5 Sassy Ways to Embrace Your Inner Vegan
Written by Katie Tallo
I’ve been trying to embrace veganism for over a year. I keep putting it off until next week, but after 52 weeks of putting it off, it’s time to get serious, get sassy and get on with ditching dairy. Why?
My reasons are all wrapped up in my love of life, of living things and in my growing awareness of what best energizes and fuels my body – fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds and nuts seem to do the trick.
It’s not going to be an easy shift. I love cheese and eating out. I also don’t want to be difficult, high maintenance, weird or different (which is how you’re perceived when you don’t eat like everyone else). But, I do want to honour my body and my beliefs so it’s time to get sassy with it.
Maybe this post will encourage some of you to embrace another way of eating – a way that can make you feel better than you’ve ever felt in your life.
Here are 5 sassy ways to embrace your inner vegan:
Be Daring
A dare is a way to see what you’re made of. Everyone likes a challenge so commit to 30 days, 5 days, even one day without meat or dairy. Think of it as an exercise in awareness and a test of your stick-to-it-iveness.
TIP: Try almond milk, cashew cheese or vegan butter.
Get Weird
If it looks and sounds weird, try it. Have you ever sautéed kale, boiled quinoa, sweetened with agave nectar, taken a swig of live green algae, sprinkled kelp on salad or poured vanilla almond milk on your cereal? Weird is about opening your mind and exploring whole new kinds of yum!
TIP: Call ahead to see if your favourite restaurant will create something vegan for you. They almost always will and it’s usually the best dish at the table.
Screw Protein
Okay, I’m not a doctor, but seriously, are there people lined up in our emergency wards with protein issues. No, they are lined up with diabetes, heart disease and cancer which have all been linked to pork not beans.
“As a holistic sports nutritionist and vegan athlete, I rely on dark leafy greens, seaweeds, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, bee pollen, spirulina and other raw, plant-based sources for adequate protein; greens in particular are rich sources. Plant-based sources of protein are easy to digest leaving me lots of energy for optimal performance.” Donna Davis, Elation Centre
Check Your Blah-Meter
How does the food you eat make you feel? Sounds like a simple question, but most of us walk around feeling blah, and don’t think it has anything to do with what we’re eating. It takes a lot of energy to digest meat and dairy. Some digestive systems struggle with it. Do you feel bloated, sluggish, heartburny, gaseous, lethargic, tired and full after eating, or do you feel light, energized and vital. Check your blah-meter.
Tip: Maybe food that is alive has life in it. Maybe food that’s dead doesn’t.
Ask a Pig
If animals could talk, would they tell us how much they enjoy the smell of fresh cut summer grass, the warmth of the sun on their backs, the crisp air of an autumn morning? Would they talk about how much they love their babies, breathing, freedom, growing old and life? Would they tell us they feel pain and sorrow, fear and loneliness? And if they could talk, would we eat them?
Tip: Humans eat about 230 million tons of animals a year, twice as much as we did 30 years ago. John Vidal, from the July 2010 article “10 Ways Vegetarianism Can Save The Planet” in The Observer guardian.co.uk
Going vegan is not for everyone, but it is time for me to get my vegan sass in gear. I’m going to dare myself to live outside my comfort zone and embrace a big change. I’m going to try some of the innumerable weird and wonderful foods my world has to offer, and let go the myths forced into my brain since childhood about drinking my milk and getting enough protein. And, above all else, I’m going to respect all life and love myself enough to want to feel great.
Join me if you’re feeling sassy. I’m preparing my kitchen and family this week, and going vegan on September 6th.
Photo by Darwin Bell
60 Responses to “5 Sassy Ways to Embrace Your Inner Vegan”
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Hi Katie,
I just wanted to say good for you! In my opinion, the difficulty of cutting out dairy is slightly over exaggerated, there are so many alternatives out there for milk and cheese. I think the hardest thing is probably eggs, but then again, like you said, screw protein! You’re totally right, ‘not getting enough protein’ is usually the first thing naysayers will criticize, but being overweight is much more common than protein deficiency!
Anyway, to me, tofu is the single most underrated foodstuff in the world, it is so versatile and can be very delicious… and it’s packed with protein
I wish you the best of luck!
Jessica.
