I want to try something new. This past year has inspired me to push
myself and to reassess what is most important to me.
This year has been one of great changes. I
decided to go vegetarian in February and went vegan a few months later.
Contrary to what many may think, I did not change to a plant based diet for
health reasons; I did it because I now believe it’s the right thing to do. I found myself watching documentaries and
reading articles about veganism, consumerism, sustainability, globalization,
factory farming, among others and it opened my eyes. I have to be honest; I did
not instantly feel the need to change. Like anything else, I felt inspired for
a few hours after viewing or reading the content, and the feeling quickly
dissipated. It is not that I did not
care, more so, reality would set in. I have been eating animals and their
by-products my whole life, why change now?
It took a few weeks of research for my mind
to open and the message to stick. Breeding, torturing and murdering animals for
human consumption and vanity is not acceptable. We are abusing our status to
exploit other beings. In today’s society, we have the means to strive without
having to resort to this type of behaviour. Foods are at our disposal that we
might not have had access to in the past. We do not need to eat animals and their
by-products to live a healthy and happy life.
Let me be clear on my stance, I feel
strongly against the exploitation of animals via factory farming, not so much
those that hunt and fish for their food. I grew up eating wild game. My grandpa
would hunt, trap and fish and nothing would be wasted, nothing was exploited. We did not hunt more then what was needed.
I also understand that hunting, trapping and
fishing is part of many people’s livelihood and holds a large cultural
significance. Again, I am not against
this. I understand that not everyone has the means or access to an abundance of
fruits and vegetables.
With this said, I personally don’t see the
need for me to consume this type of meat or any meat. With what I have at my
disposal, I can strive and live a healthy life strictly eating plants. I don’t
have to take an animal’s life to cater to my own. I have access to other means,
and I will utilize those.
Veganism for me is all about intent. I’m
not trying to abide to what others think being a true vegan should mean. My intent is to reduce unnecessary suffering
and exploitation. My intent is to eliminate my consumption of animals and
factory farmed by-products. My intent is to not view animals as food, but as
livings beings. My intent is to be more compassionate.
Almost half a year into my vegan journey, I can
safely say that I have made the right life changes. I feel much better physically
and mentally. I’ve noticed many positive changes and I’ve never felt better.
However, I’ve started to fall in a vegan tunnel of junk food consumption. At first, I focussed on eating whole plant
foods and ate as little processed foods as possible. With the discovery of vegan
snack foods, that changed. I allowed myself to start eating unhealthy foods,
trying to validate it with the mindset that it’s vegan, so it’s ok. I have never
allowed myself to eat chips, candy, chocolate, ice cream and pizza in such
abundance before, so why now?
My primary focus on becoming vegan was not
health, but I have to start making that a priory. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not
that I don’t like eating healthily or cooking healthy meals. I just became
lazy. I think many people can relate to that. For me, taking liberties leads to
taking more, until I don’t think about it anymore. I have to change my mindset
and start thinking about what I’m putting in my body.
This brings me to the reason for writing
this post. I just moved to a new town, I've started my career and endless
possibilities await me. I want to challenge myself in order to become the
healthiest I can be. I’ve decided to eliminate my consumption of most processed
and pre-packaged foods. I personally don’t think
this will be difficult for me since I love to cook and make up with new
recipes. I just need to change my perception of priorities. I strongly believe
this will bring positive changes to my health and well-being.
I am publishing this on my blog as a way to
keep me accountable but also, to share my journey and recipes with those few
who are interested in following it.
Talk soon,
Josée xx
This year has been one of great changes. I
decided to go vegetarian in February and went vegan a few months later.
Contrary to what many may think, I did not change to a plant based diet for
health reasons; I did it because I now believe it’s the right thing to do. I found myself watching documentaries and
reading articles about veganism, consumerism, sustainability, globalization,
factory farming, among others and it opened my eyes. I have to be honest; I did
not instantly feel the need to change. Like anything else, I felt inspired for
a few hours after viewing or reading the content, and the feeling quickly
dissipated. It is not that I did not
care, more so, reality would set in. I have been eating animals and their
by-products my whole life, why change now?
Let me be clear on my stance, I feel
strongly against the exploitation of animals via factory farming, not so much
those that hunt and fish for their food. I grew up eating wild game. My grandpa
would hunt, trap and fish and nothing would be wasted, nothing was exploited. We did not hunt more then what was needed. 
