I'm very thankful to have gone to this Gentle Thanksgiving Feast (put on by the meetup group, Colorado Vegans) I mean look at all that food! And that wasn't even half of it. There were like 6 big tables full of vegan food. There was even vegan pizza. Crazy time!
I found out about the group through the creator--Lisa who came to one of our elephant journal staff meetings; she made us lunch and we all discussed the politics of food.
I've been a vegetarian for like IDK 4 years now, but have found it difficult to make the full cross over into the world of veganism. Mainly because of cheese and ice cream.
Why am I thinking about making the switch?
Lisa discussed how female cows are forcibly impregnated over and over again until they can't become pregnant anymore then they're killed (which isn't a very long or fun life). So cow's are basically raped to give us dairy products. She also mentioned that when momma cows birth male cows they're immediately sent to slaughter to be made into veal. Boy cows die, girl cows get raised into the same lovely rapetastic lives as their mothers.
So all of that really freaked me out. I can't look at cheese the same way, every time I put it in my mouth I think of cow-raping which really sucks, let me tell you. The guilt has become unbearable.
The problem with turning over to a total vegan is that I don't really eat very well to begin with. I mean I don't really eat very much at all then I drink until I'm hung over the next day and just want tater tots. It's a real healthy life style, I know.
But I'm going to try to make a slow transition over. Take it meal by meal. There really are so many great recipes and foods out there to make the vegan lifestyle fulfilling and the guilt of not being a part of a rape culture will be gone, which will be quite a relief.
Changing habits into better habits.
Thinking about doing a 30 Days to Vegan thing.
We shall see. If you have an advice please feel free to hook me up!
In the meantime I'm wondering: why do we only eat stuffing one time a year? I mean it's f-ing delicious, should have it more often.
Hi, Krystal!
ReplyDeleteFour pieces of advice for you: first, keep going to the Boulder Vegan Meetup events! You'll get exposed to lots of great food, and you can ask people for their recipes and cooking tips. Some of those people have been cooking fantastic vegan foods for *years*!
Second, remember that Google is your friend! You can google "vegan [whatever]" to get free recipes. Calzones, enchiladas, cupcakes, soups—you name it, Google's got it!
Third, root yourself in your commitment to being vegan. Personally, the more I learn, the more committed I get! I found this site really helpful, especially the videos (don't worry, not graphic) and audio interviews: http://www.abolitionistapproach.com/video
Fourth, ask questions! There are lots of people who'd be thrilled to help you as you extract yourself from the systems of violence against nonhuman animals. Feel free to take people up on their offers of support and, if you're lucky, more delicious free food! :-)
Veganly Yours,
Tim
Tim, Right on with great advice.
ReplyDeleteHey there Krystal,
ReplyDeleteI hope things go well in your transition. In the hope that it is helpful to you, here is what I did when I transitioned. I didn't previously know how to cook or prepare interesting meals, so I went out and immediately bought two vegan cookbooks. Each week I chose 2-3 recipes that sounded awesome and made them. I very quickly found tons of recipes which I absolutely loved. After a month or two I loved all the new meals I was eating and there has never been a craving for animals foods. All my cravings were for my new dishes, and it was a fun and exciting time to explore food.
People sometimes suggest there is some sort of deprivation involved in a plant based diet. Boring meals (whether animal or plant based) are boring. Plant based dishes can be just as mouth watering and beautiful as you want to make them. Not being able to eat my favorite vegan foods would be serious deprivation. I can not imagine eating animal foods ever again, no desire what-so-ever !
One last thought (don't want to type too much !)... some people think vegetarian or vegan is extreme, but I actually think the opposite now. When I think of what our bodies were acclimated to eating 100,000 to 150,000 years ago, and compare that to a Standard American Diet, it is the S.A.D. which is extreme. Plant based is getting back to a more natural, less extreme, diet, and we have everything we need to make the most delicious foods imaginable.
All the best,
-Daniel
Thank you all so much for your comments and advice, I greatly appreciate it!
ReplyDelete