September 14, 2015

Why I Went Vegan.


Hi everyone, I hope your well. In the month of August I decided to make a change and switch to a plant based diet. This was a decision that I made based on all the research I found over the previous few months......

From a really young age I was always conscious about my health and well-being. I was heavily influenced by the media about what is "good" for my body. Being insecure about my body resulted in me trying out diets. - going from starving myself all day to binging out all night. Eating minimal calories of low carb and high protein fats which wasn't at all healthy. I would go through times where I actually saw results by eating minimal carbs, however, I was always tired, unhappy and hungry. The weight ended up coming back which really affected my emotional health and the way I felt about myself. My "diet" ended up making me have bad digestion problems. I always felt sick every time I ate - like I was going to throw up. No one wants to live like this!

I didn't realise all the saturated animal fats I ate really affected my body. Coming from an Italian household, I never thought of the term "Vegan". I always thought people who didn't eat meat, fish or dairy weren't normal. It wasn't until I discovered you-tuber Essena Oneill whose' videos opened up my eyes about this lifestyle. Followed by Essena, I started to watch Bonny Rebecca and Freelee the banana girl who provided insight into a "high carb low fat vegan diet" (HCLF) and the nutritional benefits of eating plant based. I was starting to become aware of the health concerns involved in meat consumption and didn't want to be at risk. We get 10x more nutrition from meat/dairy in fruits and vegetables. 

As I was learning about Veganism, my meat intake started to decrease as every time I would eat it, I'd imagine the precious animal. I never really ate fish, however, dairy was a big issue in my life. I don't drink milk - almond or soy is to my preference. Milk always gave me stomach aches - which I now understand as human's are not supposed to be consuming dairy milk. I ate cheese, chocolate, and pretty much everything I ate, such as snacks, included milk. It is clear that dairy is very high in fat - I knew this before I was vegan. 

Besides my health, the animals is what really assisted me into making the switch. I definitely learnt a lot watching documentaries about the inhumane, meat and dairy industries. It is very heartbreaking. I had no idea that this treatment occurred and I was responsible for it. I always used to call myself an "animal lover" but never really understood that cows, chickens and pigs are animals too. It was confronting seeing these beautiful animals faces when harmed. Cows do not deserve to be taken from their families, chickens don't deserve to be crushed and pigs don't deserve to be treated like their worthless. NO ANIMAL DESERVES THIS!

The simplicity and deliciousness of whole foods such as fruits and vegetables is what I love about a Vegan diet. Being able to eat as much as you want without the guilt, eating CARBS which I never thought I'd do. It's truly incredible discovering how your lifestyle choices reflect on your overall health and well-being. I feel amazing. I hope this inspires you to try a plant-based diet!


Xo

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