So I've been off the vegan wagon since Thursday now. Yup, I did my 28 days. Toward the end I was really into it and feeling anxious about going back to a regular diet. Where's the sport in eating whatever you want? The one thing that I was looking forward to was pumpkin pie ice cream at Sargent Sundae. I think I could eat vegan for the rest of my days, save for pumpkin pie ice cream from my favourite neighbourhood scoop and twist shop.
So did you really not consume any animal products for those 28 days?
Yes! Well, mostly. I found out late in the game that regular ol' margarine is not just made of vegetable and canola oils, there is whey, a milk product, in that stuff too. So I was grilling my skinny Elvis sandwiches and baking my scones with vegan-unfriendly product until last week. As soon as I realised my error I got my chickpea butt to a Vita Health store and paid a ridiculous amount for dairy free marg. Cristco shortening, I will note, is vegan.
I will admit that I did not give up honey, which is supposed to be a no-no for vegans. I am not convinced that harvesting honey causes the honey bee any harm that would keep me up at night. Also, my veganism only went as far as my diet. I did not stop buying leather or wearing wool. I could not see myself ever giving those things up.
Did you notice any benefits to eating vegan?
Perhaps. I did feel it was the most satisfying regime I've ever done. I felt happy because I wasn't hungry or running on fumes, starving for carbs. I noticed I upped my water intake too, like I found my thirst again that had been missing for as long as I can remember. But I don't know if any of these things were because of the diet or because I also took up running and dancing. I didn't notice my skin looked healthier or that my eyes looked whiter or anything like that. Maybe I would have if I'd stuck with it for another 8 weeks.
Have you gone back to eating meat, dairy and eggs again now?
Sort of. On Thursday I was at Lisa's for dinner and she made shrimp--that was my first non-vegan dish in 28 days. Which was weird because I have "pet" Sea Monkeys and they are a tiny breed of shrimp. Tonight I was at my mom's and dad's and we had beef. I'm still kind of avoiding dairy and eggs and am thinking of reintroducing them gradually, if I do so at all. (Aside from pumpkin pie ice cream, of course.) I discovered a few egg and dairy free baking recipes--brownies, cookies, pastry--that have me convinced I can happily do without those things. One thing I didn't miss so much that I thought I would was cheese. I tried vegan cheese and it was gross. Cheeseless pizza though is suprisingly delicious.
How was it eating meat again?
Weird. I had a really hard time convincing myself it was okay to do it again. And while I used to love grilled meat, I have to say it looked kind of unappealing on the plate. I saw it and it looked like flesh. I've never looked at meat that way before, never felt guilt about eating meat or anything, so I wasn't expecting to have that reaction.
Other thoughts on eating vegan.
Well the one thing I don't like is that it often went against my preference for unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Tofu and milk alternatives such as soy and almond milk for example have additives like salt, cane juice (sugar). I know cow's milk is supposed to be full of junk like hormones and antibiotics, but at least it doesn't have added sugar or salt. I think I will focus on upping my vegetables and legumes, stop fretting about eating whole grains because of the carbs,and probably consume meat in smaller quantities, but I will be cautious about adopting the substitutes for fear of trading one evil for another.
1 comment:
Growing up and living in the midwestern US, I can't say I've known all that many vegetarians, let alone vegans. For many years, I generally thought they were crazy people to avoid animal products at all costs, as humans need animal-based protein, and the fact we as a species have evolved to use the energy and nutrients derived from such sources.
That said, in recent years, I've come to the belief that a "compromise" is definitely in order, and something I should try more often. Brooke and I have heard Michael Pollan interviewed on multiple occasions and he tends to make a lot of sense with regards to sustainable living. That "organic" isn't as important as "eating local." Or that if all Americans removed meat from their diets for one day out of the week, it would be the equivalent of removing 1,000,000 cars from the roads. That when one shops at grocery stores, they should stay on the edges (vegetables, breads, meats, cheeses), avoiding anything processed that you'd find in the middle of the store.
In short, I guess I think that completely disavowing all animal products is too extreme, but it's also extreme to think meat should be in our diets every day. As a species, humans probably only "need" it a few times a month, but really, a few times a week would probably satisfy me. Cutting down on meat consumption in the US alone could go a long way to sustainable agriculture, getting cows and pigs off crowded feed lots, and improving the quality of the meat.
Glad you tried it, though! You're a stronger person than I. :-)
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