Breaking Vegan: Things I've Learnt Along the Way

So this is the part where, if this was a Youtube video, there would be clips of me psyching myself up or talking to myself and repetitively saying "say it, just do it, just say it out.loud.". But ha, this is not a video and nor am I actually that terrified to say anything about this. But here it goes;

After two and a half years of being a dedicated an strict vegan- I am no longer.

I type this as if it's a very recent and massively life-changing event that's fallen upon me- it's not. While it is already hardly life-changing, it is in no way recent.

Since September of 2017 I started reintroducing eggs into my life. Now you reading this might be thinking- wow, that's lame, why should I care? And you're right- you shouldn't. And that's why I'm writing this- because for the last nine months of eating this one singular additional animal product, regardless of my reasoning, I have been terrified to tell people- and that is what I wanted to explore in this post.

Veganism for me started out as an interest- I saw beautiful Australian girls on their Instagrams and Youtube accounts posting pictures and videos with their green smoothies and tofu buddha bowls- it looked, and was, trendy. It also appealed to me as I had recently cut out meat from my diet (because shock to the world- not everyone enjoys the taste of meat), and was slowly becoming more sensitised to how my meals made me feel. And through these social media goddesses I became vegan in the May of 2015.

-Ironically to this situation of me keeping no longer being vegan super under wraps- I kept being vegan a secret for months too.-

And this is where the rollercoaster of fad diets and The Vegan Rulebook began. Prior to being vegan I was already very health conscious- having cut out processed junk food, fast food, and eventually attempting a low carb diet. So hopping on the bandwagon of every vegan diet was not something unexpected.

• I did the 80/20 raw diet of smoothies made of five bananas, absolutely no peanut butter or avocado on anything, and gorging myself on as much white rice as I could stomach.

• I did the lazy vegan of eating toast, instant oats and/or pasta for almost every meal (I was a student, it still is the most appealing diet for someone with minimum time and money).

• I did the green-juice, steamed veg, kombucha all day health vegan.

• I did the 'it might be a whole box of Oreos but they're vegan so it's still better than Romany Creams' vegan diet.

• I did the "vegan gains" pea-protein-everything with a side of extra tofu and more protein diet.

I've done it all. And all that over two and a half years. You can assume I'm half sick over the label 'vegan' by now.

In short- I'm no longer vegan because to me the diet was no longer a choice I was happily making every time I sat down for a meal- it became an obligation and an almost code of conduct to follow. My rollercoaster of different diets had caused some bad digestive issues when it came to eating- which lead to me essentially avoiding even more foods than I already was, and sometimes just putting off eating until I absolutely had to- to put off the acidity, pain, and bloating that would inevitably follow majority of my meals.

So physically and psychologically, food was no longer an enjoyment. I hated ordering off menus because either I would have to change so much in a meal that the waiter would curse my ancestors, or I would sit and envy the meals of food around me and the freedom of choice the people had when ordering. It wasn't good. Therefore, mostly in an attempt to fix the pains and problems I was experiencing, I reintroduced eggs into my diet. (I can almost hear the mob gathering their pitchforks in the distance).

So that aside (it's largely unimportant and mostly just there to cover my ass should I receive any back lash about becoming lazy in the vegan pursuit of a totally harm-free world- it's not laziness, it's for my own sanity friends), I thought I'd share things I learnt/experienced in becoming, being, and no longer being vegan.

1. It's not a prison

Making the choice to reduce the consumption of animal products for even one meal a day is a change and makes a difference. If you eat a vegan diet for 28 out of the 31 days in a month, and on the other three days you had some ice-cream or cheese or whatever- that does not make you 'unvegan' or in any way the absolute offspring of satan himself. Every single choice towards reducing the impact on animal agriculture makes a difference. It is not a cage. It is not a trap. You should not ever feel like you are confined to the Vegan Rule Book and that, should a drop of cows milk pass you lips, you should say ten Hail Mary's and receive thirty lashings.

