Today I go Vegan

Please before you judge and start tisking about my protein intake let us talk of diet choices.

Sustenance is the base of the hierarchy of needs. For family, for culture, and for daily life what we chose to put in our body is the basis for almost all other habits and customs. It isn’t an accident that the kitchen becomes the center of a household/party and many a vacation is centered on what and where to eat.

Nothing is more personal than food.

This is why as soon as you talk about changing your diet, all of a sudden everyone becomes a nutritionist. It ranks up there with having a baby in terms of unsolicited advice and inappropriate questions.

I was a vegetarian for years and found it easier not to say anything about it under most circumstances. Those who get it, get it. Those who don’t… well… suddenly I’m in a food-pyramid contest with pointed questions about “well where are you going to get x, y, z.?”

I’d like to think that the “concern” comes from a place of genuine care for me. But, not to put too fine a point on it, I know how to do my own research and make well-informed decisions. I’m not worried about getting my protein, iron or any other nutrient that you weren’t worried about me getting until I mentioned that it is my choice to habitually, categorically not eat something that you do.

I decided on a lifestyle outside of the traditional norm and so, as an outlier, I get (ahem) grilled.

What it comes down to (and not just for me): By doing something different you are challenging others to face their own choices. The questions and advice aren’t so much about concern as they are about justification of their own habits. Everything was fine and dandy until you showed up with your conscious will.

“The tallest nail get’s pounded down.” – Asian Proverb

I am not criticizing your choice by making my own.

I’m not trying to shut down curiosity, information share or true dialog. Those who If you want to have a meaningful and mutually respectful conversation about dietary choices, let’s go. If you want to offer diet advice because you yourself went vegan, great. If you want to commiserate on how hard such a personal change can be because you went gluten-free or paleo or atkins – grand!

Otherwise, your questions, snide snicker or raised eyebrows are just criticizing out of self-protection and you can do both of us a favor and eat me-at (there is more to go around now) and leave my choices alone.

I’ll do what is good for me and you do what is good for you.

This doesn’t just go for me. Please, next time a friend or family member talks to you about changing their diet ask “why?” only if you are really interested and not out to change their mind. Don’t challenge their choice by couching it in “well meaning” questions. If you can’t be neutrally curious or truly supportive, keep it to yourself.

I don’t force my diet on you, please have enough respect to not try to force your diet on me or any one else.

Kay? Kay.

So I’m going vegan.

The short version: I’m making this choice for me. I want to see how my body feels on a vegan – mostly raw – diet for at least three months. I want to change up my relationship to what I eat. It is a challenge, a quest, an attempt to do something hard (looking at you cheese you delicious succubus).

I’ve been an omnivore, a vegetarian, a flexitarian, vegetarian again and I’m now going vegan to see how it works with my body and lifestyle. The fringe benefit is that I’m doing something good for the planet and saving a few critters.

There is some funny not-the-true-definition-of-irony irony to me, she of coffee and beer, going vegan. I’m a great believer in choosing your battles and your way of enjoyment (beer and coffee are both fine with veg*ans btw).

Usually I wouldn’t talk about it at all but it is going to be a little will-battle for me and so I’m sure it will surface over the next 28 days especially. It is day one on this journey of discovery and I’m already learning.

Obviously I needed to get the little rant above off my chest. I think it important regarding food but all sorts of other choices.

If you’re inclined to know the backstory – the whys and hows at my different stages of diet – then you can read the story here (which is where this post started but I was instead inspired to write the above). If you have any questions or offers of support the comment section is open as always.

In the meanwhile: Eat well, drink well, read well – whatever that means to you,