Before I go any further, I want to say that before taking on any change in diet, please consult your doctor first, preferably a vegan doctor or one that is vegan-friendly and knowledgeable.
The American Dietitian Association has said that a vegan diet is safe for all stages of the life cycle. I have met many vegans, but I now see more and more people who want to go further than having a vegan diet and are restricting all processed and cooked foods, becoming raw food vegans.
There has not been enough research to prove if a 100% raw food diet is safe, whereas simply having a vegan diet has been scientifically proven as safe.
What I have personally seen is that raw food vegans are very thin, and many look sickly thin, and that is not good for them or for the animal rights cause. People see these raw food vegans and think they are anorexic--I think that too sometimes. It does raw food vegans no good to look sick and therefore are sick/malnourished. In fact, some foods are better nutritionally and need to be cooked for it to be digested better for the body, including some antioxidants that fights cancer. So at least one should have some cooked foods in their meals along with some oils.
This obsession vegans have with being super-thin is ridiculous! Don't get me wrong; I am anti-severely overweight fat/not being healthy. But what I like about being simply a vegan, unlike a raw food vegan, is that we come in all healthy shapes and sizes, but what I find disturbing are some vegans who feel embarrassed because they are not pencil thin--I've met these vegans.
Regarding image--especially if looking for a romantic partner: Not every guy or girl wants a lollipop body looking person as a mate. Many people love a person with some meat on their bones--and muscle. I very rarely see any muscle on raw food vegans. They look weak and feeble--not attractive at all, in my opinion. This is not what many people want and that's why some people may not be interested in being a vegan because they think they will look like a skeleton.
A good example of size is the singer Beyonce. She is reportedly a strict vegetarian--eating no animal products--and many, many guys (and women) love the way she looks. She has said she will never be thin and she loves her curves, and so do millions of people. That is just one example of how we can be of any shape, so that's one good thing Beyonce is doing is showing the world you can have a great curvy body and be a strict vegetarian (meaning the diet part only of veganism). I've yet to see a raw food vegan be anywhere near her weight and looks (btw, I've seen Beyonce with no make-up at all and she still looks great--doesn't need make-up).
So vegans, of all shapes and sizes, be proud of your body, as long as you are not dangerously overweight (and your doctor can determine a healthy weight for you). Being simply a vegan is perfect for your health, for the animals, and for the planet, so there's no need to restrict yourself of any more food.
Eat well!
The American Dietitian Association has said that a vegan diet is safe for all stages of the life cycle. I have met many vegans, but I now see more and more people who want to go further than having a vegan diet and are restricting all processed and cooked foods, becoming raw food vegans.
There has not been enough research to prove if a 100% raw food diet is safe, whereas simply having a vegan diet has been scientifically proven as safe.
What I have personally seen is that raw food vegans are very thin, and many look sickly thin, and that is not good for them or for the animal rights cause. People see these raw food vegans and think they are anorexic--I think that too sometimes. It does raw food vegans no good to look sick and therefore are sick/malnourished. In fact, some foods are better nutritionally and need to be cooked for it to be digested better for the body, including some antioxidants that fights cancer. So at least one should have some cooked foods in their meals along with some oils.
This obsession vegans have with being super-thin is ridiculous! Don't get me wrong; I am anti-severely overweight fat/not being healthy. But what I like about being simply a vegan, unlike a raw food vegan, is that we come in all healthy shapes and sizes, but what I find disturbing are some vegans who feel embarrassed because they are not pencil thin--I've met these vegans.
Regarding image--especially if looking for a romantic partner: Not every guy or girl wants a lollipop body looking person as a mate. Many people love a person with some meat on their bones--and muscle. I very rarely see any muscle on raw food vegans. They look weak and feeble--not attractive at all, in my opinion. This is not what many people want and that's why some people may not be interested in being a vegan because they think they will look like a skeleton.
A good example of size is the singer Beyonce. She is reportedly a strict vegetarian--eating no animal products--and many, many guys (and women) love the way she looks. She has said she will never be thin and she loves her curves, and so do millions of people. That is just one example of how we can be of any shape, so that's one good thing Beyonce is doing is showing the world you can have a great curvy body and be a strict vegetarian (meaning the diet part only of veganism). I've yet to see a raw food vegan be anywhere near her weight and looks (btw, I've seen Beyonce with no make-up at all and she still looks great--doesn't need make-up).
So vegans, of all shapes and sizes, be proud of your body, as long as you are not dangerously overweight (and your doctor can determine a healthy weight for you). Being simply a vegan is perfect for your health, for the animals, and for the planet, so there's no need to restrict yourself of any more food.
Eat well!
