vegancharles
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First of all let me state that I became vegan purely for ethical reasons. I don't care how anyone spins it: Animals are not ours to kill, abuse, or exploit.
Now having said that, I do not mind at all the fact that I did experience tremendous health gains upon becoming vegan. My weight dropped, energy went up, allergies practically disappeared, and even my eyesight seems to have improved.
Here is what I do. First, I don't spend a dime on gym memberships or equipment. In fact I do not work out at all unless you count all the walking I do(I do not drive at all). Ok, come to think of it I do walk a lot compared to most people so I guess it has to count as exercise.
Secondly, I eat 3 meals a day and in a balanced manner. That is I go out of my way to ensure that I receive enough servings from all the known vegan food groups:Vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, etc.... If it came from a plant it is good for you but try to sample from as many plants as you can. If all you eat is pasta every single day you can technically be vegan but not necessarily healthy. I eat pasta sometimes, nothing wrong with it and I even eat vegan pizza but I balance it out with a healthy amount of fresh raw fruits and veggies too.
Thirdly, if I'm going to fry something, and I don't do it everyday, I ensure I use some sort of vegetable-derived oil that is cholesterol-free. I also never add so much as a particle of salt to anything because many things already come with some sort of salt in them so why add more. The same with sugar which is inherently present in all plants anyway. In fact, I avoid things that contain added sugar unless I have good reason to believe it is sugar that is vegan. Google "Bone Char" if you were not aware that sugar is not always vegan. Lastly, I consume a minimum of 6 glasses of water per day. Usually one at the begining and end of each of my 3 daily meals. Water is very important and helps to maintain a healthy metabolism. In fact, I do not drink anything but pure water. No sodas, coffee, juices, etc... just water. I also do not drink alcohol(well that goes without saying since I said I only drink water), smoke, or use drugs of any kind. I guess I'm what some people call "Straightedge" when it comes to such things.
Oh, one last thing. While protein is not a problem as most non-vegans would have you believe you should aim for healthy amounts of vitamin B-12 as this is an ingredient that is not normally found in plants. It doesn't exactly come from animals as it is made by bacteria but in a roundabout way you can obtain it from eating meat or consuming milk. Fortunately for us vegans, there now exist plenty of tasty and healthy foods which we can eat and which are conveniently fortified with B-12 to meet or exceed our needs. For example, the vegan cereal I eat and the vegan soy milk I pour on it gives me my theoretically required amount of daily B-12 and then some. On top of that I have found vegan yogurts and other prepared vegan foods such as the vegan "Chicken Strips" from Morningstar Farms(google it if you've never heard of the company) that contain B-12 as well so you can rest assured of being healthy because vitamin B-12 is super important. I just gave you a few examples of B-12 fortified vegan foods. There are plenty you can find at your local grocery stores if you do a little shopping around or you can do some searching on the internet.
Well, I hope I have been helpful to anyone who needed help. If you have any questions about anything related to veganism feel free to email me. I have really got vegan eating down to a science now and the results have been fabulous. I'd love to help out any fellow vegans that would like to get the full health benefits of this ethical lifestyle we call veganism. Good luck to all and don't forget about the animals who aren't as fortunate as we humans are.
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