Thursday 31 October 2013

Paws for thought: Destination Vegan? My journey to veganism.


Destination Vegan?

The journey; My journey . . .
 
For a few brave people – switching to a vegan diet and lifestyle is something that they throw themselves into pretty much overnight.  And if you are an ‘all or nothing’ character this may well be the best way for you.



For me, however, it was a little different. When I look back now, I see a gradual awakening that saw me progressing through a 5 year evolution from confirmed carnivore to veggie to vegan - where I am, very happily, now.

Pretty much over those 5 years I progressed through the stages of being an ‘ethical’, ‘organic’, ‘welfare-conscious’, ‘meat-free Monday’ consumer.

I read labels incessantly and knew that processed foods were laden with a whole host of alien ingredients that I simply didn’t want to consume. I cooked most meals from scratch and became increasingly aware of the widespread use of drugs and pesticides in food production and manufacture.

But I was still a consumer of meat, fish and dairy none-the-less. So just what was it that made me first decide to give up meat and fish for good?

Two things:

  1.  My best friend of 33 years being diagnosed with cancer.
  2.  Caring for some ex-battery hens.

Two starkly contrasting things; but, as I was to find out later – possibly inextricably linked…


Sally (pictured here on the left with me) had been my best friend since the age of 7. She was the type of friend who knows you better than you know yourself. We shared everything and she was a complete and utter joy to be around – one of life’s true beautiful angels.












When she got the diagnosis we both frantically researched, looking for answers as to why this had happened and how she could be helped, perhaps through a change in diet? She went organic, gave up her beloved Chardonnay, started on fennel juicing and having read the China Study, quit beef and dairy foods too.

But try as we might, and despite a double mastectomy and 2 rounds of intensive chemo she succumbed to secondary cancer of the liver and lungs and died within 6 weeks of being given that terminal diagnosis.

Nothing could have prepared me for the complete devastation I felt at losing her – particularly so young and in her prime. Even writing this now, two and a half years on, it’s almost unbearable to think of and I need to stop and wipe tears away. I miss her every day and always will.

In the months that followed I became obsessed with finding answers as to why this had happened to her. I resumed my MSc studies (formerly Health Science and latterly Weight Management) and read / surfed avidly. And, as is the way when you start internet research, I followed a trail that got deeper and deeper until it ultimately led me to uncover some very shocking truths about the way in which animals are farmed for food.

Of course I knew animals died in order to provide us with food – how can you not? But like so many of us, I believed it was a health necessity and a natural part of our culture to eat meat. I’d been victim to those oh-so-clever marketing tactics and I’d conveniently (blissfully) been ignorant to the way in which animals are treated as commodities.

What I found, sure as hell, ‘woke’ me up. This is not the place for the graphic details. But you should, in all conscience, take a deep breath and do some simple online searches. It is the stuff of nightmares, but if you consume the ‘products’, then you should know and understand what happens to create them. One word always echoed in my head: ‘sentient.’

sentient

Pronunciation: /ˈsɛnʃ(ə)nt/

adjective

  • able to perceive or feel things:she had been instructed from birth in the equality of all sentient life forms


And, as if to bring that word to life, at the same time I adopted 4 ex-battery hens through the British Hen Welfare Trust. (It was at the time when the campaigning to improve welfare standards for chickens was running and it seemed like a lovely thing to do.)

It turned out to be an act with far reaching consequences because each and every day as I watched these poor de-beaked, de-feathered ‘egg machines’ blossom into the hens that they were meant to be, I saw personalities emerging, and witnessed intelligence, logic, emotion – the full range infact. And by January 2012 I’d seen and experienced enough. I became vegetarian and began to change all my household and toiletry / beauty products from not only organic and eco friendly, but to containing no animal-derived ingredients and never tested on animals. I vowed never to buy any leather products, feather filled products, wool, silk or fur ever again, and to shun the use of animals in ‘entertainment’ settings.

I now knew that as well as for reasons of health, I no longer wanted to eat meat or fish and use animal based products, because I could no longer contribute to industries that were based on pain, suffering, exploitation and ultimately, murder.

