Let me just start off by saying that there is a common misconception when it comes to the plant-based diet. It does not revolve around fake meat and cheese substitutes. In fact, you’ll see that these ingredients rarely make it onto most plant-based shopping lists. For this reason, I limited my intake of these products so that I could get the “full experience.” Going into the week, I had no idea what to expect. Complete and utter failure? Success?
The night before I embarked on my journey, I watched Netflix’s “Cowspiracy”, a recommendation from my coworker at a vegan cafe. I might’ve shed a tear or two — or a hundred. After working at the cafe over the summer, I learned about all the different reasons why people go vegan. Many times their passion for veganism is misconstrued by society as pushing their lifestyle upon others, but I actually found myself gaining a new appreciation for it. No one wants to force you into changing what you eat; you just have to find what works for you. Now, let’s see if a plant-based diet worked for me.
Honestly, day one was a shit show. Trust me, when you eat as much cheese as I do, transitioning to a plant-based diet cold turkey isn’t wise. So perhaps don’t follow in my footsteps. I should’ve done more research and eased myself into the lifestyle — something to take into consideration for next time. My first meal was certainly eventful considering I broke my diet with the very first bite. Imagine this — spiced pumpkin bread with dark chocolate chunks; how could I say no? My friend had put so much effort into baking such an amazing dessert I just had to eat it — or at least that’s how I justified it. So, yes, I did break, but I have no regrets considering I stayed strong for the entirety of the following week.
By day four, I had nearly mastered my take on the plant-based diet. I knew how to embellish my salads, grain bowls, and sandwiches even without the added meat. I also discovered how many vegan options there actually are. If you think about it, going vegan isn’t any more expensive or selective than a “normal” diet. It’s all about the stereotypes that tie themselves to veganism. But did I still miss the cheese and bacon? Did I have dreams of my favorite non vegan foods almost every night? Yes and yes. But in my defense, it was going cold turkey that truly ruined things for me. Binging on the foods you love most before switching to a completely different diet will only make things worse, just an FYI. What did help me out was the fact that I maintained a healthy diet in the first place, so filling up on vegetables and proteins was no big deal. All in all, the week turned out to be beneficial, as it had me experimenting more than usual. I also have to add that I am very proud of all my avacado toast inventions which I can thank my summer job for.
By the end of the week, I felt physically energized and since dropping all dairy, my sensitive stomach hadn’t experienced any major food babies the way it normally would. It’s confession time, I know I’m not the only one out there who looks pregnant after a meal, so don’t judge me, alright? Not only did I have a newfound appreciation for veganism, but I also found that changing some of my eating habits every once in a while proved to be beneficial. Overall, I felt a lot better physically and, in turn, mentally.
That being said, will I go vegan? Probably not, but I will be cutting certain things out from my diet and will certainly try to find a happy medium of what works me. I would definitely encourage everyone to try out a new diet, whether it be vegan, plant-based, keto, or just switching up your meals in general. You might find that a specific diet may work better for your body both mentally and physically, so why not give it a go? Whether you are changing your lifestyle because of certain beliefs, values, or dietary issues, I admire all the effort it takes to do what’s best for you.