This is my story on how adopting a plant-based diet has played a key role in improving my health and healing my gut.

Author: Jasmine Lowe

Vkind Communication Specialist

I grew up always on the go attending countless extra-curricular activities. I was classically trained in ballet and went on to study pointe. I also took jazz, tap, hip-hop, gymnastics, and karate classes. I played volleyball for a little while in high school, and I took up running long-distance in college. I was expected to get good grades and do volunteer work. There was no time for me to sit down for a healthy meal. 

The one constant between all of my activities was eating whatever fast food came from drive-thrus and frozen TV dinners I could pop in a microwave. I had always wanted to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, but there weren’t as many vegan junk food options as there are today. So, when I finally dialed back all of my extra-curricular activities towards the end of my high school career and decided to cook for myself, I noticed a significant improvement in my overall health.

Most People Don’t Even Know They Are Suffering From IBS

IBS is a common prevalence, and it is estimated that it affects 5% to 10% of the population worldwide. Yet many people remain undiagnosed and unaware that their symptoms indicate a medically recognized disorder. This is one of the main reasons why, in 1997, the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) designated April as IBS Awareness Month. I was actually one of those people who were unaware that what I was suffering from was pretty severe IBS. 

As soon as I hit puberty, acne crept up on my face and was exacerbated by my terrible diet. Despite being so incredibly active, I would always feel sick and tired. I always had issues with digestion and never knew how to find relief. However, the second I started preparing my meals at home and then in my apartment in college, my acne vanished, and I stopped feeling like I was dying all of the time. 

Food Is Medicine

I became vegetarian towards the end of my junior year in high school and ate a mostly plant-based diet until I made the full transition into veganism five years ago. Transitioning to vegetarianism and then veganism made me question everything from where I was getting my food from and what was in my food to the politics of why certain foods and ingredients were banned in most high-income countries in the world and not the U.S. 

According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy for Americans shortened by over seven months last year. The decline from 77.0 to 76.1 years has taken U.S. life expectancy at birth to its lowest level since 1996. Although Covid-19 is attributed to a lot of these deaths, the rate of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., along with cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease, has also proved more lethal in 2021. The study found that the majority of those deaths happened to younger people, which has affected the overall life expectancy. 

In another study done by the CDC, research determined that more than 70% of the salt that Americans eat comes from packaged, processed, store-bought, and restaurant foods. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average American diet consists of excess salt, saturated fat, refined grains, calories from solid fats, and added sugars. Americans also eat fewer vegetables, fruits, whole grains, dairy products, and oils than recommended. 

Many of the gut and disease issues that Americans are plagued with are often exacerbated or self-imposed by their poor diet. In fact, one of the biggest recommendations for IBS sufferers is simple changes in diet and lifestyle to provide relief from IBS symptoms. Your body just needs time to respond to these changes.

The Best Diet Is A Whole Food Plant-Based One

According to the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, “a plant-based diet is considered to be nutrient-dense and packed with fiber, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is a very healthy way of eating and can meet all of your nutrient needs.” A plant-based diet consists primarily of food made of plants such as fruits and vegetables in addition to nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes. Limiting or eliminating one’s intake of poultry, beef, eggs, fish, and dairy products is what will heal your gut, improve your overall health, and help you avoid preventable diseases and live longer. One study from JAMA Internal Medicine Journal(opens in new tab) found that vegans have a 9% lower risk of death from all causes compared with omnivores, and another study from that same source suggests as high as 12%.

I’ve felt a huge difference in my skin, my energy, and my overall health since becoming vegan. I now regularly climb mountains, and no one believes me when I tell them my real age. I love being vegan for the environment and the animals, but I’m also selfishly keeping up with the lifestyle for better health and beauty, to be completely honest. I wouldn’t go back to eating mostly processed foods and meat and dairy even if you paid me. It’s just not worth it when the best diet is a whole food plant-based one.

If you would like to learn more about healthy eating, or you would like to find a licensed vegan nutritionist to guide you on your plant-based journey, then check out Vkind.com and download the app to get started!

References:

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics. 2022, Aug 31. Life Expectancy in the U.S. Dropped for the Second Year in a Row in 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220831.htm#:~:text=That%20decline%20%E2%80%93%2077.0%20to%2076.1,its%20lowest%20level%20since%201996. 

Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 2022, Apr 15. What is a plant-based diet, and is it healthy? https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/what-plant-based-diet-and-it-healthy#:~:text=Is%20a%20plant%2Dbased%20diet%20healthy%3F,all%20of%20your%20nutrient%20needs. 

Mayo Clinic. 2023. Patient Care & Health Information: Irritable bowel syndrome. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360064#:~:text=Simple%20changes%20in%20your%20diet,to%20respond%20to%20these%20changes. 

Orlich MJ, Singh PN, Sabaté J, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Fan J, Knutsen S, Beeson WL, Fraser GE. Vegetarian dietary patterns and mortality in Adventist Health Study 2. JAMA Intern Med. 2013 Jul 8;173(13):1230-8. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6473. PMID: 23836264; PMCID: PMC4191896. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4191896/ 

Reinberg, Steven. 2023, Feb 20. Why Is American Food So Unhealthy? HealthDay. https://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/weight-control-39/obesity-health-news-505/what-s-wrong-with-the-american-diet-644659.html#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Dietary%20Guidelines,products%20and%20oils%20than%20recommended.