I never really was big on red meat. I certainly ate my fair share of meatballs and hamburgers, but it never really excited me the way that cookies, big bowls of pasta, or BBQ chicken did. Looking back, it seems that it was a natural and intuitive decision for me to give up red meat before any other animal foods.
Plus, I just love cows and think they’re so gorgeous. I can’t stand the thought of eating them.
About a year later, my family and I found out that my cat was sick and passed away within a few weeks. I had her since I was in third grade, and I was absolutely, totally devastated. It was like losing a best friend. I still get teary eyed when I see pictures of her (as unfriendly as she was to our house guests, she was a sweet pet to me!). This was the first time I really saw an animal in distress, and I just couldn’t bear it. It was absolutely heartbreaking to experience.
This is what piqued my interest in the well being of animals.
After my cat passed away, I gave up all animal foods except for dairy and eggs. Eventually I gave those up, too.
Don’t be fooled: giving up these animal foods did not make my diet healthy. In fact, it was incredibly unhealthy. I ate tons of processed non-organic soy, lots of cereal with soy milk, and refined grain products. The result of this was a lot of weight gain. While following this diet, I actually was at the highest weight I ever was in my entire life!
This showed me that eating nachos and eating bowls of pasta, cereal, and vegan cookies was not what I was looking for! I still felt conflicted, as I didn’t want to consume the flesh of animals anymore, it felt immoral to me. It also felt awful to be in a heavy, bloated body. What’s a girl to do?
I eventually found the world of macrobiotics and whole foods, and finally vegetable juicing and raw foods, which was my saving grace after experiencing horrible allergies and stomach pains once I reached the age of twenty two (which I attribute to lots of drinking, late nights, work I was beginning to loathe, and my overall mainstream American diet that I had consumed my whole life). While the whole foods approach helped to relieve my symptoms, raw green vegetable juices and fresh produce allowed my body to really heal.
Pure, organic, vegan foods have brought me great comfort, peace, and joy throughout the years. While I still consume things like raw goat’s cheese regularly, and organic eggs, wild fish, and cream - based desserts on occasion, I know that my vegetable based meals are the ultimate indulgence for me. I no longer prepare land animal foods in my home for my husband, either, as he is no longer interested in consuming the flesh of animals on a regular basis (Food, INC. really did it for him). Fresh produce is what provides us with the hydration, nutrition, and amazing taste that we need to be eat well and feel satisfied!
It feels right to participate in the Vegan Month of Food, as it’s been ten years since I first dabbled in vegetarianism, I love to cook so much, and I’m always excited to share new ways to prepare vegetables with my readers.
My intention with Vegan MoFo is to illustrate some inventive, fun, nourishing, and beautiful vegan dishes, high quality packaged vegan foods, and spotlight animal rights as much as I can. I have loved animals deeply my entire life and still cannot imagine going a day without their furry companionship. While I know that veganism may not be the answer to all of the world’s problems, I certainly know that more vegetables would do all living beings (human and non-human) a world of good.
I hope you enjoy what I have to share this month, and if you have any requests, recipe or otherwise, please send them my way!
Love and Salads,
Marlena
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