Today marks my first year as a Vegan. Growing up I never fail to eat my vegetables because of all its health benefits. My mom was a pescatarian and sometimes a flexitarian. She was my inspiration to eat healthily and avoid meat as much as possible. When I was a child she would always tell me and my siblings to refrain from eating junk food, processed food including meat as it is carcinogenic (cancerous). I guess she was right all along because if I only paid more attention to my diet when I was young, then I wouldn’t have lost my gallbladder at the age of 34.
As I grew older I realize that it is “payback time,” indeed. My diet changed drastically after my laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) operation. I decided to cut down on eating pork and went for chicken meat instead and the reason being was, it is easier to digest. Losing a gallbladder may not sound like too big of a deal since it is not a major organ, but I guess I was wrong. I experienced heartburn whenever I eat something even with very little fat content in it. I felt bloated and once in a while had constipation issues. So I increased my fiber intake, I even switched from white to brown or red rice. In spite of it all, I still feel like there is something wrong with how I live my life. It did not occur to me however, that one day I will make the switch to veganism.
Vegetarian vs Vegan Diet: What is the difference?
Most people confuse vegetarian and vegan diets to be the same. According to healthline.com, Vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, game, fish, and shellfish. Certain types of vegetarians also exclude eggs, dairy or other animal by-products. A Vegan diet, on the other hand, can be viewed as the strictest form of vegetarianism. Veganism is currently defined by the Vegan Society as a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty as much as possible.
Why the switch?
I became vegan primarily for ethical reasons as well as to live a healthier lifestyle. At first, I was a little concerned because I am not sure if I’m ready to give up eating meat yet, but all my worries were finally put to rest after reading informative articles and watching Netflix documentaries’ “What the Health” and “Cowspiracy.” There’s a lot of documentaries that tackle how switching to a plant-based diet is beneficial to health and the environment but these two definitely got stuck in my head.
For the love of animals
“I love animals,” I hear this a lot from pet owners including myself before becoming a vegan. We feed and rescue helpless animals, we even open our homes to neglected ones to give them another chance in life. But I still don’t think it’s fair. If we love animals, we have to love them equally not just the ones we share our homes with. Animals are friends, not food. They feel pain, physically or emotionally just like humans do. We’re not God, so taking the life that is gifted to them is not our decision to make.
On helping the environment
According to independent.co.uk, study finds that veganism is “the single biggest way” to reduce our environmental impact on the planet.
Avoiding meat and dairy could reduce the carbon footprint from food by nearly three-quarter. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to 73%.
Health effects of vegan diets
For many vegans, nutritional choices center around taking better care of the earth’s resources and the environment, ethical issues about animal care, the use of antibiotics and growth stimulants for the production of animals, the threat of animal-borne diseases, and the health advantages of a plant-based diet. In addition, the potential of allergies from dairy products and lactose intolerance have fueled the popularity of soy-based dairy substitutes.
Vegan diets are usually higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, iron, and phytochemicals, and they tend to be lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol, long-chain n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B-12. In general, vegetarians typically enjoy a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers (source: acedemic.oup.com).
I developed an allergic reaction to poultry products particularly eggs and chicken, as well as seafood like shrimp and crab when I was a kid. I thought I have to deal with it for the rest of my life. I think that is why transitioning to a vegan diet is a piece of cake for me because I don’t have to deal with avoiding certain kinds of food anymore.
Veganism is here to stay
Becoming vegan is not just a diet, it is a lifestyle. It’s a choice I made because my body is not a graveyard. And no it is definitely not just a phase, like what most people thought. It’s not something that will pass and soon enough I will go back to eating meat again. Education is the key to fully understand what veganism is all about. It is not enforced so please, don’t criticize vegans and disrespect just because you are not, to each his/her own.
One thing is for sure ... once a VEGAN will always be a vegan, FOR LIFE.
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