Recently, someone told me that they were vegan for 11 years and then stopped because it caused them to become diabetic. I was surprised by this so wanted to know their explanation. They said their body fought a losing battle trying to keep insulin levels normal but after a decade it wore down their body and now they have to take insulin shots. They accused veganism of being a fad diet.
My response was this: I have been vegan for almost a decade, can run five miles every other day and never get sick. There is a BIG misunderstanding between being vegan and eating right and being vegan and eating JUNK. If a person's resolve in being vegan is eating all the artificial vegan substitute foods out there and you get sick do NOT blame veganism - blame your own bad food choices. Just because something is vegan it does not mean it is good for you. Heck, if you read the ingredients on half those things you will see oodles of sugar and stuff with scientific names you cannot even pronounce.
Now, do not get me wrong, I love a vegan bar of chocolate or soy milk now and again but that is considered an infrequent TREAT and not a substitute for DAILY food. When I eat a meal I eat the actual food: peas, rice, beans, fruits, vegetables of all types, and so forth… not someone's version of a food. So to all meat eaters and vegans getting sick and looking to bale consider what is on your plate - it is not veganism at fault.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor nor a dietician… just a vegan using simple logic: Eat FOOD to live.
Agreed. It is hard to imagine how veganism, an eating philosophy focused on consuming natural, healthier food choices without needlessly jeopardizing the well-being of the animals co-existing with us, can somehow cause negative consequences to the body.
Natural vegetation and fruits are literally the healthiest sources of various nutrients. How can a vegan, if he/she really is one, lack things that these food possess, and in an optimal amount at that.
Processed vegan food alternatives, even when tagged as "Vegan", is still processed and is therefore not entirely organic. If anything, the added ingredients during the production are the cause of their health issues.
True vegan eating, for me, is staying true to the cause- which is to eat foods cooked with fresh produce without harming other species and without any touch of artificial manufacturing.