According to the Vegan Society (the society that coined the term Vegan), being a Vegan is a lifestyle that avoids all animal foods, animal-derived products, and products tested on animals.
People don’t just “become Vegan.” Veganism is a lifestyle driven by people’s purposes of life. For example:
Ethical Vegans are against animal-cruelty; they don’t want their lives involving any exploitation of animals.
Health Vegans are rooted in the health benefits of a Vegan diet.
Religious Vegans are Vegan because of their spiritual beliefs, or their religions require or highly encourage them to be Vegan. Some examples of spiritual movements and religions expecting, or highly encouraging Veganism are Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Environmental Vegans see Veganism as a fundamental act to make the Earth “greener” and ultimately as an act to save planet Earth.
None of these purposes drove me to become a Vegan for the month of June 2022.
In February of 2022, all I consumed each day was one McDonald’s McRib + one small french fries + one medium drink — and all the water I wanted to drink. My so-called “McRib Diet” caused me to significantly and healthily decrease my cholesterol and blood pressure while losing more than 18 pounds.
Becoming healthier on this otherwise stereotypical unhealthy McRib Diet left me wondering: Could I become even healthier on a stereotypical healthy diet?
Answering this question drove me to become Vegan for the month of June 2022.
What Did I Eat for the Thirty-Days of June 2022?
For the month of June 2022, I didn’t eat meat or animal by-products, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, gelatin, white sugar, additives, cochineal, carmine, isinglass, natural flavorings, omega 3 fatty acids, shellac, vitamin d3, and l-cysteine.
For the month of June, I followed the strict definitions of a Vegan Diet while still eating in ways that were rich, diverse, and eclectic.
My Vegan Diet wasn’t rigid like my McRib Diet was — which required me to be eating the same thing every single day. Oppositely so, my Vegan Diet required me to be eating something different every single day.
With this said, for comparison’s sake, I tried to keep the number of calories consumed each unique day of my Vegan Diet, the same number of calories consumed each day of my McRib Diet — which was 900 calories (for your interest, my basal metabolic rate is about 1,700 calories):
Oreo Cookie Day had me eating 14 (and a third) Golden Oreos at 56.6 calories each along with three glasses of Silk Almond Milk at 30 calories per glass. Vegan or not, you can’t eat Oreos without (almond) milk!
Pasta Day had me eating angel hair pasta smothered in pan-roasted onions and mushrooms and Prego’s “Chunky Tomato, Onion, and Garlic Italian sauce.” To complement the pasta, I indulged in a salad made-up of cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, Romaine lettuce, and Kraft’s “Classic Catalina Dressing.” Lastly, I enjoyed a piece of Dave’s Killer Bread’s “Thin-Slice Good Seed” bread covered in Miyoko’s “Cultured Vegan Butter.”
Nut Day had me eating a variety of nuts throughout the day that were foraged from Costco and HEB. These nuts included Wasabi & Soy Sauce Almonds, Thai Lime & Chili Almonds, Garlic, Herb & Olive Oil Almonds, Pecans, and Pistachios.
Hot Dog Day had me eating Lightlife “Smart Dogs” (60 calories per dog) and Hill Country Fare “Crispy Rounds” (170 calories per serving) along with their complements: onions, pickles, mustard, and relish.
High Protein Day had me eating five of the highest protein per serving vegetables there are: Soybean Sprouts (13.3 g of protein per 100 g), Lima Beans (6.6 g of protein per 100 g), Green Peas (5.4 g of protein per 100 g), Sweet Corn (3.3 g of protein per 100 g), and Spinach (3 g of protein per 100 g). Fun fact, and for comparison’s sake, beef, chicken, and pork have respectively about 27 g, 23 g, and 22 g of protein per 100g.
Cereal Day had me eating four-and-one-half bowls of Cap’n Crunch’s “Peanut Butter Crunch” (170 calories per bowl from the cereal plus 30 calories per bowl from the almond milk). Yes, being Vegan not only includes the cereals you’d “expect” Vegans to be eating: Granola, millet, and maize; being Vegan also includes cereals you wouldn’t expect Vegans to be eating: Kellogg’s “Frosties,” “Corn Flakes,” and “Coco Pops;” and Cap’n Crunch’s “Original,” “Berries,” and “Peanut Butter Crunch.”