Hey Jessica, giving up things is never as hard as we imagine it will be and you are so right about all the healthy alternatives that are out there now. I love eggs, but I’ve read it is one of the cruelest industries and “free-range” is meaningless and unenforced, unless you know the farm and have visited it. I limit tofu to a light topping because it doesn’t agree with me, but I think that’s how it was meant to be eaten. Thanks for your well wishes.
Good for you, Katie! I made the switch a few weeks back and it’s been incredibly simple. Granted, we’re in prime garden harvest season right now so everyone’s in love with tomatoes and sweet corn, but truly, it’s a great way to live.
I consider myself 98% vegan. What this means is that if I find there are traces of dairy or eggs in a product I consumed, I don’t freak out or beat myself up. For the most part this isn’t an issue though because I tend to stick with whole vs. processed foods.
Wishing you all the best on your journey – and have fun exploring the great vegan blogs out there too
Jean, you’ve given me yet another reason to love and admire you. I shall join you in this great way of life. Do share your favourite recipes with me! Thank you for your encouragement in my journey.
Dear Katie,
I love being conscious of the food I put in my body.
I’ve been attending David Wolfe’s (read: Raw Food Guru who loves to play and have fun – the best day ever) conferences for several years. I find I feel best on mostly raw foods. Fortunately, unlike the “old days”, there is outrageously delicious gourmet raw food available these days.
Recently at Esalen I liked something a young woman said when someone asked her if she was vegetarian she remarked “I’m flexitarian”.
Over the years I’ve explored many types of eating. The dairy thing is a big one – to eat or not to eat. I know it’s not great for me, although interestingly I’ve been using organic cream in my expresso (a recent slipping back into old loves – I guess it’s not just reserved for relationships
). The interesting part is when I muscle test it, it tests strong for me.
For those who don’t believe there’s any difference between organic and commercial (pesticide filled), muscle test and do a double blind. You WILL test weak on commercial and strong on organic. Our bodies tell us the truth of what’s good for us.
Anyway, best wishes on your vegan quest – I love it! Re: dairy I’ve found that vegan cheeses aren’t usually too tasty but you can make some yummy “raw” cheeses that taste good!
Warm regards,
Lauren
Hi Lauren, I did a raw food cleanse once and felt amazing. I think being flexible, open-minded, adventurous and experimental is all we’re talking about here. I think you are right about organic. Thank you for your best wishes. Oh, and I don’t like vegan cheese either, and I steer clear of processed vegan mock meats. That’s just silly in terms of a healthy, back to basics approach. Warm regards right back at ya!
Wow Katie, good for you! Is hubs with you on this or will you be cooking something different for him. I’m going to try one day a week and see how that goes. I’m committing to Mondays. Then if that works for me I’ll add another day. I’ve wanted to try this for a long time and never made a sincere attempt. Thanks for the inspiration.
Tess, as the resident chef, those eating my food get what they get — like it or not. They usually like it and they are very open minded. There’s always take out if they’re not happy. But two meals isn’t happening. Way to go doing Mondays! That’s awesome. By the way, my daughter told me she really loves your blog — she just discovered it today from your comment.
Well, you never know who’s vegan or about to be!
Good luck, if you want some help, you could also help me by signing up at the vegcoach.com.au forum and asking some questions there, so they go on the record for all
Ali
Ali, I shall check out vegcoach.com.au, but won’t promise anything since I’m over-involved in some forums and can’t keep up with the ones I’m already signed up to. Thanks for the tip! I’ll try. And thanks for popping by. All the best with your vegan journey.
Wow – good on you Katie – we don’t know each other but I’m really glad you’ve set a date and decided to go for it! I’m not vegan but I really appreciate what you’re doing. I’ve given it thought and lately more so after seeing Ali’s blog. Great point about how people are sick from too much animal products and basically too much food, rather than the other way around. I do suffer from low iron now and then, but you know what, I got low iron once many years ago when I was eating a lot of meat so I can’t see how the answer is meat!
When I was pondering what life would be like as a vegan a few days ago it was things like ”baking” that I wondered about. I like baking. But I thought you could experiment using oils instead of butter and natural egg substitutes, soy milk etc. Cheese is tricky, cashew cheese, huh? …I guess it’s just a case of starting to think of it and look for other options. If you don’t – you don’t find them!
Hi there Majeeda, you’ve given me another reason to check out Ali’s blog. I recently had low iron, but I’m not worried. Just ramping up the foods that help elevate it. I’ve read that there are many ways to ensure adequate iron absorption, one is to take Vitamin C with meals. This increases iron absorption by 2-3 times. Good vegetarian sources of iron are whole grains, soaked beans and legumes, green leafy veggies, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and organic black strap molasses.
