I am becoming a vegan and you should too!
Have you guys heard of that new Netflix documentary called “What the Health?” It’s kind of buzzing right now and of course I had to watch it. Actually I came by it on accident and heard about it from a few coworkers. It’s about an hour and a half long and BEYOND interesting. If you know me, I LOVE documentaries.
So it is about everything we eat and the effects that our food leaves on our body. It also talks about what actually causes cancer, heart disease and diabetes. This documentary is what inspired me to cut meat out of my life for good.
It wasn’t too hard considering I had done away with red meat and pork a few months before my decision to become vegan.
So what is a vegan? Vegans eat not animal product what so ever including dairy. The whole diet consists of plant based foods, legumes and beans.
How did I start? I ate the same for the first few days excluding meat, eggs and dairy from my diet. Meat definitely was not the hard part. I have a harder time giving up eggs and ice cream. Then I sort of realized that I needed to do a little more research. Whenever I’m trying something new or starting a new project I do extensive research, meaning I google everything and watch YouTube videos.
I found that I needed to incorporate certain foods or plants to my totally plant based diet. Veggies burgers, organic fruits and veggies, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, chia seeds and flax seeds all became apart of my grocery list.
I also started going in the organic food isle (I had know idea this was a thing) and ended up falling in love with the all natural non-gmo cereals, tofu and beans. They even have veggie nuggets (my kids love these).
I buy vanilla almond milk and snack on strawberries, bananas and blue berries. I add Chia seeds and Flax seeds to everything. Avocado is pretty useful too. The most important thing is seasoning and how you prepare it. The plant based diet doesn’t have to be boring. Especially since it will leave you healthier, stronger and feeling better.
Why I did it? Health. My health, my children’s health, and health habits for generations to come. If my children grow up eating healthy they’ll teach their kids to do the same. Americans are so unhealthy because we’ve been taught that way, family barbecues, pizza night and eating what ever we want when we want just because we “can.”
I buy and eat lots of rice, even before becoming vegan I loved rice. I add whatever veggies I want into the mix. It’s also fun to eat Taco Salad (without meat). Certain brands of cereal and energy bars are also helpful. It’s also a good idea to try different sauces to give your food flavor.
If you’re thinking about becoming vegan you should! Do it on your own terms and do what’s best for you. Some people go cold turkey and for others it is a process and that’s okay. Don’t listen to the negativity, do some research and gather facts. Talk to a nutritionist.
People may complain that it’s more expensive to buy organic, but when you’re dealing with what you eat and what sustains your health and wellness it’s always smart not to go for cheap and easy.
There’s also the huge myth that you can’t get your nutrients from plants alone. Not only can you get all your nutrients from various plants you will start feeling better and eliminate the risk of serious illness like diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
I mean, we are what we eat!
Above all do what’s best for you and remember it is a process! Veganism isn’t something super easy to do. It takes a little more thought an research to prepare a meal. Cutting vegetables, making sure everything is seasoned right and having an understanding of what nutrients you need, and where you can get them.
It is definitely a learning process so don’t be too hard on yourself at first. You’ll get use to it. Soon you’ll be finding “go-to” meals and figuring out what foods work best for you.
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