Being a Vegan

 

    Before you completely walk away, and say "No, not me!", just take a moment to hear me out. I am NOT going to try to talk you into becoming a vegan. That's a personal decision for each person, I simply want to tell you may story. And, just maybe, it might actually help someone.

    For many years, I was a carnivore. Literally. I HAD to have meat! Every single meal! I loved my hamburger meat, chicken, turkey, steaks, bacon, fish, you name it, if it was flesh, I was eating it! 

    Then, as I began to get a little age on me, at about the age of 47-48, I began to notice some digestion problems. Especially with pork and red meats. I would eat, and then it felt like something was laying in my belly for DAYS. I ended up having to take Epsom Salts as a laxative to expel "it". And what we found out "it" was, was undigested meats! 

  Of course, my doctor wanted to do tests to find out what was going on that I wasn't breaking down meats. However, like many Americans, I did not have medical insurance. And scoping ones abdomen can be quite (interpret that as pricey) economically unfeasible. So, for years I would limit how much meat I ate. I stuck to fish and poultry exclusively, as they "hurt me" the least. But, hurt me, they still did. I was getting on a revolving door of laxatives after eating any meats. Now, in case you don't know this, using laxatives too often can cause what is called paralytic bowel, or dependent bowel, syndrome. That's just a fancy way of saying that you can't have a bowel movement without using a laxative. And, let's face it, who wants to live like that?

    In 2005, I had a bad experience while at a beef slaughterhouse. I saw first hand how a national beef company handled the cattle headed into the slaughter. I was very upset over the atrocities I saw. (At the time, my husband was driving a big 18-wheeler for a transport company, and I was traveling with him for a year, which is why I was in the slaughterhouse.) It left me appalled. And mentally changed. (Look, I was raised as a teenager in the country, and I never saw animals so abused! I never had a problem with slaughtering animals for the table and in fact, I have done my fair share of butchering hogs, chickens, rabbits, and deer, so don't judge me!)

    Company my experience in the slaughterhouse, with my stomach problem, and well, you can begin to see why becoming vegan wasn't a difficult decision for me to make. 

    I chose to become vegan for my own health. Not eating enough protein was leaving me tired, depressed, and with a whole slew of problems that I'd never encountered before. All of which the doctors I saw informed me could be cured with tests, surgeries, or adding this or that medication to my regimen.

    One day I read an awesome book about veganism, by a Christian writer. And I was forever changed. While I had seriously considered the idea, I was not ready to become a vegan until I actually read this book. (I won't list it now, but I can share this if you want. So, just let me know, if you'd like to read it. I'm not being silly and trying to hide the title of the book, I'm simply not where I can get to the book as I write this, to reference the complete book title and the author's name, etc.)

    I told my husband I wanted to go vegan. He wasn't too enthused, thinking that I meant he would also have to eat the same way I did. (He's another carnivore, LOL.) Once I assured him I wouldn't try to change his eating habits, he was all for me doing whatever would make me feel better.

    I literally became a vegan overnight. No wading in as a vegetarian first, to see if I wanted to do it. No trial first. I simply stepped off that cliff in a leap of faith, believing someone would see me and catch me if I fell.

    But the amazing thing was that I didn't fall! It was the most natural transition to me! I never missed the meat. I never missed the dairy. None of that!

    In one month, I went from having to take 4 different diabetic tablets a day, to taking none. Yes, you read that right. Because, you see, I not only became vegan, but I gave up all processed foods. Including sugar. (I only use absolutely natural ingredients for sweeteners, fruits, pure maple syrup, or pure agave syrup.) I found that by eating fresh fruits, my sweet tooth was naturally satiated.

    By making sure I get a minimum of 60gm of protein a day, I never crave meats. Never. I get my protein through beans, legumes, nuts, nut butters, etc. Because I am also trying to lose weight, I drink a plant based meal replacement drink for my lunches that has 20gm of protein per serving, with no artificial ingredients. No, it doesn't taste very nice, and I simply mix it with water, when I could mix it with fruit juice, or coconut or rice milk. Instead, I opt to drink it as the container suggests, made simply with water, to keep from adding anything to it's all natural base. (I simply shake it up, and drink it down fast, reaching for my water immediately afterward!) Some people may find that a bit hard to do, it just all depends on the individual. 

