Here’s What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Eating Meat For 30 Days

1. You Could Have No More Tummy Troubles

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If you are prone to an upset stomach then giving up meat for a month could dramatically improve your symptoms. Going veggie could reduce the harmful pathogens and increase micro-organisms. The fibre intake could be higher and your bowel could be healthier which, in turn, will mean regular visits to the bathroom.

2. Your Skin Might Improve

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If you are eating plenty of nutritious fruit and vegetables in place of meat then your intakes of vitamins A, C and E could feed your body with goodness and your skin could have a healthier glow.  If you usually get occasional spots and blemishes you might find that these no longer appear and there might be no dark circles under your eyes.

3. Might Reduce Risk Of Cancer

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This is a biggie and numerous scientific studies have shown that by cutting out meat or, at least, being mainly vegetarian, the risk of colon cancer is greatly reduced.  This is because the added fibre you are now feeding your gut helps move carcinogens through the digestive tract.

4. Could Reduce Your Cholesterol

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Red meat has a high level of saturated fat as does the lovely crispy skin on cooked chicken!  However, these both contribute towards high cholesterol and if you do have it, then cutting out meat should get the numbers down within weeks.  Switching to oily fish such as salmon and mackerel will fill you up sufficiently and could keep that cholesterol healthy.

5. Could Help To Control Your Eczema And Psoriasis

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These are two common skin conditions which could really affect your wellbeing if you suffer from flare ups of eczema and psoriasis.  Changing to a vegetarian or, better still, a plant based diet, might help the system detoxify daily and this will show on the condition of your skin.

6. Might Give You Temporary Bloating

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Whilst cutting out meat for 30 days is extremely beneficial, there can be a few temporary issues at the beginning of the change in diet.  If you are substituting meat for pulses and beans then you may experience a little bloating.  You can alleviate the symptoms by drinking plenty of water and you'll soon feel energised and good about yourself.

7. Might Reduces Arthritis

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Consuming meat on a regular basis can cause inflammation to your joints as well as contributing to high blood pressure. Once you have switched to tasty seasonal veg and fruit which contain natural anti-inflammatories, it may have a very positive effect on reducing arthritic symptoms.

8. Could Reduce Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

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According to research, type 2 diabetes can be reversed with a healthy diet although many people choose to ignore the fact they are at risk of developing it. Changing from eating meat to meals of fish and vegetables could have a massive impact on your body and put you back in the healthy category.

9. You're Advised To Take A Supplement Though!

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One of the few downsides of being meat free can be easily rectified in the form of a daily zinc tablet. As vegetarian food is high in phytic acid which interferes with zinc absorption then take a little help with a supplement once a day.  If you aren't able to manage your iron levels, a portion of broccoli or any other dark green vegetable will regulate the body's requirements.

10. You Might Lose Weight

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A plant based diet for 30 days might have the added benefit of shifting a few pounds from those unwanted areas. As you won't be consuming much saturated fat and your body should be getting plenty of fibre, tummy fat could be the first to benefit from this change of lifestyle.

11. Could Improve Your Gut Health

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Your gut regulates a large part of your immune system. Because red meat in particular contributes towards inflammation of the gut, naturally you might be more likely to contract more infections and viruses. A month away from meat and swapping it for seasonal fruit and veg (avocados are especially nutritious) could improve your gut health no end.

12. You Might Get A Better Sleep

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Eating more plant based meals could improve the quality of your sleep.  The high isoflavone content of these foods mean the body doesn't have to work as hard as it would with a meat diet, the body is more relaxed and you are much more likely to get 7-8 hours of shut eye.

13. You Could Expect Gas!

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Because you will be filling up on different types of foods, ones your body and gut might not be used to, you may experience gas.  Don't be embarrassed and don't let it put you off your healthy eating plan.  Your body will get used to the extra grains and beans and they are so good for you.

14. Could Help To Boost Your Mood

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Filling your plate with fruit and veggies, besides soy, could boost your mood.  There are a handful of potential mechanisms behind this fact, the main one being that diets comprising mostly of meat and poultry are high in arachidonic acid which is an inflammatory polyunsaturated omega-6 fat.  In other words, it could dampen your mood.

15. Warning: You Might Be Hungry

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Until you have got into a routine, probably by the end of the first week on your meatless diet, you may have the occasional hunger pang.  This will be due to the fact that you are not getting enough protein which fills us up.  Fish, especially oily, as well as tofu, will contribute towards a balanced veggie diet and your tummy won't be rumbling.

