Well, this week officially marks my first year of going “vegan”. I emphasize the word because to some people, it can also mean cutting everything animal based out of your life, like clothing and furniture. However when I say it, I pretty much mean that I cut out meat and dairy from my diet. I guess you could also say that I adopted a plant based diet. Whichever way you decide to phrase it, I am happy to say that I managed to make it through my first year. I certainly learned a lot from this experience and wanted to share it with you.
So let’s take a look at my story and the 7 insights that I acquired from it all!
I was raised by a mom who was into organic food even before it became all the rave. I remember my friends coming over and saying, “What the heck are veggie chips”? It was odd to them but pretty normal to me. So you could say that I had a predisposition to healthier alternatives growing up. Don’t let me fool you though, this didn’t mean that I was always healthy. It just meant that I was open minded enough to try more than just the average options.
Giving up meat and dairy began shortly after I had finished a 15 day juice fast. My buddy showed me this documentary directed by Joe Cross called, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. It was a pretty inspiring story and a look at how a man lost a ton of weight by just drinking fruit and vegetable juices. Now I am a pretty small framed guy and didn’t need to lose weight. I instead decided to do it for the other health benefits that the main character showed throughout his fast. So I impulsively decided to start one of my own and ended up completing it. I was so pumped afterward that I wanted to try something else. I figured why not just become a vegan. I wasted no time and pretty much made the decision in an instant. Looking back, this may have not been the best idea. Either way, it gave me an insight that earned it’s spot at number one.
1. Preparation is key
Figuring out what and where to get your food from can be somewhat of a challenge when trying to adhere to a vegan diet plan. Sure most restaurants are now beginning to cater to the health conscious consumer and are offering tasty alternatives. But finding pre-made foods at the grocery store that don’t have meat or dairy in them may not be as easy. This means that you will have to cook a bit more. I didn’t really prepare for the whole vegan ordeal. I just decided that I knew enough about cooking and would wing it. This ended up working in the long run but could have been expedited had I bought books and other resources to educate myself. I should have spent the necessary time to develop a better understanding of how to really change my eating habits and incorporate variety into my diet. This actually opened my eyes to yet another insight.
2. Eating habits die hard
Going from burgers and hot dogs to FAKE burgers and hot dogs isn’t exactly what I would call a breakthrough. Unfortunately, this is precisely what I did starting out. I have to admit though, it did make the transition much more tolerable. In fact, I would even suggest using this method to people who think that they wouldn’t be able to give up these staple foods. I just think that after a certain period of time, they should be reduced and even eliminated if the pursuit for real health is in mind. The thing with just eating fake versions of unhealthy food is that, you don’t really add anything. Instead, you just take away meat and dairy and then feel like you have been robbed. Healthy eating should be seen as an addition and abundance of beneficial foods. This concept helped me understand the notion of adding vs subtracting.
3. Adding vs subtracting
Too often, people complain about having to give up foods that are unhealthy, when they could instead be rejoicing at the fact that they will now be learning how to incorporate a vast array of healthier options. There are so many different healthy recipes on the internet and in print that no one person would be able to try them all. There are also tons of different and exotic fruits and vegetables that get shipped from different places of the world. So if anything, people should see eating healthy as a way to add more to their lives. Doing so will not only add abundance and vibrancy to your life, but the lives of others as you share with them.
4. Social skills will be developed
If there is one thing I had to do this past year, it was explain to others what I ate and why I ate it. Just about every time I went out to eat with new people, I found myself giving the same old song and dance. Most if not all of the questions were the same too. Where do you get your protein? Are you doing it for the animals? My answers were the same but my delivery wasn’t. Some people were genuinely interested in learning about the vegan diet. Others just wanted to poke some fun and try to be funny. Either way, I slowly realized that I would now be the focal point of dinner when out with others. So sharpening your social skills might not be a bad idea.
5. Don’t feel bad if you make a mistake
I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have a bite of meat or dairy this past year. The truth is I had more than a bite. There were a few times where I just didn’t know what to make or didn’t have access to a vegan meal and had to just bite the bullet. There were also times where I just really wanted to have a slice of pizza. The point here is to realize that you are trying to break a lifetime of habits. It takes a lot of discipline and mental toughness to do so cold turkey. It can definitely be done, but maybe just not by everyone. So don’t beat yourself up if you decide to go back to your carnivorous ways once or twice. Just remember that it is a process and takes time.
6. It can be done
When people ask me about my diet and I explain to them what it is that I do. They always say to me” Oh I could never do that”. Notice how they don’t say,” I don’t want to do that”. This tells me that people want to be healthier but just don’t think that they have the will power to make the necessary changes. I never would have thought that I would randomly decide to give up meat and dairy. I mean I used to put down burgers like it was going out of style. The pizzeria down the street from me could recognize my voice over the phone and knew exactly how to make my pie. Even now I sometimes try to think of how it has all come together. Regardless of how it did, I now see that is possible and that it can most definitely be done.
7. Your outlook can change
I really don’t crave burgers, hot dogs, or pizza as much as someone would think. Every now and then, a buddy will send a picture of one of my old favorite foods. And I have to admit, it’s like seeing a picture of an ex-girlfriend. Sure the times were great, but we eventually had to go our separate ways. If anything, now I spend my time figuring out ways to get even healthier. I may be an exception because I have chose to create a blog dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle. But there are others though who will approach going vegan as just a temporary thing but start seeing all the benefits, and then decide to stick with it. As you detox your body, your mind will also gain a sense of clarity. This can lead to some other changes or decisions regarding one’s life. So try to understand that your paradigm now may not be the same later. The only way to find out though is by giving it a try.
That was more or less my first year of going vegan and some of the insights that came long with it. Each person’s journey to health will vary and will depend on the unique circumstances of their lives. All I can say is that I have enjoyed it thus far and I am just getting started!
