How I started to heal my mental health issues through a vegan diet
It is pretty simple really becoming a vegan = improved overall health.
My Story
See I have been going through mental health issues for the past 9 years. I had a lot of issues with my mood and insomnia and so I wanted to change that.
I battled with health problems on a daily basis and I was looking for answers then I stumbled upon a vegan diet and realised it may be the solution to all my problems.
Why I Become A Vegan
So that leads me to becoming a vegan. I became a vegan because I wanted to improve my health especially my insomnia. I found that when I ate vegan my health issues were much better and when I didn’t, I had problems with my mental & physical health. This fits with research that suggests that a vegan diet is:
- higher in nutrients — fiber, antioxidants, plant compounds, potassium, magnesium, folate, vitamins A, C, and E
- helps you lose weight — reduced calorie intake
- lowers blood sugar levels and improve kidney function — 50–78% less chance of developing diabetes
- protects against cancer — 15% reduction in developing all forms of cancer from eating less meat & dairy
- lowers risk of heart disease — 75% less chance of developing high blood pressure and 42% less chance of dying from heart disease
- reduces pain from arthritis — reduced pain, joint swelling, and morning stiffness
- improves mood & depression — increased nutrients naturally improve mental health issues
Some of those statistics are truly staggering but when you start researching the benefits of a vegan diet you begin to realise that all benefits outweigh any negative affects e.g. the diet being low in B12 or omega 3. You can always supplement these things if you need to.
From my observations when I ate:
- gluten or milk I would have problems with my breathing and anxiety
- sugar I would feel anxious & panicked
- meat I would also feel anxious
So I began eliminating those things from my diet slowly. Still, at times, I would eat some of these foods when I cannot afford to buy healthy foods. But I would keep it a minimum as much as I could.
Naturally, I started to lose weight, I lost about 4kgs (8.8 pounds) in about a month. My skin started to clear up, dark circles began to improve. My anxiety was better. My sleep was worse at first but it began to improve very slowly thereafter.
I couldn’t stick to a raw vegan or a fruitarian diet I found it too restrictive. So I ate a mostly rich vegan diet. I was able to eat/drink the following:
- fruit — grapes, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, watermelon, oranges
- vegetables — broccoli, onion, carrot, beans, peas etc
- nuts & seeds and gluten-free muesli
- alternative milks — coconut milk was my fave
- herbal teas — green tea, peppermint, chamomile
- lots and lots of water — to flush out any toxins
I would also juice fruits & veggies. Juicing increases the concentration of vitamins and other important nutrients such as antioxidants, phytochemicals, and certain fruit/vegetable compounds. The nutrients get into the bloodstream more quickly because it is in liquid form, meaning it is easier to digest for your stomach and intestines. Healing begins more rapidly when you juice.
I saw a video of a guy in France on Youtube who healed treatment resistance schizophrenia through juicing fruit & vegetables. He suffered from very bad periods of psychosis, he would have psychosis for about 10 days then for a week he would be well and then he would have psychosis again. He tried many medications and none of them worked. He bought a juicer and started juicing and within 6 months his schizophrenia was in complete remission.
This story is pretty amazing and it inspired me to look into a vegan diet/juicing for mental health.
When I was juicing I was juicing citrus mostly. I would juice lemons and drink them particularly first thing in the morning.
For example, I would take a 2 medium-sized lemons and juice them and drink them in about 2 cups of water. This would often cleanse me out from the night before.
I would also do green juices using green powders, like spirulina and kale, and mix this with 3–4 cups of water. Also, I would juice oranges and put this into 2–3 cups of water to make them more palatable.
When I was following a vegan diet I eliminated the following foods:
- meat — chicken, pork, lamb, beef
- starch — rice, bread & pasta
- dairy — milk, cheese, and yoghurt
- sugar — no sugar in tea or sweets or treats
The whole process was pretty easy because I was only gradually making changes. I would not recommend going cold turkey from a poor animal-rich diet onto a vegan diet.
At first, I went cold turkey on a raw vegan diet and I did not feel very well at all mentally. So I advise you to take your time and gradually reduce things because it takes a while for your body to adjust to the increased nutrients.
PLEASE NOTE: Before you start on any restrictive diet make sure you check with your Doctor. Sometimes cutting back on certain things can trigger certain symptoms. It would be wise to cut back on these things slowly.
Make sure you whatever you do, continue to take your medication. Personally, I am titrating off my psychiatric meds with the observation of my Psychiatrist. BUT: make sure you continue to take your medication and don’t go off your meds cold turkey.
You will find with time that your health starts to improve. If your health doesn’t improve after adopting a vegan diet then I suggest you begin juicing more. Like I mentioned earlier when you juice the nutrients get into your body rapidly. Healing only can occur when the body is receiving adequate nutrients.
People with mental health issues in particular are prone to nutritional deficiencies. The only way I know to correct this balance is by eating more fruit & veggies and eliminating dairy, starch/gluten, meat, and sugar.
Please note if you find a vegan diet too restrictive then you don’t have to stick to it 100% of the time. But I would suggest that the majority of the time that you stick to it to improve any health issues you may be suffering with.
I will be releasing a blog soon with details about my vegan journey as well as recipes & vegan products like sea moss.
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Articles used in the research of this article include:
