The Sweet Scent of Good Health

We’ve talked about how eating meat clogs up the bowels and fills the body with toxins that it has trouble eliminating. Constipation is one side effect of this and happens when waste matter gets trapped in the intestinal tract. When that happens, toxins circulate throughout your body, looking for a way to get out; many of them end up in the lungs to be eliminated through your breath. This condition is called halitosis, in which no amount of mints can help reduce the foul smell in your breath.

Believe it or not, chronic bad breath can be eliminated by paying attention to the other end of things. Colon cleansing, which you’ll remember from the chapter on nutrition, often clears up halitosis. Not that halitosis should be a problem if you’re a vegetarian—all those healthy whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are loaded with fiber, and clogged bowels are an unlikely thing to happen.

But if you are yet to completely give up meat, you’ll find your breath will be sweeter after its by-products are out of your body. And your whole body will smell better overall. When we eat meat, we’re also eating whatever those animals ate, along with the various toxins stored in their fat. When you work out and burn your own stored fat, these toxins are sweated out through your skin. The less toxins you have in your body, the less your sweat and breath will smell.

Water In, Water Out

Almost every aspect of our body’s functionality is regulated by hormones. When we eat meat, we ingest prostaglandins, hormonelike substances present in animal products as well as our own bodies. Excess prostaglandins can lead to an imbalance of your own hormone levels, which in its turn causes water retention.

While nobody wants to be puffy—and when switching to a vegetarian diet, most people quickly see an improvement in their appearance because of decreased water retention—this is especially unpleasant when a woman is having, or is about to have, her menstrual cycle. Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is marked by inflammation, swelling, and bloating due to an excess of prostaglandins. If you’re a woman and you’ve begun a vegan lifestyle, you’re almost entirely assured that you’ll see your symptoms of PMS diminish. If you’re an ovo-lacto-vegetarian, try cutting out cheese and dairy during the week before you begin your period; this will give your hormones a breather so you can have a less uncomfortable cycle.

You’ll find, as you get further into your vegetarian journey, that you look better, feel better, and even smell better. You’ll also have more energy, which will help you be more active, and the more exercise you get, the better you’ll look and feel. It’s hard to believe that we’re attractive when we feel lousy; our sluggish, fatigued bodies just drag along from meat-based meal to meat-based meal.

But as a vegetarian, you’ll have a spring in your step and a better outlook. How can you not feel good about yourself when you’re eating healthy, socially responsible meals and treating yourself in the best way possible? So along with your shinier hair, clearer skin, and boosted energy, you’ll radiate with the confidence that comes from taking excellent care of yourself—and that confidence is irresistible!