When I decided to eat vegan, I heard from many people; you won’t get enough protein, you be deficient in vitamins or you’ll be hungry because you can only eat salad. I’m now vegan for 9 months and I have proof that none of that is true.

When I first became vegan I did loose about 8 pounds but that weight has returned and doesn’t fluctuate much. I can attribute some of that to a change in exercise due to my shoulder tendonitis, but mostly my weight is what it’s going to be. The same it has been for about 6 years.

What did change quite significantly is my blood work. I had a physical last year August 2016. I’m comparing my blood work from 2016 with 2017. Let’s start with cholesterol. The goal for this number is less than 200. In 2016 I was at 190. This year I was at 154. I’d say that was a nice drop. I take no prescribed medicine for cholesterol however I know my mother does, not sure about my dad. My LDL cholesterol went from a high 122 last year to a 91 this year which is within normal, safe range. My non-HDL cholesterol also came out of the red danger zone of 136 to 116.

As far as vitamins. I take as supplements, vitamin D 5,000mg, biotin at 300 mg per day, alpha lipoic acid 1200 mg a day and B12. They are taken all for MS related reasons except for B12 which is also the only supplement recommended on a vegan diet. I want to say my protein level was still in normal range, but just in normal range. The range is 6.1-8.1 and I’m a 6.2. However last year when I wasn’t a vegan, I was a 6.4 so you tell me, did my lack of animal products have anything to do with this? Calcium stayed exactly the same as last year. Vitamin D was deficient last year at a 25 is now in range at a 54. All my other nutrients were within levels with very little fluctuation from the prior year.

The only thing was my triglycerides. They had a big jump from 77 to 145. That is the WRONG direction. I can say it is because of eating vegan cookies and taking out the dairy adds sugar and I’d probably be right but regardless, it is bad. This I need to pay close attention to. That was a tremendous jump. I could tell the honest truth and say I totally forgot I had the blood test that morning and had my coffee which I drink with brown sugar and a touch of half n half and silk..might have made a difference. I don’t know.

Overall I think it proves the vegan diet, for me personally, is healthier and works in my system better. I was waiting for my blood test because I wanted to see the comparison and I’m very pleased with the results. It showed that I’m getting my nutrients, lacking nothing and I like eating this way. It has lowered my cholesterol, helped my digestive track reset and even got me to cook again. I’m continuing to eat vegan knowing I’m doing it right.