The Well-Edited Collection of a Modern's Vegan's Life

After a long hiatus, I'm back and ready to blog. But this time, I want to blog a little differently. I want to cover my life more expansively. Honestly, the reason I stopped is because I was feeling a bit trapped by the vegan headline. I felt compelled to only write about vegan things, and the best I could do was food since clothing and other products just aren't mainstream. I was bored always writing about food, always seeking the vegan angle.

I'm a realistic vegan, a vegan who has a real life. Or, more accurately, I'm a girl with a regular life who happens to be vegan. Being vegan influences--but doesn't control--my decisions. I'll come clean...I love vegan dessert, but when I'm craving my friend's chocolate cake, I'll have a bite. When I'm in a fantastic sushi restaurant, and the only veg roll on the menu is the same-old, plain cucumber avocado roll, then I'll have the fantastic-looking salmon rainbow roll. I can't say that just because I found myself in a steakhouse I'd eat a filet, but fish sushi is most certainly not off the table, nor is chocolate, nor cookies, nor cake. I prefer being vegan, but sometimes I just want to enjoy the moment!

I'm re-shaping this blog into something bigger, greater and broader than just a vegan blog. From today forward, this blog is just the well-edited collection of a modern vegan's life.

Translation: I will blog about my life, both the vegan and non-vegan things in it. I just want to write and share my experiences. If that means I post about a fabulous hat I found in Stockholm, then so be it. I will still blog vegan food, though, since uncovering vegan gems in cities around the world is one of my favorite things to do. More to come.

Living A Message

When thinking about being vegan and how to share your beliefs, it is tough not to want to tell the world everything you know and have learned about what it means to be a vegan. You want to tell your friends, family...everyone you care about.

But maybe the best way is just to live your life? Others will observe how you live your life and then make their own decisions on their own time.

Carl Lewis does just this. In a recent article in an Atlanta newspaper, this nine-time Olympic gold medalist and track star is real low-key.

So Natalie Portman or Carl Lewis? Actions vs. words?

Beliefs, Opinions and Social Grace

Politics and religion: two things we are taught not to discuss at the dinner table, not to discuss with acquaintances for fear of offending someone we do not yet know. Add eating habits to this list. Don't share your beliefs about eating animals at the dinner table. It's rude, impolite.

These rules surely stem from the fact that we are taught not to make others uncomfortable, and I agree with that. But I am also frustrated that, at times, I feel I can't share my vegan beliefs, for fear of making others uncomfortable. What if the intent is not to argue but to inform?

Natalie Portman has, until recently, felt the same. Her article in the Huffington Post begins:

I've always been shy about being critical of others' choices because I hate when people do that to me. I'm often interrogated about being vegetarian (e.g., "What if you find out that carrots feel pain, too? Then what'll you eat?").

But now she doesn't mind. After reading about the huge human cost of factory farming, she became more vocal, less "socially" polite. The environmental destruction due to the incredibly vast amounts of animal waste created at these farms (that then leaks into our water supply, is sprayed into our atmosphere, corrupting our rivers and choking our lungs) detailed in Eating Animals was so shocking that she felt she had to share. I would add the less-known health impacts of eating meat detailed in The China Study to this list of information to share.

Maybe it is time to be less socially graceful and more concerned about our families, friends and colleagues. Maybe we should express our views not because we want to force others to believe them, but because we want to provide our loved ones with information that could potentially help them make the best decisions regarding how to live long, healthful lives? Shift the angle from negative and preachy to positive and helpful. Could this be the best approach?

Evolve into a Vegan Diet

A completely non-vegan friend sent me this link to the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart.

It is sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which, according to its website, is:

"doctors and laypersons working together for compassionate and effective medical practice, research and health promotion."

This site can support you as develop your vegan diet or as your just getting to know it:

• Tips from celebrities
• Recipes
• A 21-day meal plan to get you started

Dr. Colin T. Campbell, author of The China Study, Dr. Andrew Weil, and others lend credibility to the group. Why do I like this organization and these doctors? It's because they promote the healthy lifestyle that we live and give us facts to support our choice to be vegan. Both Dr. Weil and, Dr. Campbell in particular, are advocates of the study of the link between diet and disease. Dr Campbell advocates a vegan diet for your best health.

I am not a huge believer in traditional medicine, and I tend not to trust doctors because of an awful experience I had during college trying to diagnose and treat a digestive problem. Long story short, it was lactose intolerance, but no doctor that treated me wanted to believe that could be a legitimate answer. After two weeks in the hospital, morphine drips, painkillers and others to relieve the constant pain in my stomach, my final visit to a traditional doctor ended with a quote I will never forget and that changed my life forever: "Well, I don't know what's wrong, but just keep eating normally, and it will probably clear up in 6 months to a year." Is that an answer? Is that the best that "medicine" can do? Suffer until you get better?!

Finally, after sharing my experience, a family friend suggested it may be lactose intolerance, and, lo and behold, once I eliminated dairy from my diet I started to feel better. I started researching alternative diets and eventually learned about--and began to experience--the amazing health benefits of going vegetarian, then vegan.

I respect and admire doctors who think beyond the bounds of traditional medicine, tests and treatments. I recommend this site to help you get started and stay committed to the diet part of a vegan lifestyle.