Stir Fry Day had me eating a stir fry composed of broccoli, carrots, white onions, green onions, mushrooms, cashews, celery, green beans, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, red bell peppers, and baby corn. The stir fry was smothered in soy sauce and covered in chow mein noodles. I served the stir fry over white rice. To complement the stir fry, I indulged in avocado spring rolls and roasted seaweed.
Chocolate Day had me eating a little over one-third of each of the following three Endangered Species Chocolate Bars: “Almonds Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate,” “Oat Milk Mixed Berries + Dark Chocolate,” and “Tart Raspberries + Dark Chocolate.”
Fun fact: Chocolate — which is derived from cacao beans of the Theobroma cacao tree, is Vegan. However, any chocolate combined with milk — hence “milk chocolate, is NOT Vegan.
Soup Day had me eating three cans of soup: Amy’s Organic Soups “Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable,” (220 calories), Progresso’s “Tomato Basil,” (270 calories), and Amy’s Organic Soups “French Country Vegetable,” (360 calories).
Vegan Restaurant Day had me eating at the restaurant, “Green — Vegetarian Cuisine.”
Ice Cream Day had me sampling the following Ben & Jerry’s Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts: “Netflix & Chill’d,” “P.B.& Cookies,” and “Chocolate Fudge Brownie.” I really mean I only sampled for my 900 calories of eating non-dairy ice cream because these pints of Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts are 860, 1130, and 1140 calories, respectively.
Frozen Fruit Day had me eating a variety of frozen fruit including peaches, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and pineapples.
Fritos Day had me eating Fritos — to be exact, it had me eating 180 of the original size corn chips.
Fun fact: There are just three ingredients in Fritos: Corn, Corn Oil, and Salt.
Another fun fact: Surprisingly like Fritos, Ritz Crackers are Vegan-friendly too.
Fruit Juice Day had me drinking three bottles of Naked fruit juice: “Berry Blast,” (220 calories), “Mighty Mango,” (290 calories), and “Blue Machine,” (320 calories).
Taco Day had me eating tacos composed of Old El Paso “Stand ‘n Stuff” taco shells, HEB “Refried Pinto Beans,” Moocho “Dairy Free Fiesta Blend Style Shreds,” HEB “Shredded Lettuce,” and fresh tomatoes, green onions, and jalapeno peppers from the garden.
Peanut Butter and Butter on Toast Day had me eating three pieces of toast made from Killer Dave’s Bread “Thin-Sliced White Bread Done Right” (70 calories per slice) with Hill Country Fare “Creamy Peanut Butter” (135 calories per 1½ tablespoons) and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! “It’s Vegan” (90 calories per 1½ tablespoons) spread on top. This day was made possible by my favorite weekday breakfast as a child.
Manufactured Food Day had me eating two different types of manufactured food: Gardein’s “Ultimate Plant-Based Burger” (two patties = 420 calories) and Raised & Rooted’s “Plant Based Nuggets!” (10 pieces = 490 calories).
Fun fact: there are whole, in-depth, theories about Veganism at its core being merely Capitalism in practice.
Salad Bar Day had me eating at my second most favorite salad-bar restaurant: Salata.
Homemade Stuff Day had me eating Ratatouille.
Rice Day had me eating one pound of long-grain white rice (HEB) with non-dairy butter (Miyoko’s and I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter — “it’s Vegan”), soy sauce (Polar), and hot sauces (Cholula and Sriracha).
Fun fact: With 3.5 billion people eating it daily, rice is the most consumed food in the World.
Dried Fruit Day had me eating nine ounces of HEB’s “Dried Kiwi Slices.”
