1 Year Anniversary

March 1 marks the 1 year anniversary of when I became vegan.  I could not be more proud!  This is a change that I never in a million years thought I would make, but after a year of research through websites, books, and documentaries, I know that it's the best decision I could have made for myself.


Here are a few changes that I've noticed:

-I immediately lost 10 pounds as soon as I went vegan.  The detox phase was a little brutal, but it was well worth it.
-It's easier to lose weight.  Though I've been maintaining my weight for the last year, it did go up a bit over the holidays.  In fact, it went up 10 pounds.  Oddly enough, as soon as I started eating healthy again, I dropped the 10 pounds within ONE WEEK!
-The whites of my eyes are whiter.  Who would ever think that they could get whiter? Well, they can, and mine are.
-I feel more humble; more relaxed.
-I automatically choose healthy food when dining out.
-Alcohol isn't a big part of my life anymore.
-I have a bit more energy.  One of the things I read about was that my energy level would go way up when I became vegan.  Nope!  That didn't happen for me.  I don't know if it's because I work two jobs and am always exhausted, but only recently have I noticed the energy increase.


Documentaries & books I would recommend (the exact order in which I read/watched):

-BOOK: The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone -- This book is what originally gave me the push to go vegan.  There isn't a ton of detail, but just enough to make you think and realize what you're doing not only to you body, but to the animals.
-BOOK: Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer -- I cried throughout this entire book.  My love for animals was confirmed after reading this and I realized that I don't ever want to harm animals like that.  But what about the family farms that treat animals decent, you ask?
-DOCUMENTARY: Forks Over Knives -- Back in August/September I started thinking about possibly going vegetarian and adding dairy back into my diet.  This documentary is the reason for why I will be vegan forever.
-DOCUMENTARY: Food, Inc. -- Very informative.  It didn't hit home like Forks Over Knives, but still has a lot of valuable information.
-BOOK: The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell PhD -- This book is the reason why Forks Over Knives was created.  The science is broken down for the layman.  We finally understand why we have never heard of this amazing diet and how doctors all over the world are shutting it down because of their financial ties to the meat and dairy industries.


One thing I've noticed throughout the year is that there are a lot of vegan "flirts".  This is Alicia's term for people who are interested in becoming vegan and make a few vegan meals throughout the week, but still eat meat and dairy.  I truly feel that you can't become fully vegan unless you believe in it.  I grew up in a meat and cheese family (from Wisconsin) and had a hard time giving all of that up, but after doing my research, I realized that it's something that would not only benefit me, but benefit the world as a whole.  I am saving 300 cows each year just by giving up meat.  That's pretty incredible!  There's no way I could have continued down this road if I didn't feel for these animals, or if I didn't understand the awful diseases that are associated with meat and dairy.

One year ago, I became vegan because of animal cruelty.  Now, my mind is split 50/50.  My heart aches for these animals that are trapped in cages, attacking each other from going mad because they don't have enough room to turn in a circle, and the inhumane way that factory farms slaughter them.  But I also understand the nutritional benefits from being on a plant-based diet.

Here is my pros and cons list for being vegan:

PRO
-Risk of cancer decreased
-Risk of heart disease decreased
-High cholesterol irrelevant
-Weight loss
-No medication
-No supplements necessary
-Feel great
-Eat incredible food
-Regular bowel movements

CON
-Can't eat cheese

*This Pros/Cons list is specifically relevant for me personally.

This is all I need to get by every day.  Some people have asked me if I ever get cravings.  I did for a very short period of time in the very beginning, but now when I see something that looks "good", I immediately think of how that animal got on that plate and the awful experience it had to go through just so I could taste something good.  Then I think about all of the disgusting things associated with that piece of meat.  I'm not talking about cancer and heart disease.  I'm talking about how chicken doesn't even naturally taste like chicken anymore, but has to be put through a chlorine tank to get rid of all the shit -- literally -- that is pressed into the feathers and skin, then is pumped with broth to make it taste like chicken.  Who is honestly interested in eating that?  Not me!

How about the fish that you eat?  Did you know that unless you are buying sea fresh food, then you are most likely eating farm fish?  There are so many fish in these ponds that they attack each other (just like chicken in pens) because there isn't enough room to swim, which also means that there isn't enough oxygen for them.  After the lack of oxygen and the wounds provided by fish attacks, bacteria forms in the fish that you then eat.  Enjoy!

And what about the sea fresh fish?  These fisherman are out on their boats for weeks at a time.  What happens to the fish that they catch on day 1?  They just sit in their tanks being piles on top of with other fish, again making it impossible for them to get enough oxygen to survive.  They always tell you that it's fresh off the boat, but really it's been 3 weeks since it was caught.

Just a little food for thought...

Anyway, becoming vegan was the best decision I've ever made.  It is something I plan on being for a lifetime and can't wait to experience all of the wonderful things that come with it.

New New Year's Resolution

About four years ago, I lost a whopping 30 pounds in 4 months.  I lost this much weight simply by cutting back on my quantities.  If I was honest, I'd tell you that I fell in love and every time I ate I thought of this person and I became flustered with butterflies in the stomach.  I literally ate about half of what I normally was eating.  I've always been a big eater, piling food on my plate, going back for seconds (thirds), all of that.  By simply cutting back on my quantity (I was still eating what I wanted: pizza, pasta, etc.) I was able to lose all of that weight.

