Monday, June 4, 2012

THE ONE WEEK VEGAN


I completed my first week as a vegan. I am proud to report that I went hardcore and there was ZERO cheating.

In just seven days I've lost four pounds.  I don't know if that is normal, but it seems like a lot of weight in just one week - especially considering that I am not starving myself.  In fact, I am eating a lot, but I'm just eating differently.

So here is the big question - did I drop four pounds directly or indirectly as the result of the vegan diet?  Is my weight loss the result of not eating any animal products or is the weight loss the result of not going to Taco Bell because a 7 Layer Burrito isn't vegan friendly? What I am wondering is this - could I have lost four pounds last week if I continued drinking milk and eating meat at home as long I just simply avoided going to fast food restaurants? 

The weight loss has been a nice benefit to the vegan diet, but the diet has not been all positive.  I have some tingling in my hands, which I have never experienced before. I am guessing that the tingling is some type of blood circulation problem.  I did a bit of internet research and discovered that blood circulation problems are a common side-effect from a vegan diet.

I read that vegans are vulnerable to deficiencies of omega-3 fatty acids, which are commonly found in fish. Your body needs omega-3 fatty acids for brain memory and performance, behavior, vision, reduction of tissue inflammation and heart and nervous system health.  A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids can cause a lot of health problems, including poor blood circulation - which I suspect is what is going on with me. 

The Herbal Remedy Wife gave me a vegan omega-3 supplement to take, which tasted like this awful "medicine" my Aunt Versie would cook up in the hills of Kentucky in the 1970s. 

If a vegan diet is so healthy why do I have to take supplements? Seriously, if a vegan diet is so great than shouldn't the diet by itself provide a person with all of their nutritional needs?

Maybe I was a bit naive, but before I started the vegan diet I thought the only potential risk was that it would be low in protein and I'd have to eat a bucketful of nuts each day to make sure I was getting the amount of protein I needed. But it turns out there are a lot of potential health concerns with being a vegan.  But if you don't believe me then listen to Lance Armstrong: www.livestrong.com.  

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