Going Green – My Transition to a Vegan Lifestyle

May 10, 2017. That was the day that I decided I needed to do something different with my life. I’d recently been laid off from my job in oil and gas and experienced a failed pregnancy. I didn’t necessarily know why going vegan was the first thing that popped into my mind, but I felt like I had nothing else to lose. The crazy part is that I was pulling into a Whataburger when I made this decision. Whereas I’d normally order a Bacon & Cheese burger with no onions, fries, and a strawberry shake, I ordered fries and water. There was no easing into this thing for me. I cut everything cold turkey. That was also the day that I found this cool church on Instagram in my area. I rolled up on their Life Group that night, and I’ve been with them ever since. Something had to give physically, mentally, and spiritually.

It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention that going vegan had been a lingering thought for some time. One of my best girls, Toya, had been vegan for a while, and she was always casually reminding me that it was a good move for her. I loved that she was never pushy or judged me for scoffing down 5 lbs. of crawfish and sausage by myself. Real friends. Instead she shared how she continued to eat a lot of the foods she ate before but modified. That greatly helped me ease into my transition. Another tool that helped was a recipe book titled “Foods I Like to Eat and How to Make it Vegan” Perfect right?

I started by simply omitting meat from my meals, and replacing them with veggies, beans, and even some meat substitutes. I’ll admit, I was heavy on the substitutes for a minute, but then I begin to question how processed they were. I haven’t totally kicked them to the curb, but now that I have a few recipes under my belt, I don’t rely on the substitutes as much. Other small changes included swapping my dairy for almond and coconut milks. I’d say to this day, the hardest thing to let go of is cheese, because let’s be real…Cheese is BAE. And if you want to get down to it, all vegan cheeses are NOT created equal. Unless you’re willing to soak some cashews all night before you eat cheese, you’re going to have to do a bit of taste testing like I did to find a good alternative. I’ve found plenty that tasted light cardboard. Okay, I don’t actually know what cardboard tastes like, but you get the idea. Heads up, Violife is pretty yummy. (They aren’t sponsoring this post. I just really like them!) A big myth about switching to a vegan diet is that you miss a lot of key nutrients like protein and vitamins. This is FALSE. There are plenty of sources of protein in beans and nuts. Of course, we know that there are amazing nutrients from fruit and veggies. Otherwise, every adult in your childhood wouldn’t have forced you to eat them. I mean think about it. What do cows eat? Grass! Check out this list of nutrients found outside of animal products.

• Protein: Beans, Lentils Tofu, Nuts
• B-12: Cereal, Tofu, Nutritional Yeast, Non-Dairy Milk
• Calcium: Spinach, Broccoli, Almonds, Sesame Seeds, Collard Greens
• Iron: Lentils, Chickpeas, Potatoes
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Avocado, flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds
• Vitamin D: Oatmeal, Orange Juice, Cereal

Also, keep in mind that a good multivitamin goes a long way.

You should know that choosing a vegan diet or lifestyle alone doesn’t automatically make you healthy. There are plenty of vegans with poor diets. I was one of them. I replaced meat with carbs and fruit, which ultimately breaks down into sugar. I also ate a lot of potatoes, chips, cookies, and drank sodas.  Did you know that Oreos are vegan? They are my weakness, but I digress. I’ve heard of people referencing themselves as “The Fat Vegan.” I was on that road. My journey lasted about a good 2 years before I slid into my old ways. Lots of great things happened during that time! We had a sweet healthy baby, and I started a new career. I struggled with maintaining my milk production and a busier schedule, so it was a challenge to keep up my vegan lifestyle. On top of that, I was tired of cooking double meals for my non-vegan family. To be completely transparent, when the holidays rolled around, I didn’t want to be the only one missing out on all of the yummies for the second year in a row. Sorry, not sorry. With things a bit more stable now, I’m ready to get back to eating healthier. FYI, it’s okay to start over and over and over if you need to.

You may also be familiar with the plant-based lifestyle, which is not the same as vegan. As I mentioned, vegans sometimes replace meat with a lot of processed substitutions and foods while a plant-based diet is solely focused on foods derived from plants. I love how the commercial industry is evolving now to make more plant-based options readily accessible. Eating on-the-go has always been my biggest hurdle in sticking to my lifestyle change. Not only are there more plant-based foods on the market, but there are also many household and everyday products like make-up, cleaners, paper goods, air fresheners, etc. One of my favorite lipsticks that I shared in a previous blog post is by The Lip Bar. They carry a full line of vegan cosmetics! Nowadays (sounding like my mama), you can find a plant-based version of just about anything… including diapers and feminine products at a reasonable price point. Throughout my journey, I’ll absolutely share plant-based products and vegan recipes that I love on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Every now and then, you may catch a cook-with-me on YouTube. If you find something amazing, be sure to share it with me!

If you’re contemplating on transitioning to a vegan or plant-based lifestyle, be sure to check-in with your physician. Your body may negatively react to you making such a drastic lifestyle change, especially if you go cold-turkey like I did. Also consider consulting with a licensed dietician/nutritionist for ways to alter your current diet. I’m in no way a professional health advisor. This is mere feedback from my own personal journey. Best of luck to you!

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