"So, why'd you go vegan?" (Before and after photos)

 At restaurants and grocery stores, folks often correctly guess I'm vegan based upon my food choices. "Vegan, right?"

"Yes."

"So, why'd you go vegan?"

It's a good question.

The first time someone asked me I had no answer. My way of eating has become so ingrained in me I don't think much of it anymore. But, I pondered upon it so I could give a better answer the next time I was asked.

Five years ago, I was lying awake in the middle of night; my body ached and I couldn't sleep. I often woke up around 2 AM, and if I was lucky, I'd fall asleep. Some nights, that was all the sleep I would get. (There's a biological reason for these 2 AM awakenings, and I'll write about it in another blog post.) 

On this particular night, realizing any more sleep was fruitless, I browsed YouTube for "something mindless." There are 800 million videos on YouTube and many of them fall in what I would categorize as 'mindless.' Something more interesting popped up in my 'feed,' though, a video on the health and environmental benefits of veganism. The ethical messaging of the video was compelling, but the environmental messaging resonated the most with me. I had no idea my consumption of meat was so damaging to the ecosystem. So, if I switched over to plants for my protein, I could do something good for the planet. I resolved to try a vegan diet for one week. Feeling good about my decision, I managed to fall back asleep.

I knew nothing about veganism and subsisted the first week on store-bought black bean burgers and apples with sunflower seed butter. It wasn't very exciting as far as food choices, but somehow, I was intrigued. I decided to try veganism for two weeks. I started looking up recipes and stocked my pantry with vegan staples.

As it turns out, I am much better at cooking vegan food than I am cooking meat. I never liked shopping for meat or the appearance of it before it was cooked. There's no disguising the reality it is the remains of a living creature, and part of me was never thrilled at handling those chopped up bits and pieces. It was so freeing to shop in the grocery store and no longer have to go to the meat section. I'm blessed to have a husband who doesn't mind making a Costco run now and again, and he did the meat buying for himself and my son. But, the two of them were curious about everything I was cooking and kept asking if they could try some. So, I always cooked extra and while I never forced my vegan food on them, it was there if they wanted it. Consistently, they always wanted to try it, curious to see what I'd prepared. After three weeks of this routine, my son announced he wanted to switch over to a plant-based diet. A week later, my husband announced he also wanted to try giving up meat. "I may have to eat some meat on my business trips." I nodded with understanding. He had business dinners to attend, and couldn't make a fuss in order to get a vegan meal. But, as time passed, he found easy workarounds and ways to get plant-based foods in even the most "meat-heavy" states. "I order from the side dishes and ask them to plate it. My colleagues said my food looked better than what they'd ordered."

My body transformed the longer I stayed on a plant-based diet. It became easier and easier to figure out workarounds for any social situation. My husband and I noticed we could identify what people were eating by looking at their faces. Vegans have a healthy glow to them, likely due to the high volume of fruits and vegetables in their diet (antioxidants.) 

So, yes, I became a vegan to reduce my environmental footprint. But, I have remained a vegan for the past five years because I love the way my body feels.

Third year of veganism.
Age 51.

2015.
Photo taken just before I started my new way of eating.