3 Lessons I’ve Learned From Being Vegan for 3 Years
No, I don’t miss eating cheese.
If you would have told me three years ago that I would be sick at the thought of eating an animal, I would have laughed at you and told you you were crazy.
This is the truth for me today.
The decision to go vegan was because I was enrolled in the Health Coach Training Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I was seeking a healthier lifestyle because mine was terrible at the time and also a new career path.
I heard a doctor talk about the benefits of a vegan diet — so I thought to myself “why not, I’ll give it a try.” I had given up dairy a few months prior with my wife at her doctor’s recommendation to help our newborn son stop spitting up so much.
To our surprise — it worked. We also felt pretty damn good too so we never went back.
It’s been quite a rollercoaster of a journey as a newer vegan, but here are some things that I have learned.
Keep It Simple
When I first started my journey, I went easy on myself. I had already been making smoothies for breakfast so I swapped dairy yogurt and milk in them for dairy-free versions.
I went to Hawaii with my wife and some friends about two months after going vegan — this was the only and last time that I cheated. I ate some regular nachos at one of my favorite places in Kihei and a Hawaiian pizza that I loved getting.
This was a BIG lifestyle change for me. For 27 years, I ate animal products and never even thought there could be a life without them. It was a transition for sure.
I would mainly go on Pinterest or Google and type in the usual foods that I ate but with “vegan” in front and there were always many options.
Fast forward to today and you don’t have to give up anything really. The amount of dairy-free and meat-free options of animal products that exist has grown exponentially. Now you can walk into a store and not have to think much about it. You can easily grab the vegan or dairy-free options of foods you love.
So no I don’t miss eating cheese — even though that was my addiction prior to going dairy-free. There are many great alternatives when I’m feeling the need.
The Psychological Disconnect is Real
I’m not here to make you feel bad for eating animals or to be that vegan that shoves animal cruelty down your throat. I ate animals for 27 years so who am I to judge. Plus, I know what actually works to connect with others and create change. It’s not judging, being rude, and creating arguments.
But, one of the biggest things that I learned was just how far disconnected we are from our food and how it gets to our plate. As a highly sensitive guy, I’ve always had a deep compassion for animals and felt empathetic for them. I never enjoyed fishing and I never hunted because I didn’t have the heart to kill an animal. Who am I to take an innocent life of someone that just wants to live, play, and love like the rest of us?
I came across the work of Melanie Joy, Phd a few years back who wrote the book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows. It helped me understand this disconnect and why we as humans never even question our choices. They are deep rooted beliefs and cultural norms that have been passed down from generation to generation.
I won’t get much into the details for this story, but I recommend reflecting on your food choices a bit. Would you want an animal to suffer for the food on your plate? Why don’t you want to know how your food was made? Do you love animals but don’t question their suffering for your eating of them?
Again, this isn’t to pass judgement or blame on to you. I have just woken up so much to the fact that billions of animals suffer needlessly for us to not even question why or if it is really necessary.
Two other books I highly recommend that I thoroughly enjoyed is:
Read these books with an open mind and open heart and you just might start to really hear something from deep within that you may have been burying.
My Love for Food Skyrocketed
When I first went vegan, as I had mentioned there wasn’t much for meat-free and dairy-free options. My wife and I cooked at home for about a year or more straight without going out to eat. There weren’t many vegan restaurants and we were trying to be as whole food and close to nature as possible.
I made different salad dressings, dairy-free cheeses, experimented with tofu and tempeh, and started including all different types of fruits and vegetables. I experimented with different spices and seasonings that I never used before.
I couldn’t believe what I had been missing out on.
As my taste buds changed to like veggies more and things that I never liked all my life — I began to love all kinds of food. It made eating and cooking so much more fun! It was also a great feeling to know that it was good for me too.
I noticed my energy increasing and I naturally leaned out without counting calories or restricting myself.
Through the years, I have definitely lightened up a bit and with the rise of vegan restaurants, vegan options at most restaurants, and the multitude of options at the grocery store. I have become a vegan foodie and enjoy driving all over to try delicious vegan food.
Even my travels nowadays are centered on where the best vegan spots are. I want to try it all! I’ll drive all over the place when traveling to try vegan food or coffee shops with different dairy-free options.
Food has become a big joy in my life and I thank going vegan to opening my eyes to the delicious variety of food that exists — and what foods can create to make dairy-free or meat-free options.
How long have you been vegan for? What have you learned on your journey or found most exciting? I’d love to hear your perspective!
