Adapting to a vegan lifestyle is literally as hard as tying your shoes

veg·an /ˈvēɡən/

noun
1.
a person who does not eat or use animal products.
“I’m a strict vegan”

adjective
2.
using or containing no animal products.
“a vegan diet/lifestyle”

Adapting to a vegan lifestyle is literally as hard as tying your shoes. No, really, it’s only as hard as you make it. I swapped over to a completely whole, plant-based lifestyle in September 2015. It actually started as a thirty-day challenge. We’re all familiar with those, right? #30DaysNoMeatChallenge but, I wanted to go for the full monty: No meat, no dairy, no animal products, at all. I was already a year into my new holistic self-care journey when I’d reached a plateau and couldn’t drop any more weight. I did a little—keyword: little—research in the form of a few documentaries (‘Cowspiracy’, ‘Forks Over Knives’, and ‘Vegucated’—all on Netflix). After watching them, I literally said to myself, “I’m not eating that s***, anymore!” I then embarked on two night’s worth of research on ‘How to go vegan’ and I was ready to go!

Within the thirty days, I dropped eleven pounds, without even trying! Over the last three years and ten months of being vegan (plant-based), I have dropped 33.3% body fat, cut my BMI from 40% to 25%, drastically increased my muscle mass, and went from a size 18 to a size 10. I’ve kept the weight off, too! Unlike with any other fad diet that works for a while and then doesn’t anymore, the vegan lifestyle is the lifestyle that keeps on giving! I’ve tried so many new, vibrant recipes and as many different vegetables that I never even knew I liked! My palate has completely been reformed and half of the foods I used to enjoy – are no longer good to me.

The foods I eat are richer in nutrients, which increases mental clarity. It lowered my blood sugar levels and improved the function of my organs. It made my onset diabetes diminish; lowered my risk for heart disease. It runs in my family. My doctors are amazed at my levels when I go get blood work done. I can move on less sleep (4 hours instead of 8-10) than before without feeling sluggish or beaten down. I can walk up 14 flights of stairs, run 3 miles non-stop, and my stamina is completely unmatched!

The foods that we eat are the things that are the most impactful in our lives. What we consume determines how conscious we really are. Everyone won’t be compelled to change their eating habits, based on watching a few documentaries and doing a bit of research. But, take a look at your family. Has your grandfather lost a limb to diabetes? Does your grandmother suffer from heart disease? What about your favourite cousin, is he battling high blood pressure? Is your best friend overweight? I’m sure we all know someone who could stand to benefit from changing their foodie lifestyle, regardless of the ailment they may or may not be suffering from. The main concern people have is –‘Can I eat foods similar to the foods I eat now, and they still taste good, without any animal products?’

The answer is a resounding: YES.