Usually, when you hear individuals say that they are vegan, one of three thoughts come to mind. One, they’re a “hippie” that lives in a tie-dye van with shaggy pants and a peace sign tattoo, Two, A yoga instructor — or… you may just picture someone eating spinach and apples all day. Unfortunately, I have heard all types of crazy stereotypes towards veganism, when in reality, there’s no such thing as your ” typical vegan”. In fact, the vegan community is quite diverse.
- My Transition From Meat-Eating To Plants
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Before going vegan, I knew I wanted to go vegan, but… just like everyone else, I had a kryptonite. Of course, that kryptonite was the most deadliest and delicious addicting animal to ever step foot on mother earth herself — chicken. No matter how hard I tried, I could not let it go! I knew I wanted to make a change and eat clean, but for some reason, I could not escape the chicken-eating lifestyle. I mean, could you blame me? Who would want to escape the carnivorous eating lifestyle? It’s versatile, tastes good with everything, and best of all, it was an option at every single restaurant. I knew I had to make a change because I felt guilty after every single meal that included chicken, and even worse, I was getting grossed out with my food. The thought of consuming something that breathes, eats, and has feelings — just like me — deserved to live a life too. Consuming something that was once alive just didn’t sit right with my spirit, I couldn’t understand the logic. Seriously, how does something that was once alive, which was killed (and experienced a traumatic death) energize the living? Something had to change.
- The Day I Gained Some Common Sense
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Dec. 25, 2020, is the day I received some common sense. I don’t know why it hit me all of a sudden and where the sudden urge to just stop eating meat came from, but wherever It came from — Thank you. Christmas day is the day I decided to refrain from anything made from animals. I made sure I would follow my intuition, too. I threw away everything in my mini-fridge that contained dairy, and of course all meats and foods that had meats in them. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep picking at my food, avoiding the dark slimy veins in my chicken wings, or getting grossed out from eating fatty parts of meat, and even worse, eating cheese and immediately regretting it because the thought of it coming from a cow, who produces milk for calves was in my food! That’s when I knew something was wrong with what I consumed and what society gives us to eat. Why would you eat something that grosses you out? After years of research about veganism and the impact it has on the environment, I finally decided to join the community and make a change.
Since going vegan, I have noticed a HUGE difference. My body thanks me every day for switching, and honestly… I don’t blame it. When I stopped consuming factory-made food, and poor “livestock”, I have noticed a spike in my health, emotional stability, and focus. I don’t regret my decision, and unlike for many other people, I have not been tempted to go back to my carnivorous lifestyle.
- Common Misconceptions About Veganism
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Let’s get this straight, going vegan does not equal a lack of versatility. When actually, everything you eat now, as a meat eater… can indeed be ‘veganized’. I don’t blame most people for drawing back from veganism, because when vegan lifestyles are advertised, only people eating salad are shown. Most of society has this crazy misconception that vegan food is nasty, and let’s be honest, some things shouldn’t be ‘veganized’. Of course, it’s going to taste different if you had beef tacos yesterday, and try a vegan taco with a meat substitute today — but here’s the catch, most vegans do not notice a difference in taste because once you go without eating meat for so long, you forget what it tastes like and adapt to the ‘veganized’ substitute! It’s all about timing and allowing yourself to adjust.
How does that saying go? ” You are what you eat”? Literally. You are what you eat. Be kind to your body and don’t be afraid to take your time and do research about what you are consuming. Our bodies do so much for us, and that’s the least we can do. You only get one body, which means you only get one chance. Mother Earth gave us so many options, food is medicine! Take advantage of it.