No Wasted Breath

On January 1st, 2015 I will become a temporary vegan. That means no meat, no eggs and no dairy products. Yes, I will become one of those people.

One of my favorite things about myself is that I am passionately curious. In my life I am constantly looking at my environment with an analytical mind. What can I do to improve myself and the world around me? My close family will tell you that I am observant, hard working and a natural problem solver. I have always been mesmerized by puzzles and complicated math problems.

So, I look at this vegan experiment as nothing more than a little puzzle or a math problem. After taking months to do extensive research on the published studies of nutrition specialists and other health care providers, I have come to the conclusion that animal products are not necessary nor natural in a human diet. This prospect intrigued me. Is it possible that the food I'm consuming (or not consuming) is preventing me from living a full, vibrant life?

Let me clarify a few things that could be going through your mind. You may be thinking...

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1. Hold up, hold up. This is really dangerous, Sydney. Where on Earth will you get your protein? We all know the best sources of protein come from animal products.

First of all, I'm very thankful that you care about my protein levels. However, the idea that vegans don't get enough protein is, for the most part, a myth. I say for the most part because there will always be "junk food vegans" who continue to eat harmful, processed foods that contain no protein. Junk food as in Oreos. Did you know Oreos are vegan?

"Whole grains, vegetables, and beans provide more than enough protein to stay healthy. Most people actually eat too much protein, and when the body has more than it needs, it excretes the rest in our urine. Animal protein also leads to increased risk for several illnesses." (http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/)

You may care to note that these "illnesses" referenced are all preventable, diet related diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

So, why would your doctor recommend animal protein if there is an overwhelming amount of research concluding that these food choices lead to chronic but preventable illnesses? In medical school, doctors only receive less than 4 hours of nutrition education. They aren't qualified to tell you how to prevent illnesses with food, only treat them. Need a triple bypass surgery? Go to a doctor. Want to know how to prevent one? Don't bother asking for their advice.

2. Okay, but what about calcium? If you don't drink milk, won't you be deficient in calcium?

Calcium, like all other minerals, is found first in the soil. In plants.

"Calcium, needed for strong bones, is found in dark green leafy vegetables, tofu made with calcium sulfate, calcium-fortified soy milk and orange juice, and many other foods commonly eaten by vegans." (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.php)

3. But a vegan diet isn't the natural human diet. We are biologically meant to eat meat, right?

I'm glad you've brought up this point. This is a very important misconception that we should address. Humans are not made to eat meat. Take a look at this graphic, for instance.

Are we more like a omnivore/carnivore or a frugivore/herbivore?

Aside from not being physically made to eat meat, humans are not psychologically made to eat meat either. How many of you readers could honestly say that you could chase down a live animal, kill it and eat it then and there? Do you have the heart or the strength? Have you ever considered the lack of a natural drive to kill another being as an argument against meat eating?

These are a few of the biological reasons against meat consumption. For more information on this topic and other arguments like these, take a look at the free pdf I talk about in the conclusion.

4. How about in the Bible where God feeds His people with meat? It can't be unethical if God supports it.

This is where I got stumped too. You don't want to be this person when God offers you food to eat.

However, we are looking at a time where factory farming (the industry which abuses and murders innocent animals) was nonexistent and options for food were not as plentiful. Today, we are privileged to be given a choice to either eat what will truly nourish our cells or support the horrors of factory farming. We are blessed with availability of endless food options. I believe God would also choose veganism. He is compassionate and cares for ALL of his creatures. I don't think he would be supportive of the torture they go through today in the industry.

5. Isn't going vegan a little extreme? Won't it hurt your body to completely cut out all of these foods?

Don't think of this vegan experiment as a restrictive diet. I am not planning to consume less calories or trying to lose weight. I'm merely replacing the low nutrient value calories with higher quality, nutrient dense ones. In the vegan world, this is called a "plant based diet". Doesn't that sound a lot nicer than vegan? Vegan has such a negative connotation.

Keep in mind the real definition of diet: "the kinds of food that a person, animal, or community habitually eats". I'm not referring to a diet associated with calorie restriction or weight loss.

To make sure I am getting all food that I need, I will be logging all of my meals into Cronometer. This website is a database with nutritional information about all kinds of foods. It will be able to tell me, in detail, if I am reaching my nutrient goals each day. I recommend you play around with the website and even set up your own account if you are interested in nutrition or food in general. It is a fascinating tool.

Now to address the extremity of the vegan diet, I'd like to make a comparison to put things in perspective. Which would you consider more extreme - a triple bypass surgery (where a surgeon takes a saw to your ribcage) caused by a poor diet or eating only whole foods like fruits and vegetables? Is pricking yourself everyday with shots of insulin more extreme than cutting out foods that don't serve your body? What about paying a fortune in medical bills when you could have drunk those green smoothies?

I'll be doing my best to eat only veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds and legumes. Basically, "rabbit food". Or, if you're feeling radical, "actual human food". Need a sec to chew on that? I'm feeling a little sassy today. I apologize.

6. Is this just a stage? Will you grow out of this?

For now, I'm not sure. All the research I have done makes it very obvious that it isn't hard to succeed on a plant based diet. If I see exciting results (skin clarity, high energy levels, increased ability to focus and be productive) then I may decide to keep it up. For now, like the title suggests, this is nothing more than an experiment. I'm just as curious as you are. Will it work? Will I end up failing?

Being aware of the factory farming abuse (there are plenty of documentaries that go into this), I feel like I have an obligation to at least try and do my part to save the lives of innocent animals. My own selfish interests are petty excuses to not do anything.

I am currently reading a book called Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (which I totally recommend if you are interested in the ethics of animal cruelty). In the novel, he makes a very compelling point. There are arguments that vegans and vegetarians are too emotional and sentimental, caring for animals like they do. Vegans don't think logically and end up letting their emotions get in the way. But, think about it this way:

Two men walk up to a local fast food restaurant and one says to the other "I really feel like a burger today.". The other looks over the menu, agreeing to himself that a burger does sound good, but he makes the logical decision, with knowledge of the factory farming conditions, that a dead piece of cow will do his body no good. Who is the sentimentalist? The man whose emotions tell him to order the burger or the man whose logic prevents it?

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I hope that what I've said hasn't hurt anyone or turned you off from looking into the lifestyle. I don't mean to single out any meat eaters or supporters of other diets. I have just found so much good logic behind this lifestyle and am eager to share it.

If you are interested in following my experience in depth, I am planning to log my progress with my YouTube channel in the new year.

My YouTube channel and this blog have been all kinds of things over the last few years. That's what I love about them, though. I can look back at my archived posts and videos and see how I've changed over the years. Maybe, in time, this post will just be history. I'm willing to risk that, though. What are we, really, if we aren't actively changing and adapting? I don't want to live a static life.

And if you are feeling really crazy, you could even download this short little free pdf called the "Vegan Beginners Guide". It's a comprehensive resource created by the awesome vegan blogger from Mindfully Bliss (aka my new obsession). If I didn't convince you here to look into veganism, she sure will.

If you have any questions or concerns at all, leave them in the comments below. I don't want to worry any of you with my little experiment.

Love and hugs!

Sydney xx