Welcome back to Vegan in VA for the third and final installment of my Meet Me Series.
I covered my basic bio in Part 1, VA life in Part 2, and now I’ll delve into my journey to veganism.
_________________
My husband and I have been vegan for over a year now, but this isn’t the first time on a veg diet for either of us. He was vegetarian for a few years long before we met and I was a vegetarian during high school and college.
Growing up in the country, I passed cow pastures and chicken farms on my way to school. I often got stuck behind pig trucks on their way to the nearby slaughterhouse.
Once I started learning more about what went on behind the scenes in the leather industry, in the meat industry, and in the animals-as-entertainment industry, it all became too much for me and I made the easy decision to be a vegetarian.
At the time, I didn’t understand that the egg and dairy industries were just as bad as the meat industry and that, really, going vegetarian isn’t enough. But I was a teenager who was at the mercy of my parents, who bought the groceries and who didn’t share my desire to avoid eating animals. Plus, in a rural area that pretty much depends on the pork industry to survive, there weren’t a whole lot of veg options available.
I was vegetarian for a few years, eventually breaking during college. I was omni for about six years after that, during which time I was never able to shake the guilt that came with eating animal products. Images from the many animal rights videos I watched would pop into my head even as I savored the flavor of the food I was eating. Things you can’t unsee is how I like to put it.
Eventually, the guilt got to be too much. I couldn’t justify eating animal products anymore, especially when I knew better.
I did a lot of research and discovered that, in addition to being more animal-friendly, there are TONS of health reasons to make the switch to veganism. The decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and especially cancer (both my husband and I have an elevated risk of various cancers) were very appealing. Plus, I found out that a vegan diet is actually fantastic for the environment as well, even better than driving an electric car!
I took all this information to my husband who is totally amazing and wholeheartedly agreed to join me in switching to veganism. We set a date, made a plan, and dove in. Turns out, it’s an easy change to make when you have good reasons to do it. It’s even easier when your partner is committed to making the change, too.
So far, I have zero regrets. Switching to veganism has made me feel better both physically and mentally/emotionally. I feel healthier on the day-to-day and I’ve only been sick once since I changed my diet. I no longer have guilt about how my diet negatively affects animals or the planet.
Sure, sometimes people (who don’t understand) give me grief and sometimes it can be challenging to dine out in restaurants or at non-vegan’s homes, but those are tiny hurdles and they’re so, so worth it in the grand scheme of things.
Basically, it was a bit of a windy road to get me here, to this place of proud and permanent veganism, but I’m stoked to have ended up in such a great place!
I hope that, by sharing this with you, you’ll feel inspired to make a lifestyle change of your own. A life of compassion is always a good choice and I encourage all of you to take any steps you can in that direction.
Maybe you’re not yet ready to fully commit to veganism—that’s OK. Start small, with Meatless Mondays or whatever works best for you. Any step in the right direction is a good thing, and if easing into it is the way to make your veganism stick then it’s definitely the way to go.
But now I want to hear from you! Are you a vegan? Are you considering veganism? What was your journey like? Tell me about it in the comments. You never know who you might inspire. :)
Click here to read the previous post in this series
< Meet Me Part 2: VA Life
I covered my basic bio in Part 1, VA life in Part 2, and now I’ll delve into my journey to veganism.
_________________
My husband and I have been vegan for over a year now, but this isn’t the first time on a veg diet for either of us. He was vegetarian for a few years long before we met and I was a vegetarian during high school and college.
 |
| teenage me with the fawn we rescued and raised |
Growing up in the country, I passed cow pastures and chicken farms on my way to school. I often got stuck behind pig trucks on their way to the nearby slaughterhouse.
Once I started learning more about what went on behind the scenes in the leather industry, in the meat industry, and in the animals-as-entertainment industry, it all became too much for me and I made the easy decision to be a vegetarian.
At the time, I didn’t understand that the egg and dairy industries were just as bad as the meat industry and that, really, going vegetarian isn’t enough. But I was a teenager who was at the mercy of my parents, who bought the groceries and who didn’t share my desire to avoid eating animals. Plus, in a rural area that pretty much depends on the pork industry to survive, there weren’t a whole lot of veg options available.
I was vegetarian for a few years, eventually breaking during college. I was omni for about six years after that, during which time I was never able to shake the guilt that came with eating animal products. Images from the many animal rights videos I watched would pop into my head even as I savored the flavor of the food I was eating. Things you can’t unsee is how I like to put it.
Eventually, the guilt got to be too much. I couldn’t justify eating animal products anymore, especially when I knew better.
I did a lot of research and discovered that, in addition to being more animal-friendly, there are TONS of health reasons to make the switch to veganism. The decreased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and especially cancer (both my husband and I have an elevated risk of various cancers) were very appealing. Plus, I found out that a vegan diet is actually fantastic for the environment as well, even better than driving an electric car!
I took all this information to my husband who is totally amazing and wholeheartedly agreed to join me in switching to veganism. We set a date, made a plan, and dove in. Turns out, it’s an easy change to make when you have good reasons to do it. It’s even easier when your partner is committed to making the change, too.
 |
| this is how we grill now - vegan sausages and assorted veggies |
So far, I have zero regrets. Switching to veganism has made me feel better both physically and mentally/emotionally. I feel healthier on the day-to-day and I’ve only been sick once since I changed my diet. I no longer have guilt about how my diet negatively affects animals or the planet.
Sure, sometimes people (who don’t understand) give me grief and sometimes it can be challenging to dine out in restaurants or at non-vegan’s homes, but those are tiny hurdles and they’re so, so worth it in the grand scheme of things.
Basically, it was a bit of a windy road to get me here, to this place of proud and permanent veganism, but I’m stoked to have ended up in such a great place!
I hope that, by sharing this with you, you’ll feel inspired to make a lifestyle change of your own. A life of compassion is always a good choice and I encourage all of you to take any steps you can in that direction.
Maybe you’re not yet ready to fully commit to veganism—that’s OK. Start small, with Meatless Mondays or whatever works best for you. Any step in the right direction is a good thing, and if easing into it is the way to make your veganism stick then it’s definitely the way to go.
But now I want to hear from you! Are you a vegan? Are you considering veganism? What was your journey like? Tell me about it in the comments. You never know who you might inspire. :)
Click here to read the previous post in this series
< Meet Me Part 2: VA Life
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