Why Vegetarian?

Below is a picture taken of me earlier. Only kidding. This is 34-year-old guest blogger Gary who I was introduced to via Twitter (@GazzaisVegan). A vegan for six years, Gary clearly has no problem with the age-old question asked by burger-munching fatties the world over, ‘Where do you get your protein from?’ – George

Going vegan – adopting a plant based dietary lifestyle – is the single greatest thing you can do for your overall health. Eliminating animal derived foods and fats from your diet reduces the risk of many of today’s common ‘westernised diseases’.

I’m not going to drone on about “you should eat this because you will fall ill”. But one look at the Cancer Research trends will show you the outcome of the 1980’s meat and dairy consumption explosion. With an upturn in daily meat consumption beginning around the end of WW2, dietary lifestyle quality reached its all time lowest ebb of modern times in the 1980’s.

Today’s more acceptable view of a plant based diet means that Vegetarian/Vegan options have never been more widely available. Long gone are the days when the most you could hope for in a restaurant was an omelette, or when you could expect a confrontation with the chef because you asked to ‘hold the cheese and mayo’ in that previously healthy salad.

My journey into Veganism started six years ago as a result of an agreement between myself and my partner, who was also interested in improving her health.  I never really bothered with Vegetarianism as such, because I had eaten cheese for so long that I felt I’d probably had enough. Also some of the information I was researching at that time surrounding cumulative effects of dairy consumption was starting to disturb me deeply, even as a reformed cheese and egg fanatic!

On a personal level, I had struggled with weight fluctuation and extreme fatigue for a number of years, partially due to an over intensified exercise regime in my mid 20′s. Although I had a muscular build, I was also bloated and puffy with any definition shrouded in a layer of stubborn fat. The only way to remove this ‘blubber’ would have been to undergo intense cardio every day. I doubt the cardio would have removed it completely but even if it had, the net effect would have been eventual ‘burnout’ or injury due to joint impact.

In truth I was overburdening my metabolism. My main diet included excessive meat and dairy produce which I believed at the time to be a requirement for the muscle mass and energy levels I’d need for heavy gym work. I was misled by the dairy and meat industries, from the early days of primary school and ‘free milk’ through to weight training magazines which market whey protein heavily via the conditioned thought process of ‘excess protein equals muscle gain’.  

I decided I needed to take action to try and bring my BMI (Body Mass Index) sensibly into line with my height. I began tapering my weights down over time, reducing my muscle mass to a sensible level and becoming leaner and healthier. This prevented the weight fluctuations and fatigue problems, such as falling asleep at my desk twice daily.  I am in no doubt my arteries were becoming clogged up and I was lining myself up for type 2 diabetes in the near future.

My new lighter lifestyle started with a slightly more intense and regular two or three times weekly cardiovascular routine to boost my metabolic rate – also integrating more walking and bike riding into everyday life, washing the car by hand etc. I eliminated all dairy and meat products and reduced my alcohol consumption.

At this point I was consuming solely fish, as I was still worried that I would be deficient in protein and literally disappear overnight. I maintained a gym routine of no more than 45 minutes per session three times per week throughout.

My diet soon became entirely plant based and I saw the scales fall by around 20-30 lbs in a matter of 3 months. I also experienced an increase in overall vitality, a marked improvement in my muscle tone, I look younger (I’d like to think) and my skin has a healthy glow.

What amused me was the reaction from family and friends. In their eyes I was simply wasting away. The thinning of my facial features meant they were convinced I had major malnutrition issues. However I was just on a downward trend in terms of muscle mass (tapering down weights) and eventually my weight plateaued at around 183.54lbs at its lowest. I was proud to get there and my level of body tone/condition was an all time personal best.

Since that time I’ve gradually increased the intensity of weight training sessions, upping my weights sensibly. However I never wanted to return to those heady days of lifting 125lb dumbbells in each hand on an inclined chest press bench, due to the pressure on my joints. I am happily existing at 197lbs and will cap my gym weights to ensure I don’t exceed the plateau limit too far.

I find myself hill running 3 times per week and continue with the same three times weekly gym routine, as well as walking and or riding instead of using the car whenever I can. I find it easier to keep my weight and hunger pangs in check with proper diet and hydration – my weight only fluctuates by around 3-4lbs instead of 10 over a weekend, thanks to dairy-induced (high salt and fat) water retention! I look better, feel better, have better levels of concentration, virtually zero fatigue, better stamina and clean cardiovascular performance whilst hill jogging. In fact I have so much energy that I am now actively seeking to run Cross Country races for charities and such like and still produce reasonably good times.

As to the all too familiar question of “what can you possibly eat instead of meat which will give you enough protein”, my reply is based around the teachings and observations of Dr Michael Klaper and Douglas Graham. There has never been a known case of protein deficiency in the western world from a person consuming a suitably calorific diet.

My personal protein intake consists of little more than 40 grams per day. My staple diet is raw broccoli, green leafy veg, Quinoa seed with cold pressed Olive Oil, Cyder Vinegar and Himalayan Salt in moderation. In addition I consume a small handful of nuts a day and as much fruit as I want: apples, pears, watermelon, mango, nectarines and three to four bananas per day.

Becoming Vegan is possibly the best health insurance policy you can ever make. In addition, the improvements in mental clarity, mood, motivation, fitness and health are second to none and the vegan lifestyle will also play a role in benefiting the environment for future generations to come.

For more information see http://feelgoodagain.co.uk

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