cut out anything that might exploit animals from their diet. This includes meat, eggs, and dairy. Some vegans also refrain from buying animal-based products such as leather. There are many varieties of the diets, but fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are central to each.

The Pros

• One of the biggest pros is the potential weight loss. When we cut out meat, milk chocolate and other products we maintain our weight a lot easier. A heightened fibre intake makes you feel fuller, which means you consume fewer calories.
• Vegans also have a 78% lower risk of developing diabetes, due to the fibre and less consumption.
• Recently, experts have had reason to believe that vegans are 15% less likely to develop cancer.

The Cons

• Vegans have a higher risk of nutrient deficiency due to the lack of dairy and protein in their diets. It's essential to take supplements if you're not getting the nutrients you need.
• Some restaurants cater to vegans but the menu choices aren't great. It can be hard to socialise and there are restrictions on where you can eat.

Should I Go Vegan?

There are some beliefs among experts that vegan diets aren't the correct way to live. We were born as carnivores so some feel it's unnatural to cut out meat from the diet. There's no doubt that it's hard to remain healthy as a vegan, but many choose this lifestyle out of respect and empathy for animals. Ultimately it's up to you, but always make sure your health takes priority.