Vegan for Health?

My decision to go vegan had nothing to do with health. Well, not my health, but the health of my animal sisters and brothers. I continue to try to align my behavior with my prayers that all beings may be well, free and happy. The dietary change marked a natural - and somewhat overdue - extension of my 20+ years as an "ethical vegetarian." I simply reached the point where giving up all animal foods was no longer optional. Responding to clear inner guidance, it became mandatory for me to live in an ethically consistent way, at least with regard to my dietary choices.

I feel this is necessary so long as animals are mistreated and while it is not in any way necessary that I eat them. I have no judgment of others around the killing and eating of animals who are revered, respected, and where it is strictly necessary for survival.

Giving up meat in the early '90s was no sacrifice at all; I love - and increasingly revere - living animals and lost all desire to eat them. I have never once missed the taste of meat and have instead only felt grateful for the many alternatives available, especially the wide range of Asian foods.

However, I continued to feel reluctant to give up cheese, butter, ghee, ice-cream and eggs and could hardly imagine how I could, given my love for these foods and also their ubiquity in my regular diet.

I am now learning one very physical meaning of "renunciation." Giving up these delicious treats is proving a genuine practice, one that feels so good to undertake and also challenging. Just negotiating how to eat with the family at holidays requires careful attention.

But, along with this change has come some unexpected and really delightful surprises for my physical health - icing on the cake over the more important benefits of being vegan.

I regularly give blood. One of the benefits I derive from giving blood is the health reporting that follows each donation.

Several months ago - while still eating dairy - I was kicked off of the donor roles because of a low blood iron reading; I would not be able to donate for 6 months.

In the interim, I happened to give up dairy and eggs and wondered how that might affect my iron and general blood chemistry. Along with low hemoglobin, my cholesterol had plateaued at the threshold of danger, remaining there for about a year after gradual, steady increases over the past three years. Additionally, my weight had increased over the past 10 years or so, something I had never experienced at any time in my life before that period!

Two months into being vegan, with great interest I accepted the invitation to again give blood, especially looking forward to the lab results I would obtain. When the phlebotomist took my iron sample and found it over 15, he remarked, "Wow! What accounts for your excellent iron reading? Do you take supplements?" No. I'm vegan, so maybe I eat more leafy greens.

A week later, I received my cholesterol report: it had plummeted from 240 to below 215, back in the healthy range and below any previous reading! And, since then, I have returned to my normal body weight - and with no additional exercise!

Overall, I feel much stronger and healthier, with very few digestive issues and almost no headaches, where those had become almost chronic concerns.

I take these health improvements as one example of how acting for the benefit and happiness of others (in this case, animals) also brings many benefits to our own lives.

May all beings be well and happy!