don't worry, this will not be a rant regarding why you should make the same food choices as me. i believe finding the best food and energy to fuel you is a personal journey and experience. we all have different habits, preferences, taste buds, metabolisms, and values... and today i will talk to you about mine.
let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start)...
i grew up eating a typical american kid's diet. i was relatively picky, and stuck to the basics (pasta with tomato sauce, turkey sandwiches, cheese sticks, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, fries, and lots of candy), and stayed far away from anything resembling a vegetable. i did not put much thought into the food i was putting into my body, and honestly, it was not until college that i truly made the connection between food as energy and my overall health.
i would say i had a very low food consciousness, i had very little concept of nutrition, organic vs inorganic, GMOs, vitamins and minerals, macronutrients, let alone veganism or plant-based diets. in fact, up until i tested the vegetarian waters myself as a second year college student, i fed into the negative vegan stereotypes, viewing the lifestyle as extreme and taboo.
after learning quite a bit about the food industry and nutrition in various university classes, it became more and more apparent to me that i had been ignorant to a lot of problems regarding my diet. i had been living in a disconnect between my perception of my own health, and the type of fuel i was choosing to pump into my body.
almost a year ago, i began my transition from a lacto-ovo (i still ate dairy and eggs) vegetarian to a strict plant-based diet. initially i viewed this change as more restriction and rules, but as i learned some basic vegan recipes and staples, i realized that by taking away certain foods that no longer aligned with my values and health philosophy, i was making more room for an abundance of delicious and colorful plant-based foods.
this past year has been an unwavering year of passion and exploration for me regarding food. not only have i found a new love for cooking and nutrition, this lifestyle change has affected my health and body image in a variety of other ways. my newfound consciousness and knowledge has piqued my interests in yoga, meditation, exercise, my spirituality, and holistic medicine. my health, both physical and mental, has seen a dramatic improvement. i can think more clearly, live without guilt, feel more of body-mind connection, and enjoy bountiful plates of color, texture, and plant-based deliciousness.
so let's talk about vegan stereotypes,
it often feels like the moment someone mentions that they are vegan, people get uncomfortable, nervous, skeptical, judgmental, surprised... while this is not always the case and some individuals are simply curious or unknowledgeable, this is typically the unfortunate truth that i have found. people respond more positively to "i follow a plant based diet" than "i'm a vegan," and this is due to the negative stereotypes that vegans face each and every day... so, to clear a few things up:
no, vegans do not hate people who eat meat or animal products.
no, vegans do not want to relentlessly blab on about their veganism.
no, it is not super expensive to eat a plant-based diet.
no, vegans are not self-righteous hippies.
yes, vegans do get enough protein!
yes, vegans know you "could never do it," and that "you love your bacon and your cheese."
and most importantly, no, vegans do not only eat boring salads.
what i have found is that the decision to follow a plant based diet starts with an urge to improve health. this may be provoked by an increase in knowledge (reading a book or article, watching a video or documentary like What the Health, Food, Inc. or Vegucated, etc.), or a health status/condition that summons change (high blood pressure, overweight or obesity, diabetes). of course, there are other positive outcomes of a plant-based diet besides health, such as environmental and ethical benefits, as well as animal rights.
so, i have not always had the best relationship with food. through my teen years in particular, i found that my food choices correlated a great deal with my mental health. when i struggled with feelings of anxiety or sadness, i had a difficult time eating without it making me feel worse. when i was happy or bored, i would snack like crazy on unhealthy convenience foods. it was a vicious circle.
now, i try to practice the art of intuitive eating. this involves me eating when i feel hungry, stopping when i am satisfied, and listening to my body's response to foods. if i am craving something sweet, my body is probably low on sugar, so i will eat some fruit or treat myself to a piece of dark chocolate. if i am craving something salty or savory, rather than grabbing a huge bag of potato chips like i would have in my past, my new favorite tasty snack is rice crackers and hummus. your body is incredibly aware of what it needs to function, and if you listen to it closely enough, you can be too. intuitive eating has helped me to steer clear of emotional eating, bored eating, and not eating enough or eating in excess.
that being said, i am also a highly scheduled person. i love to plan ahead, almost to a fault. at the beginning of each week (typically sundays), i sit down and plan my meals for the week to make my grocery shopping trips run more smoothly. i take my specific list, and i try to refrain from picking up every single interesting vegan snack or food item i can reach. it's reassuring to know that i have all of the ingredients i need for the meals i have planned, and each day (based on my mood), i pick out and cook the meals i had planned for the week. this meal planning habit has been a huge asset to me getting accustomed to a plant-based lifestyle.
this has been a bit of a ramble about how i came to understand veganism and how it has taken me to this point, here, writing this post. while i have great plans to make more posts about being a vegan college student, easy recipes, "traditional comfort foods gone vegan," kitchen and pantry staples, this post was meant to give an introductory background about why my plant-based lifestyle is important to me.
if you have read up until this point (i'm impressed), i thank you kindly for your interest in my journey.
for a peek into my plant-based diet, check out vegfordays on instagram
and stay tuned for my next post, where i will be documenting my family trip to Charleston, South Carolina!