Two and a half years ago, I became vegan because of the moral considerations: for the environment and for the animals. I remained mostly vegan because I realized it made me feel healthier and more energetic. If I had to pinpoint one major change that kickstarted my journey to a healthier, happier lifestyle, it was the day I turned vegan. Vegetarianism and veganism were things I’d always toyed with, but never quite committed to—until one day, when I went vegan overnight.
I want to emphasize that I’m not advocating for worldwide veganism! This is not about why veganism is great for everyone. This is about how I adopted a new eating habit and stumbled across some realizations about myself.
I turned vegan overnight because of a conversation with a very rational friend of mine, who has on many occasions functioned as my sanity barometer. In essence, I explained to him that I did not go to zoos or aquariums because I had found that I generally didn’t approve of the way that some of their animals were kept. (I have a particular problem with aquariums that keep marine mammals.) I ranted about the studies that show that animals are traumatized by the poor treatment they receive in cramped quarters.
He pointed out that that made no sense. “You would go to a zoo or aquarium maybe what, once a year?” Even less than that, I had to admit. “But you eat animal products a couple times a week, right?” Even more that that: I loved milk and yogurt, and had some virtually everyday. “Surely you see that your argument against zoos and aquariums doesn’t make any sense unless you’re also vegan.”
“Well, I’ve considered being vegan,” I told him. “But the thing is, I don’t like the idea of being that person who visits a friend’s place, or goes to a party and has all the dietary restrictions that have to be catered to.”
I don’t remember what he said at that, because even as I said the words, I heard the flaws in my own reasoning. Obviously, in that case, I could be vegan at home. I could eat whatever I was served in public while still remaining vegan in private. My reason was a ridiculous one.
My friend was insistent that I understand that he wasn’t advocating for veganism, he himself not being vegan. “I know I’d be miserable if I were vegan, and I would rather not subject myself to more difficulty than I have to,” he explained. “But I just wanted to point out that your logic isn’t consistent.”
It was true. That evening I emptied out my fridge and cupboards of all non-vegan food items. I decided I had to make a clean break, or else I might decide “Oh, but I can just get a little of this” and I would fail to uphold my new decision before I had ever really begun. I took the non-vegan food items to this friend, who was concerned.
“You know that I wasn’t trying to tell you that you had to be vegan, right?” he asked me.
“No, I know. It wasn’t you; I convinced myself.”
That evening, I made an Indian dish with lentils, rice and vegetables. I bought soy milk and tofu. That weekend, I looked up recipes for vegan pancakes and muffins and burgers, and anything else I could think of that I might start to crave.
To my own surprise, I didn’t have any cravings for non-vegan food for months. I was excited about the new recipes and I couldn’t wait to find all sorts of new ideas and new foods to cook. For about 6 months, I was strictly vegan.
During this time, I realized that I suddenly had energy like I’d never experienced before. I wanted to be active and move around and go outside. Previously, I’d very much been an indoors person. I still enjoyed my indoor time and my quiet time, but I also wanted to be doing more and going out more.
Over the months that I’ve been mostly vegan, I’ve worked out that this is mainly an effect of removing dairy from my diet. I haven’t gotten any medical tests, but I have come to realize that dairy just doesn’t agree with my body. Somehow, a little bit of dairy in my food has the effect of making me both physically and mentally slower and fatigued. There were minor stomach problems that I used to have habitually that I no longer have ever since removing dairy from my diet.
I have no doubt that at least part of this change came from simply the psychological effect of making a mindful choice to care about what and how I ate. Not having had any real medical tests, I couldn’t say if my reaction to dairy is lactose intolerance, a mild allergy, or something else entirely. I do, however, know that I am happier and more active by simply eliminating dairy from my diet, so I keep that up consistently.
With regards to meat and fish, I’m more fluid. I steer clear of red meat all the time, unless I’m in a place or situation where it’s difficult to work around that. I’m more forgiving of eggs and chicken if the chickens are what I call “happy chickens”: raised with plenty of space and good food and sunlight. Fish I frequently incorporate into my diet (this was a concession I made within the first year so that I would be able to continue to eat Japanese food), but I try to ensure that I only eat seafood that is caught in a sustainable way.
Having read this, one might think, “So you’re not vegan at all, really. You’re mostly just dairy free.”
True, I don’t stick to a strict vegan diet, and I don’t keel over with guilt at the thought of eating meat. It’s more of a guideline than a strict rule. But I do make an effort to remain vegan as much as possible. The effects of meat in my diet aren’t as pronounced as the presence/absence of dairy, but I do feel like I’m happier when I’m eating vegan.