Corn Day had me eating five ears of corn made “San Antonio Street Corn” style. San Antonio Street Corn is grilled, then drenched in dairy-free butter (I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter — “it’s Vegan”) and blanketed with crushed red pepper, garlic pepper, lemon pepper, jalapeno salt (Fiesta Brand) and oregano leaves (McCormick).
Fun fact: Following closely behind rice, corn is the second most consumed food in the World.
Burger and Fries Day had me eating two burgers and a handful of fries: Gardein’s “Ultimate Black Bean Burger” (170 calories per patty), HEB’s “Hamburger Bun” (160 calories per bun), and Hill Country Fare’s “Steak Fries” (110 calories per 10 fries). And yes, every veggie within my hand’s reach went on my burger: shredded lettuce, fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, and avocado.
Fun fact: All popular fast-food restaurants’ fries are Vegan-friendly except for McDonald’s fries which contain beef fat.
Non-Vegan Restaurant Day had me eating at not only a non-Vegan restaurant — it had me eating at the antithesis of a Vegan restaurant — I ate at The Barn Door Restaurant (a steak restaurant). I ate a salad, mashed potatoes, french fries, and broiled asparagus.
Tofu Day had me eating 28 ounces of HEB Organics “Extra Firm Tofu.” I simply prepared my tofu by pan frying it in Polar “Soy Sauce” and Cholula “Original Hot Sauce.”
Question: Is tofu made from Unicorn hearts? Answer: Not quite, tofu is made from soybeans.
Alcohol Day had me drinking about 6 shots or 8.6 ounces of Maker’s Mark Bourbon (105 calories per ounce).
Fun fact: Calories come from one of four sources: Carbohydrates, fat, protein, or alcohol.
Vegetable Juice Day had me drinking 30 5.5-ounce cans of V8 “Low Sodium 100% Vegetable Juice” (30 calories per can).
Donut Day had me eating donuts from the one-of-a-kind gluten-free + vegan bakery: Plantyful Sweets. I indulged in Strawberry Limeade, Chocolate Sprinkles, and Blueberry Cream Cheese donuts.
Grilled Cheese Day had me eating two grilled-cheese sandwiches composed of Dave’s Killer Bread “Thin-Sliced White Bread Done Right” (4 slices equal 280 calories), Daiya “Deliciously Dairy-Free Cheddar Style” Slices (4 slices equal 280 calories), and Miyoko’s “Cultured Vegan Butter” (2 tablespoons equal 180 calories). Complementing my grilled-cheese sandwiches were Clausen “Kosher Dill Spears” (2 spears equal 10 calories) and Pringles “Original Potato Crisps” (the only version of Pringles that are Vegan; 16 crisps equal 150 calories).
Weird but true random fact: My wife refers to grilled-cheese sandwiches as toasted-cheese sandwiches.
Steak Day had me grilling three different types of steaks: chimichurri cauliflower steak, Portobello mushroom steak with peppercorn sauce, and tofu steak in garlic sauce.
Chimichurri is made from green onions, white onions, red wine, almond milk, parsley, and oregano. I mixed these ingredients together with a food processor, and then pan-fried them until the alcohol burned off. Before grilling for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, cauliflower steaks — slabs of cauliflower cut at about a thickness of 1 1/2 inches, are pan-fried in coconut oil with chopped white onions, salt, and pepper.
Before grilling for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, Portobello mushroom steaks — two Portobello mushroom caps, are pan-fried in A1 Sauce with salted cashews, capers, peppercorns, salt, and vegan butter.
Before grilling for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, tofu steak — slabs of hard tofu cut at about a 3-inch thickness, are pan-fried in coconut oil with fresh-cut garlic, chopped white onions, and liberal sprinkles of garlic-pepper.
While on my Vegan Diet — like on my McRib Diet, I drank as much water as I wanted. But unlike my McRib Diet, which was supplemented with nothing, I supplemented my Vegan Diet with Vitamin B12.
Keeping Me Honest in Realtime
Part of my motivation for staying on the Vegan Diet — as well as staying on the McRib Diet, came from me posting my body weight, blood pressure, and resting heart rate every single day on Facebook; and I posted photos and a commentary about what I was eating. Weekly, I posted results from my blood and urine tests.
