A few weeks back, a few people asked me over on Instagram how and why I went vegan last July. I will mostly talk about the "how" in this post as I feel the "why" is personal to each and everyone of us. My "why" was a combination of health, illness management, my love for all animals, research on how they are treated and slaughtered as well as our planet and environment.
The "How" however is not that straightforward. I was a vegetarian for most of my life. Truth is, I've never liked the texture of meat (red, white, game or poultry). Too dense, too chewy, it was not really my taste.
CHILDHOOD...
Growing up, my parents raised me an omnivore. All organic food, straight from farmers and local markets. My father was an artisan baker (making sourdough bread and pastries in an wood-fired oven, something you do not see anymore nowadays). At the end of every other business day, he would trade dry or unsold bread with farmers who wanted animal feed, for eggs, poultry or milk.
We always had fresh milk, sour cream, cheese, organic free range eggs etc on the table. I would take a long time to finish my plate every time meat was on the menu. I would chew for hours (not kidding), finding it hard to swallow and if I didn't finish my lunch I would get the leftovers for dinner. Ugh. (The day we got a dog was a day filled with joy of course ... but it also meant that I could discreetly feed her the meat I could not eat under the table ;-))
THE FRENEMY......CHEESE...
Along the way and in no particular order I gave up most dairy, refined sugar and had a love-hate relationship with eggs. I also gave up fish 6 years ago. I even went vegan for a while in 2016 (truth: I cheated a little every month coz ...well, he following culprit)... cheese (mostly goat's cheese). This was why I never went fully vegan for more than a few weeks. I LOVED cheese. On pasta, on pizza, on crackers, on a platter with wine, cheese was my go-to snack. However, every time I had some, I would feel bloated afterwards, heavy and gassy (well, sorry but you've got to talk about this stuff!)
Many times I went off it but after a few days or weeks even I would always find my way back to it. It was like I was addicted (but later on that).
What got my attention was that every time I stopped eating cheese, I would feel much better and my gut was healthier. I won't go in depth into my health problems here but not eating cheese and dairy (even for a few days) seemed to have a positive effect on my gut, migraines and overall body. No inflammation! Also let's be real, there was no vile smell in the fridge! (Don't forget I live in France eh, stinky cheese and all....) Yet, I was too weak to give it up.
RESEARCH...
So I educated myself, did some research, watched videos and documentaries, read studies and I found out that there is a protein in cheese called casein which is highly addictive. Many doctors have conducted studies which prove that casein is slowly digested and once it enters our bloodstream, it releases heroin-like substances and causes severe addictions to cheese and dairy products. It is that strong. And as women, it also affects our mood and hormones.
After reading more and more about it, I decided to give it up for good. That was in July 2017. The first few days/weeks were hard. I was craving cheese big time. But I remained strong and turned to nuts and fruits and I even began making my own vegan cheese. About 4 weeks later, I weaned off of it. I was no longer craving it and having read studies and watched graphic images of how animals are treated, something clicked in my brain. I could not eat that stuff ever again. Not only for the animals but also for my health.
We've been brain-washed about the fact that we need dairy to get our daily dose of calcium. When you think about it, why not go straight to the source? Why get it through an animal? Just start eating more leafy greens, nuts, legumes or take supplements (which is also what is given to animals in the first place). And take vitamin supplements like B12.
Cooking and preparation wise, my transition to being completely vegan was not a big change from being a vegetarian... I just needed more ideas. I found other go-to snacks.
To be honest, it doesn't take very long to prepare meals.... and I am not a professional chef. You just need to change the way you shop and have staples in the house at all times.
For instance, in your pantry, you should always have brown rice, lentils, beans, chick peas, coconut milk/cream, lots of spices and herbs, nuts, Medjool dates, pasta (Gluten free if you can), you can also try quinoa, millet, couscous etc... That will be your big shopping for dry ingredients.
Every two or three days, you can shop the fresh stuff like fruits and vegetables (exotic fruits, avocados, pineapples and seasonal fruits and vegs etc). The point of going plant-based is for you to eat fresh, whole, colourful and seasonal produce.
Once you become more familiar with vegan cooking, everything will fall into place. And don't believe we only eat leaves and salads!! Being a vegan can be a feast! You can have burgers, lasagna, dahls, curries, pizza, pasta, stews, stir-fries, French fries, pies, soups, anything you want, except much healthier and probably more exciting, as once you start cooking, you will become more creative and start experimenting and find new flavours. The important thing is that you get excited about the food.
DON'T GET OVERWHELMED, TAKE YOUR TIME.
If you want to transition but are not too sure how, take baby steps. Give yourself time. It is better to do it gradually than to feel overwhelmed and give up. And most of all, stop buying processed foods and prepared meals, even vegan ones! Being plant based to me is all about whole foods, I would not want to eat something full of refined sugar, salt or fat or that I didn't make myself. It is so quick to throw a good whole foods tasty meal together. That's what veganism is to me. Whole foods that keep you fuller longer.
If you need inspiration, I hope you can find it on this blog where I regularly post yummy and easy to make recipes. There are also great blogs and websites out there to get you started.
I am by no means an agressive vegan. The above is my own experience and opinion. I think it is okay that people do whatever they want to do. To each their own. I only hope that I can inspire someone to take a moment to think about it or research it or educate themselves before they make their final choice. Specially if you suffer from chronic pain, an auto immune disease or if you just want to lose weight and be healthier.
It has worked for me so, why not you? Just have fun with it :)
