The first time my mother came to visit Los Angeles after my husband and I went vegan, she chose to eat a plant-based diet with us for the entire week. I think she was curious as to what the hell we were eating. At the end of her stay, I asked what she thought about eating vegan. “The food was delicious! And…” she lowered her voice and let out an embarrassed grin, “I’ve never pooped like that in my life!” (She, like many Americans, has had intermittent problems with constipation.)
Some years later, when my father finally came to visit, he reported the exact same thing. And, most recently, while out to dinner with an old friend in New York, he confessed that after meeting us out for vegan meals he always has a nice healthy trip to the crapper within an hour or two.
The reason why this happens is because well-balanced vegan meals are loaded with fiber — a nutrient many Americans lack in our meat and dairy-centered diet. But don’t take my word for it, just go to your local pharmacy and check out the aisle, yes the entire aisle, dedicated to helping people shit. And then of course there’s all the products that are supposed to ease your troubles when you can’t shit: hemorrhoids, cramps, bloating. Forget about yellow and orange, perhaps the national threat level should be raised to Code Brown.
The truth is almost all these issues can be avoided by transitioning to a healthful, whole foods, plant-based diet. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans and whole grains are rich in fiber, which, aside from helping to prevent heart disease as well as certain types of cancer, keeps our digestive tract moving. This is extremely important, as it’s the main way we rid ourselves of waste and toxins.
It’s no coincidence that vegans have lower rates of colon cancer. It’s because of all that fiber. Vegans also have lower rates of heart disease by the way – former President Bill Clinton attributes a vegan diet to saving his life.
As Americans face a national health catastrophe, it’s important to keep in mind that diet plays a major role. Moving away from meat, dairy, and eggs and incorporating more plant-based foods is essential if we care about getting healthy. If you don’t think so, you’re obviously full of it. And yes, I do mean shit.
