Way back when at the age of twenty-one, I was seeing a girl who was deep into veganism. It was, honestly, the first time I had seen or heard anything about it. And I was intrigued by the idea. At the time, I was a little oblivious and ignorant to my own needs. I thought I was healthy and continually found myself in a pattern. I’d lose weight, get real close to where I wanted to be, and then I’d falter back, ending up right back where I started. I was unhappy, not healthy, and I needed a change.
I’ll preface everything I’m about to share with one statement: everyone is different and what is beneficial for my mind and body may not be entirely the best for yours. Just because veganism worked for me doesn’t mean you’ll find the same peace of mind or happiness in the decision to go vegan that I found. So listen to your gut, what your body responds best to, and go from there. But by all means, if you want to go vegan, you’re more than welcome to shoot me messages and reach out to me with any questions or concerns you have.
I remember watching Earthlings and going vegan literally overnight. My family thought I was a little insane for doing so. And eventually, so did I. It was hard, because I went cold turkey and didn’t bother thinking about the transition. There were no cravings initially, but occasionally, I wanted that little slice of cheese or some ice cream. Here and there, I do treat myself to some ice cream or cheese, but I never really want any sort of meat after watching that movie.
Going vegan started as an ethical thing for me, but it transformed itself into something far greater. Within weeks of transitioning, mental fogginess cleared up and I had more energy. After months, I saw my clothes fitting looser and looser. I felt better about myself, felt happy with my food choices, and knowing the environmental impact I had on Earth made the entire decision far more rewarding. That is, until I decided to nix veganism upon moving to Taiwan. Then, I really saw all that it had done for me, when it all started to disappear.
In the matter of a year, I gained forty pounds, felt terrible, and I had memory issues after introducing meat and the standard diet back into my life. I remember only doing it because I was never one hundred percent sure what I was eating, and it served as a motivation to learn more Mandarin. And then, after a year and a half, I transitioned back to veganism. Again. And I’m so glad that I did. I truly believe that, for me at least, veganism is up there in the top five best decisions I made, next to moving abroad.
You don’t have to go entirely vegan to see some of the benefits of eating healthy. All it takes is ditching that Big Mac for a salad every once in a while, buying more produce than packaged foods, and drinking more water. Our bodies, as much as we forget at times, don’t need too complex of a menu in order to function properly. The whole saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may not be entirely true, but there is something to be said for adhering to more whole, natural foods. So don’t forget to treat your body like a temple. Eat more produce, drink your water, and move your body every day. We only get one body, one life, so why not live it as naturally and simply as possible?