Most of the substitutes are disgusting and turn a lot of people back to the “real” thing – cheeses and mock meats. Cashew cheese is nice because it’s creamy and can create flavourful sauces for pasta that are just yummy.
As for baking, I’d experiment, but know a great recipe for the best raw cookies ever called “Almond-Cranberry Cacao Chip Cookies”. They are awesome. Maybe I’ll post a few recipes next week or even my daily menu. I’ll have to think on that.
Katie, I was so happy to read this post. I wish you all the best on your vegan adventure! When I went vegan in January, I thought I was really going to miss cheese, too. One cookbook I found especially helpful was Jo Stepaniak’s “The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook.” Her recipes helped make the transition much easier. And now, 7 months later, I can honestly say I don’t miss cheese at all.
Have fun, and please be sure to have a reliable source of vitamin B-12 (and vitamin D and Calcium and Omega-3).
Christianna
Hi Christianna, looks like I’ve got some great resources to check into this week. Thanks for the book recommendation and your blog sounds really interesting. I like the name http://www.vegantransformation.com . Very empowering and you are right, it is a transformation. Yes, I already take B-12, D, Omega-3 oils because I like to be healthy and I’m a vegetarian. I also eat lots of kale, carrots, sesame seeds, broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, almonds and almond milk so I think I’ve got enough calcium in my diet. Thanks for all your help and encouragement!
Hi Katie! I was delighted to see your post on this topic, because I had been wanting to ask about your reasoning behind choosing a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. I have a few friends who have been moving in this direction and have been very happy about the change. I don’t know that it’s a lifestyle I’d choose for myself, but I do like the idea of at least trying it for a little while to see how my body takes it. I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve heard from one of my yoga teachers that some blood types, for example the O’s, don’t take to it as well. Have you heard anything like that? At any rate, I’m happy that you’re on a path that works well for you and thank you for sharing your thoughts with the rest of us!
Hi Adrienne, I have heard the same thing about certain blood types but I don’t know anything about it. I’m B+ and seem to thrive on a meatless existence even though a book I once read on blood types said I wouldn’t. Dairy just drags me down energy-wise.
Going vegan is a choice and the more I read about good health and the meat industry, the more I come to believe that dairy and meat are very unhealthy choices for our bodies, the environment and our spirits. Anything that involves cruelty and death, isn’t something I want to put in my body. Yoga is about loving kindness, not just to the cute animals we call pets, but to all living creatures.
Anyway, I don’t want to preach. I get it. I ate meat for years and I grew up eating meat. Choosing to be different and upsetting the cultural traditions of things like Thanksgiving turkey dinners means people will get angry, ask you where you get your protein, worry about your weight loss, and challenge your ideas. I was even hesitant to write this post because I didn’t want to insight the hostility that often arises when one brings this subject up, but so far so good. The point of the article is that I’ve made a choice just for me and hope to inspire some of you to try it. Go for it Adrienne. See how you feel.
Hi Katie,
I’m not a vegetarian, but I don’t eat red meat, or pork. I basically stick to chicken, turkey or fish. Many days I just have rice and beans for dinner. I do think eating more live plants is a better diet for you. We get so much more energy from the sunlight captured in the leaves of plants.
I’m allergic to wheat, so I eat a lot of rice instead. I also try to stay away from dairy too as find it makes me feel quite bloated.
Good for you! I’m so impressed that your whole family is on board also.
Hi Angela, yes the family is always on board with my little life experiments. They’re so used to it now, I doubt they’ll even notice to be honest. They have become incredibly open-minded and my daughter is completely vegetarian.
Many people seem to have difficulties with wheat (gluten) and dairy. I guess the lesson is to listen to your body and do what makes sense. Sunlight-soaked leaves makes a lot of sense to me.
Good for you! I still haven’t totally taken the plunge, but I definitely go for days without any animal products whatsoever, so I’m pretty happy with where my diet is heading right now.
I love the bit you added in about protein – so true!
Michelle, I can’t tell you how many times the protein thing comes up. The meat lobby has us brainwashed. Good for you for going days without meat. That has a truly significant impact, much more than eating meat every day, all day. Thanks for the encouragement.
Congrats on taking a definite stance on what you believe in, Katie!
