Veganism in 5 Easy Steps

A simple guide to eating more eco-friendly

This is not another one of those preachy “convert to veganism” articles. This is for people who are sincerely unaware of what is happening to animals on a daily basis. This is for the people who say, “I love animals,” but continue to eat them turning a blind eye to the injustice their eating is doing to these sentient beings, our bodies, and the planet.

It was twenty years ago when I first learned about the dangers of cow’s milk and the effect dairy products have on humans bodies, ie, extra mucous, skin problems, inflammation to name a few.

It was 15 years ago that I watched the documentary,” Super Size Me’’ and gave up McDonald’s indefinitely. My 4-year-old son had never had McDonald’s and went to a friend whose parents took him there without me knowing for pancakes. He literally threw up the food. It is not fit for human consumption, and when the body is not used to it, it will reject it. This is what many kids are eating day after day.

It was a decade ago that I took a class called, “Food and Mental Health” taught by a Naturopath in Seattle.

I was a meat-eater and a dairy consumer at this point. I had given up “red meat” for the most part and thought it was better to use ground turkey, but had no idea where the turkeys came from. I didn’t think twice about my “healthier” alternative to red meat. I was fortunate in this class as I learned about these turkeys all stuffed together in their metal cages. I saw footage of chickens and turkeys being debeaked so they wouldn’t peck each other to death and them being so “plumped” up with hormones they could no longer walk. I watched them try to lurch themselves over other dead birds, while they sat in piles of their own excrement.

I saw footage showing the baby male chickens being dumped in a huge garbage bin alive with their soft yellow down to later be incinerated as they were no use to the factory farm as they couldn’t lay eggs to be sold.

I won’t continue, but you can imagine scenarios like this across the board within the meat and dairy industries and if you still think dairy is okay because it doesn’t kill the animal, listen to the cries of the baby cows and mothers before slaughter and when being taken away to be bottle-fed while the mother is milked so that humans can use her milk?! It doesn’t make much sense when you really stop to think about it. We harm innocent creatures for a taste or flavor that goes well with our nightly glass of wine or our dinner out, but put no connection to the sentient beings we are massacring on a daily basis.

But, what will I eat?

For those of you still with me, with curiosity, what does this meat-free life look like?

What will I eat? What will my family eat? How will I get my protein?

I’ve got you. Below are some resources to get started on your journey. Do you have to be perfect? No, just a beginning would be learning about the animals we say we care so much about. Watch a documentary, start following vegetarian and vegan recipe bloggers, Give up meat one day a week (Meatless Mondays is a thing). Give up meat and dairy for a month (Veganuary). You won’t die and you might just like it! What is the worst thing that can happen when you incorporate more whole foods into your diet and maybe trying something that you traditionally wouldn’t have?

To keep it really simple I have outlined the first five tips below to start on your vegan journey. If this sounds too daunting, remember-just start somewhere, but also remember our planet needs you and the animal agriculture industry needs us to stand up and say, “no more mistreatment of animals.” We will not stand for it. Have you seen the video where they cut cancer out of the meat before they package it? That’s enough to resolve to veganism for me but to each his own.

1. Stop eating meat
2. Stop eating dairy
3. Stop eating/using things made from animals-lotions, shampoos, honey, eggs, shoes
4. Yes, fish is an animal, give up fish too
5. Start talking to your friends about how to go vegan to save our planet and animals while remaining vegan and eating delicious food

Try making fewer excuses about how much you love cheese and how well cheese goes with your wine. Animals are being ruthlessly killed and mistreated to feed humans that have plenty. As a plea, I ask you to please stop supporting factory farms. Please watch some documentaries revealing the truth of the meat and dairy industries-What the Health is a great one.

There are hundreds of Vegan bodybuilders, plant-based endurance athletes, vegans who participate in the Olympics-see the flick Game Changers.

I understand that some people say I need meat for my blood type, I need more Protein-I could never give up meat-but really? I encourage you to give it a try, what do you have to lose? Maybe some inflammation, extra weight, possibly medication, or some numbers in your cholesterol profile?

Here I am another one of those preachy vegans, but I can’t stop!

I have to speak up for those that can’t, and I honestly didn’t know what I didn’t know when I learned about veganism. I feel like I need to pass along what has been freely given to me, to help anyone who may be on the fence, but doesn’t know where to turn.

I am open and honest about my journey to veganism, and would love to engage in conversation about it anytime! There are no dumb questions and I am sincerely open to comments. I hope these resources will be of benefit and I encourage you to do your own research. This is the most sustainable way of eating for our future generations and planet, and just think, you never have to worry about where to cook your meat, your milk curdling, or your mayo going sour. It is truly a clean way of eating with benefits for all.