Health: Vegan Diets

Vegan Diets

By Lauren Caggiano

Your mother told you to eat more veggies, so isn’t it about time you listened to her? Following a vegan diet can be a boon to a woman’s health in ways you might not have considered.

Heather Dahman

Heather Dahman, a certified vegan lifestyle coach/educator and owner of The Veg Academy, helps people make the transition to such a diet. She said now is an especially great time to make some changes in light of the recent meat shortages.

Beyond those circumstances, Dahman said going vegan can pay dividends in terms of prevention.

“Meat and animal products can contribute to breast cancer, “she said. “So, cutting those out of your diet can significantly reduce your risk. And if you have breast cancer, cutting those out of your diet can significantly increase your chances of fighting it.”

The same can be said of cholesterol. Animal products like eggs and cheese are known to elevate levels of bad cholesterol, while plants can actually boost the good kind and lower the lipoproteins at the same time.

A vegan diet is also heart healthy, especially in tandem with an overall healthy lifestyle. Doctors say those who adopt a low-fat, plantbased diet, get daily exercise, avoid tobacco and manage stress have the best chance of reversing heart disease.

You also can’t overlook factors like quality of life, longevity and even anti-aging.

“Fruits and vegetables do a lot to fight free radicals that cause aging,” Dahman said. “At my age, I am wanting to eat better, look better and age better and a vegan diet can help with that.”

And the best part? You don’t have to go vegan overnight to experience results. Dahman herself switched from eating animal products to adopting a vegetarian and ultimately a vegan diet. How to best proceed can be a personal decision. In her words, “some people are just ready to go all in. For some, the change is a response to health issues, and they need to cut out animal products.” For others, they may need to clean up their diet so going whole food, plant-based can be a means to that end.

Regardless of how you make the shift, Dahman stresses doing it intentionally. While she’s a lifestyle coach, she’s not a doctor or nutritionist. That said, she recommends making your healthcare providers aware of your lifestyle change and monitoring important markers if you have pre-existing health conditions. For example, she works with a client who has diabetes, so it’s important that she works with her doctor to adjust medications as needed.

In addition to medical experts, Daham recommends looking to the vegan community for help and inspiration. The Internet is a great resource for recipes and helpful tips to make the transition. There are other resources that might hit closer to home, literally.

“I always suggest finding your (local vegan) community,” she said. “On Facebook, we have the Fort Wayne Vegans & Vegetarians group. Just getting to know other people who follow the same diet can be so helpful.” a

Resource: The Veg Academy, Fort Wayne, 260.432.8437, thevegacademy.com