I decided to become vegetarian when I was 12, it wasn’t a phase nor was it a fad, I was genuinely against the killing of animals. I didn’t realise until I was older the level of severity that most animals go through to be the meals on our table. I just knew I didn’t want to contribute to their deaths and so began eating a vegetarian diet.
Eating a vegetarian diet continued until I was 26 and then when I found out I was pregnant I was guilted into eating meat for ‘protein’ and ‘the heath of the baby.’
Once my son turned about a year old I again decided that I didn’t want to be a carnivore and went back to being vegetarian. I felt better within my body, my conscience was cleared and my body was functioning better than when I was eating meats and dairy products.
Fast forward a few months and I decided that vegan was the next phase and I wanted to be at that next stage. I completely avoiding eating any animal product, which was a struggle when it came to cheese but after researching what’s actually contained within cheese it was easy to transition off of it.
One of the main things that bothered me about animal products was of course the death of these innocent creatures but also the processing of the meats such as hormones, additives, bleaches and also the modified foods given to the animals for their consumption which is then passed on to us.
After a couple of years and a cancer scare with a friend I went and had my bloods taken to have everything tested for my general health and well-being and also some checks for cancer. Everything came up clear and normal and heathy and I couldn’t help but blurt out ‘…and I’m Vegan!’ Which did surprise my doctor. I was proud to know I’d been eating well and correctly and wasn’t deficient in anything nor did anything of concern come up in my results.
I found that since I became vegetarian I was less sick and if I did have a cold or cough it only lasted a few days. And being vegan, I’m now rarely ever sick.
If you’re thinking of dabbling in vegetarianism or veganism in this new year there are a few things you need to be prepared for, such as meal preparation and spending a bit extra on foods. It’s important to create a list of basics that you can make meals with and not to stress about making anything extravagant as simple variety is what’s important.
Finding vegan meals to eat when you’re out can be hard, but it always pays to ask the venue as they might surprise you, plus there are a lot more healthy living cafes and restaurants popping up so that every on in your party can be fed and there are multiple menu options.
I’m going to follow this post up with some more informative posts on being vegan and ideas for following a vegan lifestyle, whether it’s for the animals, yourself or your health.
Thanks for reading,
Simply, Natalie Laura
simplynatalielaura 