People are afraid. People don't want to know things that will force them to make change in your life. Why? Because we all love to be comfortable. We enjoy easy. We want results without putting work into it.
I was one of those people. I was so afraid to ever research the vegetarian and vegan world. I ignored it, never looked into it, and made fun of the people that did it.
I grew up thinking you needed meat for protein and milk for calcium. Didn't we all? I had meat or dairy with every meal of the day. I also indulged in sugar and flour. It was a way of life. Everyone else eats this way so it was just normal. It seemed no one questioned it. I definitely never wanted to...I mean meat, dairy, sugar, and flour...these are all so good! How could one ever let them go?! I was convinced I never could, so I definitely never wanted to know why people took it out of their diet. I didn't care.
At the beginning of this year, I was realizing that my diabetes was at a really bad place. I decided to start making changes. Now for me this still meant eating meat, dairy, and sugar. I just began logging my numbers, and measuring my food out. I still was experiencing highs and lows, and my mood swings were all over the place. No matter what I did it seemed I had no energy. I am 22 and I am tired at all times. There is something seriously wrong with that picture. But still I didn't question it being the food I was eating.
I honestly was at a point where I wanted to just give up. I was trying so hard to feel good and be healthy...yet I still felt awful.
I came across a documentary titled " Food Matters" I decided to watch it. This stirred something inside of me. My eyes began to open a little more to what is actually taking place in the world (mostly America). I could go on about everything that I learned from this documentary, but if you are at all curious you really should just be brave enough to watch a food documentary.
After watching this one documentary, I then became inspired to eat organic fruits and vegetables. This meant no more Wal Mart.
What is the one thing I hear the most about going organic? "I can't afford being healthy."
And that my friends is the first lie America has injected into our brains when it comes to food. Somehow we all think being healthy is for the rich. Well guess what? I am not rich, and I eat all organic. It is a lie.
Now at first I felt sick to my stomach...I walked into Whole Foods and felt like I went broke just by looking at the produce. I started reading the little information on the farmers that each section had. Then I had a light go off in my mind! Duh! I should go to the Farmers Market! So I headed out to the local Farmers Market and I spent $25 and came home with an enormous amount of food. I was in shock! All this time I thought going organic meant going to the fancy Whole Foods and spending $12 on a bag of tomatoes. Let me give you an example of something I purchase from the Farmers Market compared to purchasing at Whole Foods.
A bag of Kale from Whole Foods: $6
And everything else I picked up was just as cheap! Although the cheap prices are extremely exciting and a relief to my bank, it is even more incredible to be able to talk to the farmers right then and there! I am supporting them, and I know that my food doesn't have chemicals on it, or even worse...it is actually food! Keep in mind most of what you are purchasing from stores such as Wal Mart has been genetically modified and by the time it reaches your mouth, it is hardly even real food anymore.
The excuse of it being more expensive went out the window. I am saving money, and saving my life.
After that first run to the Market....I made myself the most delicious salad. I don't think I had ever tasted anything so delicious. I didn't salt, pepper, or dress my salad with anything! The flavors were incredible! I instantly felt this burst of energy spiral through my system. I didn't realize that was how food was supposed to taste.
I wanted to know more about all of this. If I was really going to be serious about it, I needed to have the facts. I watched several more documentaries...and with each one, my eyes were open more and more. I ordered books and began reading them. I searched for youtube channels with information, articles, and other peoples stories on become vegetarian/vegan. I was a sponge and I soaked up an intense amount of information...so intense that one night I found myself crying hysterically in my bed after watching a dangerously revealing documentary...that changed everything for me. My eyes were full on open to it all. I saw images that I wished I had never seen, but at the same time wished I had seen years ago, and wish everyone could see. This was the moment that I had been keeping myself from. I knew that if I allowed myself to be informed of the FACTS of what is going on in America...I would never be able to go back. I made a promise to myself that night that meat and dairy would never enter my body again.
Seems a little extreme doesn't it? Seems a little crazy? Seems pretty stupid right? I mean vegans are creepy...they are like aliens or something right?
Well I think getting heart disease at the age of 35 is extreme. I think getting cancer at 12 years old is extreme. I think the fact that over half of America is obese is extreme.
We have put veganism into this "crazy and extreme" category. Why? Because we don't want to change. Because America wants us to purchase food that is bad for us. Why would they do such a thing? Don't they have our backs? No. They want our money.
It is all about money. They want us dumb and sick. So of course people that are vegan are made out to be crazy people and conspiracy theorists.
I thought the same thing that I know most people think about me when I say I am vegan.
Am I crazy? Am I a conspiracy theorist? No. I am intelligent. I allowed myself to be informed of knowledge that you have to search for. Being Vegan isn't pushed because if the world were vegan, we would all be living longer, mostly cancer and disease free, and we would have so much energy that we would be accomplishing amazing things left and right! Of course America doesn't want that. It is great for them to have a bunch of obese people doing nothing with their lives, and people being hospitalized and doped up on prescription drugs. If we were all healthy...they wouldn't be making as much money as they make off of our stupidity and unhealthiness.
