My Six Months As a Vegan
For half a year I made every effort to eschew animal products of every kind. While I still feel it's a highly commendable lifestyle, I now know it's not as simple as wanting to do good.
When I saw the documentary Food, Inc. on netflix I was literally horrified. Right then I swore off all animal products.
It wasn't a big deal at first. I love beans and soy milk is delicious. I ate that way for about five months. No eggs. No cow's milk. No cheese. Nothing that contained those things. No beef, chicken or turkey. Actually, I was quite content that way and enjoyed a newfound mellowness I'd not experienced in years. I was impossible to rile or upset. I lost a few pounds. Everything was great!
Somewhere around the fourth or fifth month I started to have issues with my ear. Which I now suspect were related to jaw problems. I grind my teeth in my sleep and chew my nails quite often.
I blamed everything I could blame except my new diet. I wanted it to be right so much.
I became unable to eat any citrus fruits. Soda had the same problems. My food sources were rapidly shrinking.
After about four or five months when I finally gave in and started eating cheese and milk again I was so relieved to see the symptoms diminish.
My point being, this is a cautionary tale. Not to jump into a new diet without caution.
While it's a widely accepted fact that meat and dairy are not essential components of a healthy human diet, not everyone is the same. Transition gradually and with a keen eye on changes in your body.
Of course save the animals, but don't neglect the human animal (you) in the process.
It wasn't a big deal at first. I love beans and soy milk is delicious. I ate that way for about five months. No eggs. No cow's milk. No cheese. Nothing that contained those things. No beef, chicken or turkey. Actually, I was quite content that way and enjoyed a newfound mellowness I'd not experienced in years. I was impossible to rile or upset. I lost a few pounds. Everything was great!
Somewhere around the fourth or fifth month I started to have issues with my ear. Which I now suspect were related to jaw problems. I grind my teeth in my sleep and chew my nails quite often.
I blamed everything I could blame except my new diet. I wanted it to be right so much.
I became unable to eat any citrus fruits. Soda had the same problems. My food sources were rapidly shrinking.
After about four or five months when I finally gave in and started eating cheese and milk again I was so relieved to see the symptoms diminish.
My point being, this is a cautionary tale. Not to jump into a new diet without caution.
While it's a widely accepted fact that meat and dairy are not essential components of a healthy human diet, not everyone is the same. Transition gradually and with a keen eye on changes in your body.
Of course save the animals, but don't neglect the human animal (you) in the process.
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