Over the past three weeks or so, I have committed myself to a lifestyle change. It's not a diet, although I have begun to lose weight. It is, in fact, a lifestyle change.
For those of you who don't know what it means to be Vegan, I have posted the definition as found on Wikipedia
Veganism is a philosophy and lifestyle that seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind. The most popular reasons for becoming a vegan are concerns for animal rights, the environment, or human health, and spiritual or religious concerns. Of particular concern are the practices involved in factory farming and animal testing, and the intensive use of land and other resources required for animal farming.
I have gone from being a meat/cheese eater, to a veggie-head, and yes, it has been hard. However, I have found that as the days pass, I have started to feel healthier physically and even mentally.
Many people have asked why I've taken on such a radical change, and to them I answer like this:
Besides the obvious health benefits of reducing my meat and dairy intake, there are also emotional reasons. In my opinion there is already entirely too much pain and suffering in this world. Not just by humans, but by animals as well. Our entire planet is hurting and it definitely is going to take some time for it to recover. Becoming Vegan was my way of reducing the amount of hurt that I cause our planet. I can eat my meal in peace, without feeling guilty for the animal that gave its life so that I could be selfish and eat a burger. I can eat a meal and not feel weighted down with fats and greases, and I can eat as much as I want without feeling like I have over done it.
When I was eating meat, or cheeses especially, I often didn't feel energetic when I finished. My stomach would hurt some times when I had eaten too much, or had a meal thick with creams and sauces. Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods, and still is. The only difference now is that the cheese I use is made out of soy. It melts like mozzarella and I didn't contribute to a cow being kept pregnant for my enjoyment.
If you are interested in going Vegan, for any reason, let me offer you a few interesting and educating sites that have helped me so far.
I think everyone's first stop should be to Peta.org! Peta is an amazing site that offers a great deal of resources and educational material about how to get started. They even have a vegetarian starter guide that they will send you for free! It comes complete with facts about Veganism as well as a couple of great recipes to get you started!
The second site that I would recommend would be Fat Free Vegan. FFV, has a huge database of nothing but Vegan and Vegetarian recipes. It takes the guess work out of what one can eat.
I would also recommend that you begin reading the labels on foods you already have in your home. You'll be amazed at what you find! For instance, did you know that Twinkies have beef fat in them? Who would have ever thought the light sugary taste of a Twinkie was made with something so bad for you?
There is a great deal to learn about Veganism, but it can be a fun journey, especially when you aren't going at it alone. My family and I all tried Falafel together, which was an adventure of it's own! But, it's a nice way to sit down and try something new.
Veganism is not for everyone, and I know that some people could never even imagine giving up eggs, let alone steaks, chicken, and milk, but believe me, it's definitely worth it! When you realize what you put into your body every single day you may find that you too need a change! Whatever you do, don't just jump into it though, slow and steady, you can begin replacing items in your diet until you find the right combination for you. That's what I did, and I couldn't be happier!