Nothing in this world is more delicious than freshly picked fruit and vegetables food from your own garden, eaten as soon as they’re picked. I could happily live without meat, although I’d miss fish, so would never want to give that up. The three men in my family can’t go a single day without meat though, which makes it hard to cut meat out completely.
You have inspired me to take a look at a few of the things you have mentioned…I’ll definitely be checking out almond milk and cashew cheese. Thanks for the ideas.
Joanne, I take this stance on my blog because it holds me accountable and I’m sick of my wavering. Now I shall stick to it. I put it out there. Yikes. Just kidding. So glad you are still going to try to be an island of inspiration in the midst of your meat eating men. Go for it Joanne. Skip the meat and your salads and rice dishes will become the centre-piece of every meal. You can take a stance too.
Congratulations on deciding to go vegan, Katie, and thanks for the tips! I’m not vegan, nor even vegetarian, but both my husband and I do limit our amount of meat, and we try eating cheese or other diary only once a week (so it’s either pizza, or ice-cream).
We use soya spread, and I use soy milk and tofu (he can’t stand the texture of tofu, unfortunately).
Eating is one of the things in my life I want to address more seriously, though. I guess that being aware of what you put in your mouth (and hence, in your body) is the first step.
Re baking: I love baking, and I’m experimenting on substituting butter with either soy spread or oils, and milk with soy or almond or rice milk.I even tried substituting eggs with silken tofu, for a chocolate cake – not bad, I must say.
Thanks Cristina, I’m with your husband. Can’t stand tofu. I know what you mean about addressing eating more seriously. We often do it mindlessly and design our meals around habits that haven’t changed for years — even our grocery shopping habits — we tend to buy the same old things. Good for you for trying the substitutes. My baking efforts haven’t been stellar but I keep trying. I find the raw cookies (mentioned in another comment) are the way to go. Don’t have to rely on something rising or having a particular texture when baked. Best of luck on our mindful food journey.
Hi Katie!! Wow.. I think its incredible you’re making this switch. I keep thinking about it but guess, lack the willpower to take this first step. Maybe I’ll read about your journey and get inspired. We eat a lot of veggies however, and only have chicken twice a week, but I think a completely vegan diet will be healthier.
I’m looking forward to reading about your experiences with vegan living. Pls keep us posted.
Thanks for being a cheer-leader for me, Prerna. Will power is a biggie. I shall definitely keep you posted.
Katie, Katie! Way to go! I am so excited for you! I LOVE the vegan diet. I don’t call myself 100% vegan yet because I have had slip-ups since July 1st but I absolutely and positively LOVE it and as far as medicine goes, my brilliant medical doctor (who treats the hockey players for NC among other well-known patients) said “vegan diet is EXCELLENT.” His worry was not so much my protein as was my calcium. I take supplements. I eat spinach which has some calcium. I can’t stand tofu but I love tempeh, Seitan and the best part is how much the resident chef, my Andy, has been open to cooking all-vegan foods for us. He loves it too but he is not vegan but we eat a vegan diet just about all the time. Watch out though because you will lose your tolerance for digesting meat so if you make an exception, be prepared for how you may feel later and especially if you are away from home etc. I had a bad experience with my favorite sushi place. Not fun – and shocking really. Now I am back to vegan but heavens help me with all the travels to all these countries in Europe and Asia soon!
Farnoosh, I love your enthusiasm for the vegan life. My Andy is open to trying anything too. I haven’t had meat for three years and I’ll heed your advice on it. Can’t wait to wake up my taste buds again to all the new possibilities vegan diets have to offer. Be good on your travels. xo
Wow, Katie…you have mirrored my very own thoughts. In fact, my blog for A-List Blogging (it’s not ready for viewing by any means) is all about my journey to becoming vegetarian. It’ll be awhile before I get to the vegan stage but your post has encouraged me to keep on truckin’! Thank you for this.
Cheryl, so glad you’re thinking about food and are encouraged to keep moving forward. I wish you the very best of luck with your journey both blogging and becoming a vegetarian.
Congratulations to committing to your food adventures! I have noticed that it does take a bit more thought and planning to change a diet, but it can be quite fun & adventurous.
Thanks Aileen. Yes, it takes a lot of thought and if you don’t plan, it won’t work. I have to prep my kitchen every Sunday so the week goes smoothly or I start to grab what’s not healthy, call for take-out and before I know it, I’m back to square one.