I knew instantly I’d done the right thing. I worried that the change might be tough – but I worked my way through the plethora of meat substitutes on the market, tried hundreds of exciting new recipes I wouldn’t have dreamt of before and continued to research into it all.

But a year down the line into my new and ‘improved’ lifestyle (which still included eggs and dairy), I wasn’t feeling well at all (either physically or mentally). I had gained a lot of weight, was suffering with constant back problems, joint pain and swelling and migraines. I was bitterly disappointed that my diet didn’t seem to be that healthy for me and I was also still losing sleep over something that just wasn’t ‘right’. 

I couldn’t put my finger on it and at the time I attributed it to my ongoing bereavement depression over losing Sally.

But then another pivotal thing happened…

I watched 2 YouTube videos:

One called ‘A calf and a half’ about milk production at one of Cadbury’s dairy farms.
And the other a lecture by an animal rights activist called Gary Yourofsky.

That same afternoon I attempted to watch Earthlings, got 22 minutes in – to the point where a stray dog is thrown into a garbage truck (alive) and I pretty much had a breakdown. I cried for hours.

That was it for me.

No more dairy, no more eggs, no more ignorance.


I knew that for so many reasons I needed to follow a vegan diet AND a vegan lifestyle. This wasn’t a choice as such – it was an absolute compulsion, and as I’ve heard it described by others since – a ‘moral obligation and an imperative’.


Hand on heart, the day I became Vegan, I felt an actual sense of relief and everything in my life fell into place. I saw the world, I see the world, with very different eyes.

Some of that relief I believe, comes from an innate ‘knowing’ (that I’m sure all humans have, deep down), that using and eating other species, is, quite simply, morally wrong.
It is wrong because it isn’t necessary for our survival, in fact in most ways, as I’d also discovered, it’s detrimental to our survival. It’s scientifically proven that consumption of animal products contributes to modern diseases such as T2 Diabetes, Heart disease, Obesity and Cancers. Its decimating our wildlife and destroying our beautiful planet. But above all, it inflicts unimaginable suffering and pain on our fellow species - who can think, feel and hurt, just as humans do. 
*ALL species have the absolute right to live a peaceful existence on this planet.

Becoming vegan made me feel like shouting a million clichés – 'the penny had dropped', 'the cloud had lifted', 'I’d seen the light' etc. and this is something that you hear repeatedly when others share their story of why and how, they too, became vegan.


The destination…

Well what can I say?
Quite simply. I have yet to find ANY negatives.

I thought I’d miss milk, but there are multiple alternatives that suit all different culinary needs.
I thought I’d miss cheese, but knowing how milk is produced meant that nothing could ever taste as good as the alternative - compassion – felt (and the faux products are improving all the time).
I thought it would be hard to find things to eat, but it turns out that with a different mindset to cooking my food repertoire is now a million times more exciting (read my blog and you’ll see!)
I thought it would be hard to find non-animal derived products – but man is as clever as he is stupid and we’ve invented / manufactured all kinds of goods that don’t rely on animals to make them.
I thought I’d be joining a cult of 'hippy weirdoes' (apologies dear hippy friends) and labeled as a freak – but instead I found an incredible new family of consciously compassionate people only too willing to help me on my vegan journey.
And I’ve even been able to educate and inform friends, family, and people I meet about what it means to be a modern vegan in today’s society and the multiple benefits of its actions. If it’s a label then it’s one I’m very proud to wear.

But what of my health?

I’ve lost 12kg without dieting. My BP & cholesterol are below average readings and couldn’t be better. Genetically, I have inherited sickle cell trait (characterised by anemia - iron deficiency) and yet my iron levels and B12 levels are up since becoming vegan (much to my GPs amazement, because this is sometimes an area for concern with vegans). My joint pain, foot pain, back pain, hand pain, migraines and general malaise have all disappeared. I no longer have PMT that makes me want to kill others and then myself.
My skin has improved (no more hand dermatitis or facial spots), my hair is glossier (rarely do I need to wash it, apart from to remove environmental pollution), I need far less sleep, have far more energy, better cardio fitness and mentally – well I’m ready to take on the world!

