Reason for Veganism

Background:

Grew up eating BBQ food basically every night for dinner- chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, etc. My dad loved to grill so we would devour. LOVED cheese and ice cream, even though I’m lactose-intolerant. Fast food is a frequent occurrence. In 2010, Cole and I gave up red meat and pork, but we still loved fish and poultry.

My Skin:

In 2013, my skin became so overwhelmed with painful cystic acne. In 2014, I went on my first round of Accutane for 5 months. Had great results for the first 6 months after, and side affects only being dry skin. By the end of 2014, cystic acne is completely back, so in early 2015 my dermatologist immediately prescribes me Round 2 of Accutane- without suggesting diet change or any alternatives. Took 3 months of Accutane in 2015, and quit before my entire prescription was up. This time after accutane, my stomach hurt any time I ate meat, processed food, anything… Other personal issues arose, and I was completely mad at myself that I took accutane twice.   From 2015 to 2016, I was battling severe stomach issues any time I ate. Cole thinks I slightly suffered with Crohn’s Disease, which is a common side affect of Accutane. If I had one glass of wine, it was over for me. Chicken, fish, and turkey all made my stomach turn. I no longer enjoyed eating food.

The Reason for Veganism:

In September, 2016, Cole was watching Youtube videos that summarize the book How Not to Die by Michael Greger. I was trying to not listen because I seriously thought it was stupid, but then it really started to hit home. Pretty much every symptom of stomach issues that I had was covered, and a lot of research suggested that a plant-based diet can cure these issues. My skin was also not clear AGAIN, and my energy levels were gone.

The China Study was also covered, in which massive amounts of research has uncovered the benefits of living a plant-based diet. Michael Greger discussed one study, in which people went on a temporary diet to “test” veganism out and then would be allowed to convert back to their normal diets after the study. When the it was over, everybody felt so good that they continued to live on a plant-based diet and did not go back to eating meat. For some reason, this stuck out to me with little red flags, and I thought, “why not try it for a month to see if it helps my stomach out?”

The first weekend I went vegan I was going to Dallas, TX of all places! I thought that it was going to be impossible to eat while on the trip,  but I went there with an open mind, and my friends were all surprisingly super supportive! I was shocked to find vegan-friendly options on nearly every menu. I did have to get a side salad without the cheese or dressing at one place, but overall, it was not hard to find plant-based foods in a very meat-friendly city.   A month after turning vegan, I really felt the benefits of it. I no longer had stomach issues EVERY time I ate food, I felt way more energized than I have in a long time, my skin started to glow again and clear up for the most part, and I just felt GOOD. The month was up, and damnit, I wasn’t going back. I couldn’t bring myself to eating foods again that made my stomach turn, or feeling sluggish and exhausted all the time.   Since September, I have never felt better.

Cole has lost arond 10lbs + just from changing to plant-based foods. We both joke on a constant basis that we cannot believe we are vegan. Trust me, we never understood it either until we both dived in and looked at the research and then actually tried it for ourselves. It’s like a whole new world full of delicious, healthier opportunities.   Do Your Research! I understand there is a lot of skepticism about this kind of lifestyle. I understand it seems crazy and outlandish. I was the person who thought it was stupid after all. But I urge you, look at research on the correlation of animal-proteins and cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimers, and so on. The research is out there, but it is still taboo to think that society can live on just a plant-based diet.

I can’t help but feel an ethical obligation to my family, clients, and friends, to urge you all to do your research on this topic, and to be open-minded about the benefits your body could have with more plant-based foods.   I have a couple clients who are being open-minded and testing out veganism, and they are already seeing results of a healthier body. I have a lot of clients who think I’m crazy and will not open up to the concept, which is fine, but I just want them to at least educate themselves on the topic. I will never flat out force someone to be vegan, but I will educate and share my experience on it.

Closure:

Being vegan is something I would have never envisioned for my life ( just being honest), but I feel like it is the biggest blessing to come our way. I have so much fun hunting for vegan-friendly options. I love eating ridiculously delicious foods without the consequences on my body. I love waking up every day feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to go. I love not having stomach issues and being able to digest food. Being vegan may not be something you’d ever consider, but just remember, I was that person too. If anything, just add more fruits and veggies into your diet, try bean burgers, and enjoy some cashew ice cream.

Cheers!
— Jess