It's my two year Vegan anniversary, so I thought I would reflect and tell the story of how and why I ditched meat, dairy and eggs! I'm not exaggerating when I say that going Vegan is the best thing I have ever done. It has overhauled my health and finally my beliefs and my actions are in line.
I don't know what it was that made me type "Vegan documentary" in to the YouTube search bar.
Honestly, I had completely ruined my attempt at a healthy eating New Years resolution and I was hoping to get some nutritional advice that would inspire me to get off the couch and to stop eating takeaways four times a week (yes I really was that bad)!
I expected to watch doctors talking about the benefits of fruits and veggies but instead I clicked on Earthlings and I came face to face with the truth and found out how humans actually treat animals.
After sobbing uncontrollably for the full duration of the film, I knew immediately that I would never eat meat again. I was heartbroken, angry and devastated that I had funded these industries for so long without ever making the connection. I looked over at my four month old German Shepherd Sabbath sleeping and I couldn't believe that whilst I was loving and caring for him, I was eating the corpses of animals just like him.
I was funding their torture and murder.
I spent the next few weeks Googling recipes and watching video's, making sure that I was completely educated on the subject. Luckily I found Freelee the banana girl and I went from living on low cal soups and hummus, to eating an abundance of fruit and feasting on as much rice and pasta as I could handle! I'm going to list some tips that I think will help people wanting to make the switch to Veganism...
Get educated
It can be difficult to learn the truth, but I do really reccomend that you watch as many documentaries and speeches about Veganism as you can. When people first hear that you're Vegan they are likely to have questions and it's important to know all of the answers! Seriously, I am at my most eloquent when discussing animal rights, I'm just so passionate about informing people and helping out our animal friends.
Expect the detox
I know people say it all of the time as a joke, but milk and cheese are addictive and so it is likely that your body will struggle when you give it up. I experienced headaches, lethargy, weakness and it was as if I had the flu. This lasted for about seven days and then I started to reap the benefits of the lifestyle and my energy bounced back.
Eat enough
Cutting meat, dairy and eggs from your diet can seriously reduce your calorie intake and so you have to be really aware of what you're replacing them with. It's important to properly keep track of your calorie intake and check that you're meeting your nutritional needs so I reccomend that you download an app that tracks your daily intake. I also reccomend eating as many potatoes as you want, they are the delicious staple of my diet!
Be easy on yourself
If you're starving and your only option is a packet of crisps that have that sneaky ingredient Milk powder inside, then please don't starve. In the beginning it can be tough remembering to bring snacks with you when none will be available, but don't sweat it, it gets easier and soon you won't leave the house without a banana in your bag. In the beginning I kept cheating and eating chocolate bars, but after a while the thought of any animal product became repulsive to me and once I had stocked up on Vegan chocolate bars there were no more slip up's!
Awesome documentaries to watch...
Earthlings
Forks over knives
Cowspiracy
Vegucated
Food matters
Gary Yourofsky - Best speech ever
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