The Benefits of Eating Vegan, Vegetarian or Raw Diets

I'm in no way intent on converting you to a Vegan or Vegetarian. What I do want is for you to realize how eating more fresh live fruits, vegetables, berries and nuts will make you look and feel better increasing your longevity and quality of life.

A bit of history about me the author, I'm the second youngest of six kids, we grew up in rural Indiana where we raised a huge garden. My Mom was a homemaker and health nut.

When I got hungry it was natural for me to go out to the garden pick fresh vegetables and eat them raw. I loved eating raw nuts, fruits and vegetables never giving a second thought to eating meat.

• Both diets promote healthy bowel movements which are an issue in non vegan or vegetarian diets.
• Both diets are rich in magnesium aiding in the much needed absorption of calcium.
• Both diets are rich in potassium which stimulates the kidneys to release toxins by way of balancing the water and acidity of your body.

In all fairness it's hard for those of you with no gardening background to know the beauty of growing things from the earth.

Good news is, it's easy to learn and can be done anywhere. While you may never become a Vegan or Vegetarian, eating more fresh and live fruits, vegetables, berries and nuts will increase the longevity and quality of life, reducing the incidents of illness.

It is so easy to eat vegan and I love it! Raw foods are natural vegetarian foods eaten raw without roasting, toasting or any cooking method. Cooking takes the nutrients out of the food or harms the presence of the healthy attributes vegetarian foods offer. Eating them raw is always the better option and one you will be surprised to enjoy as raw natural foods taste so good you will wonder why you ever ate them cooked.

The Benefits of the Raw Vegan or Vegetarian Diet

• Both diets are rich in vitamins B thus folate which is key to cell repair.
• Both diets protect the bodies cells from damage being rich in antioxidants.
• Antioxidants are also thought to prevent cancer.
• Both diets are rich in vitamin C promoting healthy gums and recovery from bruises.
• Both diets are rich in vitamin E which are awesome for your heart, eyes, skin, brain and believed to help prevent Alzheimer's.
• Both diets are rich in good sources and levels of protein such as beans, nuts, and soy products.
• The average non vegan or vegetarian diets consist of to much protein becoming unhealthy.
• Vegan and Vegetarian diets prevent disease.
• Eating less or no dairy products and meat improves your cardiovascular health and alleviates arthritis symptoms
• Stronger bones are an added benefit from both Vegan and Vegetarian diets.
• Vegan diets prevent heart attacks and strokes.
• Eliminating foods that come from animals will rid your diet of cholesterol.
• A diet rich in whole grain foods lowers high blood pressure.
• Vegan diets are great at addressing type 2 diabetes.
• Both diets are powerful prevention in the fight against prostate cancer.
• Switching to a Vegan diet has proven to stop the progression of cancer and often reverse it.
• Countries who eat very little to no meat have a much lower incident of breast cancer.
• Muscular degeneration and cataracts are prevented with vegan diets.

While myself and many vegans do feel very strongly about animals, the vegan diet goes way beyond that eliminating any thing with any animal bi-products from their homes and lives.

Veganism is a lifestyle and one I do not adhere to, but I do enjoy a vegan diet and it is for that reason alone I speak on the topic of the vegan diet.

I've long been a vegetarian exploring the vegan diet as I enjoy it greatly, vegan is my favorite food of choice and it makes me feel amazing. I don't go without food if I can't find anything vegan, I modify and eat vegetarian. I admit to being veganish, as I don't always adhere to the vegan diet, why, well I sometimes eat dairy products. I love cheese and do partake when I want to.

I realize my body is better without dairy but there are times I eat real cheese or milk, rare but I do. While many people worry about the lack of calcium, the vegan and vegetarian diets are rich in calcium with its green leafy veggies.

If I may, back to my childhood, we froze and canned fresh produce providing us with all we needed till the next harvest.

My favorite uncle brought fresh raw nuts to us every season as he lived in the southern part of the states where they were bountiful.

So it seems I was born a vegetarian and while meat was often offered at our family table I was never made to eat it, and chose not to.

I was never expected to eat meat, I was given an option, can you say the same? If not you now have that option, think about it.

Just as you may find it hard to hear some people don't eat meat, I find it equally hard to hear that some people don't eat vegetables.

The benefits of eating vegan or vegetarian go as far as to mimic the fountain of youth. When it comes right down to it, we must all realize we grow old. The way we live during this aging process or into our golden years is the big question. What quality of life do you hope to enjoy? You will after all be living this time in your life for the good or the bad. Denial can only carry you so far in life. What you do now impacts how you live for the rest of your life.

My Vegetarian Life It may be the love of our earth and the magic that grows from it was developed in me from birth.

I love the feeling of being up to my ankles in fresh tilled soil, the joy of tending my garden and the delight in each scrumptious mouthful of joy the harvest brings me.

When you love something so much and realize the benefits it offer others you just naturally want to share.

I hope you look at the food you eat differently and give eating Veganish or Vegetarianish a chance, you just might be amazed and find yourself facing the first day of the rest of your life!

Eat Vegan and Eat Good, Katie