My Reasons for Becoming a Vegan
Many people have asked me why I stopped eating animal
products. It wasn’t an overnight thing that just happened. It took months. It
started with a video by FullyRawKristina on Youtube. I was searching for some recipes and found
her awesome channel. I watched all of her videos and started watching Freelea
the Banana Girl and DurrianRider as
well. In January, I attempted to go one month eating Low Fat Raw Vegan (LFRV)
and managed to make it about halfway through the month before I realized that I
wasn’t ready to go fully raw at all. I wasn’t eating enough calories and I
would get ravenous at midnight and make a stop at the local Cookout (fast food
restaurant) and order Cheese Dogs and Bacon Wraps. (Cheese dogs are a bun,
cheese, chilli, coleslaw, and onions… no actual hot dog inside). These were
obviously not helping and nowhere near raw or vegan!
After coming home in March, I decided to try again, but to
do so more gradually. I started cutting out meat and gave up dairy by the beginning
of June. I was still having problems working around my family’s cooking habits
and the struggle of eating out in Southern Louisiana where every restaurant has
seafood and dairy everywhere. I am still struggling with that, but I’m getting
better at figuring out what restaurants are easier for me to frequent and which
ones aren’t (Raising Cane’s, for example. The only thing I could eat there
would be the sodas. Yeah. Not going to work).
So I came up with a mental list for the reasons I had for
becoming vegan, and this is what it boils down to:
1)
I want to lose weight- It is easier to eat a
low-fat and well balanced diet when not consuming animal products. I tend to
crave bitter and salty foods instead of sweet, so I have to make sure I’m
getting enough fruits to go with my onions, garlic, and hummus. I have been
overweight for much of my life, and I would really like to get my body back to
a healthier weight.
2)
I want to be healthier- Vegans are less likely
to develop heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Also, it is easier to stay away
from many harmful food-borne illnesses and bacteria that you can catch when
eating animal products. Eating more fruits and veggies is good for you!
3)
I want to save animals from abuse- hundreds of
animals (think chickens, cows, pigs, goats, bees, ducks, turkeys, fish, crustaceans,
etc.) will be spared abuse and death for every person who stops eating animal products. I’m sure you have all seen the horrible PETA
ads. I don’t need to show them here.
4)
Heavily processed animal products are gross-
Here are some nice links to read about meat contamination, pink slime, and
dairy pus:
5)
Eliminating dairy products may help with acne- No
one really knows what causes acne in different people, but there are links to
milk and acne. http://www.clearskinforever.net/milk-acne-does-milk-cause-acne/
(just the info about milk… not about how wonderful eggs are to eat).
So, those are my
reasons for no longer eating animal products. I’m still very new to this, but I
am trying. I haven’t had indigestion problems since I became vegan. I haven’t
had many very scary nightmares (I used to have them all the time). I don’t
retain water in my fingers after eating out. I’ve tried new foods that I love
(Kale Chips!) and some that I didn’t like at all (Quinoa and Starfruit), and I’ve
invented some awesome dishes!
Now, I feel physically ill if I accidentally ingest dairy or meat. A restaurant put cheese on my no-cheese pizza. I ate it because I don't like wasting food (an issue for another time). I felt so bad after eating it. The smell of cooking fish makes me feel sick as well, something that is hard to get away from in my house.
I feel so much better physically as a Vegan. I challenge you to try it for a week. See how you feel. GO VEGAN!
I feel so much better physically as a Vegan. I challenge you to try it for a week. See how you feel. GO VEGAN!
No comments:
Post a Comment