It’s funny, I usually find out about these types of anniversaries shortly after they’ve ended so it’s momentous that I am reflecting on this day some timely.
I officially became vegan in March of 2020 – a month & year that none of us will ever forget. At that time I’d been vegetarian for a few months (again), after several phases of vegetarianism throughout my life. This time was succinctly different in that my health had already become a priority, and had recently become aware of something that I found completely mind-blowing – a thing most people continue to disbelieve – the plant-based athlete.
My previous bouts with vegetarianism were plagued with doubt from the onset as I was continually barraged with misinformation about how unhealthy that lifestyle can be if you don’t do it properly. My penchant for unhealthy eating through most of my life was obviously no help, and deep down I knew definitively that each of those pursuits would be doomed to fail before they even began.
However this time I saw not only social and societal benefits by way of preservation of animal life and the environment, but personal benefits as well. In this endeavor there would be no losers and no sacrifice, and although I am still what many would classify as a ‘new vegan’ I really can’t see a scenario in which I would willingly go back to being omnivorous.
I think about this a lot, but I’ve ultimately decided that I don’t want to be one of ‘those vegans’ who preach & condemn and become difficult to talk to. I have my ways and my methods, and other people have theirs – and I learned a long time ago that you can’t change anybody’s mind. I used to think that you couldn’t change anybody’s mind by beating them over the head with information – but through the pandemic I’ve learned that you can’t change anybody’s mind AT ALL. They have to change, and all I can do is be open and live in a manor that is open and approachable, and show what’s possible by being a living example. With that, I’ll state that I did not lose my previously mentioned 166 lbs on a vegan diet. I lost less than 20 on a vegan diet. I lost almost 150 on an omnivore diet.
I’m not better than anyone. I’m just a better ‘me’ than I was before.
That said there’s a myriad of documentaries, books, and podcasts available on the subject – and although I’m sure your google search works just as well as mine, but I recommend checking out ‘What The Health’ and ‘The Gamechangers’ – both of which were huge documentaries for Lu & I. There are others, of course – more coming all the time, but I personally found these to be an excellent place to start.
Many vegans recommend a film called ‘earthlings’ that covers all of the animal atrocities you can imagine and it’s absolutely heart-wrenching. I personally couldn’t get all the way through it.
Ultimately, despite the intense amount of meal prep that can pile up from time to time, we can’t imagine living any other way. The think & live more clearly, we recover from physical exertion much faster, and are more in tune with our environment. If you’re truly curious, try it for 21 days.
You can eat anything for 21 days.
We know this because you can eat nothing for 21 days.
The Conscious Pilgrim 