Healthy Dieting is about Much More than Food
I facilitated my Vegan Diet and my McRib Diet with aerobic exercises (walking about 15,000 steps per day), anaerobic exercises (doing about 1,500 pushups per week), and proper sleep (no alarm clock). Final walking, pushup, and sleep numbers for the month of the Vegan Diet were: 462,600 steps (15,420 steps per day), 6,390 pushups (1,490 pushups per week), and an average of 6.8 hours of sleep per night (SD = 0.7, MIN = 5.0, MAX = 8.0). And final walking, pushup, and sleep numbers for the month of the McRib Diet were: 429,296 steps (15,332 steps per day), 6,000 pushups (1,500 pushups per week), and an average of 6.2 hours of sleep per night (SD = 0.8, MIN = 3.5, MAX = 7.5).
Is My Vegan Diet (Un)Healthier than My McRib Diet?
I compared my Vegan Diet to my McRib Diet using blood and urine tests; and measures of weight, blood pressure, resting heart rate, and body aesthetics.
For each of these measures, I’ll describe the Vegan Diet’s and McRib Diet’s results. These results will determine which diet is healthier.
Blood and Urine Tests — Vegan and McRib Diets are Healthy, But Vegan Diet is Healthier
My 59 blood and urine tests included a Lipid Panel (tests evaluating cholesterol), Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (tests evaluating the functioning of my liver and kidneys, as well as my body’s fluid balance and general metabolism), Complete Blood Count (CBC; test screens for red and white blood cells, platelets, and hemoglobin), and a Complete Urinalysis.
Generally, 58 of the 59 blood and urine test results began in normal, healthy ranges and were maintained in these normal, healthy ranges by the Vegan and McRib Diets.
The one test result not beginning in a normal, healthy range was my LDL Cholesterol. Genetically speaking, I’ve always had slightly elevated unhealthy levels of LDL Cholesterol. This was seen before the Vegan Diet, my LDL Cholesterol was outside of the normal, healthy range: 133 mg/dL (normal, healthy levels are less than 100 mg/dL). However, the Vegan Diet caused this high LDL Cholesterol to decrease into the normal healthy range after seven days: 96 mg/dL, after 14 days: 89 mg/dL, after 21 days: 99 mg/dL, and after 30 days: 90 mg/dL. Before the McRib Diet, my LDL Cholesterol was also outside of the normal, healthy range: 112 mg/dL. The McRib Diet first caused my LDL Cholesterol to get even higher, then it decreased it — but not quite into a normal, healthy range: after seven days: 123 mg/dL, after 14 days: 108 mg/dL, after 21 days: 106 mg/dL, and after 28 days: 102 mg/dL.
Interestingly, the last blood tests for the Vegan Diet (after 30 days) and the McRib Diet (after 28 days) revealed vitamin deficiencies. For the Vegan Diet my White Blood Cell Count was 3.7 thousand/uL when it should be between 3.8 and 10.8 thousand/uL. This decrease in White Blood Cells is likely due to being Vitamin B12 deficient — even though I was supplementing the Vegan Diet with Vitamin B12 (2,500 mcg per day was apparently not enough). For the McRib Diet, the Complete Blood Count test of hematocrit was at 37.9% and should be between 38.5% and 50%. Low hematocrit tests are associated with having low levels of iron, Vitamin B9, or Vitamin B12. Although the Vegan and McRib Diets maintained and increased health over one-month periods, both diets should be supplemented if used over longer periods.
Results of the Complete Urinalyses during the Vegan and McRib Diets were normal and healthy. Interestingly and likely due to the significant reduction in calories, the urinalyses revealed these diets had me in slight ketogenic states with “TRACE” levels of ketones.
If you’re interested in any more results from the 59 blood and urine tests, then just send me an email and I’ll share them.
