This month I celebrated my one year anniversary of being vegan and what a year it has been! I am always amazed at how destructive the habit of eating animal products is. Becoming conscious of how the food we consume makes such a difference to our bodies, the environment and even politics. As a previous vegetarian I was oblivious to how the dairy industry works (read Cruelty Free Dairy). I knew I couldn’t continue eating meat and yet was a little cautious about jumping onto the vegan brigade.
The Ethics of Veganism
Most people would define a vegan who does not consume animal products, i.e meat, dairy, eggs and honey. I do consume honey for two reasons, the first is that it is nowhere near as destructive as the dairy industry, the second is that bees are dying out and it is businesses who sell honey who are putting a lot of time, money and effort into saving our honey bees. Anyway I digress perhaps I should label myself as a veg*n instead? I don’t think it matters, if you don’t eat meat or dairy it is far easier to say you’re vegan then give some poor unsuspecting person the lowdown on your ethical choices in diet. Perhaps I should be more righteous and spend time convincing people to try it. I prefer explaining my diet to people who are curious and this has made fascinating conversations spanning religion, evolution and general health. No one has become vegan via these informal debates but people leave with more knowledge about the impact of their food choices. That’s all I can do the rest is their choice. If I choose to spend my time preaching anything it will be the science of Krishna consciousness as it would address all the problems of human society but I am not qualified to do either so I’ll leave the crusades to people suited for it.
Mass factory farming and animal cruelty appear to go hand in hand, and you can see for yourself on Peta’s web site if you have the stomach for it. Meat eaters argue that I am just a drop in the ocean and will not even be missed by the dairy industry. I think it is sad that people think they can’t make a difference. Personally I feel relieved that my decision makes a small but positive effect in reducing animal suffering and environmental damage. I love that everything I eat is pure and didn’t cause animals to suffer and die. I also like to support cow protection causes such as ISCOWP
How I Feel on a Vegan Diet
My reasons for veganism were purely ethical and I paid close attention to my health during this time. I am pleased to say that I have been thriving on this diet. Unlike the average person I did a lot of research about the diet, spoke to long term vegans and also based some of my food choices on my Ayurvedic dosha (vata for anyone interested). This worked well and I did not miss any of the foods I used to eat. I rarely eat vegan versions of food such as soya cheese etc, though I have developed a love for nutritional yeast. I started taking a daily spoonful of hemp protein powder in juice and also increased my fitness. I can now do twenty push ups in one go – this is a big deal for me as I have incredibly weedy arms.
Anyway after going vegan and also stopping consumption of intoxicants (caffeine, alcohol, garlic onions etc) I felt an incredible sense of peace. In the past I have been prone to emotional outbursts, irritability and impatience. I have noticed that I am far more balanced, open-minded and compassionate. Some will probably say that going vegan opened my heart chakra.
How Far Do You Go?
I think an ethical lifestyle is something that can always be improved upon. I am choosing leather-free shoes and bags, though I do own a jacket that would have ended up in landfill and as the animal has already paid the price the jacket will be used rather than just thrown away. It is incredibly challenging applying this compassionate philosophy in your life. I found myself trying to source an animal-free glue and then discovering that my favourite UHU is vegan! I think it is possible to get obsessed and I feel that this is a double-edged sword. I don’t ever want to become blasé about these principles and not question what is right. But it is still important to have fun and have a life! Either way it’s not in my nature to judge others, my journey in veganism is my own position.
Committing to a Vegan Lifestyle
I’m committed to lifelong dietary choice, and this has had social effects. I don’t eat out (well apart from at the temple) and this isn’t just because of a lack of vegan choices. Restaurants that also serve meat always have the possibility of contaminating your food. And I do not want my money to profit a business that makes money out of selling meat. I am fortunate as this has been relatively easy, one family function was amusing as I devoured a plate of salad and my lovely aunt tried to keep the meat as far away from me as possible.
Exploring vegan foods has been so much fun, I never would have tried so many interesting foods including sea vegetables (which I wouldn’t have been adventurous enough to try a few years ago). I love eating more raw foods, especially in the summer and have a thing about smoothies at the moment.
All of my very close friends and family have been supportive though the understanding comes from a shared love of animals- they are vegetarian. I naturally draw likeminded people into my life and the stubborn people resistant to change naturally drop out. This is great as I want to grow and change as a person and have no time for negativity from people who fear change. I would recommend trying a vegan lifestyle, though please research it first! Once you do this you will realise that iron and protein are not even an issue, unless you are an incredibly fussy eater. B12 gets a lot of press, yet please remember that B12 affects more meat-eaters than vegans and is due to our over-cleanliness rather than a defect in the diet. Be informed when you do anything, try the free vegan recipes and don’t be afraid to try something new!
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