Don't you feel weak and tired?

When the topic of veganism comes up with my co-workers I hear a lot about iron deficiency or excessive tiredness as a reason why they're no longer vegan. And while iron deficiency is a cause for concern, particularly with young women, the people who say this have never had blood work done to determine iron deficiency. Furthermore, you can supplement iron with, well...supplements. And a variety of veggies. The point I'm trying to make is that you can be healthy and running at full speed and be vegan.

As for feeling tired and sluggish I can't say that I've experienced that; in all actuality I feel more energetic. In my pre-gan days I would feel wiped out after a day at work, which would usually lead to poor food choices, often in the form of greasy fast food. Since I don't live in the most vegan-friendly of cities (as in, there are no vegan restaurants) I frequently cook at home. With the assistance of a few cookbooks, particularly ones geared for slow cookers/crock pots (and *ahem* a certain cookbook by a certain contributor to the Vegan Freak podcast) I'm able to make tasty meals while I'm working and prepare a lot of dishes in less than an hour. I also cook and bake in large batches for leftovers. So at the end of the day I don't stress over what to make. And since I'm not eating a ton of junk food, I don't feel lethargic.

I've noticed that with time I've started to get more physically active. I'm by no means a health nut or exercise fanatic (I can't stay motivated at the gym) but I walk everywhere - to the grocery store and the post office; a few bus stops away from work; on walking paths near work and home, etc. And when I get home -surprise!- I don't feel run-down. This doesn't mean that I'm super-psyched every single day - there are times when I just like to lounge and do nothing. And as a result of working around sneezing and sniffling students it's only a matter of time when I come down with a cold. I'm suggesting that citing 'low energy' as an excuse to not go and stay vegan is baseless. Veganism is about becoming informed and educated - that includes your health and overall well-being.