Life as a vegan
Yesterday marked two years of my being vegan! I knew it was coming up, but I didn’t realize what day it was until I checked my calendar today. I should have been paying better attention because then maybe I would have celebrated in some way by making a vegan cake or something equally delicious. Instead I went to a food festival and was reminded why I’m vegan in the first place.
Having been a vegetarian for about six years before I became vegan, I’d had quite a lot of “practice” in becoming a vegan, specifically because I knew I’d adopt a vegan diet eventually and already cut down many dairy and egg products (among other non-vegan-friendly ingredients). So when people ask me if it’s hard, I say without a doubt that it’s not. This new environment of mine (university) has brought all kinds of new challenges, but never have I considered going back or that I may be doing something wrong.
I’m vegan because I love animals and don’t want to be the reason for any of their pain. The (health, eco, weight, etc.) benefits that come with being vegan are just an extra bonus. I’d been considering going vegan for a while, but it wasn’t until I read the must-read book Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin that I made the decision then and there to stop eating dairy and eggs for good and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve been meaning to write a book review to share with all of you on Skinny Bitch because it really is a fabulous book, but there’s so much to say I don’t know where to start. I figured it was about time I at least tell you about it.
I’ve been vegan for two years and I can honestly say I’m healthier than I’ve ever been. If I ever (very rarely) get sick, it lasts a few hours tops. I lost over 30 pounds and gained a lot of confidence and self-love. I no longer feel guilty about the food I eat. I’ve improved my cooking and baking skills immensely. The list goes on and on.
That’s a summary of my vegan story. Do you have one? I’d love to hear it! A few of you have asked about my veganism before and, if you have any other questions, please write them in the comments below.
25 October 2011 / Animals, Books, Food, Health
Tags: anniversary, skinny bitch, vegan
Comments
25 October 2011 - 5:35 pm
Happy Veganniversary, Eva! I thought you’d been vegan much longer, you have educated yourself well and are a radiant, inspiring and eloquent voice for the voiceless. Enjoy your veganniversary!
25 October 2011 - 6:46 pm
So awesome! Congrats! I’ve been on a cleanse this month & have been raw for the past 30 days. Let me just say I have such a new found appreciation for everything I eat! I’ve yet to decide to do a full time switch, but I’ve been contemplating it more now than ever. It’s great to hear your story!
26 October 2011 - 2:50 pm
After reading Skinny Bitch I was so moved that I made the decision to become vegetarian, and hopefully one day vegan. I have had some stumbles, but I’m doing my best and hope to get to where you are, congrats!
6 November 2011 - 7:00 pm
Gratulacje, w naszym świecie – mięsożerców sukces, to być wegetarianinem. A być weganem, to jeden krok dalej do lepszego życia. I dzięki za inspirację bym mógł być wegetarianinem. Dzięki.
8 November 2011 - 4:01 pm
Awesome! I’m vegan most days, a vegetarian some days and a carnivore only on rare occasion. I couldn’t agree more that making a vegan/vegetarian diet my lifestyle totally revamped my health and set me on the path to a much better quality of life AND we save TONS of money on groceries.
12 April 2012 - 11:16 am
I’m still in transition phase and will make exceptions on very rare occasions, but I love eating vegan. My main reason is the ecological footprint of animal-sourced food, but of course, movies like ‘earthlings’ (not for the faint of heart!) help… didn’t like skinny bitch though, I found the language very harsh and pretentious.
Go on being awesome!
25 October 2011 - 5:00 am
A great post! always important and moving to hear vegans’ reasons and incentives for their lifestyle and diet.I’ve been “on and off” vegan for about three years.I remember eating salmon 3 years ago and just feeling disgusted and upset that I was eating something that should be living,breathing and swimming freely.I too love animals and it hurts me that so many people are willing to support the meat,dairy and fish industries.So many people are uninformed,or simply do not care.
I am vegan because I CARE!