Being a successful vegan for the past seven years, I have gained a wealth of knowledge and would like to share the dos and don’ts of this awesome lifestyle.

I changed my diet for health reasons rather than for ethical reasons. Although there are plenty of issues related to the abuse and mistreatment of animals, I’m not going to touch on them in this blog.

I don’t like the word “diet” because with any change in what you eat changes your lifestyle. So let’s call the vegan diet a vegan “lifestyle.”

It all starts with key principals such as clean water, fresh food, and exercise. These principals are essential to any diet, but they are even more important in the vegan’s world.

Let me tell you how I went from a 115-pound raw food vegan to a 150-pound vegan who looks healthy and eats plenty.

1. Clean Water

• Water is the lifeblood of your body, transporting nutrients and regulating your PH balance. Early in my health journey, I began purchasing high-quality water with a PH between 7.0 and 8.0. The PH is labeled clearly on the water. I do not recommend distilled water or reverse osmosis water.

• If you purchase distilled or RO water be sure to add an alkalizer. These supplements will raise the PH of your water and make it easier for your body to absorb.


• For storing water ensure that it’s in glass bottles in a cool, dark environment. Water is sensitive to light and will absorb BPA an estrogen toxic substance used in the plastic bottle making industry.

• Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is key to detoxifying and nourishing the body. My favorite quote is “Natures solution to pollution is dilution”.

2. Clean Food

• Eating clean, raw, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains should be the basis of your vegan diet.

• I always recommend eating locally and purchasing your food at a farmers market. If you can’t find a farmers market in your area, try to get organic produce from the grocery store.


• You can also search your community to see if there is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) available. CSAs are buy-in programs were you receive a share of local farmers produce. This is often a much cheaper way to get a variety of fruits and vegetables seasonally.

Clean water and clean food is a key part to everyone’s diet even if you don’t adopt veganism consider adding in more of the good stuff and the bad will began to get crowded out.

In my next post, I will get into proper supplementation, exercise, and recipes.