I am left feeling incredible - physically and in my heart, conscience and soul.

Yes, I wish I’d done it years ago and in a way I wish I’d done it more quickly too.
But, I also know that, for me, this gradual evolution has taken me to a point where, no matter what, I will categorically never revert to my former way of living.


But like I’ve said at the beginning of this piece, if you have a mind to, then going from 'carnivore' to vegan overnight CAN be done. And I personally would advocate not going through a vegetarian transition phase – because, in my opinion, there is a tendency to then over-consume dairy products – which are amongst the worst possible for human health.
Just jump right in to veganism and ask the questions later! You won’t be disappointed, because I can assure you that the positive physical and emotional impact will be immediate. 
It will be the best, and most important life change you ever make – for YOU as a human, for THEM - the other animals and for US as custodians of a planet that’s gradually being destroyed for our blood lust.

So if you’re already vegan you may identify with some aspects of my story here and I’d love to hear how it was for you. Please either comment or get in touch.

If you’re not vegan – then you have the potential to be, because you’re reading this and that shows both curiosity and compassion. I'll gladly help you should you decide you'd like to try this kinder life. Again, please get in touch.


Try the vegan experience for World Vegan Month. 
One month. 
See how you feel.


I’ve added lots of info to this site to help you on YOUR journey.

Find:
More great recipes that you ever imagined here.
Vegan product ideas here.
Research on ‘why’ vegan here.
Helpful films here.
Interesting books to read here.
Events to attend here
Where to eat, where to stay.
and the fun stuff here!

Travel with us. 
It may be a slightly trickier journey at first – 
but the destination is completely amazing.


Chantal x

Dedicated to the best friend a girl could ever have – thank you for choosing me, my beautiful Sally B.

2 comments:

  1. What a beautiful story- Sally would be proud of you, I'm sure. I became a lacto ovo vegetarian at the age of 14, after the penny dropped when I pulled out a vein from the piece of chicken I was eating. I became vegan for about 8 years and then fell off the wagon into lacto vegetarianism at the age of 30, after meeting the Hare Krishnas and their delcious but dairy-heavy diet. Gradually, my weight went up, my energy went down and I even began to show symptoms of SLE (lupus). Then I saw Benjamin Zephaniah (one of the patrons of the Vegan Society) talking about veganism and animals and I knew I had to change back, for the cows as much as my health. It took about 2 years of trying and failing in a lacto veg household but I finally cracked it in 2011 and haven't looked back since. ~I lost weight, my hair began to grow again and I have few or no lupus symptoms now. My husband (who had been a vegan throughout the 80s) also became vegan again. I think the amazing worldwide vegan blogging community has helped us a lot with fresh ideas and tips. (We still chant Hare Krishna, just don't eat the dairy products!) I'm just embarking on the journey into raw for the Summer...

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  2. I so relate to your story! My father died of cancer in 2011. In 2012, my mom enrolled us in a nutrition course, mostly with the goal of losing weight. I went sort of kicking and screaming. But I learned a lot. It wasn't a course that told us to go vegan, but certain things I learned there led me to do more research. Like you said, the more I looked into things online, the more I learned. Suddenly, I was learning about veganism and the health benefits and reading the China Study and learning about the connections of animal foods to cancer and grieving the loss of my father and wishing I had know while he was alive what I had just learned. I went vegan this past year, pretty much overnight after trying to watch Earthlings and watching Gary Yourofsky and other videos showing the horrible truth of animal abuse! I'm glad I didn't bother with being a vegetarian, and I think it's easier now than it ever was to go vegan. I've tried the cheese alternatives, & I don't miss eggs, and making my own milks I find absolutely delicious. You try new things in the kitchen that you would never have tried before and learn just how much fun there is a new foods and how tasty a plant-based diet can be. I'm an ethical vegan all the way, and so glad I am. I just wish I'd done it sooner. And yes, I have lost weight without trying!

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