As many of you know, Bethenny has experimented over the years with a vegan lifestyle. We talked with Bethenny about it when she started her most recent juice cleanse and then moved into a vegan lifestyle as a way to transition gently out of the cleanse. Bethenny shared detailed menus for her days on the cleanse and the ensuing vegan days as well.
With all of this cleansing and veganism and detoxing and transitioning activity, we wanted to follow up with Bethenny to find out how her experience as a vegan has actually been. Has she seen or experienced any differences in the way she feels, looks, sleeps etc.?
While following a vegan lifestyle, Bethenny noticed changes in her skin, sleep, digestion, mood and motivation. She also noticed an interesting reduction in nasal congestion.
Perhaps one of the biggest and earliest differences she noticed was that her skin became more vibrant, and both Bryn and Paul commented that her skin looked fresher and healthier – to be fair, Bethenny rarely breaks out (#blessed), but even her hair and makeup artist commented on how great her skin looked.
Having had trouble sleeping before the cleanse, Bethenny has found that her sleep has been excellent while following a vegan lifestyle – not just a better sleep, but a deeper sleep. With better sleep came better mood and a greater desire to exercise and be social.
She has also discovered a renewed desire to be creative with food, and craves greens more often than prior to the shift to vegan.
Along with the positive effects of changing what she eats, Bethenny definitely experienced some drawbacks. For example, she would occasionally experience stomach pains from eating so many vegetables, and found herself a little bored with the lack of options.
Among the foods she misses are seafood in the summer and the salty fattiness of steak. While some of the fake vegan junk food like faux wings or faux chicken nuggets or burgers can help scratch that itch, she didn’t like to rely on them. She found herself drawn to pasta because she wasn’t eating animal proteins.
Bethenny is a big planner and highly organized, and being vegan put her planning skills to the test — making sure you have vegan, well-rounded options at home and when you’re out at restaurants is a challenge. She also found it difficult to navigate the options as many vegan foods tend to be high in fat – containing nuts and seeds and store-bought vegan baked goods are typically oilier than alternatives.
So… the bottom line? On balance, Bethenny says the benefits outweigh the costs and for now, she wants to continue on her vegan journey. Stay tuned as we continue sharing her journey with you.