Why Go Vegan?
Why
go vegan? Well! I am glad I asked! - because I did, often, especially
in the years when I was a vegetarian. I kind of figured that I had won
the battle, whatever that was, and that the vegan "thing" was just a
teensy bit too hard, complicated, and impractical for a busy mom person
etc. I was wrong. The fact is that food can - and does - completely
change the way we look, feel and think about ourselves, those we care
for and the world. A vegan diet will, not surprisingly, cause you to
lose the extra weight you may be lugging around, but it will do an awful
lot more than that - and that, my friends, includes science that
unequivocally proves a vegan diet can reverse (yes!, I said reverse)
health problems from depression to Type II Diabetes, to heart disease to
various digestive issues. If you simply want to lose weight, a vegan
diet let's you do that without the horrible deprivation that is not
eating and which accompanies every other sort of "diet". But there's so
very, very much more to this. As your newly vibrant complexion will
attest, pretty soon after embarking on a plant-based diet your moods
will be sunnier (and more even). Pre-menstrual, peri-menopausal and
menopausal symptoms lesson and even stop all together. Headaches no
longer flare up and joint pains no longer meet your morning smile - you
will leap out of bed to meet the day if you want to! You're going to
feel mentally clearer, too (someone accused me of being "good at math"
yesterday! That is a miracle ;-). You'll have more energy. Your sleep
will improve. Everything in terms of your body's functions will simply
work better. And yet despite all that wonderful and important stuff,
here's the bit that I like the best: going vegan isn't just proving that
Aristotle was correct when he asserted that the cure for every ailment
lay in food (he was), but going vegan has proven to be a way of living
that has put me in touch with my one and only life in ways that I never
thought possible. I feel and am closer to this beautiful planet and the
creatures with whom we share it. I am not diminishing or touting a
cure-all for the gazillion problems of the world in which we live - but
we change everything by small, simple, kind acts. I have known days of
hiding in a hot bath with a tub of Hagendaz and a big glass of red wine,
too. But that never had long-lasting effects for me. It didn't make me
feel more loving, powerful or in control of my life; it didn't make me
more sensitive to the things that matter most to me - my beautiful sons,
my art, family and friends, love, nature, me! My body felt separate
from me and I felt separate from everything and everyone - just a little
sometimes, but separate. There was a level of compassion and wisdom
inside me that I just didn't know was available and waiting... A vegan
diet grows the love inside you to fill the space heaviness and distance
from yourself once occupied. It's also fun, interesting, connects you
to local foods and growers, and your neighbours! Vegan food is not
complicated, difficult or expensive. It's actually easier and less
expensive than eating meat (and fish). The gals at The Veganomicon in
NYC refer to vegan eating as a "culinary whippersnapper" because it
"draws influences from every part of the world to create an entirely new
way to eat". I promise, you're not being led by yummy sourdough
breadcrumbs to the proverbial gingerbread house only to find yourself
caged in some crazy complicated culinary madness! The thing about going
vegan is that whether you don't particularly like cooking or you really
do, you're going to be just fine (and full and happy and yes, there's
even vegan ice-cream for the bath-after-the-break-up event and I'll
share how to make that, too, before the holidays). So go ahead. Find out
what the biggest trend in the Western world is all about, and what
people of many other ancient cultures already know. Whether you go "cold
turkey" or you begin by replacing a few meals with vegan offerings,
you'll feel and look better - in every way. And that's a promise!
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