Becoming Vegan

OooOo the cat is out of the bag! (And Eric even makes a special appearance in the video!)

I’m surprised that no one figured it out (or at least commented on it!) but roughly six weeks ago I did make the decision to go vegan and as a result I am feeling really good! I go into a lot more detail in the video, but my reasons were primarily based on doing what is best for my body. Consuming fewer animal products was something that I had discussed from the very beginning with my naturopath and as time went on, I seemed to be eating less and less meat. As I consumed less meat, I was concerned about how the meat I was eating was affecting my body and then made the decision to give veganism a go. Gluten free vegan living is really agreeing with my system and I couldn’t be happier!

If you’re looking for a little vegan love, or you have been wanting to check out some new plant based recipes, Meghan is doing a tutorial called 5 Days Vegan beginning September 15.

The tutorial is a great source of information for anyone thinking about a vegan lifestyle or for those looking for ways to incorporate more plant based foods into their lives. It’s full of facts, worksheets, fantastic easy recipes (like lemon lentil soup!) and meal plan ideas for aspiring vegans, vegan-curious or those just looking for yummy food!

As I mentioned in the video, I really enjoyed Brenda Davis’ book

It is an incredibly useful tool for people looking to find out more information on making the transition to veganism. The only part I didn’t love about the book was a seemingly heavy reliance on tofu, soy and fake meat products. While I do eat tofu, I try not to make it my main/only source of protein and I’m not a huge fan of fan meats. I recognize that everyone is different, but I wasn’t a huge fan of that part of the book. Fake meat aside, it’s chock full of great information on everything pertaining to veganism and if you’re heading down that path it’s a great book to pick up. (I found it at our local library)

I really appreciate your continued support as I work to figure out what works for me and my tummy. This whole journey has been about discovering what I need to do to feel good, and right now going vegan felt like the next step for me. I aspire to keep things simple by eating good food from the earth. I look forward to continuing to document my journey as a Weight Watchin’ gluten free vegan gal with Crohn’s and hopefully spreading some love and inspiration along the way!

I found a great quote when I was flipping through my naturopath’s notes in preparation for this post and I really love it.

Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food.

-Hippocrates

In the spirit of back to school, I’ll be doing a post on packable lunches on Friday and be sure to check back this weekend for my recap of the Vegetarian Food Fair. I’m really looking forward to talks by the likes of Brenda Davis, Brendan Brazier plus cooking demos with Meghan, jae steele, and Ricki Heller. I think it’s awesome that I’ll be attending for the first time so soon after my decision to go vegan!