The wide range of veganism

Being vegan can mean so many things.  Some people use the term more loosely than others. I personally stay away from anything that comes from an animal such as dairy, eggs and especially meat of all kinds, fish included.  I also stay away from things like casein, a protein found in dairy products. Hard-core vegans also eliminate honey from their lives, but this is not me. Although I love the bees (as long as they're not flying around me) and I want them to be protected, especially since they are crucial to our precious ecosystem, I still eat honey. I have met some people that consider themselves vegan, but take fish oil as a daily supplement.  It's not my place to judge what people eat and I've always said that listening to ones body is most important in adopting a non-traditional diet.

Whatever end of the vegan spectrum you may be on, I find that my body works and feels best when I practice a Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) lifestyle.  This doesn't mean that I fork over my paycheck to Whole Foods, the grocery chain.  It means that I cook with and eat foods that aren't overly processed.  I draw the line with breads and tortillas and stuff like that...come on, who has the time to bake bread each week? I don't! I will admit that I love the Soy Chorizo from Trader Joe's and will use it in my recipes from time to time. I also use some cheese substitutes occasionally like Daiya or Trader Joe's Mozzarella Shreds. I really do try to limit the amount of animal product substitutes that I eat the reason being, that I feel so much better when I don't eat processed foods.  When I follow the WFPB eating plan, I fall asleep easily and sleep through the night, I have plenty of energy to get through the intense workouts that I do (spinning and running). I also have spectacular digestion. I don't get bloated anymore and my elimination is always complete and consistent.

So, if you're a vegan that hasn't been feeling as well as you might expect, reevaluate your diet and see if it includes too much of the processed fake meats and cheeses.  Perhaps, you're eating too much soy.

Remember: if it comes from a plant, eat it! If it's made in a plant, dont!