I visited my first vegan restaurant earlier this month in New York City and I must say it was quite the experience. The vibe was real chill. I was in good company and enjoyed our conversation. The music playlist was on point all night. Most importantly, the food was surprisingly delicious. Now, I'm not going to act like eating Vegan food is like eating outer space biscuits, but it was very different from my normal eating routine (eating meat as the main source of protein).

Initially, I was pretty skeptical at the thought of dining at the Vegan cafe but I received some encouragement and support from a friend who is about 80% vegan. I'm glad that she was able to talk me into eating vegan for one night. It not only pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone, it opened me to another dietary alternative that I could potentially benefit from in numerous ways.

I'd like to share with you seven reasons/benefits why you should consider giving vegan a try:

Reason #1

Going vegan helps with slimming down or losing weight. If your fitness and dietary goals are to lean out and/or lose a few pounds, cutting out animal products (high amounts of saturated fats in meat products and dairy) will help you achieve your goals.

Reason #2

Vegans and vegetarians (yes, they're a difference) typically are healthier because they have lower levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and more.

Reason #3

Eating a healthy dosage of fruits and vegetables (rich in super nutrients) can boost your immunity. This is great news, especially when sickness and illness are near.

Reason #4

Your energy levels will greatly improve when eating a vegan diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Olympian Carl Lewis and boxing legend Mike Tyson are famous vegans who believed going vegan helped them achieve success within their respective professional sports careers.

Reason #5

Research shows that people who eat vegan and vegetarian diets live longer than those who do not, by an average of seven years.

Reason #6

Following a vegan diet with more fruits and vegetables will help in taking quality care of your appearance. Your hair, skin and nails will grow faster than normal. Think of Prince Akeem in Coming To America.

Reason #7

Going vegan can also fight off bad breath and body odor. Eliminating dairy and red meat from your daily diet can significantly reduce body odor and and bad breath.

Now, after reading the benefits of giving vegan a try, do you think you can live a vegan lifestyle? I gave it a try and there was only one downside to it - I was extremely hungry the next morning!