16. Your PMS Might Improve

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A huge medical study in the States reported that a low fat vegan diet significantly reduces pain and PMS for many women, mainly because of the reduced inflammation and improved hormonal balance. Another significant change was lighter bleeding in a third of those women taking part in the trial.

17. It Could Impact How Your Genes Work

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Scientists have made the remarkable discovery that environmental and lifestyle factors can turn genes off and on.  The antioxidants and other nutrients we eat in whole plant foods could have the ability change gene expression to optimize how our cells repair damaged DNA.  This change in genes is also associated with a longer life expectancy.

18. You Could Get The Right Type Of Protein

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Contrary to popular belief, excess protein from a meat-rich diet does not go straight to the muscles to make you stronger and leaner.  Excess protein is stored as fat and can be a cause of weight gain.  If you are meeting your daily calorie needs, you will get plenty of protein.

19. It Could Improves Hay Fever Symptoms

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Going meat free could mean you can breathe easier all year round because meat produces a lot of mucus in our bodies. This could also mean that you are going to have fewer allergic reactions to pollens in the air. So hay fever sufferers can breathe a sigh of relief and not dread that time of the year!

20. It Could Provide More Rest For Your Muscles

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Proteins are essential for the formation, maintenance and repair of muscles.  For both vegan and vegetarian athletes, consuming their proteins in liquid form after a workout could be very beneficial.  A smoothie made from almond, coconut or rice milk is ideal in this instance.

21. It Could Help To Limit Binge Eating

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Yes, you read that correctly, just think - when you are cooking any forms of meat the usual side dish is chips......and lots of them. Once you've polished all those off, you're tucking into a tub of Ben and Jerry's followed by a bar of chocolate.  When you're conscious of what you are eating and have made a meal plan for your vegetarian/vegan experiment, this behaviour won't happen.

22. It Might Make You Feel Healthier Quicker

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If you have ever decided to adjust your usual diet, whether it's trying to eat broccoli every day or drinking more water, it is usually quite a while before you notice any actual difference in the way you are feeling.  By giving up meat, your gut could react within days to the introduction of new food - but in a very positive way.

23. It Could Be Easier To Get In Your Five A Day

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Because you will be eating lots of fruit and vegetables to bulk out your veggie meals, you will have no problem in meeting the 5-a-day recommendation from the World Health Organisation.  In fact, you will probably have reached that goal by mid afternoon.

24. You Might Get More Calcium

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We all know how important calcium is for healthy bones and especially to women of a certain age, during menopause.  One of the most popular sources of calcium is milk and dairy products.  It is also found in sardines and salmon, tofu, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, legume and grains.  By undertaking a meat-free diet for 30 days you could receive an abundance of these sources of calcium.

25. It Might Decrease Stress And Worry

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How can cutting out meat create such a positive impact with regards to stress and worry?  Besides the fact it could improve mood because of the goodness you are physically taking in, there is also the mental impact of being able to cope with situations because your mind is clearer and you could have been sleeping better.

26. It Could Reduce Risk Of Heart Attack

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A greater vegetable intake increases nitric oxide in the walls around the arteries and without heavy saturated animal fats, the blood is easier to pump around the body.  To you, this simply means that the risk of a heart attack and a stroke could be dramatically reduced.

27. It Could Help You Walk Further

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As red meat is often a cause of inflammation, it affects our body in different ways.  Stiff joints are one of the first signs and this could restrict movement in some individuals.  When your intake of meat is nil, you might feel much more supple and able to walk an extra couple of miles.

28. It Might Strengthen Your Nails

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Particularly in females, having strong nails is a massive tick.  Besides not having to shell out for false nails at the salon, they improve the appearance of the hands as well as confidence.  The extra calcium from those delicious vegetables is put to good use after feeding the bones.

29. Thinking Of Falling Off The Bandwagon!

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If you THINK you are missing a juicy beef burger when you are only 3 days into your 30, stick with it and within another couple of days, your head and body are in the zone and that burger thought has disappeared.  It's a case of what you can't have is what you definitely want but it's your mind, not your tummy, that is telling you!

30. It Can Have A Positive Impact On The Planet

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If you are still unsure about undertaking a meat-free diet for 30 days then, surely, this is the reason to do it;  animal agriculture is destructive to the planet and the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions as well as a leading cause of water use. It will make you feel good, inside and out!

31. It Could Increase Your Energy

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When you stop eating meat at first you may have less energy...because your body is going through a massive adjustment. But, then finding the correct foods to replace the meat in the long run will actually leave you feeling more energetic than before.