Weight — Vegan and McRib Diets are Healthy, But McRib Diet is Healthier
In 30 days on the Vegan Diet, I lost 10.4 pounds — going from 176.0 pounds to 165.6 pounds. Whereas in 28 days on the McRib Diet, I lost 18.9 pounds — going from 178.2 pounds to 159.3 pounds. This difference in weight-loss is due to cheating. I never cheated on the Vegan Diet by eating non-Vegan food, however I did cheat on the diet by going over my allotment of 900 calories (e.g., chocolate day, ice cream day, burger and fries’ day, Fritos day, non-Vegan restaurant day, and Vegan restaurant day). I never cheated on the McRib Diet — every day, I ate just one McRib + one small fries and drank one medium Hi-C Orange Lavaburst per day. Because the McRib Diet is more apt to be followed, it is healthier than the Vegan Diet from a weight-loss perspective.
Resting Heart Rate — Vegan and McRib Diets are Equally Healthy
My resting heart rate (HR) was healthy throughout the Vegan and McRib Diet periods. The diets did not affect my already healthy resting heart rate: Vegan Diet (average HR 51 bpm over 30 days) and McRib Diet (average HR 52 bpm over 28 days).
Systolic Blood Pressure — Vegan and McRib Diets are Equally Healthy
Beginning with a systolic blood pressure of 123 mmHg, the Vegan Diet decreased my systolic blood pressure to a low and healthy systolic blood pressure of 112 mmHg over the 30-day dieting period (and an average of 110 mmHg over the last 15 days of the dieting period). Beginning with a systolic blood pressure of 127 mmHg, the McRib Diet decreased my systolic blood pressure to a low and healthy systolic blood pressure of 114 mmHg over the 28-day dieting period (and an average of 112 mmHg over the last 14 days of the dieting period). Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure inside the arteries when the heart beats. Systolic blood pressures between 120 mmHg and 90 mmHg are associated with healthy cardiovascular systems. By keeping my systolic blood pressure low, the Vegan Diet and the McRib Diet increased my health by decreasing my chances of cardiovascular disease.
Diastolic Blood Pressure — Vegan and McRib Diets are Equally Healthy
The Vegan Diet maintained my diastolic blood pressure at a low and healthy diastolic blood pressure of 73 mmHg over the 30-day dieting period. The McRib Diet maintained my diastolic blood pressure at a low and healthy diastolic blood pressure of 74 mmHg over the 28-day dieting period (and an average of 72 mmHg over the last 14 days of the dieting period). Diastolic blood pressure measures the pressure inside the artery when the heart rests between beats. Diastolic blood pressures less than 80 mmHg decrease the chances of having a stroke or heart disease. By maintaining my low diastolic blood pressure, the Vegan Diet and the McRib Diet maintained my chances of not having a stroke or heart disease.
Body Aesthetics — Vegan and McRib Diets (Not) Equally (Un)Healthy?
For your viewing pleasure, a pic of my shirtless pre-Vegan Diet bod and post-Vegan Diet bod compared to my shirtless pre-McRib Diet bod and post-McRib Diet bod. Which one is aesthetically healthier? You be the judge.
If This Doesn’t Make You Re-Think Health, Then Nothing Will
I can make at least two overall conclusions from experiencing, comparing, and analyzing the Vegan Diet and McRib Diet:
1. No drug in the World can do for your health what your diet can do for your health.
2. A diet Low in calories (about 53% of a person’s basal metabolic rate); Diverse in nutrients and minerals and vitamins; Short-Term — lasting no more than 30 days; and Combined with aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, and healthy sleep, will treat — if not even cure, the complex disease of obesity by significantly decreasing overall weight (including decreasing body fat and increasing muscle mass), significantly decreasing systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and significantly lowering LDL cholesterol — while maintaining otherwise normal blood and urine measures of health (e.g., glucose).
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Dr. Don Lucas, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology and head of the Psychology Department at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio Texas. He loves psychology, teaching, and research.
If you like this story, then check out Don’s videos on his YouTube channel, 5MIweekly, like him on Facebook: http://fb.me/5MIWeekly, and check out his website: http://5Miweekly.com
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