My “why”
I was brought to attention about the animal-slaughter industry when I wanted to buy cruelty-free leather for a friend who wouldn’t accept “genuine” leather.
A whole new industry was flashed before me. In search for answers, I dug out a buttload of information about the animal agriculture industry, and why we are so biased towards a singular specie. Why did we love dogs, eat pigs and wear cows. Unlike the regular meat industry, it was the leather industry that made me question about my choices, and how they impacted others.
I decided to become an overnight vegan. Obviously, it wasn’t smooth, I remember forgetting to say “no cheese” at Taco Bell, and couldn’t say no to my aunt who bought me a massive (non-vegan) cake on my birthday. But, I learned along the way and got the hang of it sooner than later.
Ever since, I have convinced so many of my friends and family to turn vegan, no matter how difficult they got.
Life-changing effects
When talking about turning vegan, people usually relate health to physical health. Are vegans getting enough protein, enough calcium? And our answer is usually a big fat YES. As more and more people begin talking about it, people are starting to understand mental health is just as important as physical health.
I have been vegan for about a year and a half and as the physical health benefits are great, it was hard to ignore how it affected me mentally.
My productivity and energy levels rose
They say fatty foods, such as meat and dairy, weighs people down. It can leave you feeling sluggish and they’re not wrong. Especially, with limitless availability of junk food, who can say no to junk food when you’re already drained and lazy. I switched to a vegan plant-based diet and as soon as I did that I’ve felt a lot more productive and overall healthier in my mind, and more energetic in my body.
Developed a healthier relationship with food
Before turning vegan, I would just buy anything at the grocery store without being mindful of the impact I would leave on my body and the environment. I started consciously looking out for nutritious values in foods and carefully began looking at the back of each food item to check its nutritious content. I began looking for what will keep me healthier and happier in the longer term, rather than short term instant gratification.
No more food guilt
I am not talking about the guilt you experience after you chug down an entire ice-cream tub. A lot of people turn vegan because of animal cruelty, which is why I am primarily vegan. Instead of being ignorant about how and where my food came from before I turned vegan, I now consciously pick out the right food items that do not contain any animal products, it’s a feeling I have deep down that tells me I am contributing to a greater cause and that my life choices are making a difference. Now, even if I enjoy vegan cheese, I enjoy it guilt-free.
More confidence
A lot of my friends and my family aren’t vegan. My family often tells me when I go back home, I will have to follow the food they eat there and very much heard a lot of my friends tell me “I am missing out” on meat and that bacon is “so yummy”. I must admit, I have always been somewhat scared to tell others my point of view on something. But now, I feel more confident as I regularly keep telling my friends and family about how I am healthy and thriving the vegan life and stand up for my opinions about the cruelty of animal agriculture. I have noticed this has led me to be more public and open about my opinions to others and not just about veganism.
I always tell my family that my only regret about being vegan was not doing it earlier. What’s better than knowing that each day you eat vegan, you could be saving the life of at least 1 animal?
Ever since going vegan, I have developed respect for the vegans who transitioned decades ago, without any mock meats, or beginner guides, who didn’t care about how much protein they were getting, but simply just wanted to do better for the planet and the animals.
To put together something for the plant-based community, we (my 2-person team and I) built a plant-based recipe explorer and creator. Wherein you can create your own recipe portfolio and share it with the world, and also explore new recipes by the community. If that sounds interesting to you, check it out: PlantEats!