32. You Could Save Money

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Meat is expensive...and the price is going up. When we think of the processes between meat and fruit and veg the clear price difference makes sense. But if you want to save a bit of cash then giving up meat could be a great way to go. Switch the steak for a cheap can of chickpeas.

33. It Could Decrease Inflammation

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The saturated fats in meat could lead to an increase of inflammation in your body. This in itself could lead to a variety of different things and potential problems. But, when you cut out the meat that inflammation will stat could go down and you could be left healthier for it.

34. You Could Have Less Omega 6

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You'll have heard of Omega 3. It's that thing everybody should take either by swallowing it in tablet form - cod liver oil for example - or eating fish. But Omega 6 is different and we get a lot of it in meat. Studies have shown it could actually lead to the feeling of being depressed.

35. It Could Increase Your Good Cholesterol

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There is two types of cholesterol. LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). HDL is good and the one we want more of, which might be what happens when we have a meat free diet. Plus, as we know it could decrease the bad cholesterol LDL.

36. Your Sex Drive Might Increase

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Who knew that giving up meat would have a positive impact on your libido? But there are studies that show the correlation between the two different lifestyles and libido. Once you give up meat and get used to the meat free diet, apparently your libido could actually go up.

37. Watch Your B12

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B12 is a difficult thing to come by, even when we eat meat some people still find themselves deficient. But it is one of those things we can acquire easily if we eat meat. But don't worry because now lots of vegetarian foods are packed full of it to ensure you don't go short.

38. You Could Become More Motivated

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We could all use a bit of extra motivation in our lives from time to time. And it turns out we can get this by just simply giving up meat. Not only could it increase your energy but it might boost your mood too, combining in a definite increase of motivation.

39. Less Animals Will Be Harmed

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Sometimes people's love of the taste of the meat is what they find so difficult when it comes to quitting - and sometimes the vegetarian replicas of these meats just aren't as good! But if one thing can make it better, it's knowing that you personally are no longer responsible for the lives of these animals.

40. Less Animal Waste

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If you think about the parts of an animal that actually get eaten - it's a very small percentage. What happens to the rest of the body? It's completely wasted and thrown away. When you think of all that energy, carbon emissions and resources that are involved...and only a fraction is actually consumed.

41. Feel More Fresh

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When people give up meat there is a general consensus that they just feel...fresher. It's a combination of multiple different factors including health. But if you want to ultimately just feel better then perhaps trying the meat free route is for you.

42. You Might Have Less Antibiotics In Your System

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I'm sure you've heard about the controversy of antibiotics in meat? Apparently, they fill them with antibiotics and then we eat the meat. And, today when we are facing a crisis of increasing resistance to antibiotics, it is a threat. So, having less meat could get rid of this possibility of consuming antibiotics through animal meat.

43. You Could Get More Vitamins

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You don't get many vitamins and minerals from meat. Vegetarian food by comparison is loaded full of it. So when you stop eating meat it means you start eating more vegetarian food and therefore could be getting more vitamins as a result. Which of course is a massive positive.

44. Your Blood Might Be Clearer

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There have been studies that show when you eat meat your blood is cloudy. But, when you have quit meat and got it out of your system whilst sticking to a veggie lifestyle your blood is apparently more clear. It sounds better however, it is not quite clear what that means in terms of health.

45. You Could Produce More Collagen

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You know what more collagen (the elasticity in our skin) means? Younger and fresher looking face and skin! Who knew that stopping eating meat could increase our collagen? So, when we go down a vegetarian route the inflammation in our skin could be reduced, therefore increasing our collagen.

46. It Might Save The Rainforests

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Again along the same sides, but the declining rainforests in our world is a major problem. The Amazon rainforest is such a vital part to our existence by drawing out the CO2 in the air that it has been named the lungs of the earth. But the more meat we eat the more it is destroyed. Stopping eating meat helps prevent this.

47. You Could Have Better Regulated Blood Sugar Levels

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According to some studies, your body will be ale to control and regulate blood sugar levels better when you stop eating meat. So, your insulin levels could be much better. Another health benefit that could automatically take place in your body when you stop eating meat!

48. You Could Have Lower Blood Pressure

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High blood pressure is rife amongst society now. It's a combination of many things including diet, lifestyle and stress. But, did you know that a huge factor is our consumption of meat? Apparently, if you consume it in excess then you might be more likely to have a higher blood pressure.

49. It Could Increase Biodiversity

Image source: TheworldeconomicforumBecause of the demand for meat all across the world it means that the majority of our land is used to raise animals destined for slaughter to end up on our shelves. It means that other forms of nature and wildlife have less space to grow or they get destroyed. Reducing our meat consumption will stop this.