I'd like to start off by saying I never thought I'd be a vegan. I grew up believing humans need to consume meat and dairy to be healthy. I went through an intense transformation to get where I am today and by no means do I think I'm better than anyone who is not aware of the dangers meat and dairy pose to our health. Since researching what is really going on with the food industry and how humans digest food, I cannot stay silent. These are the main reasons I became vegan. Some might not be what you'd expect.
I've Never Felt Better
Since I read The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder, C.N., my entire perspective on food changed. I was struggling with acne, low energy, high cholesterol, and poor digestion. I knew I had to make a change. Through prayer and research, changing my diet was the primary solution to those issues. That was back in January of 2015, when I gradually began transitioning from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to a more plant based way of eating. My skin became clearer, I had more energy, my cholesterol balanced to a healthy level, and my digestion improved.
For a couple of years, I identified myself as a "most of the time" vegan because I wasn't ready to give up venison. I know it's ironic, but I'm actually married to a deer hunter. He's been extremely supportive and we've learned a lot about compromising. When I cook at home, we always eat vegan, except for when we cook his venison. Up until about May of 2018, I'd eat that meat at dinner, about once a month. As time went on, I got deeper into the vegan lifestyle and I could no longer stomach eating the venison. I had to make the leap and become a full vegan. I felt like a hypocrite the last few times I ate it because I loved sharing my success as a vegan, but I was still eating animal flesh. It just didn't feel right. Now, I can truly spread awareness about the dangers of meat and dairy and all the benefits that come with eating plant based.
Consuming Meat and Dairy is Linked to Disease
You may be wondering "If this is true, why are meat and dairy consumption promoted in mainstream health institutions if it isn't healthy?" The answer is very simple: money. "From their inception, American dietary guidelines have been influenced by meat and dairy industries...when the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs first drafted it's dietary guidelines in 1977, the committee intended for Americans to limit red meat and dairy for improved health. But the meat and dairy industries exerted their power and influence to change this, and the committee was forced to compromise...Ultimately, both meat and dairy found their prominent place in the food pyramid." (p.99-100 of The Beauty Detox Solution by Kimberly Snyder, C.N.)
If you haven't seen"What the Health", please do yourself a favor and watch it. This documentary explains the connection between disease and meat and dairy consumption. It also dives into the the sad reality that these toxic industries pay their way into mainstream guidelines. Heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, gout, obesity, acne, low energy, high blood pressure, and shorter life expectancy, to name a few, are all linked to eating meat and dairy. "What the Health" is streaming on Netflix and their website has more information on the studies they use to back up their claims. It's truly scary when you realize meat and dairy are extremely toxic to the human body, and most people consume it daily.
I Desire a Long, Healthy Life without Prescriptions and Hospital Visits
The pharmaceutical industry is also involved in promoting unhealthy foods because they know you'll end up turning to them when your health begins to decline. I often hear people say "I only get one life so I'm going to eat whatever I want, even if it's unhealthy." When you're young, you can get away with that for a time. Eventually, your body will succumb to disease because it's had to process poisons for so many years. Hospital visits and prescription drugs become normal later in life. But that doesn't have to be your future. You can avoid that path and that's why I'm so thankful I discovered this lifestyle as young as I did. Cutting out meat, dairy, and processed foods, and replacing them with salads, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tempeh, tofu, rice, quinoa, etc., will improve your quality of life and help you avoid disease.
Cooking and Meal Planning Have Never Been Easier
I remember learning to cook as a young teenager and being absolutely disgusted with raw meat. Everyone told me "You better get used to it because when you grow up you'll have to do it all the time." When I did move out and started cooking on my own, I did"get used to it", even though I hated every second of it. I'm so thankful that since becoming vegan, that's a thing of the past. It's so much easier to plan meals around salads and vegetables! It's far less time consuming to cook vegan dishes, food poisoning risk is decreased, and I don't have to worry about thawing out meat ahead of time.
Animal Cruelty
Many people relate veganism with animal lovers, and while I like animals, I wouldn't consider myself an "animal lover". I'm a clean freak, so having a pet is out of the question for me. That being said, the mistreatment of animals for the sake of the meat and dairy industry is horrifying. Dairy cows are severely mistreated and slaughter houses, chicken coops, and pig/fish farms typically have disgusting conditions. I refuse to support such a savage industry.
All that said, I understand many people will see my viewpoints as extreme, even ridiculous, and that's okay. Maybe this is your first peak behind the curtain of what's really going on. Once you realize you don't need meat, dairy, or processed junk food in your life, you feel so free. I see people struggling with numerous health problems and on medications for things that could be easily avoided and healed if they would simply change their diets. That's why I'll continue to talk about this topic. Not because I feel superior to anyone, but because I want to help. We all deserve to know the truth and stop believing the lies spread by those who profit off others slowly killing themselves with their products. I will never go back to eating the clogging, heavy foods I used to because I feel so much better physically, mentally, and spiritually without them. Not to mention, there are so many delicious alternatives available that I never feel like I'm missing out on anything!
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