Ok, so I have been working on embracing vegetarian this year. My biggest challenge has been learning to cook a whole new way and the protein thing. Cause I know we really need our proteins. And recently discovering how yummy quinoa can be, there is hope.
Cathy, keep at it. There are lots of great, free recipes out there, especially on line. Experiment and stick to foods you already know you love. Quinoa is protein rich! All the best to you.
Good post, Katie. As I think you know, I haven’t eaten meat for well over 20 years–and not much before that. I’m not real fussy on protein-combining though I’ve done my share of beans and rice or corn and whatever, and I’ve never eaten that much soy or tofu or anything else that requires much preparation or thought. I’ve been involved in all sorts of competitive athletics, skiing, you name it. And people assume I lift weights because of the muscle I have, especially in my arms and shoulders but also for a time had some serious abs–just from all my sports and gardening etc–also super healthy all these years. It’s just proof (as if we need any!) of how little we need meat.
Maybe I’ll join you in your vehan thing! Right now, I’d just have to drink my morning coffee black–no problem. Cheese–no problem there since that’s only a few times a week, if that. Don’t eat eggs…oh yogurt would be the thing that would feel like I’m giving something up…hmmmm. lol
Have you tried Seitan? The wheat gluten stuff. I really like it, though it looks and feels so much like meat it kind of gives me the eebie jeebies! It’s a nice, filling thing though. Great protein, low in calories etc.
Leah, you’re a great case study of just how healthy someone can be as a vegan athlete. Yes, join me. You’re already almost there so why not come over to the dark side, woman? Yogurt-schmogurt! Haven’t eaten a lot of seitan, but have tried Gardien recently and it’s not bad.
Well we’ll see. For me, the foods that aren’t good for me just start to gross me out and I never have made any really conscious decisions, just knew what was best for me and dropped it without hardly thinking. However, at the very least–I forgot to mention this–I’ve been using milk in cereal for breakfast pretty often. I basically don’t like it–and I didn’t use milk like that for years–but time issues and budget have had me buying store brand bran flakes *gasp* and some other stuff instead of making my own granola and paneer lol And using the less expensive milk on the cereal.
So I think that’s what I’ll give up in honor of your challenge here, at the very least. It makes me sick, besides. Really queasy in my stomach pretty often (pretty sure it’s the milk). I think the cheese will go too. When I come up with an idea to replace my standard alternate breakfast of store brand bran flakes–now with plain yogurt–I’ll let you know
Thanks for the little push! I really can’t stand milk anyway but I shoved it out of my head just to make things easier for a time of some life changes.
Hi Katie -
A great book to read is “Eating Animals.” It actually talks about how factory farming in the states happened as a mistake. A farm in NJ was supposed to get 500 chicks and instead got 2,500. Instead of slaughtering them, they decided to make the 2,500 chicks fit into a farm made for 500. And that’s how factory farming was born.
Only chicken, meat, and eggs remain at cheap prices than they were thirty years ago, while most prices have steadily increased. We are more concerned these days with producing a lot of meat for a cheaper and less healthy price.
That being said, I’m not a vegan yet. I’ve given up cheese and have given up milk. I rarely eat chicken and I’m attempting to let go of eggs, meat, and ham. I’ve got a long way to go but I’m getting there slowly.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
Carolina, yes I’ve heard of the book. It sounds amazing but when I read about factory farming I want to run into the streets screaming at the insanity so I try to limit my intake of that kind of material. Once you know, you know. I’ve heard it’s a lovely book though and very thoughtfully written. I may pick it up one day. Sounds like you are way ahead of most North Americans, so good on ya!
I have a copy, so if you’d like, send me your address via email, and I’d be more than happy to send it to you. I just moved into an apartment in New York and I’m looking to declutter, etc. Plus, I’d be happy to know that such an amazing book made it into the hands of a soon-to-be vegan.
I’m also a fan of my books finding good homes!
Done! Email was just sent. I shall read it and pass it along to another good home when I’m done. I have lots of friends who would love to read it too. Thank you for your generosity.
Hi! Good luck! I have a dairy and a gluten allergy and can attest to the issue that arises from dairy. And having the gluten allergy has forced me to diversify my grains (though they still stick to the basics-soy, corn, and rice). Plus I dislike meat except poultry (and even then usually it’s the processed junk). All of this has made me contemplate being an Ovo-Vegetarian or even a Vegan like you are trying to be. I figure I am already “special” enough with my diet, why not go one step further. My only word of caution is to make sure to diversify to gain your nutrients. Suppliments are harder to digest than the nutrients in the actual foods themselves and can never give you enough of the nutrients you need. You don’t want deficiencies! And thanks for the motivation. I could use a bit of it in this department!
