10 Things That Happen When You Go Plant Based!

Lots happens when you switch to a HEALTHY plant based diet. There are a bunch of well documented, science backed benefits, but in this video I talk about what I experienced when first making the leap.

Share in the comments what changes or benefits you noticed when you switched to a plant based diet.

Links to videos mentioned in this video:

Thanks for watching!

00:00 intro
00:10 What is a HEALTHY plant based diet?
01:11 The evidence based health benefits of a vegan diet
01:33 How a plant based diet reduces your risk of food borne illness
02:08 Why a plant based diet saves you money
02:48 How a plant based diet helps you try new foods & cooking methods
03:44 Why a plant based diet is great for your digestion
04:34 Why you can eat more on a plant based diet
05:18 Why a plant based diet helps weight management
06:28 Less eye crusties eating a plant based diet
07:18 Why a plant based diet helps improve skin and acne
08:40 A plant based diet help decrease my joint pain
09:18 A plant based diet helps me feel calm, peaceful, and connected to nature

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I'm Derek Simnett, a Certified Nutritional Practitioner.
I love calisthenics and making good food!

[DrChngo]

About the crusties in the eye, I’m an optometrist and I can explain. There are oil glands along the edge of your eyelids and they’re responsible for keeping your tears from evaporating. When you eat a lot of processed fats and animal fats, those glands get more clogged. If they’re clogged, then your eyes don’t stay as moisturized because your tears evaporate faster. Overnight, as the tears evaporate, you’re left with a sludge of mucus, dust and dead skin along your lashes which eventually dry up and become the crusties. That’s basically what boogers are: dried up mucus. Hope that helps! Thanks for all your great content over the years! Long time follower. 👍🥦

[cheryltotty]

I was 60yo when I switched to WFPB veganism. I expected positive changes for blood pressure and cholesterol, but what absolutely shocked me was the arthritis in my hands totally disappearing! I had figured arthritis was just an inevitable part of getting older and also inherited (my mom had terrible arthritis). Four months into the transition, it was gone and has stayed gone! What an unexpected delight!

And the peace that comes from having my food choices align with my values is something I didn't expect either. Win/win/win/win/win/etc. :)

[kimberleyrumburg]

I've been dealing with an incurable cancer for 3 years now. I wasn't expected to live for long. This cancer is rare and incredibly aggressive with a very low survival rate. 3 years later I'm still here and on a break from treatment. This cancer won't go into remission but we've got it in check. 3 years of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and developing Addisons Disease and Hypothyroidism from the cancer which entails taking steroids and levothyroxine every day could have destroyed me but it hasn't. I've been eating a plant based diet for years and I know that's why I'm still here. I eat the healthiest food on the planet 6 days a week and let myself have one "bad" day. An impossible burger and fries, or something like that. For me, food is medicine. Combined with all the normal cancer treatments, a whole foods plant based diet is keeping me alive. I would highly recommend this way of eating. I'd probably be super woman if I wasn't dealing with cancer! 🤣😀

[ariel]

One of the biggest benefits for me is that I used to have bad mood swings and irritability every single day for years. I never knew why, I just thought that was who I was, my personality. But once I went vegan, a couple of months later, the mood swings and irritability were gone!! I was in a good mood every single day. Now it's been 4 years of being vegan and my mood is still a good mood every day, no irritability. My patience and tolerance level has raised a lot through the roof. I am VERY patient. 😇Now almost nothing makes me angry. It's amazing! That alone makes veganism worth it for me! The other benefits are bonuses. 😊 So you can add improved mental and emotional health to the list of benefits too. 😊

[RichardKentMatthews]

Veg'd for 30 years. Nearing 80. Look 60. I know, I know. 60? Yeah. Not when you're 40! But at 78, I'll take it. Great video as usual.

[lindsaytoussaint]

As a Haitian American I’m so thankful that all the cultural foods I grew up with I can return to as an adult. So huge benefit for me is returning to my heritage through food. I remember getting made fun of in the 90s for plantains and avocado and stews and beans and squash and different types of greens and all these things the other kids weren’t familiar with. Now everybody eats those things and experiments with them - and I feel great being able to cook them and help friends experience those vegetables and dishes too. Also me and my cousins veganized a very important stew in our culture. We got together to make it and it was the best.

[reaperkollyns]

Vegan 15 years. I had horrible acne, and two autoimmune issues (reynauds syndrome and lichen sclerosus). After six months of WFPB, I suddenly realized I hadn't had an outbreak of any of them. I talked with my doctor who said that acne sometimes just goes away but that there is no "remission" for RS or LS. I asked if he thought he had misdiagnosed me and he was certain he had not. He couldn't explain why all of my symptoms were gone. Fourteen years later, still no issues.

