Why Did I Go Vegan?

Since going vegan I’ve had many people reach out to me asking tons of questions about the lifestyle. All of which I am more than happy to answer. I LOVE sharing my experience with others! Going vegan has affected my life in so many positive ways and I want others to experience all the benefits as well. The problem is, I usually have so much to say, but not enough time to do so. Because of this, I thought the blog would be a great place for me to elaborate on some of the most common questions I get asked. The first question I’m going to tackle is why did I go vegan in the first place?I have always been interested in nutrition. In the back of my mind I thought it was the key to successful health. Forget medicine, part of me has always believed that we can heal ourselves with proper nutrition. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I first heard about veganism and when I did, it sounded pretty radical. Cut meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal derived products out of your life and what’s left? Truth is, a lot. Veganism has opened my eyes to a world of new foods that I had never even heard of before. Trust me, I eat a lot more than just lettuce. Last year if you asked me what Quinoa was I would’ve had no idea – and certainly no idea how it’s pronounce. Now, I can’t imagine my life without it. Back then I just didn’t know what I didn’t know and going vegan seemed way too extreme and unattainable.

However, last summer I started to get very interested in the lifestyle. A friend, Colleen, had a blog and had just gone vegan. I followed her journey becoming more and more intrigued. Come fall of 2013, I created my health Instagram account @bitesofmyworld. At that time I was just focused on eating clean. For me, that included animal products and a minimal amount of processed foods. Through Instagram I realized there are many more vegans in the world than I expected. Maybe going vegan wasn’t as crazy as I once thought.

With my curiosity at an all time high I began watching tons of documentaries on Netflix: Forks over Knives, Food Inc., Food Matters, Fat Sick & Nearly Dead, and Vegucated are just a few of my favorites. In addition, I also read books to further my research on plant based nutrition. With every book I read and movie I watched I became more convinced that this diet was the answer I’d been looking for. After hearing and reading all of the arguments and learning the facts I was blown away. Now, the diet that once seemed extreme was looking like a real possibility. Watching the documentaries is what really pushed me over the edge and solidified my decision to go vegan. If anyone is trying to eat vegan and is possibly falling off the wagon in doing so, I suggest watching a few and maybe they will serve as motivation like they did for me. In October of 2013 I made the switch and haven’t looked back since. I now stand strong in my belief that eating plant based is the best thing anyone can do for their health.

At first, I decided to go vegan simply for my health. Sure, I knew about animal cruelty, but the ethical side didn’t become real until I witnessed it firsthand. Last winter break I took a service trip with my university to Honduras. I went with other students from my school to help build a school for the Honduran children. It was an experience that truly changed my life for so many reasons. For the purposed of this post I’ll focus on how it transformed me into a more ethical vegan. At the time, I was only about 2 months into the lifestyle. One day while at the work-site it was announced that we were eating chicken for lunch. Not only were we having chicken, but they were asking for volunteers that would get the “privilege” of killing the chickens themselves. I looked around and everyone was thrilled. For people that had previously been on the trip this was apparently a highlight of the week. They were all so excited to wrap a rope around the chicken’s neck and smash its head into the ground until it was died. When it finally came time, I couldn’t watch. Me and a few others waited around the corner, but could still hear the giggles and amusement coming from torturing these chickens. I won’t forget how disgusted I was that day and from then on I became aware that going vegan was so much more than for my health; it was for the animals too.

I didn’t change my diet because I hated the taste of meat, dairy, or eggs. In fact, I used to be a self-proclaimed Chobani addict. I loved chicken and salmon, my dad grilled the best steaks around, and omelets were my go-to breakfast. To this day if I pass by people having a BBQ do I think it smells good? Yes, of course! Is the smell enough for me to give in? Nope. I feel way too good eating plant based and have no desire to give that up. My energy level is through the roof, my skin glows, my mind is clear, and my hair and nails are the healthiest and strongest they have ever been. Those are just a few of the benefits I’ve experienced since going vegan – the list goes on. It’s not difficult for me to refuse animal products anymore because I don’t think it’s beneficial for my health in any way. Also, just thinking about the animals is enough of a reason for me to say no.

I want to end by saying I have absolutely no negative feelings or judgements towards people that eat animal products. Most of my friends and family members eat meat, dairy, and eggs, and that is completely fine. I don’t make them eat the way I do, just like they don’t make me eat the way they do. I’m lucky to be surrounded by people that are incredibly supportive of the lifestyle I’ve chosen. That being said, I do strongly believe in the vegan lifestyle. I urge you all to watch at least one documentary or read one book about the plant based diet and maybe it will change your world like it did for me.