Seven ways going vegan has helped my relationship

27 July 2015

By Elisa Allen

More people than ever are refusing to let their bodies be a graveyard for dead animals and instead choosing healthy, colourful and delicious plant-based foods. And my husband and I are among them. From lowering our risks of developing cancer and heart disease to reducing our carbon footprint, the benefits of going vegan are immense - but what we discovered along the way was that it actually helped our relationship, too. Here's how:

Vegan on Female First

A couple who cooks (plant-based meals) together, stays together. My husband and I have never had so much fun in the kitchen. Gone are the days of heating up a bland chicken pie. Today, we love getting adventurous in the kitchen and trying new flavours and dishes - like our scrumptious chickpea, coconut and cashew curry.
We have so much energy. Since going vegan, we have more of a spring in our step - which means more fun, more adventures and more vibrancy in other areas, too, if you get my drift!
We found a new sense of purpose. On today's factory farms, animals are crammed into filthy cages or sheds. Most won't get to feel the warmth of the sun on their backs or breathe fresh air until the day they're loaded onto lorries bound for slaughter. Luckily, helping these animals is as easy as leaving them off our plates. My husband and I feel good knowing that, together, we're sparing approximately 200 animals a lifetime of suffering.
Confidence galore. When I went vegan, friends and colleagues noticed and commented on the change in my skin. As someone who had suffered from acne for years, I was really happy to see the improvement in my complexion. I can say without a doubt that when your skin is clear, you feel more confident and attractive - and I know my husband loves the more self-assured me, too.
In a debate, you've got backup. As a vegan, you get used to lively discussions with people who still think that humans need to eat animals. So when the topic comes up, it's nice knowing that I can rely on my partner to help me explain our decision to live a cruelty-free lifestyle.
It's easier to stay fit. Truth: People, particularly women, are more likely to gain weight when they're in a long-term relationship. Fortunately, once you replace high-fat animal-derived foods with healthy fruits, veggies and grains, it becomes a lot harder to pile on the pounds. In one recently study of people who were trying to lose weight, vegans lost 2.52 kg more than their meat-eating counterparts.
We have new friends. We had a great group of friends before we went vegan, but since making the switch, we've met lots of other vegans from all walks of life at animal-charity fundraisers, vegan dinner parties and other similar events. We now consider many of these people friends for life.