My Journey Towards Veganism
I love animal protein and seafood and thought it would be too hard to sacrifice. How did I do it?
There are times in my life when I have given up meat, fish, and dairy. During Lent (40 days before Easter) a couple of times and also when I was recovering from typhoid. Your spleen and liver are very tender after the infection and you need to eat simple food to help it recover.
The initial days are quite hard. You console yourself saying it will be over soon and you can eat your favorite dishes again.
Yet, I realized how much lighter I felt when my digestive system did not have to work overtime to digest the rotting meat in my gut.
Of course, you do have to take some effort in meal planning and ensuring that you get enough protein in your diet.
It’s a myth that a plant-based diet cannot be wholesome and complete. And you will have to have loads of supplements to ensure that you are not deficient in nutrients.
Well, the chances that you are getting all the nutrients on a regular diet are slim too. Many studies have shown that most people do not get the minimum daily amount of fiber due to the processed nature of the foods we consume.
Ok, going back to the start of my journey. What was my trigger? Why did I embark on this tasteless ( according to me!) path?
It all started when my husband started having gut issues. And the allergy tests indicated that he was highly intolerant of meat and eggs. That was a punch in the gut ( no pun intended) for my hubby who loved his meat even more than me. Actually, he had given it up even before the test because it caused him pain and bloating.
The integrated physician recommended a plant-based diet. Since there are only two of us at home it made sense for us to go vegan!
It’s not that we were only carnivores before and detested vegetables and lentils. But the meat or the fish was the star of the meal and vegetables were a side attraction. In fact, we ate a variety of vegetables which was definitely helpful in starting our new diet plan. To make it harder- all pre-made sauces, chutneys, and pre-made spice packs are not allowed. The reason is, these are laden with sugar, high in salt and other preservatives.
So now how do we make the food tasty?
Zucchini fritters became our new favorite. In our initial days, we did have some of the plant-based meat mince and sausages. But soon gave it up because some of them are high in soy and wheat. So it was pure vegetables all the way. Fresh ginger and garlic and red onions came to the rescue! Oil was to be used in limited quantities as well. Fresh and dried herbs became our new best friend.
Initially, the food felt bland and drab. But then later something magical happens. Your palate gets refreshed and you start tasting each flavor and the food becomes delicious.
Also, there is an added benefit when you eat food within a few hours of it being made.
Reading new recipes and watching YouTube videos was something I enjoyed anyway. So I indulged this habit saying it was for our health and wellness. I stayed away from the extremely complicated and time-consuming ones.
So, in the spirit of full disclosure, currently, we are on a flexitarian diet. This means we do eat some fish and eggs occasionally. As our whole intention with this journey was for health reasons. Once my husband’s gut was stronger and he felt more energetic, we introduced it, mainly to test if he could tolerate it.
We still do not consume any milk but use clarified butter(ghee) occasionally for cooking. I watched a video by a Brazilian vlogger who explained that the calves do not get the cow’s milk but it was being bottled to feed us humans. And in order for them to keep producing the milk, they are pumped with antibiotics so that they do not get infections because of the excessive milk extraction. This is hardcore cruelty.
And also grain-fed meat is not that healthy and eggs that are laid by caged hens squished together can’t be good for you.
Organic food is expensive. But the cost of being unhealthy is even more costly. So we made these changes for our future health. It is about prioritizing what is important in your life. Do you really need one more designer handbag?
And some of the benefits were immediate. My sinus infections are a thing of the past. My HDL cholesterol went up and my LDL cholesterol came down.
Pure vegans will snub me. I’m ok with that. I think it should be live and let live. And of course, practice what you preach.
If you are worried about methane emissions but are flying around the globe 6 times a year then you are being a hypocrite. Some people cannot become vegan for health reasons so some consideration should be given to them.
Understand your intention and go on your own journey. Here’s to your health and wellness.
