Hello Beauties!! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and having lots of fun in the sun!!
It’s been a long while, but I always enjoy writing health and diet related posts, so this one was a no brainer!
ENTER: My Month As A Vegan!
Now as a quick disclaimer: I’d been an ovo-lacto vegetarian since 11th grade (meaning I eat eggs and dairy but no meat), Shannon since she was in her first year of university; fast track to 2013- that’s 6 years! It’s not for everyone, I totally understand that and believe you me, I did and still do heavy research about being vegetarian ALL the time. I have books on books and I’ve read countless articles. I am kind of a fact junkie on this specific topic. I’m not a dietician and I don’t recommend it for everyone, it’s not a trend it’s a lifestyle. 🙂 Do your own research and make your own choices.
How it started:
Well it all started with one of the best/worst sources for vegetarian information ever… PETA. I do not like the PETA website, I think they’re overly pushy about what they stand for, in my opinion. I’m still a strong believer and share a lot of the same values against animal cruelty, however, it’s just too in your face for me. None the less, it’s how it all started. I don’t really want to go into details as it could be really boring for those of you who are reading this post, but just know that it was a strong enough influence to change my mind about eating meat.
What I did:
Remembering back, I think I was in 9th grade or so when I first was shown the PETA website. I immediately wanted to be vegetarian right away, but being that I was so young and still living in my parent’s house it just wasn’t an option at the time (or so my mom says). It wasn’t until Shannon was in her first year of university that my mom said it would be okay (I was in 11th grade). I did TONS of research and cooked a lot of my own proteins (My mom made the side dishes like veggies and carbs). It was crucial at that point in time to make sure that I was providing my body with all of the necessary nutrients it needed. I still to this day do lots of reading and research.
CUE: My Month As A Vegan!!!
Now I’ve always been very sensitive to dairy products. I wouldn’t say that I’m entirely classified as “lactose intolerant” but my body definitely doesn’t process it very well. I can still handle it, I just suffer through the bloating and gassy mess afterwards; therefore I always just bought soy or almond milk instead when I started living on my own! Cheese is definitely a danger zone for me, I get ADDICTED! So I just simply never brought it into the house unless it was for a special occasion. In regards to eggs: I’m not a huge egg eater and lately my ‘want’ for eggs has been even lower to the point where I stopped buying them entirely. That’s when I thought that I would start a one month, self tested body experiment where I cut out dairy and eggs entirely to see if I feel any different!
The Transition To Vegan-ism:
I started by asking my already vegan friend if I could borrow a couple of her books. My main inspiration came from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone; something I’d always wanted to read, but never got around to. It’s a great read for any of you who are doing research, or like to read up on health related subjects! It was very informative, has a lot of tasty recipes and even has different levels of transitioning into not eating meat, dairy, or eggs! Super user friendly.
I have to say all in all, the transition was very easy! I didn’t find cooking for myself challenging at all! You just simply don’t use dairy or eggs when cooking. And for those times that you do, you simply substitute for a dairy, egg free option! Like Earth Balance is a vegan friendly butter, almond and soy milks are easily used in place of milk! They even have vegan cheese and meat alternatives now! The world is becoming more and more vegetarian and vegan friendly! More than I think we know!
How I’m Feeling Now?
I feel AMAHAAZING! Lighter, healthier, and just overall better. Mind you I’m sure I’m feeling lighter because I’m not consistently bombarding my body dairy products which it hates causing me to bloat and feel super uncomfortable. I feel like I have more energy and that I enjoy eating and cooking more. It’s simpler too and fun to try combinations I never thought of.
One thing that The Kind Diet puts emphasis on for those of you who are looking to go vegan is the idea of incorporating whole grains into your diet. I’m not talking copious amounts of whole wheat bread and pasta, I’m talking the pure, unrefined whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, oats and so much more! Beans also take the spotlight. Now, don’t fret! You can have beans and not be gassy by soaking them first! My advice is to buy dried beans, soak them on your own for an entire day (changing the water a couple times) and then boiling them until they’re tender. By soaking them, you let out all of the gassy properties. Fun fact hey?! As a rule of thumb, make sure you’re getting 1/4 plate whole grains, 1/4 plate protein and 1/2 plate veggies/fruits! By doing that you don’t have to worry about missing out on protein levels; one of the major concerns for those who are considering vegetarianism or veganism. To be honest, a lot of people right now get MORE protein than their body can handle processing at one time. There’s actually a lot of protein in food that you never thought, like vegetables, legumes, and leafy greens!! If you’re super concerned, try adding protein powder to your diet.
Where To Now?
It’s been almost a month since I started eating vegan and I honestly don’t see myself stopping any time soon. Therefore, I think it would be great to start a blog series of yummy, easy to make recipes! Within the last month I started making my own hummus (I’ll never buy store bought again), I’ve perfected the most amazing avocado Alfredo, and have a delicious corn and edamame bean salad under my belt!! Make sure to keep an eye out for that 🙂
Thanks for reading everyone!
See you soon
xoxo
Caitlin
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