You Are Probably Going to Hate Me...

You are probably going to hate me for what I am about to post.

I may even lose some followers for it, but that’s life.

I don’t really talk much about my veganism on here because I feel like writing about it is offensive to some people. Which is stupid. I really don’t think what I choose to eat or not eat, wear or not wear should offend people. If it does, well then maybe you might want to evaluate why this bothers you.

When I first transitioned to a plant-based diet 18 months ago I did because that was what my body told me it wanted. After 7 months of somewhat steady weight loss, on an omnivore diet, withouy really noticeable changes in my energy levels, sleep patterns, recovery time, I turned to mindful eating to track how my body reacted to the foods I was eating. Long story short- what I found out was that plant-based was what worked for me. I thrive on a vegan diet. I have energy ALL THE TIME. Even if I can only get in 5 hours of sleep (or even 3 hours after a long night of drinking) I still wake up energized and ready to dominate life. I sleep like a log, once my eyes are closed I am out cold. It’s awesome. And when I exercise (or decide to run 27 additional miles over the 5 days after my half marathon) I don’t need much recovery time before I can do it again. Plant-based works really well for me so it was a super easy, seamless transition.

But after a few months of loving how I felt as a vegan I kind of wanted to know why. I read books, I watched documentaries, I followed online videos all about it and learned of the science behind why plant-based is such a great way to live. In the process of trying to educate myself to the workings of a plant-based diet I also learned about the tragedy which is our animal farming/raising/slaughtering for foods. And it breaks my heart.

Yes, I am now one of those people. Feel free to roll your eyes at me ;)

To me, I think being compassionate to all living creatures is a good thing, one that should not garner shame. However, I have encountered so many people that not only think I am strange (and wrong) because of my beliefs but the vehemently think there is nothing wrong with how animals raised for food (or fur) are treated. Maybe you don’t either. I know I am definitely in the minority when it comes to my beliefs in regards to animals for food and clothing and I get why. It’s not how we were raised. We don’t really know a lot about all the bad things that happen before/during slaughter. When we are shown videos or read articles most people shrug it off like “oh, there are those crazy PETA people again” maybe not really thinking about the legitimacy of their message and how it affects you.

No, I am not saying you should all become vegans (but that would make me very happy) but I would like it if we all learned a little bit more about the food we eat; where it comes from, how it’s treated, how it affects our bodies by eating it, and what are the benefits, or even repercussions, by doing so. I try to continually educate myself about food and am learning new things all the time. I am no expert but I certainly feel that we learn so little about nutrition and the importance of our food choices throughout life and I think a lot of the issues we have could be prevented with just a little education.

There is so much bad stuff going on in animal farms but today I will just share with you one thing. One of my least favorite images, although thinking on this I see so many images of the horrific torture and suffering animals endure at our hands flash through my mind, of one of the most ridiculous and tragic parts of the farming industry- chick culling. In the egg industry, male chicks serve no purpose (as they do not lay eggs) and so almost all are slaughtered after they hatch- by method of grinding, gassing, breaking the neck or electrocution. Sick, isn’t it.

Photo taken form facebook.com/VeganismIsTheFuture

Yeah, I said you might hate me after this. But sadly this is just the tip of the iceberg. The little tiny baby chick tip of the iceberg.

No matter what choices we make, whether it is vegan, ominvore, straight up carnivore, I just think we should know what's going on in our world and just try to make the best, and most educated, decisions we can. I think that's really the best we can do.

"I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man" ~Gandhi

One Year Down. Many, Many More to Come.

Yesterday I celebrated one year of following a healthy whole-foods based vegan diet. 

A year ago, when I made the decision to eat vegan it wasn’t for moral or ethical reasons and it wasn’t to help reduce my carbon footprint. Nope it was entirely selfish. It was only about me, about being healthy and feeling good; the two things that had eluded me up to that point in my weight loss journey.

Here I was, almost 8 months in, losing weight, following the Weight Watchers program to a T, being active and still feeling like shit. I thought to myself when would I ever feel good?  I was still lethargic. I was still not sleeping well. I didn’t have much energy. I was losing weight but I did not feel healthier, I did not feel good. And damnit, I wanted to feel good.

So I decided to take a closer look at my goals (being healthy and active) and what I needed to do to achieve them.  I adopted a practice of mindful eating. Changed my perception towards the food I ate and its purpose. If I wanted to be active then I needed to look at what I was eating as my fuel. But at this point I didn’t know much about food; about what was really good for MY body so I started to monitor my reactions to what I ate. As part of mindful eating I made sure to eat slowly in an environment without distractions and then document how I felt after everything I ate.

Did I have energy or did I feel lazy?

Did I have indigestion/upset stomach or did I feel normal?

Was the food I was eating making me want to be active or plop down on the couch and watch TV?

After time I realized which foods were making me feel good and which ones were making me feel bad.  The offenders- animal proteins/ animal products. So on a whim I said let’s try a week without any animal products and see how I feel.  

It didn’t take but two or three days for me to notice a change. I felt freaking phenomenal. My energy levels were through the roof. I slept like a freaking baby at night. I was regular for the first time like EVER which is huge deal for me. I had been battling IBS for years. I just wanted to be active and I felt like eating these foods would allow me to live an active lifestyle. It was great.

But could it really be that simple? Change the foods you eat and reset your body?

Not sure it was really possible, really that easy, so I decided to splurge and treat myself to some frozen yogurt. And guess what? That was all it took to show me how badly my body was affected by what I ate. I think it took 2 or 3 days before I was ‘regular’ again. Sorry if that is TMI but it’s the truth.

That was when I realized that there was no food out there that was worth sacrificing my body, my health, my wellness for and decided to live my life following a vegan diet.

Best. Decision. Ever.

I don’t just survive on a vegan diet, I thrive.

Is it always easy? No it’s not always easy; especially when I am traveling or at a friend’s house or I want to go out for a romantic dinner. I have to plan, I have to research, and I have to be prepared.

Did it get easier? Heck yeah. The first few weeks were rough trying to figure out what I could eat. Thankfully there are so many blogs and websites with recipes not to mention what seems like an infinite number of cookbooks. Whole Foods marks their products as vegan (I am pretty sure Trader Joe’s does as well) which makes life much easier. I actually a wider variety of foods now than ever before.

Today I feel like a seasoned pro when it comes to what I eat. I base my diet around whole foods and try to follow the 80/20 rule. It is easy to be a junk food vegan – I could eat French fries and drink Coke all day long if I wanted but then I would be back at square one. I could also fall back on vegan convenience foods and fake meats/cheeses but they are just as processed and preserved as there non-vegan counterparts so I really try to limit my intake of these products as well.

Ultimately I believe that if you limit the junk food and the processed crap and try to stick to more real, whole foods then you will be much, much healthier and happier- regardless if you are a vegan or not. Give your body what it really needs; vitamins, minerals, essential aminos, fats, protein and carbs and you will be kindly rewarded.

I am not trying to be preachy. I am just sharing my opinion and my story. Do with it what you will.

A year into this I have come to learn so much about veganism, animal rights, the health of the planet, the crazy shit in the foods we eat, and now I choose to be a vegan for health reasons as well as for animal rights and to help the environment.

 I listened to my body and gave it what it wanted and I am so thankful that decision has a positive impact on the world I live in. It’s really pretty cool.

"My refusing to eat meat occasioned inconveniency, and I have been frequently chided for my singularity. But my light repast allows for greater progress, for greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension." ~ Benjamin Franklin

This cracks me up. Just had to share.