[juanbenitez]

WFPB going on two years, male started at 63. Lost angina in first two weeks, able to climb mountains again with no breathlessness. Decreased LDL from over 180 to 70 in two months with no statins. Lost plantar wart on left foot, lost wart on right palm, lost eye crusties and much less boogers, breathe clearly with no obstruction whereas had lots of mucous and nasal drip before, better sleep, clearer skin, reduced lipomas on right and left forearm from marble sized to lentil sized. Keep up the great work Derek!😊

[ImMisterEric]

I've been vegan for about 7 or 8 years now, and the one thing I constantly tell people my age (late 50s) is that I no longer have joint pain. I played a lot of ice hockey and was pretty rough on my body in my early years, and my knees started being a real problem in my 40s. Now I feel like I have new knees, and a new back. :)

[cindyleoppky]

Going vegan has helped immensely with what I thought were my arthritic hands. Turns out that dairy and eggs caused a lot of inflammation in the small joints of my hands and neck. At 65 I have “younger” joints than I did at 50 when I still ate all the animal products.
Both myself and my husband believe that going WFPB/ vegan is the best thing we ever e ver done. ❤️

[veronikaruss]

First time I went vegan my endometriosis cycsts magically dissappeared..and I was able to get pregnant after 4 years of trying sooo..it worked out well for me 🙂

[jerryhoefs]

No more head sweats at night! No more stinky and stained pillows! I've been vegan for 38 days now, lost 15 pounds. blood sugar was 268 now is 121. I love your recipes, it makes the transition so much easier. Thank you.

[jamesfleming]

No more fatigue after meals. That was a huge one for me. I feel energized after eating now instead of wanting a nap.

[DoctorEyeHealth]

I switched in 2016 and instantly felt my GI change. Gas and bloating went away…and even the smell of my gas…improved 😂 lol. Oh and my skin cleared way way up.

[geno]

I’m 54 and just told my wife I’m going all in plant based! I just bought tofu and chick pees. Got rid of my ranch. Got spicy mustard and honey mustard dressing! I’ve been eating oatmeal with blueberries and cinnamon. And I bought flex seeds.I put that in my oatmeal too! Plus a smoothie made with organic protein powder.blueberry’s.a banana. Blackberry!

[Kathryn]

A few benefits I've noticed from eating plant based include: no joint pain, reduced blood pressure and cholesterol so I don't have to go on meds, no more allergies or asthma, and I'm losing inches around my waist, as well as losing weight. And I'm just happier. This is as a 52 year old woman, when technically I shouldn't be able to lose weight or feel better. Oh, and our grocery bills have gone down too, even with inflation. No lie, it was HARD to give up dairy and took me about 6-7 months to stop craving it but it's been SO worth it!

[laureenjohnson]

I once received the most wonderful compliment from one of my patients - she said I was the healthiest looking person she knew. I will now pass that on to you (and Chrystal)...you can see it in your hair, skin and the whites of your eyes, as well as your fit bodies. I suffered from horrible reflux before I went vegan, as well as "seasonal" have now disappeared!

[jmdes]

Love this, thanks Derek! Besides all of the physical benefits, I experienced a TREMENDOUS INNER PEACE as a direct result of following a whole plant food way of eating. It allowed me to have a congruent inner state of harmony that had been calling me and calling me for years and years. Knowing that I am not causing animals and the planet to suffer from my choices is a huge peace. I can't tell you how huge this was for me. ***I suspect that many humans are aware of the suffering of animals and the destruction of the forests and water quality, and by suppressing it on a daily basis are causing themselves inner harm. And it takes a lot of mental energy to keep making "excuses" for their violent choices. I lived it, and this is what I experience.

[veganne]

I love to sing. When I quit eating dairy, I had no more mucus rattling round in my throat and my singing voice became way clearer. I could hit those high notes which always stressed me out.

[giovannitertulli]

As a type 1 diabetic, endurance athlete and overall fitness enthusiast, my biggest benefit has been with recovery, energy and performance. Especially since I removed most processed and semi processed foods in favour or whole carbs. I enjoy tons of fruits, grains and all kinds of delicious foods with an ever lower Insulin resistance, and incredibly stable blood glucose levels. It has been so life changing that I started a blog out of it (Derek, can I share the blog title, or is it spam?). Plant based for the win! And just so that you know, Derek, you were a big reason for me to go plant based 6 years ago. I want to hug you!