There is so much shocking information out there...all you have to do is have the courage to do your research. To hear the stories of so many people that have overcome cancer and disease from just changing their diet.
These are facts people. You can't deny facts.
Another thing people ask. What do you eat? How are you getting your protein and calcium? Are you starving yourself?
First of all, I eat more now than I ever have! I use to torture myself with diets and struggled with anorexia for years. Now I am never hungry, and I eat as much food as I wish to. I was surprised at how many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lentils that I had never even seen or heard of! The amount of food that I can eat feels like it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. So to answer that, I eat loads of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and lentils. There are so many different ways to make each meal I have that eating this way never is boring, it is fun and has actually become a new hobby! I love making up new recipes and trying out new foods each week.
How are you getting your protein and calcium?
This is the most irritating question. But, I thought and asked the same thing before I went vegan.
First of all, you should all know that protein and calcium are not all that good for you. It is yet another lie that we were fed centuries ago. Why? Money. It is always money. There have been multiple scientific and medical research done showing the effects of a high protein and calcium induced diet versus a high fruit and vegetable diet is extremely damaging to your bodies system. You can do your own research on this. Don't take my word for it. Look up The China Study.
But it is good to have a low amounts in your diet. Specifically 5%. Lucky for us vegans, there are plenty of plants and lentils that have all the protein and calcium your body needs. It is also cheaper then meat and dairy...so yay for saving money!
Are you starving yourself?
People think vegans are little birds that hardly eat. Why? Probably because if you are a true vegan, you are never overweight. Like I said before I am eating more now than ever before! But I have lost weight ever since I became a vegan. For me this is extremely shocking. I use to limit myself to a certain amount of calories, and hardly ate anything, and I felt like a zombie. I also found it hard to ever stick to that way of eating. Now I eat, and eat, and eat...yet I wake up with a six pack and I feel like I could run all day and just dance and sing and go crazy because my energy levels are insane!
So no, I am not starving myself. I am feeding myself with all the nutrients my body could ever ask for! Keep in mind since over half of America is obese, we have adjusted to what a healthy body looks like. So when we see people that are thin, we think sick. I can assure you I am healthier than most babies these days.
THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED SO FAR SINCE I HAVE GONE VEGAN
-my diabetes. Oh ya...I still have that...I hardly noticed since it is so good!!! It has never been this good! I have had to reduce the amount of insulin I take drastically. Some days I wonder if I even have it. I am so thankful I discovered all this now.
-the first thing I noticed was my weight. I have never been fat, but I certainly was having to shop for bigger sizes every few months. Now I am rocking pants I haven't been able to wear in years.
-my skin. I felt like my pores completely closed and I all of a sudden had this natural luminous glow to my skin. My dark circles were gone and my skin was silky smooth.
-my eyes. The color is becoming more crystal clear looking...even though I have brown eyes. It is hard to explain, something you can only tell by looking into. The white of my eyes has also become clearer. And my eye site seems to be getting better as well!
-me energy. Like I said before, I was tired all the time. No matter how much sleep I got, it never seemed to help. Now I wake up literally hopping out of bed and dancing. I know this sounds kind of strange...but I can't help it, I feel SO GOOD!! I have so much energy that I know exercise 6 days a week just to calm down the energy I have. I can stay up late and feel 22! I dance around the house, and walk all around the city, I am happier and I believe even nicer (:
-Sex drive. increased. a lot. enough said.
There are so many things honestly I could go on forever. It is not only having an effect on my health from the inside out, but since I am feeling so much better it is giving me the motivation to make all things in my life better.
At the end of the day, we choose how we live. We can choose to go through the drive through and sit in front of the television and watch other people living their lives. Or we can go to the market and load up on amazing food that makes you feel wonderful, we can go for a walk and smell the fresh air, we can inspire others to be happier and healthier, we can dance, we can be goofy, we can fell confident from the inside out. I just want to live a life where I look back and say " I lived a happy, healthy, and loving life...every moment."
People are afraid of change. They will find any form of an excuse as to why they can't be happy.
The truth is...Happy people are happy because they chose to not be afraid. They chose to make a difference in their lives no matter how hard it was.
Life brings pain, sadness, and unfortunate occurrences. That doesn't mean you have to let those things keep you from being happy. You feel sadness when you need to, but you don't let it take over your soul and your life. No one should ever live a meaningless life. We all have what it takes to live a fulfilled and wonderful life. It is our choice.
So for me this is my choice. My personal choice. I am vegan, not because I want to fall into some category of persons, but because I want to live to see my grandchildren do amazing things in the world, I want to be happy until my last breath. I want to take care of my partner for the rest of my life. I can't do these things if I get sick young.
Since I have the power to change the way my life looks, I am taking that power and doing the absolute best that I can with it. For me, after hours, days, and weeks of soaking up knowledge...it was more than clear that a vegan lifestyle was one very large step towards always being the best I can be.
I am not writing any of this to try and persuade you to change. I am simply writing about my experience. I do however, challenge you to really do your own research on this. It is a very big deal. One that has been brushed under the rug. There is a reason it has been brushed under there. You should go find out why!
Thanks for reading!
XO
Natalie Rose
