Veganism :: both the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals - Wikipedia
"Thou shall eat to live; not live to eat." - Socretes
I remember sitting in our kitchen in Dana Point, California two and a half years ago & realizing I was about to commit to a vegan lifestyle. Blake was ready before I was but he had the books and info to back up his arguments for why we needed to do this. He was sitting on the kitchen floor reading
Survival of the 21st Century & for the first time I heard him talk about God. Or at least a creator of all living things. He made the point that our Creator loves us & wants us to be thriving. He made the most perfect foods for us to live off of; fruits, veggies, grain & water. Pure & clean & simple & nutritious foods. So why are we eating food out of boxes that can last years? Why are we putting chemicals into foods we eat for every meal & not questioning it? Why are there so many negative aspects to animal products? Why is there so much obesity, diabetes, heart failure, etc.?
We also brought up the subject of babies. We weren't planning on getting pregnant, but it was a possibility. What kind of home did I want for my kids? What kind of environment would make them live a positive life? Was my body, the way I was eating at the time, going to give my growing baby the best chance at a fruitful life? Would I have a better pregnancy & birth if I were eating cleaner, nutritious foods?
I know that looking at the whole world of food & nutrition & large companies & the economy this way is what really clicked for the the both of us, in individual ways.
Blake was all in right then and there.
I decided to try it for a month. I gave up dairy products & all animal meats over that month. I'll never forget my last BLT. I knew it'd be my last. With mayo. It was good. But it was the last. That was April, 2013.
>> on the water in Dana Point, California, enjoying the sun & produce & being active <<
We get asked all the time why we cut out animal products. And it's not such a simple answer. And yet it is.
I believe this lifestyle is the right way to go & was willing to change how lived the last 25 years. I didn't grow up with any vegetarians. My home never made healthy foods a priority. I don't have any friends who believe in this like I do. I served meat every day I was working & still did not given in. I am willing to argue with my family over this choice, but only with good intentions in hopes they will one day choose a healthier life. And I was willing to grow & nurse a baby with my convictions.
I do it for:
My health
My planet
My children
The animals
The economy
My hard earned money
My principles
>> frozen bananas blended with water & peaches <<
>> homemade chili with beans, tomato, sweet potato & seasonings & vegan corn bread made with coconut oil <<
>> picnicking with friends who were kind enough to also pack vegan foods, outside of the Greek Theater <<
And then there are the usual questions vegans get asked:
"Where do you get your protein?"
"Don't you miss it?"
"How can you survive without cheese?"
"So what DO you eat?"
"Isn't eating organic expensive?"
"Is it bland?"
- I get my protein in dark leafy greens. Yes, I eat a lot of them. I juice kale every morning & eat a head of romaine every night. And if you really research it, you don't need as much protein as the meat industries tell you...they just want you to buy more meat...and it works. The more I look into it, the more I'm seeing there are severe consequences to TOO MUCH protein.
- I miss it all the time. But it's just flavor. And I know what the flavors of chicken, filet mignon, salmon & cheese are. I think about it...then move on.
- Well, humans actually survive better without dairy products. Maybe one day, back in the day, dairy was clean & healthy, but today...not so much. It's full of unethical killing, torture, hormones & chemicals. Each generation is becoming more & more lactose intolerant...our bodies can't break down the dairy that isn't really actually dairy once it hits the shelves. There are some great dairy alternatives like nutritional yeast & almond milk!
- I eat the same meals you eat, they are just plant-based and don't usually put me in a food coma or make me backed up for 48 hours. I actually like my meals better now. I'm lucky I have Blake who loves to cook & create new things in the kitchen for us to eat. But if you really dedicate some creativity to your meals you'll be able to eat the same meals as before...and your body will feel better & your heart will feel better for being cruelty free.
- Organic is more expensive, yes. But when you aren't buying dairy & meat it really evens out. I hate calling it organic. It should be normal. A pepper that's been sprayed down and mutated to look all shiny & perfectly red & abnormally large should not be the 'normal' pepper. God didn't call everything he made 'organic.' But it is what it is & I try my hardest to eat organic. It's still not guaranteed & I've come to terms with that. I remember riding down the coast past the strawberry fields & the people spraying the fields were wearing hazmat suits from head to toe...hhhhhmmmmm. Also, when you're not eating meat when you go out to eat, the meals are usually a little cheaper. But when you start eating cleaner you start eating out less... and cooking at home is always cheaper.
- My food is far from bland. A few months after we cleaned up our diets I remember tasting things better. I can taste the sweet flavors of apples & watermelon & oranges. Once the blockage of fake foods starts leaving your system you gain better senses! And we love to flavor our foods with spices & herbs! Blake has been determined to find a vegan version of our usual cravings. I don't think there's anything I've not been able to find a vegan, low fat & clean version of. ((I didn't even break during my pregnancy!))
>> before we started making our pizza crust, we would pick up some whole wheat dough at Whole Foods ((just ask their pizza guy!)) <<
>> we started learning how to make sushi when we were living in Santa Fe, NM. Switching to only veggies made the process much easier! Once you get it down it's super easy to cook up some sushi rice, slice veggies, and roll up a few nori leaves <<
>> baked sweet potato fries with spices <<
>> quesadillas made with sautéed zucchini, peppers & onion, sometimes vegan cheese is added <<
>> learning to roll with the rice on the outside & we've been adding quinoa to our sushi rice <<
>> we finally found some good recipes for vegan mac'n'cheese, made with steamed cauliflower, carrots & nutritional yeast <<
>> baked sweet potato with avocado, salsa & cilantro <<
>> my favorite pasta in the deep of winter season: spaghetti with sautéed brussels sprouts in honey, steamed spinach, heirloom tomatoes & sundried tomatoes <<
>> frozen acai packs ((found at vitamin cottage)) blended with frozen or fresh berries, almond or coconut milk & banana topped with granola, fresh fruit & honey <<
>> Blake's a killer crunch wrap supreme maker! Black beans, rice, avocado, crispy flat shell, pico & lettuce wrapped in a tortilla & grilled on the flat top <<
>> veggie patties made with rice, black beans, onion & spices & baked fries with vegan cheese <<
>> more sushi <<
>> our beautiful vegan boy, Kingston Hubert, born April 29th, 2015, getting some bananas <<>>
here's his birth story<<
If you're interested at all in clean eating, a more plant-based diet, or even considering going vegan I'd love to help! I do have a Facebook page & Instagram account called An Herbal Perspective where I post inspirations & the things I eat. The links are in my contacts tab if you'd like to follow.
