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Vegan? What was your motivation?
Started
by Nicky
on October 7, 2010
I come from a healthy eating famiy, but that didn't help much when I went through college 2 years ago. Since then I've been trying to be healthy, but stuggling to make it stick. This last month I have read Naturally Thin and Skinny Bitch. Those books changed my whole outlook on life! I deserve to be healthy and to eat naturally good food! And this time I know it will stick! I am allergic to gluten so I think that going vegan will be difficult - but I've been taking it one meal at a time. Can anyone offer any advice or tell me what they used for motivation to make an official change?
Hi Nicky!
My journey to this new lifestyle started with food allergies as well. Turns out I am allergic to a combination of items found primarily in processed foods. I did TONS of research in my quest for being able to eat without fearing puking or death. While reasearching, I read so much information about how animal products interact with our bodies and how we can heal ourselves through helthy foods. Then I bought TKD and it pretty much "sealed the deal." The positive environmental impact is just the icing on the cake. Now that I have my allergy more under control, and know what I can eat, I am enjoying food SO much more and I finally feel like I have my LIFE and ENERGY back.
Best to you! I journal what I eat on the "notes" section of my page if you are feeling lost when it comes to food. I eat TONS of veggies, some fruit, pea protein shakes (1 per day, I exercise a lot), some grains (usually at bfast and lunch only).
Hi Nicky. My motivation was mostly for ethical reasons and then a lot about health too. It just makes sense. There is no way to negate the facts once you know them! I am so excited that you have educated yourself and are taking control of your life in such a great way! It was not difficult for me to give up meat, cheese, and other animal products because I was not that into them in the first place. However, if I ever did waver, it would be the animals that brought me back. I would go visit a farm animal sanctuary, look into their eyes, and immediately remember why I made this great change. Becoming vegan 3 years ago was undeniably the best thing I have ever done in my life.
For me it was all about health. I knew about animal exploitation and suffering for many years but like most people just hardened myself to it. It is really quite easy to do. The China Study by T. Colin Campbell was part of the evidence I used to change my attitude then my actual diet. I remain much more concerned with the welfare of human beings then the animals but am very happy that our nutritional needs dovetail nicely with the animals' interests.
If human beings required animal based foods to be healthy, I would not be advocating for plant-based. I would consider their suffering necessary and just try not to think about it.
My reason for being vegan was animal welfare and my body. I was a wavering vegeratarian and was ready to give up dairy and needed a push to do so. I read "The Kind Diet" and "The Okinawaian Diet" I said I would try it out. I had no idea how much abuse and inhumane treatment occurs in dairy animals. I also believed I was lactose intolerant depsite growing up in the Dairy State all my life. My body felt so much better after a couple weeks and been vegan for the last 4 months.
I have a much more informed outlook on nutrition and food. There are so many more foods I have tried and eat now than I ever have before. This community, conferences, books and websites have inspired me to document my food learnings here: http://sweetpersimmon.tumblr.com/
My reasons progressed in this order: 1) health 2) environment and after time 3) compassion. Now the sum of the three makes it impossible for me to even consider going back to meat eating or dairy/egg consumption- even if I had to live on twigs and berries!
I have had a sketchy health history, with cancer, arthritis and infertility. I've licked all 3, but was also always coming down with colds and flus. Last winter, my first cold started on Christmas eve, and I was not completely well again until May. I even got pneumonia. So, I saw Alicia on Oprah, bought her book, and got started. Now, I don't always make the healthiest choices just for myself, but during this journey, I also watched online "Meet your meat", narrated by Paul McCartney. Sometimes, I feel like everyone else is still eating meat and cheese, why not me....but the images from that short film keep me from slipping back into my old habits.
I read Fast Food Nation a few years ago and thought to myself "Well, clearly I'm never eating at McDonalds again." After thinking that, I immediately realized that I shouldn't stop with McDonalds and I gave up all meat/poultry/fish overnight. Eggs and dairy took a little longer to give up but after further educating myself I'm now Vegan. So my motivation was animal compassion/not wanting to support crap companies first, followed by health then the environment.
I'd keep reading books and blogs and listen to Veggie podcasts for motivation. The more you know the less you will want to return to animal products. Like french_momma says, its impossible for me to consider going back.
@french_momma same reasons! My boyfriend was telling me last night that because of not much rainfall over our winter that farmers (including diary) are having to slaughter some of their herds. He is an avid milk drinker and meat eater but he said to me last night "i can kind of understand why you stopped consuming animal products" SO he is switching to almond milk to see how he goes. Baby Steps. THATS my motivation.
Animal welfare is my sole motiviation not to eat meat/dairy. I don't feel like animal suffering is acceptable if it benefits humans just like I don't feel exploiting people of different races can ever be justified. If I was just a vegan for health reasons it would be far too easy to cheat and, frankly, I think I would eventually give up on it since I do believe you can be a healthy ominovore.
Animals don't care what your reason is for not eating them just that you don't do it so I'm happy for whatever motivation a person has to go vegan. Having said that what I really respect are those people who choose veganism out of compassion for other sentient beings not just their own welfare.
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