Let Me Tell You
There’s a joke that goes, How do you know someone is vegan? The answer: They’ll tell you.
It’s supposed to be snarky—or just plain insulting. The idea being that vegans talk about veganism all the time. Some probably do, but not most. Take me, for instance. I’ll bet you had no idea that I’ve been vegan for years.
How I got here:
I have always been an animal lover. Not just cats and dogs either. I love all manner of beasts. I tried being vegetarian several times, beginning when I was a teenager. I couldn’t sustain the practice for long, primarily because I lacked knowledge and support. But eating meat bothered me a lot.
When one of my granddaughters was diagnosed with a dairy allergy, I realized I had a lot of the same symptoms. A week without dairy cleared up a lot of problems. I quickly realized that more than a tiny bit of dairy would trigger my asthma. So I went dairy free. No, it wasn’t easy. But it was life-changing. The next time I got blood work, I was shocked that my high cholesterol level, which runs in my family, was now normal. Dairy was the #1 cause of my high cholesterol. I was blown away.
A few years later, I watched a documentary called, “What The Health.” By the end, I knew I was going to become vegan. I’d already done the hardest part, giving up dairy. Giving up meat was easy. My health improved and I had a lot more energy. I began to love cooking in a way I never had before. I loved going to the store and just grabbing fresh fruit and vegetables. Easy. Soon I began to enjoy fruit and vegetables in a way I never had before. For the first time, I was really tasting them. And the tastes were awesome.
Today there are lots of resources and support for vegans. Groups, social media, recipe books, and substitutions for foods we don’t eat. A lot of restaurants have vegan options, which helps a girl’s social life. For me, personally, YouTube has been a great help. This is the place where I watch cooking shows (something I never liked before). It’s there that I find support, recipes, information, and reminders that I’m doing this first and foremost to protect the animals.
For most dedicated vegans, protecting animals is THE reason. Factory farms treat animals horribly, and we’d love to stop that. That’s the reason many of us open up about a very personal issue. Because we care.
Bottom line there are three reasons to become vegan:
1. No animals are harmed for food. The numero uno for most vegans.
2. Being vegan is great for the environment. Factory farms are the biggest cause of pollution and the disappearance of the rainforest.
3. Being vegan is great for health. It’s amazing how many issues going vegan can fix or improve.
Those three issues happen to be the concerns closest to my heart. So it made a lot of sense to me. By the way, I don’t find being vegan difficult at all. I love cooking now. Fresh produce is my basic diet, along with beans and lintels and rice. Yum! I really haven’t given up anything, but I’ve gained a lot.
Have you met an annoying vegan? What did they do to annoy you?
Would you be willing to try veganism for a day? A week?
What have you heard about being vegan that makes you want—or not want—to find out more?
Have a great rest of the week!
