Vegan for 1 Year: How My Life Has Changed
It has officially been one year since I started eating vegan. In March 2015, I decided to cut out all the dairy from my food for five days. A vacation to Hilton Head interrupted my first week of going vegan, but from there, I pursued the vegan journey. If you are interested in seeing how I went vegan and more about my food philosophy from back then, I recommend checking out this post about how my eating habits have changed.
What is veganism & what do I eat?
Before we get started, I wanted to quickly go over what veganism is as a diet and lifestyle. Eating a vegan diet means eating exclusively plant foods, with zero animal products. While there are various ways to eat vegan, I mostly eat a diet full of whole plant foods with an emphasis on carbs. Fruits, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, rice, beans, and some nuts make up my meals throughout the week. I’m also not opposed to an occasional vegan treat like vegan ice cream, desserts, etc.! I’ve also found it’s really easy to eat gluten-free and nut-free while being vegan, but I do incorporate breads and regular wheat pasta into my meals.
Veganism isn’t all about what you eat—many vegans have ethical and environmental reasons for eating vegan. The main draw for me was the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet. However, I have learned much more about the way our eating affects our world and how we live our lives.
How My Life Has Changed After Being Vegan for 1 Year
1. I think more about how my actions affect the world. I am now more aware of the resources we as humans use, consume, abuse, and recycle just from our daily routines and everyday items we deem as necessary. From the tons and tons of water used in the meat industry, to the plastic containers our fruit is stored in, I am now more aware of what it takes to actually produce goods that we take for granted. For this reason, veganism and minimalism really go together as lifestyles, and I’ve found that both ways of living inform each other really nicely.
2. I have become more aware of environmental concerns. I’ve grown to love this planet—and realized my love for a clean, beautiful world. This has always been important to me, but I never truly comprehended how much of an effect we have on the air we breathe and the grass beneath our feet.
[bctt tweet=”What you eat affects your life. How does being vegan change you? “]
3. I’ve realized my love for animals and life—living creatures. I’ve learned there isn’t a difference between a dog and a cow. A pig or a cat. Animals are friends, not food. They add diversity and interest to our planet and are made for so many more reasons than to be consumed by us. Animal rights is such a large, philosophical, ethical topic that we could discuss for a long time, but for me, I’ve realized how much we should really appreciate the creatures around us.
4. I feel 110% more confident in my health. While I always thought people should eat whatever they want, I slowly discovered the power of healthy eating. And guess what? I WANT to eat this way.
Related Post: 5 Truths for Healthy Eating
5. I spend less on things that don’t matter, and I opt for more natural products. I bought three new makeup products in the last year, and I’m simplifying on other things as well. Sometimes, it’s about the quality of products and objects than the convenience or its societal value. I now look for quality shampoos, conditioners and other products. I am aware of what I put on my body, inside it and around it.
6. Eating healthy and correctly has grown into something I’m passionate about. While being vegan does have some conflicts and downsides, I am completely confident that this is the right direction for me and for anyone who is interested in making a change.
[bctt tweet=”Let’s seek to live fully and abundantly. Let’s live 110% confident in our choices.”]
Health, sustainability and life, abundant life, are things we cherish. With this lifestyle, I hope to never lose sight of this.
I seek to live life fully and abundantly. I eat however much I want. There are no restrictions. There is power in choice—especially one that promotes life, freedom and lots of amazing foods.
Coming from the person who loved seafood, prime rib and mac and cheese, I never thought I would be writing a post about being vegan for a year or longer. But honestly, I am glad I grew up eating anything I wanted, and I’m thankful for the change to veganism as well. It’s a learning experience and it’s a choice.
For me, it started with educating myself. If you are interested in learning more about this lifestyle, I would suggest the following documentaries/videos:
- Forks Over Knives (available on Netflix)
- The Best Speech You Will Ever Hear
- Cowspiracy (available on Netflix)