Bad vegan July 9, 2008

In March my husband decided to become vegetarian. Since I either make meals at home or we eat out (I’d say about 1% of the time he cooks) I figured that it would be easiest for me to become vegetarian as well. We decided to eat fish, eggs, and cheese, but we switched to soy milk.

The switch was odd for me at first. I remember feeling off sometimes – lightheaded, no energy, just strange in general. Well, stranger than usual! Ha! But after the first week or so, I started feeling amazing! Once my body got used to not having meat of any kind (other than the fish), I got a lot more energy.

All was going wonderfully until I read the book (pardon my French) “Skinny Bitch” a few weeks ago. The book, by authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, was a real eye opener. The things that people do to animals in the name of making “food”. I like animals – I never knew the incredible number that get slaughtered annually so that we can “get our protein in” (a myth debunked by the book). Aside from the animal suffering, the book details how government agencies (FDA, USDA) regularly lie to an unassuming public. They support things that are bad for us because they get paid to do so by the companies whose products they are supposed to protect us from. Honestly, there’s no way I could sum up the book in the time I’ve given myself to write it, so go buy it and read it. It’s an easy, although very informational, read.

So, my life has taken a new path thanks to Rory and Kim (and my wonderful, patient husband). I no longer:

• eat cheese (do you know how much fat is in cheese??!? It’s obscene!)
• use artificial sweeteners (they’re all awful for you, even Splenda. Get some Stevia extract and put it in your purse/wallet/pocket/whatever)
• drink soda (sooooooo bad for your bones and health overall – it robs your body of water)
• drink coffee (see above)
• eat eggs (what they inject into the chickens might as well be injected right into the eggs)

I also:

• avoid non-whole grains whenever possible (there are so many good alternatives – whole wheat breads, whole wheat pastas, brown rice, quinoa, etc.)
• switched all the dairy I consume to soy-based products (soy milk, soy yogurt, soy cheese)
• read ingredients in everything before buying it (yes, this takes longer in stores but I have determined that I’m worth that extra time).
• watch out for gelatin, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup (or regular fructose corn syrup for that matter – it’s all terrible for you)
• try to eat more fruits and vegetables daily than most other things, with the possible exception of whole grains

I can’t say that I’m perfect by any means with the vegan way of life. For starters, I haven’t ruled fish out of my diet so I can’t “officially” be vegan. That said, I haven’t had any since starting down this road.

It’s definitely not the easiest path. I’ve been tempted on a near-daily basis. Last night, my husband splurged and had real ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. Chocolate with chocolate chips – it looked divine! I didn’t have any. Today my employer purchased lunch (El Pollo Loco) for the entire company. The chicken smelled amazing! All that I ate were beans, rice, and chips with salsa. But there are a number of great things that you can eat without cheese and you probably won’t miss it much. Get the casein out of your diet and you won’t be hooked as much.

Anyway, I’m not trying to toot my own horn or anything. I am very proud of myself at the changes that I’ve made. But more than that, I want other people who are thinking of going vegetarian or vegan that it’s possible. I love steak, chicken, and cheese. Hamburgers are another weakness. And chocolate – wooo, don’t get me started! So if I can give all of that up, I know that other people can do the same. I think sometimes knowing that other people have been through the same journey helps you take that first step.