People often ask me the questions : " How, why, and when did you become vegan ? " Or do you ever miss meat ?"
When they hear my story and find out I became repulsed by meat around age 12 and became vegetarian as soon as I was living on my own I tend to feel as if I've lost relatablity through their eyes.
The truth is we still had a lot in common .
Yes, I cared about animals and , remember being repulsed eating a chicken's leg . Seeing the veins in it . I became emotionally and spiritually allergic and certainly did not want or crave to eat body pieces when presented in their closest original forms around the age of 12 for certain . I don't remember it being too much of an issue for me before then .
However, I was under the impression that eggs and milk didn't harm an animal and saw no issue or revulsion in eating products including them. The taste of plain cow's milk for as long as I can remember was something disgusting to me but, if chocolate or strawberry syrup was added I'd gladly drink that . When it came to ice cream, yogurt, cheese, and eggs made into omelets I was a fan ( That is.... a fanatic ) !
From the age of about 17 - 21, I ate a diet full of cheeses, ice cream, yogurt, eggs, processed foods and drinks and , a few other things now and then . My favorite and most commonly had meals were mac and cheese, ice cream, pasta with alfredo sauce, pancakes, mashed potatoes with ranch dressing, and something I called chessy fry salad - Mc Donald's Fries, melted cheese, salad and ranch dressing, coffee with milk and mysterious bottled drinks teas- sodas . Does that sound healthy to you ? From time to time I would eat chicken . I grew confused and tired of being different from " everyone " else and would think things like " I'll give it a try again and see ", or "everyone else is screw it " .
I was officially addicted to animal products . It's just that I was addicted to their secretions and not their flesh . It's really not that big of a difference at all looked at from an educated health perspective, moral perspective , and in regards to addictiveness .In fact , they are commonly referred to as "liquid meat ".
If you had asked me if I would ever be vegan then, I think I would have answered "no", "probably not ", or" why ?" Because, I could not picture a life without dairy and eggs . It was so much of what I ate ! And I didn't know any vegans , had no information about it other than what they didn't eat , had no idea why I should be vegan , and thought they lived a life of deprivation - Honestly I had no idea what they ate and how they sustained themselves . I assumed they loved all kinds of veggies and ate them plain and I, at the time liked very few at all and virtually none plain and free of dairy sauces . In fact, I squirmed and cringed at the thought of eating a veggie plain without ranch dressing or cheese.
"Where's the sense in that ?" I thought . I'm not hurting any animals ... "Nothing could have been farther from the truth "
I don't mention thoughts of health because, I couldn't have cared much less about my health at the time .
But,
I was hurting my health substantially as well ! I see now how my diet caused me numerous physical problems - constipation , rotting teeth, frequent colds, a cyst .. I see how it caused me emotional and mental problems - depression , chronic social fear and anxiety , low self confidence , and life problems -relationship neediness and dependency, a multitude of addictions . These are examples not the complete run down list !
Oh, and by the way I used these "foods" sometimes to self medicate - that is suppress . I would order a large cheese pizza and eat the whole things many times in a year when I could "afford it" . when I couldn't there was still the cheaper foods to binge on . I now understand on a physical level dairy has caso-morphine's . Yes, that's what it sounds like . I was self drugging myself with a morphine . And that other levels emotional, mental , etc. were involved too.
Did I miss "meat "or do I ? No, I hardly if at all ever did . and I certainly never do now . On a very rare occasion I will want tofurky's vegan pepperoni . Did I or Do I ever miss dairy products or eggs ? Yes, I did . In the beginning I craved them frequently for about the first 3 weeks . I didn't consume any and the cravings stopped nagging me like that . Then for a couple months I briefly craved them ( 5-10 mins or less ) every 3 weeks or so , I didn't eat any and then I stopped craving them . No, I never crave them now ! I haven't for years ! I looked behind the curtain. I've seen what they really are. What they are made of . I have come in alignment to recognize I find consuming hen's menstruation's and , the breast milk of another species gross and not appealing !
That doesn't mean I don't crave creamy sauces, vegan cheese, or vegan ice cream . I do from time to time . and I eat them from time to time . but, the vegan cheese and vegan ice creams don't rule my life . I eat a more whole food plant based diet primarily . Not because, I exert a lot of will and determination but, because, it's what feels and tastes best to me now most of the time ! And, It feels and tastes marvelous !
I can not begin to cover how much better my life is now !
And I guess that's not inline with the headline anyway . You can get a glimpse by reading my "What's new with me " blog posts if you'd like though . I try to keep you posted .
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