What I'm also set on doing this December is having some of my vegan friends guest blog on my site. Yep, that's right! You can expect a string of posts this month from some of my pals, telling their stories about their journeys with veganism..as well as a post from yours truly!
First up is my good friend Michelle Hill. A recent graduate of the Institute for Integrated Nutrition, you can find her on the weekends hostessing at the amazing Candle 79. When we first met, we clicked right away-and we found that we had a lot in common. One thing we had in common is that Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet had a huge hand in our move towards veganism.
Can a book (or movie) change your life? We think so! Read on to hear her story...
From Clueless to Awareness
Three years ago, I was your typical Texas-raised gal: I loved my meat and potatoes, pork barbeque, bacon, butter and ice cream. I ate McDonald’s, Popeye’s Chicken, or cheesy Mexican food and pepperoni pizza at least 4 times a week. I prided myself on being able to digest almost any animal product. I was also 20 pounds overweight. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. day 2010; I had the day off and was perusing an actual book store for a new read. I glanced at the New Releases section and saw that Alicia Silverstone had just authored a book. It was called The Kind Diet and I had remembered hearing about how Alicia was a “vegan” (finger quotes because I was super unfamiliar with the term), and that she felt amazing from it – I also noted how radiant her skin was, but chalked that up to airbrushing, not knowing that a plant-based diet actually does afford one with gorgeous glowing skin… anyway, I digress…. So I started skimming the book, admiring all the beautiful pictures, even the recycled paper and plant-based ink on the pages. I snatched it up, parked in the nearby comfy chair and started reading what Alicia had to say. She claimed a vegan diet was really easy and, judging from the pictures, this way of eating didn’t seem restrictive at all. I began to discover how cheap, processed food is produced nowadays by treating the animals as unfeeling entities; how factory farming has commodified living sentient beings – much like concentration camps! I learned of insanely cruel practices inflicted upon cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, lamb, and ducks on a daily basis – practices that would be considered animal cruelty if done to companion animals like dogs and cats. I began to weep right there in the book store so, naturally, purchased the book immediately. The whole subway ride home I read more of the book and it touched my soul, and in that 25ish-minute commute made the most important and easiest decision of my life – I decided to become vegan and here’s why….
Three years ago, I was your typical Texas-raised gal: I loved my meat and potatoes, pork barbeque, bacon, butter and ice cream. I ate McDonald’s, Popeye’s Chicken, or cheesy Mexican food and pepperoni pizza at least 4 times a week. I prided myself on being able to digest almost any animal product. I was also 20 pounds overweight. It was Martin Luther King, Jr. day 2010; I had the day off and was perusing an actual book store for a new read. I glanced at the New Releases section and saw that Alicia Silverstone had just authored a book. It was called The Kind Diet and I had remembered hearing about how Alicia was a “vegan” (finger quotes because I was super unfamiliar with the term), and that she felt amazing from it – I also noted how radiant her skin was, but chalked that up to airbrushing, not knowing that a plant-based diet actually does afford one with gorgeous glowing skin… anyway, I digress…. So I started skimming the book, admiring all the beautiful pictures, even the recycled paper and plant-based ink on the pages. I snatched it up, parked in the nearby comfy chair and started reading what Alicia had to say. She claimed a vegan diet was really easy and, judging from the pictures, this way of eating didn’t seem restrictive at all. I began to discover how cheap, processed food is produced nowadays by treating the animals as unfeeling entities; how factory farming has commodified living sentient beings – much like concentration camps! I learned of insanely cruel practices inflicted upon cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, lamb, and ducks on a daily basis – practices that would be considered animal cruelty if done to companion animals like dogs and cats. I began to weep right there in the book store so, naturally, purchased the book immediately. The whole subway ride home I read more of the book and it touched my soul, and in that 25ish-minute commute made the most important and easiest decision of my life – I decided to become vegan and here’s why….
It’s healthier: Save your, “So where do you get your protein?” spiel. There are myriad plant-based ways to get the essential amino acids needed to build and maintain muscle mass. Spare me with that question, already! Let me put it this way: if you’re consuming enough calories, you’re getting enough protein. But beyond being just adequate, a vegan diet has been shown to treat, even reverse, life-threatening conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and most cancers. It’s just a simple fact: people that don’t eat animal products live longer, healthier lives. Plus, those extra 20 pounds I was carrying melted away within 6 months!
It’s easy: Yes, the initial transition can be somewhat tricky; after all, you’re adopting a whole new way of eating. But once you learn the proper way to eat vegan and make minor adjustments to your pantry, it becomes a snap! It is essential to find support in many ways, be it online or support from friends. Especially if you’re going “cold-Tofurkey,” like I did, you’re going to need people on your side. Get yourself a vegan cookbook (Alicia’s The Kind Diet doubles as a cookbook and she’s writing a new book of recipes as we speak!), peruse literally millions of recipes online, ask friends to share their favorites. Get new recipes in your arsenal! Research tips on how to dine out at restaurants. Become friendly with all vegetarian/vegan eating establishments. You’d be surprised how much support is at your fingertips.
It’s nice: I love animals. The strongest pull to veganism for me is the ethical aspect. I really, really hate the fact that eating cheese and drinking milk is the result of a baby cow who was taken from its mother so she could be pumped full of hormones to create an abundance of milk for humans. So sad! Don’t even get me started on the state of the egg industry. It’s disgusting. The horrific realities of the pork, chicken, and beef industries literally make me cringe! Spend time with any animal at a farm sanctuary; look into their eyes and you’ll realize the shit humans are inflicting on these animals is extraordinary. I don’t believe another being should suffer just so I can enjoy a cheese pizza or a steak. It’s just not right.
It’s making a difference: Vote with your dollars! It feels pretty dang good to know that I’m voting for a better future with every purchase. Animal agriculture is incredibly resource-intensive. It takes a ton of food to feed all those animals; the grain we’re feeding to billions of farm animals could be shipped to starving nations. Hosing down the factories and slaughterhouses wastes millions of gallons of water a day, yet there are still countries around the world that don’t even have clean drinking water. It seems a bit obtuse to be wasting so many resources on the Standard American Diet.
My decision to become vegan made complete sense. I had my intention set and one goal in mind: never consume animal flesh or their by-products. Cut to nearly 3 years later and I’ve also included in my vegan realm eschewing all forms of animal exploitation: the clothing, fur, and entertainment industries. My veganism really defines me in a way that I can be proud, plus, I love making new vegan friends – amazingly wonderful, compassionate peeps in my circle supporting me. Every day I make choices with my dollars to avoid animal slavery, and it feels good being on this side of the most important social issue to face a generation. But don’t get me wrong: the most incredible, yummiest food I’ve ever eaten has been completely plant-based, and the most fun parties I’ve attended have served only vegan food. Literally, going vegan is the most delicious thing I’ve ever done for myself. I only wish I had done this ages ago!
...I love that Michelle chose to put the word "Awareness" in her title! I feel that is exactly the nature of my experience with my journey as well! I hope you all enjoyed Michelle's awesome post. And thank you Michie, for sharing! She is now offering health counseling, so if you're interested, please check out her site here: www.greenyourhealth.com
Much love!
xo,
Ellie
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