"Why are you vegan?" & College Life at GCU

Hello friends!

Nowadays, there are a lot of different reasons as to why people pursue a vegan diet.  Common reasoning's you probably hear are for animal rights, loosing weight, or a difficult challenge to attempt.   Let me give you some background and context regarding my diet and why I chose this lifestyle.

I chose to become a vegan after I endured a "vegan challenge" of some sort.  I did it with my friends Matt, Brian, and my brother Josh.  The challenge was to see who could last the longest on the vegan diet during this past summer.  It was extremely difficult for me in the beginning, I messed up a lot.  Che months of May to July consisted of majority trial and error while attempting to eat vegan.  I would eat something thinking it had no animal products in it, but then later I would figure out it did.  As I went through all the mistakes and stumbles, my drive to become more and more educated of the vegan diet increased.

 I dropped the vegan diet after the challenge ended.  This being because I wanted to eat cake again and I didn't know vegan cake existed.  I also got my wisdom teeth out at the end of summer, so I didn't want to stress about having to eat mashed potatoes, jello, and shakes.  I stuck to the vegetarian lifestyle during this time and kept that up until October 2016, when I decided to become fully vegan. I decided to undergo this change as I found that vegan life was very possible in college.  Even with the restrictions of having no stove and only fast food restaurants around campus, I found new things each day that I could eat.

When you are a vegan on a college campus, you have many of the same encounters with different people. It isn't a bad thing, but you get asked a lot of the same questions over and over again. I can pretty much map out my reasoning as to why I am vegan and how I do it through my typical answers to these question:

1. You're a vegan? Isn't that super hard? -> It was in the beginning, but it became easy after education and understanding of food ingredients. Only becomes hard when you seek out or feel the need to substitute. 

2. Why are you a vegan?-> I do not purchase or consume animal products when I can control it because of the environmental effects that come with mass production of meat, dairy, and eggs.  Through excess release of greenhouse gases of animal slaughter, over production of waste, and using grains to feed animals that are supposed to be grass-fed is a waste of valuable food resource.  I do not agree in supporting the treatment of these animals as they are fed unnatural foods, kept in harmful living conditions, given hormones to promote growth, and are not treated well in any manner.  The benefits of me not eating or purchasing animal products surpass my own desires of food.  I want to be the change I want to see in the world.  

3. Where do you get your protein? -> Although protein is an important macro nutrient, it is very over estimated in its importance when a non-vegan speaks with a vegan. Suddenly, protein becomes the sole necessity of nutrients. It is important to consume protein and vegans do when they eat things such as...tofu, tempeh, nutritional yeast, plant based protein powder, edamame, quinoa, mixed raw nuts, and so much more.

4. Do you really think just you alone can make a difference? -> ABSOLUTELY especially through interactions like these, where I can show you how great vegan life is for the consumer and the animals not consumed. :) 

Against all assumptions, I eat at least 1500 calories a day and find plenty of wholesome, healthy food around my college campus.  

I'm such a foodie, it's become an issue!  I find so much joy in food, and I've become even more of a food lover ever since my vegan journey! 
I used to be fairly picky and I would eat pretty unhealthy food.   I used to hate so many vegetables that I eat on the daily now (avocados, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, etc.) My previous favorite meals were pasta, ice cream, chic fil a (anything), taco bell (anything), croissants, frappuccinos, and so much more. Though all of these foods still sound delicious to me, I have no further desire to eat them (except ice cream... but BEN & JERRYS HAVE VEGAN FLAVORS) 
Through becoming vegan, I've branched out my tastes to be equally satisfied through eating plant based and genuinely healthy food.  In all reality, vegan life has made me into a healthier and happier person. 

I have had nothing but good experiences with this diet.  If you asked me a year ago today if I would try going vegan, I would laugh in your face. 
I never thought I could let go of all of my past favorite foods. I didn't think I would be able to enjoy life as a vegan and that I would always be missing out. The truth of it is yes, you miss out on some delicious things, but in time you have no desire for those things. Some cravings will stick around and you just simply substitute for them (you can make almost anything vegan I promise!)
 In all reality, becoming vegan means you get to try new things. Which is even better than sticking with the old ways you used to live by. 
I find that becoming vegan has made me appreciate food, my body, the environment, animals, and so much more that i took for granted! 
This lifestyle is not one of giving up. Rather it is making a change for the better and learning a new way of life that is better for you and our planet! :)