GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It wasn't easy, but Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians listened to his doctor and committed to a vegan diet for 27 days for health reasons recently.

Arians, who had kidney cancer last year, avoided meat and dairy, and even started the regimen with a five-day stretch of a raw diet.

"I feel really good," Arians said. "It's kind of crazy being a vegan for a while. I'm not a vegan anymore. I finally had meat again."

The first meat Arians, 64, reintroduced to his diet was a grass-fed beef burger. Doctors are slowly bringing animal-based protein back to Arians' diet, he said.

Looking back at his stint with a plant-based diet, Arians is still surprised he did it, and for as long as he did.

"I was shocked I could even stick to it," Arians said. "I was kind of proud I did for 27 days."

Arians admitted he cheated on his diet once, with brussels sprouts from one of his favorite Phoenix steakhouses. When he told his doctors he ate the vegetable, they were happy. However, Arians left out one key part.

"I snuck out and got them, but there's a whole lot of butter and bacon in those babies," Arians said with a smile.

Arians was asked what he liked about his temporary diet.

"Nothing," he said.