So, instead of being completely gluten-free (I'm still making meals from my gluten-free cookbooks), I have decided that I will cut back on the quantity that I'm eating.  It all started today.  For lunch, I had a frozen vegan lasagna (I work for the next three nights so I don't have any time to actually cook food, so I bought a bunch of frozen meals) and only ate half of it.  Normally I could probably eat 2-3 of those things, but I told myself to stop after half (I also enjoyed a grande soy chai from Starbucks that I desperately needed to get through this evenings job).  For dinner I will have the second half.

This not only will help me to lose weight, but it will help me save money.  Eating half of what I normally do (I'm not going to starve myself, just cut back) I will be able to make all of my food last longer.  I think it's a brilliant idea!  I'll keep you (you, as in my many readers) posted on my progress!

Talk it Tuesday: Twilight

Let's talk about Twilight.

Yes, the book, the movie...what have you. 

I bought Breaking Dawn: Part I on Sunday (I own the rest of 'em, too) and watched it Sunday afternoon.  There were, as always, a lot of super cheesy parts, but it was still a decent flick. 

As I was driving to work yesterday, I thought, what the hell is it about these books and movies that is so appealing?  Well, let's discuss.

1. Small town. Bella Swan moves from sunny Arizona to dreary, small town Forks, Washington.  Who wants to live in Forks?  As a single person looking for love, I would move to Forks in a heartbeat if it meant finding the love of my life.

2. This love...Edward.  He's a vampire, yes.  What's the appeal of falling in love with a vampire?  As we found out in Interview with the Vampire, they are very good lovers.  Edward is apparently a virgin.  Of course he is!  This character was written by Mormon Stephanie Meyer.  Is the virgin aspect an appeal to women around the world?  I don't know about you, but I've never had anyone fall instantly in love with me upon first look, or scent.  It's a little intriguing to visualize the best looking guy in the school falling madly in love with you on your first day of class.

3. Money.  After living a long, sleepless life as an 18-year-old you have the opportunity to study, if you will.  The cars, the house...you can have everything money can buy once you have the knowledge to get what you want.  That's definitely an appeal for me.

4. Fantasy. We all know that vampires don't exist (or do they?) so reading these books, watching these movies, allows us to live in a world that is exciting, adventurous, and let's face it, dangerous.  I think all women look for a little danger every once in awhile.  And having a boyfriend/husband who is going to show off his mad fighting skills to keep you alive is pretty romantic.

I hate that I love this story.  Hate it.  But every time I watch these movies, I feel like a school girl again.  Though every one of these books (including The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner) are all horribly written, the story itself is what brings us all together to love Bella and Edward...and Jacob.

Dehorning Rhinos

This picture is heartbreaking!  I found it on the World Press Photo of the Year 2012 site. Here's the caption of the photo:


"Brent Stirton of South Africa, a Getty Images photographer working for National Geographic magazine, has won first prize Nature Stories for the "Rhino Wars" series. The picture shows a female rhino in Tugela Private Game Reserve, Colenso, Natal, South Africa, November 9, 2010, that four months earlier survived a brutal dehorning by poachers who used a chainsaw to remove her horns and a large section of bone in that area of her skull. The female rhino survived the dehorning and has joined up with a male bull who now accompanies her. Rhino horn is now worth more than gold on the international market. South Africa alone has lost more than 400 rhino to illegal poaching incidents in 2011. The demand for Rhino horn is fueled by a wealthy Asian middle and upper class and used overwhelmingly as medication."

The greed of this world is disgusting and makes me sick to my stomach.

It's Not Me, It's You

I don't remember how I came across it, but I recently read an article in the New York Times on defriending.  There are a couple of people in my life (probably no one who actually reads this blog, thank God!) who have been making me feel like my life is less than what it should be.  Turns out, there are many others in the world who are going through the same thing.

One thing the article discussed was the difference between Facebook defriending and actual defriending.  On Facebook, it's easy to click the "Unfriend" button, but in my case, that doesn't exactly remove them from my life.

I have this one friend who I just can't say goodbye to, though it's important that I do.  My excuse?  I see this person at church every Sunday and her family is like my second family.  It's hard to just be an acquaintance of someone who I've known for 17 years.  In the last year alone, this friend has been letting me down in more ways than one, and it's sad to say that I see similar behavior in her parents, who I've come to trust as my own.

I have been hoping to flee the state with a new job for two years now, so I'm waiting for that opportunity to finally push me to say goodbye once and for all.  It is something that will be very difficult, but this person hasn't given me any reason to stick around, nor an apology for the things she's done in the past (which is much needed).  Without that, it's not worth it.

If you have some friends that have been holding you back somehow, then read this article!

Chipotle

I just went onto Chipotle's website and found out some really great news!  The flour tortillas are completely vegan!  I always thought that they were made with lard, but it was false.  I am beyond excited about this.  I can now go to Chipotle and have a veggie burrito with rice and black beans.  I have been avoiding Mexican food because of this idea that I had.  What a great day!!!