To Be, or Not To Be... Vegan?

"Oh great, who invited the herbivore?"
"I brought hummus."
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One thing that I've learned in my years at college is the beauty, controversy, rules, and opinions surrounding the "vegan lifestyle". I've had plenty of vegan friends, vegetarian friends, and carnivore friends. I've always loved to dabble in the occasional vegan meal, but I had never fully committed. 

But as of November of 2013 (so before the holidays really started rolling around) I decided that I wanted to try being vegan for real. My mom had been juicing on and off for three weeks and had maintained, for the most part, a vegan lifestyle (even if she didn't want to admit that she was vegan). She lost 16 pounds! I was amazed. I'd heard that celebrities like Kelly Osbourne had gone vegan to lose weight and then maintain their weight, but I guess with all the crazy diets surrounding celebrities, I didn't believe it to really be a "weight loss" thing. But with my mom? Different story. I'd seen all the crazy diets she had done. I'd seen her go through weight watchers, "no carbs", South Beach diet, and the like. 

Anyway, since I have had so many vegan friends, I knew a lot about the vegan diet and I essentially knew where to start. I bought myself a vegan cookbook (anyone who knows me knows that I basically carry my vegan cookbook everywhere), and I just started. 

I'm happy to say that through my ups and downs, cheats and wins, crying and smiling, my vegan diet so far has been pretty successful. I have two things to say.

First, it does work as a weight loss solution. Even through the holidays, I didn't gain a single pound. In fact, I lost 4 pounds (if you knew how much I did eat, you'd know that's a definite accomplishment). I also find that my health has improved, my stomach is happier, and weirdly, my feet have shrunk (I guess my usual diet consisted of a lot of salt?).

Second, the myth and stigma surrounding vegan lifestyle, even among the avid juicers, healthy eaters, and crazy dieters is absurd. And that's what I would mainly like to point out. 

The first thing people always ask after I inform them that I am vegan is "Why?" I have such a complex answer to that, that I still just don't have a good short, quick explanation. As I pause and fumble for the right way to respond, whoever is present shoots off and starts telling me how meat is good for you, we have canine teeth, we need meat, without meat you can't grow muscle, on and on and on. 

The one thing I've never understood is why people are so quick to assume that by informing them that I am vegan is insinuating that humans don't need meat. Of course, I know humans need meat, I know our ancestors from thousands and thousands of years ago started the evolution to the healthy and fully functioning brains we have today because of meat. But they did not eat meat and animal products for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, midnight snack, etc. They did not have a constant flow of meat and animal products day in and day out. Yet this is nearly the American way! 

At every usual, typical, American meal there is an abundance of animal products floating around. Why? 

Yet every time I go out with family, go to Starbucks, go to a party I don't ask the people eating enormous quantities of animal products why they are eating it. So why would you ask me why I choose not to eat it? It makes no sense to me. 

Second, I would like to briefly explain some facts about being vegan. There are many reasons to go vegan. I have always felt that there is an extreme mistreatment of our animals and I don't think it's right. For some, that is reason enough. I remember once, in a Persuasive Speech class, a girl was trying to persuade the class to go vegetarian/vegan. She made a great alternative solution if you were not willing to go vegan "If you could cut down your consumption of meat by half, you would still be making a huge statement." 

I do however, believe that humans need meat. So I have tried to not think about it, and have kind of stayed in the background, eaten less meat (because I think that's a valid point, and I think Americans eat too much meat as it is) and just hoped that the people strong enough to be vegan will make a loud enough statement that the treatment of animals will change. 

Another simple reason to go vegan? As long as you avoid TVP and vegan cheese (the vegan cheese really isn't that tasty anyway), your food is pretty much guaranteed to be unprocessed. I mean think about it. That vegan cupcake? Made with margarine, applesauce, 72% dark chocolate, sugar, whole wheat flour, baking soda. Those vegan chips? Potatoes, sunflower seed oil, and salt. Vegan beans simply forgo pig lard. Vegan bread is usually only 4-5 ingredients, all of which you can pronounce and picture in your head. In short, the ingredient list on vegan foods are awfully short. And isn't that a good thing?

The hardest thing about going vegan at first was I had to give up taco bell, peppermint bark popcorn, caramel chews, whole fat caramel lattes, and a bunch of other not-good-for-you stuff and replaced it with strawberries and sugar, black coffee, vegan french toast, and home-made tacos. So really, how can I be doing myself a disservice?

The last and least "honest" reasons to go vegan? I'm lactose-intolerant anyway, may as well avoid eggs, meat, gelatin, and all that other stuff. It's cheap. It makes you lose weight. It forces me to eat my veggies and like them. It forces me to eat less and to be conscious about what I'm putting into my body. 

Vegan diets can be done wrong, don't think I don't know that. It's a constant balance of proteins, carbs, vitamin B, etc. This balance, when planned and informed about correctly, is not only possible but quite easy once you get in the swing of things. But it's also that balance that makes you plan your visits to the grocery store, forces you to eat that damn healthy sandwich you need to eat when all you want is a nice juicy burger, a milkshake, and fries (which is, what, 2,000 calories?).

I'm not trying to convince anyone to go vegan. I'm actually just making the point that it's a choice, and you shouldn't shame someone for their choices. Especially one that is about their health! You can't argue that an unprocessed diet--full of fruits, veggies, and grains--is so bad that you need to lecture them and convince them to eat the foods they don't want to eat. 

What I want you to take away from this article is this: the next time someone tells you that they're vegan you shouldn't say "Why?" You should say, "Awesome. That takes some willpower. How's it working out for you?"

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