    My meals are always thought out ahead of time. And sometimes even cooked ahead of time, since I work from home and travel great distances during my work week.  (I am an insurance Nurse/Social Worker.)

    So, some examples of my meals might be:

      BREAKFAST(S): steel cut oats with blueberries, sprinkled with 1/4 cup of walnuts or almonds; fried potato and onion with beans (fried in coconut oil); pancakes with maple syrup sprinkled with nuts (pancakes are made with almond meal and I use ground flax of chia seeds instead of eggs - there's a method to using them).

      LUNCH(ES): protein meal supplement mixed with water; homemade hummus and lettuce roll ups; homemade fruit roll ups with walnuts (my lunches are usually eaten while driving down the road, so they have to be pretty portable!)

      DINNER(S): Texicanwife's Vegan Chili (my internet persona is "Texicanwife"), this consists of black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, onions, homemade tomato sauce, chili powder, paprika and cumin (cumin and paprika give it that distinct Mexican flavor) - this is a meal that cooks all day in the slow cooker, and is absolutely to die for! Pinto beans and cornbread (my cornbread is made with pure stone ground cornmeal, which I purchase locally,  and again I use either ground chia or flax seed for egg substitute, milk is either plain coconut or rice milk, and I add baking powder for leavening, if I'm craving southern cornbread, I add just a touch of agave syrup to give it that little twist of sweet.) I also love to make roasted cabbage and sweet potato with onion in the oven (I'll eat either some hummus spread on it, have a couple tablespoons of peanut butter later on.)

    My peanut butter is an all-natural peanut butter that contains only 2 ingredients: peanuts and salt.

    I do not eat breads. However, if I'm feeling a bit peckish for bread, I will make some homemade corn tortillas, using stone ground cornmeal and coconut oil.  These are good warm or cold, and you can add a variety of things to them. You can even use them to make a complete meal if you make them into tacos (meatless of course!)

    I only use coconut oil (solid) or olive oil for cooking and frying. Both work very well. While the EVOO may add a it of a taste to some things, I have never had the coconut oil add any flavoring to foods. You must use caution when cooking with these, as they have low smoking points.  But then, I don't use a lot of high heat.

    I eat only fresh fruits or vegetables. No canned or frozen. And you are probably asking, "How do you afford that?" Well, since my hubby doesn't eat the same way, and it is only he and I, I am only purchasing for two people. And when I am forced to make a large recipe just for myself, I break it down into portions, and freeze meals separately. These are great when I come home from a long day on the road, and don't feel like cooking!

    And, no, I don't use butter or eggs or milk. I don't eat cheese. I used to eat a lot of soy products, until all the hype about soy products began to be leaked out. So, I've stopped that for a while until I can do my own research on soy products.

    So, enough about my food. Let me tell you what changes have come from eating this way! This is where it gets good! 

    I went from having to take 3 different blood pressure medications twice daily, to only one pill a day. Yes! I went from walking with a cane due to bone problems and fibromyalgia,  to no pain. And no cane! I went from intense stomach pains and constipation to no stomach pains, and I am never constipated. I went from little to no energy, to a ton of energy! My husband cannot keep up with me! Whenever we go out, he is always telling me to slow down so that he can catch up!

    And because of the energy, my mind is clearer than ever, and I can work much more efficiently than I was before!

    My blood sugar went from 160 (with medication) to staying in the mid to low 80's, with no medication! My A1c went from 7.9 to 3.4. My cholesterol went from requiring medication to the lower end of the normal scale, which means no more cholesterol medication!

    As you can tell, I am a woman changed! Literally!

    What I did may not be for everyone, but I want to get my story out there to you, so that you can see what it can do. It doesn't mean that becoming a vegan will cure all of your problems. But if you could have just the chance of less muscle or joint pain, or of lowering your blood sugar, or lowering your cholesterol, or your blood pressure, wouldn't you take it?