Dawn, thanks for the advice. I think you’re right, diversity and moderation are keys to success. Sounds like you’re almost there and could more easily than some, make a few adjustments and you’d be where you want to be. I think many people are dairy and gluten intolerant but haven’t connected symptoms to food. Best of luck.
I’ve been vegan for three years and feel so good. I eat very simply though and don’t go to any special effort to monitor nutrient sources. I’d have to say that for me, it’s not important and is having no effect.
I have noticed that some people tend to blame their new vegan or vegetarian diets for anything wrong with their health. It’s convenient enough, and with disparaging voices around it isn’t hard to do. Watch out for that!
6th of september ???
ok
I’ll do it too
kiss
vanessa (Belgium)
Awesome Vanessa! Let me know how it goes! Big kiss
Whether one becomes vegan or not (best of luck with your choice!!) I think it is of such benefit to experiment with different ways of eating in general and checking in with yourself to see how you feel. Are you better off with 3 meals a day or grazing? Do you feel spacey after eating fruit or do you love the pure, light energy from them? There are so many ways to tweak our fuel and how we consume it in order to feel and look our very best.
CC, experimentation and mindfulness are what it’s all about. You comment is very well put. Veganism is just one way to experience both. Since we’re all so different, it’s one of many ways.
Katie,
I have been vegetarian all my life and almost vegan for a few years so I can relate. Protein issue is most talked about issue when changing a diet but I think as American eating meats, many are getting excess protein than we need. Beans, tofu, nuts provide all great source of protein and sufficient.
Good for you changing things up! It is always fun to read your posts here.
Hi Preeti, I’ve read that very same thing, that most people get way too much protein and it can actually be detrimental to their health. I’m glad to be joining you on your healthy eating path.
Hi Katie – I too am heading in your direction as my blog (to be published when I have ten posts(SOON))says much about children’s health and eating habits.
Just haven’t quite worked out how to piece food together without eggs! I only buy things organic these days, but as I have said before, eggs are still some life form.
There is no doubt that my family is enjoying much better health, low acidity, and newfound energy since eliminating all meats from our diet. We have alkalised our bodies and in doing that, have solved little niggly problems that you just tend to put up with.
Incidentally, I went to the blood bank to donate platelets a few weeks ago. As i was lying there, reading my book, a few nurses gathered around. I was a bit concerned at first but then they told me they were just admiring the beautiful colour of my donation!!! Something’s working!
So…ok Katie, I’ll join you! Maybe we could share one new culinary creation???
Hi Maria, your blog sounds great. Funny, I really don’t miss eggs, but then again, I’m not much of a baker. How lovely that you have beautiful platelets! That’s very cool. What’s even cooler is that you’re joining me. Yes, let’s share recipes. I’ll post some of my menu plans and that can get the ball rolling.
Sounds good Katie. Having friends over for dinner tomorrow night. They don’t know it, but they’re having a meat-free degustation!!! Might be the end of some beautiful friendships!
Katie,
Good for you! I started my vegan quest on August 21st…. about a week and a half now. I went cold turkey (no pun intended)from being someone who ate meat almost every day to vegan. You can do it and I love the tips you posted. It’s actually not as hard as I thought it would be. I’m taking one day at a time, no lofty goals, just one day at a time.
Great post!
Maria
Well done Maria. I can’t believe you went cold turkey — and from meat to no animal products at all. That is inspiring. You’re so right, nothing’s ever as hard as we think it will be. I’m so encouraged. Your advice is timely and terrific. Thanks so much.
The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.”
Beau, or perhaps our detachment from those thoughts and instead our ability to simply be in the physical … happiness might be our natural state once our thoughts get out of the way.
A late post here, Katie, but I am catching up on the world (have been in the new job vortex for a couple of months). Great news that you are going vegan – I went vegan (cold turkey as well) on July 25, 2010, and have lost 115 pounds and most of everything that was causing me pain/illness. I continue to work on improving my diet (leafy greens, less flour, etc,) but going vegan has been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.
In addition, I feel so much more at peace about my relationship to animals and the physical world.
Kudos to you!
Laura