@karyssamarleriectskin-com I agree. no particular diet is good for the same person. everyone has a different outcome

To each their own and to each body their own. The vegan diet can be very healthy for some people with certain conditions or illnesses. Other people don't need to follow a vegan diet as their body might need what is missing in the vegan diet. A balanced intake of chicken, beef, and fish is great. But,  I understand and respect those who wish to not eat animals. Maybe it was here in class that we had another group discussion about it or maybe I saw it on social media but there was an influencer who only ate fruits and vegetables and over the years she got too sick from not having proper nutrition and did pass away. If going vegan, it is so important to be sure to get in protein somehow! 

@brianahetlandiectskin-com Same! I'd miss tacos!

@elianaaltamiranoiectskin-com That's amazing! I can see how a specific diet can help with colon cancer.

I do think vegan diets can be beneficial but I was on one for 6 months and it was very hard for me to upkeep personally. I ate so much junk and processed food. I did not feel healthy at all. If I had a personal chef that would be great and I bet I would feel amazing but I just didn't have the time or energy to eat right. I am much healthier now with my steady meal plan

@rebeccamatuskaiectskin-com I remember seeing that too! that was very sad. I think a healthy balance of all foods is the way to go personally but yes I respect everyone's decision on how they want to eat.

@laurenjohnsoniectskin-com I remember when I started eating meat again after being a vegitarian for 3 years I felt so much better! It was hard to be social or go out to eat because I had very limited options and would always eat really carb heavy or have to lean towards processed alternatives.

I have always been kinda tossed between the health factors and the actual manufacturing of the "plant-based" foods. I can understand that some things can be cooked down or blended and changed into a different presentation, like black bean burgers.  But when I think about things like the impossible burger, what is in the plant-based ingredients to make its shelf life so long?  That's my thought with all this vegan food that claims fresh but has a longer shelf life than the raw fresh version of said food.  I just think its just another fad or phase like the "diets" over the years.

@rebeccamatuskaiectskin-com I totally agree with you! I think that the base line of what our organs need is generally the same, but the way that you are able to achieve those baseline goals can change based on what you as a person need for your specific dietary needs.  Eating and health is not one size fits all.

@brandyhunteriectskin-com Each persons health requirements definitely is different person to person.  I am not saying that it doesn't work or is not real, I just think that it varies for sure.

I appreciate this article. I went vegan before vegan was a thing. I remember going to the club, and afterwards, when everyone was grabbing food, the most I could do was french fries from McDonalds. Even then, I had to stop eating them because they were fired in the same grease as the chicken nuggets. When I first made the choice, I thought to myself, there aren't enough salads in the world to make this not boring! However, my coworker was a vegan chef, and she really helped me get versatility in my diet. After I got a grasp on "regular" veganism, I went electric vegan. This is the most restricted version of veganism. Electric vegans follow Dr. Sebi's philosophy. When I went vegan, I felt ok, but a lot of substitute options were processed. But with electric veganism, I was in the best healthy state in my life. Even though I went back to meat, I still use Dr. Sebi's rules.

@rebeccamatuskaiectskin-com When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, I was electric vegan. My mom was so mad because she felt that I wasn't getting all my nutrients. She went with me to my first doctor's appointment and asked the doctor "could you please tell my daughter that she must eat meat because she needs to keep her protein up for this baby?" My doctor told her "actually, her numbers are really good. I saw that she is vegan, and I was going to ask her what she has been eating because I'm considering it too!" My mom got so mad! LOL But, I say that to say, there are options that give you the protein you need. It takes knowing the facts about what you're eating, what your body needs, and how to consume it. People typically think, I'm going vegan so no this, that, and the third. However, it takes planning and really being in tune with your body. Just like we know when our body is low on iron, we crave red meat, vegans get those same body cues.

@brandyhunteriectskin-com That is the biggest key, learning which foods are good and not. In America, everyone is stuck on this "organic" train. The reality is that, in order for something to have been USDA Organic certified, only a portion of the makeup has to have been natural. It's all about educating yourself on what is good and bad. I stayed away from tofu and soy due to their ties to hormone imbalances in women. Now, there are studies that debunk that theory, but it's easier to find out this day in age, versus back when I did it. I was vegan for 2 years.

I think a vegan diet can be incredibly healthy and beneficial if it is done correctly. A lot of the new plant-based milks, cheeses, butters, meat substitutes, etc. are highly processed with oils, starches, and additives that take away from the real nutritional value. People aren't always getting the proper nutrients that they need to fuel their bodies. Veganism feels more like a fad diet than it does a true lifestyle. This, of course, doesn't apply to every person that is vegan.

@kijonnaroeiectskin-com I've never heard of an electric vegan before. You said it's the most strict form of veganism, what makes it so strict?

@brianahetlandiectskin-com I saw a TikTok a while ago that said, "If you think you can't go vegan because you love bacon too much, just become vegan plus bacon." She explains that you don't have to be imprisoned by your own rules, meaning you don't have to follow something so strictly, you can make exceptions for yourself if it allows you to participate overall. 

I also crave the dopamine hit from a meaty meal

I was a vegan for 2.5 years and I felt amazing! However, when I was vegan, it was not mainstream or a concept that others even understood. I would go out with my friends, and like the article said, get restaurant savvy. I would have to look at the menu ahead of time to see what options I could have. I was younger so I was very much involved with the night life. After a night of dancing, everyone was hungry, and it was our ritual to go grab some food. Back then, the only thing opened that late was McDonalds, IHOP, or Waffle House. If we went to McDonalds, I would only eat the fries, until I found out they fried them in the same oil they used for the nuggets. Thankfully, my coworker was a vegan chef and really mentored me with regard to the lifestyle. Before going vegan, I would say "there aren't that many salads in the world for me to go vegan!" However, once I was educated about it, I got real hip to different recipes and very rarely ate salads. The only reason I went back to eating meat was because I got pregnant with my youngest daughter and my mom kept saying "feed my grand baby some meat!" We went to one of my doctors appointments, and when my doctor came in after my labs, she asked the doctor to please tell me that I need meat to give her grand baby protein. To her surprise, the doctor said that my protein numbers looked amazing and that she took was considering going vegan. I saw the disappointment in my mom's eyes, so I decided to just go back to eating meat. 

@brandyhunteriectskin-com Having a personal chef makes everything about that lifestyle easier! Now, it's a bit easier because everything is so mainstream and trending, that there are options everywhere you turn. Back when I was vegan, there was nothing. I was grateful to have someone right there with me to help me. A lot of vegan alternatives are highly processed and I would only eat them sparingly.

@kirstenzimmermaninstituteofepidermalcelltherapy-c I couldn't agree more. People are going vegan now because it's the hottest thing to do. However, it requires some real intent to be successful. It also requires education about the foods and what veganism should and should not be. Like you said, so many of the alternatives are highly processed, and aren't good for you. However, you can be vegan without them. When people don't really know much about veganism outside of what they've seen maybe on social media, they tend to stick to what they know.

I went on a 21 day all Vegan Raw Food diet a while back and I had never felt more clean and energized