The Pros and Cons of a Vegan Diet –2020 Update
Celebrating my 4 year “vegan-versary” it’s been a long road and I don’t ever intend on getting off. Going plant-based was the best decision I’ve ever made still to this day. Subscribe to my Youtube Channel to see ‘What I Eat in a Day’ a vegan.
Here is an updated version of the ‘Pros and Con’s of being Vegan in 2020’ Mind you, this is the POV of an African-American Woman.
My journey is unique and completely my own; here is my shared experience.
*Disclaimer: I did an experiment by eating non-vegan (eggs & cheese), but I always went back to veganism because it felt 100% better.
The only thing I regret about going vegan was waiting so long to do it
All a plant-based diet “requires” is discipline and an open mind.
Some common misconceptions squashed right away:
1. No, you don’t need to be rich OR white to be vegan.
2. Yes, you will get more than enough protein on a plant-based diet.
3. No, it’s not gross and boring; I’ve actually never experienced more flavor and variety from my food!
This way of eating is life-giving, high-vibrational, and incredibly easy to maintain.
Cons
Finding Food At Restaurants
This isn’t so bad actually, I promise. As of 2020, there are tons of fully vegan restaurants now! Not only that, but more and more restaurants are getting on the health train and adding 1 or 2 fully vegan meals to their menu. Though I do admit it was overwhelming for me at first going vegan, now it’s a snap. Still a bit jealous that most restaurants and fast food joints are so considerate of the meat-eaters and the vegetarians, but not the vegans. Most of the time when I eat out with non-vegan folks and they get to choose– I end up with french fries or a salad still. So, I’ve realized I either need better friends who would be willing to go to a vegan-friendly restaurant or to not go at all!
Now there are tons of online resources you can look to before going to a restaurant. The key for me is looking ahead at the menu before I leave the house. Websites like this have a whole bunch of restaurants listed with their modified vegan menu! My personal favorite fast food joint is Chipotle. Somehow my burrito ends up being bigger than everyone else’s 😉 #plantpowered
The Social Scene
We all know the scene in the movie where a kid gets bullied for bringing his own lunch. Everyone around him is eating greasy pizza while he silently chews on his homemade lettuce/tomato sandwich and carrot sticks. That’s basically me– and hell, I’m proud. At this point, after 4 years I literally don’t care what other people think or say any more about my lifestyle. I know that this diet is making my body healthier and that’s more important than anyone’s opinion. Most of the time I end up with more money, more food, and more energy! It’s okay to be a loner sometimes and to have experiences that change you as a person. Change is constant; there’s always room to grow. Something else I noticed was I started straying away from those that didn’t respect my new lifestyle. It’s not a diet. It is a whole, brand new way of looking at your life. Respecting your body and what’s on your plate comes to you like a new skill. Understand that energy from food goes directly into you, and that changes you.
Food Addiction in Society
New and old vegan junk food is still very much a thing. These products, though they’re labeled ‘vegan’, can still be harmful to your health. I realized this the hard way. Even as a vegan you can still binge-eat on cookies, chips, and vegan meats. All processed food is to be avoided, vegan, or not.
I started to realize how much everyone talks about food– still. The constant bombardment of food advertisements doesn’t make it any better. Billboards on the roads, the radio, TV is the worst though, even in the gym I have to watch greasy burger commercials on the screen. Ever since I started eating plant-based I noticed how obsessed some people can be about meat. A few conversations about how “cheese is the new god” left me shook. We’re living in a sick, hungry, addicted world and we don’t even realize it. We glorify unhealthy habits and lust after food. Though, some say it’s not really food we’re after, it’s the memory that accompanies it. Ask yourself every time: What type of food am I eating and how does it serve my body.?
PROS
Food is Always Exciting
I cannot tell you the number of times I have thrown some random veggies and spices together and made a masterpiece. Check out my favorite vegan recipe! At first, cooking for myself was so intimidating, but the more vegan videos I watched the more confident I was in the kitchen! My mom is going to kill me for saying this– but I learned how to cook 100% by myself.
After a few months, my tastebuds started to change. Now in 2020 they’ve completed changed, I can’t eat any of my childhood snacks without saying “ew”. Instead, I like to make all of my past comfort foods at home and they satisfy me way more. I always tell people “you’ll never get bored with plants”; If you eat chickens, pigs, and cows all day you can definitely indulge yourself in the very large variety of fruits and veggies. Calorie count all you want, but eating plants only has more benefits for you— there is no hidden agenda, except optimal health. There are so many benefits, not to mention the herbs & spices that took my food to a whole new level! I now have an extensive collection of beautiful herbs & spices, when before, I was just a salt & pepper gal. Look at what you can do with turmeric alone!
Less Guilt
A major pro of this lifestyle a LOT of people would agree on is: less guilt.
Not only are you saving billions of animal lives, but also your own!
When I decided to go vegan, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. I didn’t realize I was carrying so much stress, guilt, and disease just by MY food choices. Day by day the truth is exposed more and more. What you put on your plate is your choice. No one can handle the fork for me and that is incredibly empowering. What you put in your mouth becomes a part of you. Eating animals is a personal choice, and personally, I see what’s going on and I’m choosing not to be a part of it. Choosing what to eat is a freedom we take for granted; having the choice to do no harm and eat more sustainably for the planet… what do you choose?
Read this article on ‘Why Veganism can Save the World’
The Body is Intelligent
Poptarts and Oreos totally used to be my jam! Even though they are technically vegan, I just can’t stomach it anymore. I grew up gorging on sugary cereal, salty chips, and fatty animal flesh. I thought about it all the time. “What’s next to eat? Should I go out? Oh gosh, I really want a burger and fries!” I wasn’t even hungry; this was my mind on drugs, literally, food was my choice drug and it is for millions of others. It’s a public addiction hidden right in front of us all. I still consume vegan junk food on occasion, but I regret it almost immediately. The difference between now and then is that I have such a profound physical reaction, I can barely stomach the foods. That’s my body basically saying “You must be crazy if you think we’re going back to that crap”. I couldn’t agree more, I listen to what my body needs and nothing else.
The body knows what foods are most beneficial, but the mind wants the emotional attachment of food.
If you put a baby in a crib with a bunch of grapes and a bag of chips, it will go for the grapes. Same as if you replace the chips with an animal. Its first instinct won’t be to eat the animal, it will reach for the grapes. The body knows and has known for thousands of years what it needs.
Remember this: Your body is incredibly intelligent and we should be wise not to question that. Humans have been eating a mostly plant-based diet our entire existence. It is only recently (last 200 years) we’ve moved away from a mostly plant-based diet and now we see the impact of that. Disease, cancer, and sickness is rampant!
Always think for yourself, and think “what would nature do”.
Would I Ever Go Back to Eating Meat?
Absolutely 100% NOT! My skin is glowing, my energy levels are high and my body is the strongest it’s ever been– and I’m getting older! Not to mention, through these years I’ve lost over 100lbs eating a plant-based diet.
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