2. There are no rules.

Take it from the girl that tried all the forms of veganism (save for the one where you don't pick your produce- only eat what has naturally fallen from the plant- lol), there is no wrong or right veganism. I've had my days where I've eaten toast for breakfast and two minute noodles for lunch, and thrown back a fair share of Oreos around 7pm- and then sat in a dark corner, rocking back and forth because I've failed to consume my 174 servings of vegetables for the day. A diet that follows a strict rule book is never going to be healthy (unless you are allergic to peanuts or shellfish- please follow those rules). Eat what you want, when you want, follow your cravings within reason, and remember that deprivation will likely result in a later over-consumption. Don't feel bad because you ordered the burger instead of the salad. And don't feel bad for ordering the salad instead of the burger.

3. The people with the most opinions about veganism- likely aren't.

You know that hilarious joke about how to tell if someone is vegan? In my experience (obviously save for a few exceptions), it's so far from the truth. Because of the stigma against veganism you'll often find that you won't even know they're vegan until they dish up a plate of food. In my own personal case, I don't say a word about it- to save myself from a gruelling conversation about iron deficiencies and the benefits of full fat milk- and instead have a wonderful friend that prances around social events proudly (and hilariously) announcing it to whoever needs to be informed (aka the boet commandeering the braai). I happily go through entire social events without it becoming any kind of a conversational topic- until that person gets wind. That person will waltz up to me, inform me of their step-half-sister-in-law that was hospitalised for an iron deficiency and proceed to give me a history lesson about the eating habits of our distant cousins, The Flintstones. This person can range from a protein shake swigging gym boytjie that shoots back 8 Jagers in an hour, the condescending friend of a friend of your moms who was once a very attractive young man that peaked at 17 and obviously knows better than you because 'back in the day...', or the chain smoking, chardonnay drinking, walking Country Road advert that insists that banting is the way and it's so easy these days with Woolies cauliflower noodles. Everyone knows better than you- and how could you know, it's not like you're the one following the diet?

4. It's. Not. For. Everyone.

We will never ever find the diet that works for ever single person that walks the planet earth. And as much as the banters, the vegans, and the intermittent fasters hate to hear it- you cannot change everyones minds and you can't get everyone to eat the same diet. Yes- awareness is important. Educate yourself about where your food is coming from and what it is doing to both your body, and the planet around you. But spreading awareness should not in any way take on the form of conscription into the Vegan National Service. Sure, it would be nice to have a more open minded audience sometimes, that doesn't sneer or sigh when they hear that you won't be eating a cheese burger- but much like with political leaders, fashion trends, and the goddam Yanny/Laurel debate- the human race is practically designed to disagree with their companions. Leave each other alone. I will never deride someone for choosing the 200g sirloin over the caesar salad, just like one shouldn't deride another for the opposite. When it comes to other peoples lifestyle choices there is one rule- you do you boo.

5. The ones that commented about you being vegan- they'll have even more to say about you choosing not to be.

It's the irony of it all. Apparently choosing to be vegan has to be a lifelong commitment- but I don't remember standing at the alter with a block of tofu and repeating "till death do us part"? (Once again- the first rule applies here). Boet might have chirped you for whipping out your veggie patty at the predrinks last month- but if he hears you ate mac and cheese last night, best believe another one of those bro-splaining chats are in your future. I repeat you do you boo.

That's that folks. I probably have tons more in fact but the apartment downstairs is blaring cartoons and I'm struggling to be sarcastic and sassy with Bugs Bunny floating through the window- so taa-taa for now!

Have a lovely day x

Disclaimer:

I in no way mean this to offend anyone that is or isn't vegan- I just wanted to share my experience in a nutshell. I still prescribe to the mentality of veganism and the intention of reducing the environmental impact that my meals and lifestyle choices have on the planet. I don't, didn't, and never will, think I'm (or anyone else) is better than another just because of the choice to eat a vegan diet. (I mean Hitler was vegetarian for crying out loud). I just think there are too many rules to follow, and to many opinions surrounding, being vegan. Everyone is trying their best to better the world we have, for the time we have it, and that's all we can ask for.

#influencers #socialmedia #fitness #blog #veganism #opinion #sarcastic