How To Survive Going Vegan
When I started my journey to veganism, I made a promise … not only to myself but to my adorable toy poodle. It wasn’t as hard as I expected. I said straightforward, right? Now, let’s dive right in.
1. First, on my first month, I pledged to not eat meat that come from four-legged animals: cows, pigs, lambs, among others. You can do it in trimesters (a period of three months) to make it a bit doable.
2. Next, I stopped eating meat from animals with two legs or feet: chicken, ostrich, turkey, duck, etc.
3. Then, I took the plunge to not consume seafoods. I guess this was the hardest part. But I did it! Besides, I wasn’t even cheating or anything like that. I was true to my word.
4. After that, I made the jump to cease my egg consumption. Yeah right, eggs! Imagine not eating eggs for the rest of your life (hahah). Sounds pretty awful, right? Hmm actually, not really. It turned out great with me. Now I’ve been loving my new diet with plenty of egg alternatives like yogurt, applesauce, tofu, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and so much more.
5. Lastly, I cut down all dairy. This was by far the easiest coz I’m lactose intolerant. Though I have this digestive disorder, I drink milk on a daily basis. I mean, I used to drink cow’s milk and mix it with my morning coffee. There’s a ton of options or substitute for the milk that you’re used to, trust me. They’re even more palatable and perfect for your overall metabolism, even more so for your mental health. Why? Coz it’s one of the best things you can do to help stop animal cruelty.
The commitment that one put into this experience is beyond, and it gives me so much joy to share my journey through this website. It’s quite impossible to completely shift to vegan when you have no sense of purpose. In my case, without my dog, I don’t think I would have the courage to pursue veganism. I know a lot of people who have pets but still not considering to go vegan. It’s understandable. I can’t blame them for not even trying. They’re not there yet. It may not be sooner but definitely it will —later.
Perhaps, the greatest struggle I have right now as a vegan is that, I still can’t cut down on meat for my puppy. I have a toy poodle, and it’s very tricky to eliminate all the meat from her diet. I can’t even begin to imagine how would that affect her wellbeing if I insist what I want. She is a picky eater, and prior to starting my vegan lifestyle, the only food that she’s excited to eat is meat. I tried to feed my pup with a variety of vegan foods, and I made sure they were tasty but it didn’t work —not even close. It took several months for me to try on giving her food without any meat, but it felt like torture —not for me but much more so for her, so I gave up.
I guess you can envision what my life is like right now. I am eating vegan-only foods but I am preparing meat for my puppy, which means I am still buying meat in the market. Well, one good thing is that I don’t do the shopping of meat. Someone does it for me. I hate going in the supermarket for buying meat anymore. I became very different after more than a year of being a vegan. When I see the ”Meat Section” or ”Poultry Section”, I’m in low spirits. In spite of that, I know that I have to be strong and brave for my beloved pup. This is my reality, so I’m trying my best each day to not be so strict on everything, to consider others, and accept things that I can’t control. I’m a work in progress, always will be.
You may check out my previous blog post about why I became a vegan.
You may also read my recent blog post about meat alternatives for vegans.